Dive Brief:
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The EdTech Genome Project, an initiative of the nonprofit Jefferson Education Exchange aimed at helping schools and districts make better-informed decisions when purchasing ed tech solutions, has determined 10 factors that influence whether classroom tech implementations will succeed, with further study on these variables occurring over the coming year.
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Each year, educators spend more than $13 billion on ed tech tools and products, but the vast majority of purchases go unused or are not implemented effectively.
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The 10 factors identified are:
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Implementation.
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Competing priorities.
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Foundational resources.
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Implementation plans.
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Professional learning support.
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School culture.
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Teacher agency/autonomy.
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Teachers' beliefs about their tech ability.
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Technological pedagogical content.
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Vision for how tech assists in learning.
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Dive Insight:
The EdTech Genome Project is the first of its kind. It was partly inspired by Pearson’s Law, which states “that which is measured improves,” and “that which is measured and reported improves exponentially,” according to Bart Epstein, president and CEO of the Jefferson Education Exchange and research associate at the University of Virginia's Curry School of Education, in a press statement.
The idea is that well-implemented technology can make dramatic improvements on student achievement, said Roya Salehi, vice president of customer success for Lexia Learning, in the same statement.
When purchasing ed tech, districts often don’t seek teacher input or implement pilot programs before making an investment. Since teachers will ultimately be the end users, their buy-in is critical for the programs to become effective.
It’s also important for school leaders to understand what the products are worth instructionally: Will they facilitate an interactive experience? Will the tech be used to explore, design and create? And districts must have a clear plan in place ahead of time for how the tech will be implemented and used.
Another way to avoid wasteful ed tech purchases is to conduct tech audits to ensure funds are spent on resources that will have the biggest impact on students. Audits should also detail a clear vision for how districts will use ed tech, as well as how classes are already using it. This process gives districts a “lay of the land” of what is being used, what is working and how to use it more efficiently.
