Emerging Digital Learning Trends - What do the students say?

1. Julie A. Evans, Ed.D.
Chief Executive Officer, Project Tomorrow
@JulieEvans_PT
Emerging Digital Learning Trends –
What do the students say?
Wednesday, January 30, 2019 @ 1 pm

2. Today’s discussion
▪ Introduction to Project Tomorrow and the Speak Up
Research Project
▪ Emerging trends: the student vision for learning
▪ Speak Up research highlights on how students want to
learn using digital tools
▪ Additional resources for you!

3. Sign up to get a copy of today’s presentation!
1. Sign up on the table sheets
2. Sign up on the Google form
http://bit.ly/2RMaAhG

4. Getting to know you!

5. Tweet
with us!
Share
your
thoughts!
@JulieEvans_PT @SpeakUpEd
@FETC #FETC

6. About Project Tomorrow (www.tomorrow.org)
▪ Nonprofit education organization supporting K-12 education since 1996
▪ Mission is to ensure all of today’s students are well prepared for the future
▪ Programs and research focus on role of digital tools within the education
ecosystem – believe in power of STEAM to support student preparation for
college and career success
o Speak Up Research Project on Digital Learning: collecting & reporting
on the authentic feedback of K-12 stakeholders to inform federal, state
& local programs and policies

7. About the Speak Up Project (www.tomorrow.org/speakup)
▪ Annual research project since 2003
▪ Uses online surveys + focus groups
▪ Facilitated 100% through schools and districts
▪ We design online surveys to collect feedback from
your K-12 Students, Teachers, Parents,
Administrators and Community Members
▪ All K-12 schools – public, private, parochial, charter,
virtual - are eligible to participate
▪ Project Tomorrow manages all data collection and
reporting for you - 100% free service
▪ Schools get summary report with all locally collected
data + state and national data for benchmarks
We share national data with federal, state and local policymakers to inform programs and funding

8. About the Speak Up Project (www.tomorrow.org/speakup)
Standard survey question topics include:
✓ Use of technology to support learning
✓ School climate for innovation
✓ College and career ready skill development/interest
✓ Leadership challenges and capacities
✓ Teachers’ needs for professional learning
✓ How do different stakeholders value digital learning
✓ Emerging trends w/digital tools, content and resources
✓ New classroom models: mobile, blended, flipped
✓ School to home communications
✓ Student safety online & digital citizenship
✓ Designing the ultimate school
Since 2003, over 5.4 million K-12 stakeholders have submitted a Speak Up survey

9. Key trends from the Speak Up Research
• Greater emphasis on linking technology to students’ global skill preparation
• Interest, acceptance and implementation of new learning models
• Students’ self-directed digital learning influencing expectations for school
• Meet the new digital parent – new demands, higher aspirations
• Thinking beyond engagement to understand outcomes from digital learning
• Increasing criticality for Internet connectivity – at school and at home
• Digital learning is a metaphor today for education transformation
• The strong connection between leadership and effectiveness

10. Let’s play a game!

11. Let’s play a game!
K-12
STUDENTS’
DIGITAL LIVES

12. o I have my own tablet to use at home (54%) but I use a
Chromebook at school (53%)
o #1 complaint about school technology? I want to use my own
mobile device at school!
o 4 of 10 use a mobile device to read online books
o I’m interested in a job in a STEM field (45%)
o 51% say they would like to learn how to code
o Believes that playing digital math games would improve math
skills (43%)
o I collaborate more with classmates because of technology (44%)
K-12 STUDENTS’ DIGITAL LIVES

13. K-12 STUDENTS’ DIGITAL LIVES
Who is this?
❑ 3rd grade girl
❑ 6th grade boy
❑ 9th grade girl
❑ 12th grade boy

14. K-12 STUDENTS’ DIGITAL LIVES
Who is this?
❑ 3rd grade girl

15. @Project Tomorrow 2017

16. What do you see?
Are we all seeing the same
thing?
What do your students,
parents and educators see?
Are we using the right lens?

