Survey: Schools are Incorporating More Technology

WASHINGTON — K-12 and postsecondary schools throughout the United States are successfully incorporating 21st century learning tools into their curricula, according to a recent survey by the Software & Information Industry Association.

The three-month survey, “Vision K-20 Pilot Survey,” focused on digital courseware, enterprise support, accessibility, differentiated learning and assessment tools to gauge how accessible technology is to students and teachers in K-12 and postsecondary schools, and how it is being used to prepare students for global competition.

Aimed at a variety of stakeholders, including educators, policymakers and academic leaders, the questionnaire asked participants whether students have access to digital courseware and online tutoring; if and when computer-based assessments are used to gauge and shape instruction; whether schools provide high-speed Internet access to students and community members; and if institution leaders use technology tools to aid in planning, budgeting and decision making.

The survey found that educational institutions are making significant progress with integrating modern learning tools into everyday curricula including the digital presentation of educational content, the use of interactive, multimedia courseware and simulations, and access to high-speed broadband Internet.

Schools are also making headway with providing enterprise support to educators and administrators by offering information systems that track school performance and provide institutional data, according to the survey. The number of educators who have access to the same level of technology resources, training and support as other professionals is also on the rise.

The least amount of progress has been made with the use of digital assessment tools, including personal E-portfolios for students to demonstrate their skills and knowledge and computer-based or online assessments by teachers to help inform instruction, the survey states.

Computerized assessments measuring student proficiency with multimedia courseware are less common than traditional paper-and-pencil assessments in U.S. schools, the survey states.

K-12 schools are behind postsecondary institutions in incorporating technology into the classroom, according to the survey.

The survey also found that the nation’s smallest schools, those with fewer than 450 students, lag considerably behind larger institutions with overall technological progress.

SIIA’s education division plans to work with K-12 and higher education schools on providing consistent access to technology to help meet student and teacher needs, increase student motivation, facilitate communication and collaboration in the classroom, and inform instruction.