WASHINGTON, Oct. 21, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The
sudden shift in digital learning in spring 2020 instigated new and
sustainable changes in K-12 education. Project Tomorrow, the
nation's leading education nonprofit, is providing new insight into
the efficacy and future of digital tools with this year's Speak Up
Research Project findings. Presented during a virtual Congressional
Briefing today hosted by edWeb.net, this year's results indicate an
increased usage of digital tools by teachers and students, as well
as other digital learning trends.
The Speak Up Research Project is a national research initiative
and free service to schools and districts. Since fall 2003, Speak
Up has helped education leaders include the voices of their
stakeholders in annual and long-term planning.
"By examining Speak Up results from before and after school
closures, we are able to see in almost real time how the unexpected
shift has altered not only teachers' expectations for using
technology within learning, but also parents' perceptions on the
value of digital learning and the impact of this experience on
students' aspirations for enhanced learning environments," said Dr.
Julie A. Evans, researcher and CEO
of Project Tomorrow.
Key takeaways from this year's survey include:
- Increased usage of digital tools by teachers and students due
to the COVID-19 pandemic brings new opportunities to discuss what
constitutes rigor and quality in digital resources for classroom
use, and new ways to articulate the value proposition of digital
learning more comprehensively.
- As a result of the sudden shift to digital learning, parents
developed a stronger appreciation for the value of technology as a
learning vehicle and their role in supporting their child's
education from home.
- Students continue to value how technology supports learning.
The realization of the value of digital learning by the adults in
their lives resulted in an improved learning environment for many
students. The use of digital, online and videos games provide an
excellent example of this new impact.
Educators can view the Congressional Briefing recording here and
earn an edWeb.net CE certificate. Closed-captioning will be added
to the recording within two weeks of the live presentation. To
download this year's Speak Up Research Project report, please click
here.
About Project Tomorrow & Speak Up
The Speak Up Research Project is a national initiative of Project
Tomorrow, an internationally recognized education nonprofit
organization dedicated to ensuring that all students are prepared
to become tomorrow's leaders, innovators and engaged citizens of
the world. Each year, the Speak Up Project polls K-12 students,
parents, and educators about the role of technology for learning in
and out of school, and the impact of new learning models on student
outcomes and teacher effectiveness. The Speak Up dataset represents
the largest collection of authentic, unfiltered stakeholder voices
on digital learning. Since fall 2003, almost 6 million K-12
students, parents, teachers, librarians, principals, technology
leaders, district administrators, communications officers, and
members of the community have shared their views and ideas through
Speak Up. Education, business, and policy leaders report that they
regularly use the Speak Up data to inform federal, state, and local
education programs, policies, and initiatives. Learn more at
https://tomorrow.org/speakup
SOURCE Project Tomorrow