17. The new student vision for learning is based on these principles:
Key Speak Up Finding: Today’s students have their own vision for optimized learning
Socially-
based
learning
Un-tethered
learning
Digital
learning for
context

18. Survey Audience National
K-12 Students 340,927
Teachers & Librarians 34,833
Parents 23,159
Administrators 3,249
Community Members 4,611
About schools and districts: 3,641 districts, 10,619 schools
29% urban, 34% rural, 37% suburban, 68% title 1 eligible
National participation in Speak Up 2017: 406,779

19. Survey Audience National
K-12 Students 250,465
Sneak peek: 2018 national data *
* Data is preliminary and it not for formal publication yet

20. Student vision: un-tethered learning
▪ Use of mobile devices to support
learning
▪ Self-directed learning
▪ Online learning

21. Student vision: un-tethered learning
What devices do you have personally (not school provided)?
35%
50%
79%
91%
53%
57% 55%
39%
32% 35%
48%
54%
10%
15% 14% 13%15% 12%
K-2 Gr 3-5 Gr 6-8 Gr 9-12
Smartphone Tablet Laptop Digital Reader Smartwatch

22. Student vision: un-tethered learning
What devices do you use at school?
1:1 student assigned devices to use in school – laptops, tablets, Chromebooks
K-2: 30%
Gr 3-5: 27%
Gr 6-8: 35%
Gr 9-12: 34%
K-2: 46%
Gr 3-5: 21%
Gr 6-8: 16%
Gr 9-12: 7%
K-2: 37%
Gr 3-5: 57%
Gr 6-8: 52%
Gr 9-12: 45%
59% students in Gr 9-12 say they use their own mobile device at school

23. Student vision: un-tethered learning
How are students using mobile devices for learning?
Teacher-directed activities:
➢ Do Internet research
➢ Play education games
➢ Take online tests
➢ Creating docs to share
➢ Work on projects w/classmates
➢ Read online articles
➢ Use online textbooks
Student self-directed activities:
✓ Check grades
✓ Look up class info
✓ Using online dictionary
✓ Email teacher w/questions
✓ Take notes
✓ Receive reminders re tests, projects
✓ Watch videos to support learning

24. Student vision: un-tethered learning
Students are self-blending learning outside of school – on their own
▪ Researching websites about academic topics that interest them
▪ Watching online videos to learn how to do something
▪ Watching TED Talks to learn about new ideas
▪ Using social media to follow experts and learn what people are thinking about
▪ Using online writing tools to improve their own writing skills

25. Student vision: un-tethered learning
What class/subject do you think
middle school students say they
would like to take as a fully
online class?

26. Student vision: un-tethered learning
Interest in taking a fully online class in what subject?
1. Math – 49% of middle school students
2. Science – 47%
3. Social Studies – 36%
4. English – 34%
5. Coding – 34%
6. World Languages – 33%

27. Student vision: socially-based learning
▪ Outcomes from the use of digital
tools – student perspective
▪ Social media use by students –
changing dynamics
▪ YouTube learning

28. Student vision: socially-based learning
What is the impact
of using technology
within learning on
students?

29. Student vision: socially-based learning
What is the impact of using technology within
learning on students?
Increased engagement
in learning?
Obvious answer, right?

30. Student vision: socially-based learning
Impact of technology us within learning – student perspective
Better outcomes
▪ Better grades and test scores: 54% of Gr 6-8 students
▪ Collaborating more with other students: 44%
Skill development
▪ Developing creativity skills: 50%
Personalized learning environment
▪ I’m learning at my own pace: 53%
▪ I’m in control of my learning: 46%
▪ I understand what I am learning in class better: 45%
▪ This fits my learning style: 43%
Note: only 39% of
students report
increased
engagement
as the biggest
impact

31. Student vision: socially-based learning
What social media tools are high school students using?
Rarely – Never All the time

