1. Speaking Up about Online Learning:
Listening to the Student, Parent and
Teacher Point of View
Speak Up 2011 National Results
Julie Evans, Project Tomorrow CEO June 27, 2012
© Project Tomorrow 2011

2. Speak Up National Research Project
Annual national research project
 Online surveys + focus groups
 Open for all K-12 schools and schools of education
 Institutions receive free report with their own data
Collect ideas ↔ Stimulate conversations
 K-12 Students, Teachers, Parents, Administrators
 Pre-Service Teachers in Schools of Education
Inform policies & programs
 Analysis and reporting of findings and trends
 Consulting services to help transform teaching and learning
+ 2.6 million surveys since 2003
© Project Tomorrow 2011

3. Speak Up survey question themes
 Learning & Teaching with Technology
 21st Century Skills: Digital Citizenship
 Science and Math Instruction
 Career Interests in STEM and Teaching
 Professional Development / Teacher Preparation
 Internet Safety
 Administrators’ Challenges
 Emerging Technologies in the Classroom
 Mobile Devices, Online Learning, Digital Content, E-textbooks
 Educational Games, Web 2.0 tools and applications
 Designing the 21st Century School
© Project Tomorrow 2011

4. Speak Up 2011 Congressional Briefings
Washington DC
April 24 and May 23, 2012
© Project Tomorrow 2011

5. Enabled, Engaged, Empowered
Key Trends: Online Learning
© Project Tomorrow 2011

6. Administrators’ Realities
Impact of recent fiscal crisis on budgets
What tech solutions are you considering to help with
your budget situation?
1. Digital textbooks 43%
2. Tablets instead of laptops for students 39%
3. Online teacher PD 37%
4. Cloud computing solutions 35%
5. Online classes for students 30%
6. Allowing student use of personal devices 27%
© Project Tomorrow 2011

7. Who is learning online?
Types of online learning Students: Students:
experiences Gr 6-8 Gr 9-12
100% online school 7% 6%
Online self study class 10% 13%
Teacher led online class 10% 13%
Online class for personal 9% 10%
interests
© Project Tomorrow 2011

8. Both students and parents are interested in
online learning
If you have not taken an online class, would you
like to?
Yes! Students in Grades 3-5 27%
Students in Grades 6-8 47%
Students in Grades 9-12 45%
What would you recommend as a good investment
to enhance student achievement?
36% of parents say “online classes”
© Project Tomorrow 2011

9. Student interest in taking an online class
5 year retrospective
Yes I am interested No I am not interested
53%
47%
45%
42%
38%
33% 32%
24%
Students Gr 6-8 Students Gr 6-8 Students Gr 9-12 Students Gr 9-12
(2007) (2011) (2007) (2011)
© Project Tomorrow 2011

10. Parents’ views on the benefits of online learning for
their child
© Project Tomorrow 2011

11. Why take an online class?
For high school students, traditional reasons:
scheduling and college credit.
For middle school students, it’s about changing the
learning paradigm.
 Get extra help in a tough subject
 More comfortable asking questions
 In control of my own learning
 More motivated to learn
 Work at my own pace
 Review class materials whenever I want
 Share ideas with my classmates
© Project Tomorrow 2011

12. Interest in an online class? What course?
MATH
43% - Gr 6-8 Students
32% - Gr 9-12 Students
© Project Tomorrow 2011

13. Yes, students should be required to take an online
class for graduation
2008 2011
69%
49%
46%
40%
36%
31%
26% 27%
Students Gr 6-8 Students Gr 9-12 Parents Administrators
© Project Tomorrow 2011

14. Educators’ experiences with online learning
Online Learning Teachers School Site District
Experience Administrators Administrators
Taught a fully online 6% 6% 14%
class
Taught a blended 5% 3% 9%
online class
Took a fully online 52% 52% 65%
class for PD
Took a blended 18% 25% 30%
online class for PD
© Project Tomorrow 2011

15. Relationship between online learning experiences
and value proposition
62%
Fits schedule 90%
89%
88%
11%
Learning community value 34%
28%
36%
8%
Supports learning style 33%
27%
34%
28%
Saves time 50%
44%
46%
12%
Just in time training 32%
26%
34%
5%
More connected to profession 17%
13%
20%
33%
Review materials as needed 62%
56%
57%
29%
Ability to customize learning 58%
52%
61%
No online involvement Taken blended online PD
Taken fully online PD Taught online class
© Project Tomorrow 2011

16. Teachers’ wish list for tech-enabled professional
learning communities
 Tools for collaboration with teachers at my school
(43%)
 Tools for collaboration with teachers at other schools
(42%)
 Online courses (42%)
 Easy access to student data that I can use to inform
my teaching (39%)
 Centralized repository of teaching resources (38%)
© Project Tomorrow 2011

17. Device use by online experience
I have taught an online course I have taken an online course for PD
No involvement or interest
86%
77%
70%
65% 63% 64%
57% 56%
45%
34% 30%
20%
Smart phones Tablet Smart phones Tablet
Teachers Administrators
© Project Tomorrow 2011

18. More Speak Up? www.tomorrow.org
• National Speak Up Findings and reports
• Targeted and thematic reports
• Presentations, podcasts and webinars
• Evaluation services & reports
• Speak Up 2012 for K-12
© Project Tomorrow 2011

19. Start planning now for Speak Up 2012!
Speak Up 2012 – 10th Anniversary
Special online surveys to collect and report on the views of the
K-12 students, teachers, librarians, administrators and parents
on the role of technology within teaching and learning.
Surveys open Oct 3
Sign up to receive
information and alerts
www.tomorrow.org
© Project Tomorrow 2011

20. Thank you.
Let’s continue this conversation.
Julie Evans
Project Tomorrow
jevans@tomorrow.org
949-609-4660 x15
Twitter: JulieEvans_PT
Copyright Project Tomorrow 2011.
This work is the intellectual property of the author. Permission is granted
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provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced
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permission from the author.
© Project Tomorrow 2011