32. What social media tools are high school students using?
Selected tools Rarely/never use Use all the time
Girls Boys Girls Boys
Facebook 54% 61% 18% 13%
Instagram 18% 29% 47% 34%
Snapchat 15% 26% 61% 44%
Twitter 60% 65% 17% 12%
YouTube 10% 7% 48% 59%

33. Grade 6-8 students and YouTube learning
▪ Have their own YouTube channel – 28%
▪ Have their own YouTube business – 7%

34. Grade 6-8 students and YouTube learning
▪ Have their own YouTube channel – 28%
▪ Have their own YouTube business – 7%
▪ Use YouTube for self-directed learning – 47%
▪ Use YouTube for homework – 30%

35. Grade 6-8 students and YouTube learning
▪ Have their own YouTube channel – 28%
▪ Have their own YouTube business – 7%
▪ Use YouTube for self-directed learning – 47%
▪ Use YouTube for homework – 30%
▪ Learning important skills on YouTube for their future – 44%
▪ Learning important skills in school for their future – 46%

36. Student vision: digital learning for context
▪ Digital content use in the
classroom
▪ Pixel vs. Print?
▪ About students’ learning
preferences

37. High school student use of digital content in
the classroom to support learning
Type of digital content Daily use Weekly use Monthly use
Augmented reality 6% 14% 24%
Animations & simulations 6% 18% 37%
Videos created by teacher 10% 28% 42%
Online/digital games 15% 43% 77%
Videos found online by student 20% 45% 70%
Online curriculum 24% 45% 66%
Social media tools 24% 38% 53%

38. Which is your personal preference?
o To read a hardcopy, printed book
o To read a book online using a
digital device

39. 66%
52%
31%
24%
K-2 Gr 3-5 Gr 6-8 Gr 9-12
“My preference is to read using a digital device”

40. About learning – in school and out of school
Middle school students say:
▪ I wish my classes were more interesting at school (46% of students in Gr 6-8)
▪ I am interested in what I am learning at school (41%)
▪ I know how to be safe when I am online (66%)
▪ I know how to evaluate bias in what I am reading online (38%)
▪ I know how to evaluate the accuracy of what I read online (35%)
▪ I use technology more for learning outside of school than in school (50%)

41. About learning – in school and out of school
Middle school students say:
▪ I like learning how
to do things (61%)
▪ I like learning about
new ideas (54%)
▪ I like learning how
to build things
(53%)

42. How well are we addressing the student vision for learning?
Key Speak Up Finding: Today’s students have their own vision for optimized learning
Socially-
based
learning
Un-tethered
learning
Digital
learning for
context

43. “The voyage of
discovery is not in
seeking new
landscapes, but in
having new eyes.”
Marcel Proust

44. More resources available at www.tomorrow.org
National Speak Up reports and infographics
Targeted and thematic reports
Educational Equity
Digital learning trends
School communications
Mobile learning
Blended learning outcomes
Presentations, podcasts and webinars
Services: consulting, workshops, evaluation and efficacy studies
✓ We have expertise in the evaluation of mobile implementations, new
classroom models and digital content usage

45. Invitation for your school or district to participate in Speak Up 2018
Online surveys for:
o K-12 students – individual + group
o Parents – English and Spanish
o Teachers
o Librarians/Media Specialists
o School Site & District Administrators
o Technology Leaders
o Community Members
Surveys open now through June 28, 2019
Learn more www.tomorrow.org/speakup
100% free service to all schools and districts – including reports with comparison data

46. Sign up to get a copy of today’s presentation!
1. Sign up on the table sheets
2. Sign up on the Google form
http://bit.ly/2RMaAhG

47. Emerging Digital Learning Trends –
What do the students say?
1/30/19 @ 1 pm – C283
Thank you for joining me today!
Please review this session on the mobile app.
Julie A. Evans, Ed.D.
Chief Executive Officer, Project Tomorrow
@JulieEvans_PT
jevans@tomorrow.org