Speak Up 2020 Release of the National Research Findings

By Eileen Belastock

Speak Up 2020 Congressional Briefing: Release of the National Research Findings edWebinar recording link

 

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For the last seven months of 2020, school districts have gone through extreme changes regarding how learning is happening in a pandemic-induced educational environment. In a recent edWeb edLeader Panel sponsored by Project Tomorrow, Dr. Julie Evans, CEO of Project Tomorrow, and Christina Fleming, Vice President of Blackboard K12, presented the Speak Up 2019-2020 National Findings titled Digital Learning During the Pandemic: Emerging Evidence of an Education Transformation. The research surveyed over 136,000 K-12 students, teachers, and parents and focused on what digital learning looked like during the pandemic and revealed potential emerging transformation evidence. 

Digital Learning During the Pandemic  

The Speak Up data revealed an increase in students’ access to mobile devices, tablets, laptops, and Chromebooks. The largest increases seen were where schools and districts invested in Chromebooks as their students’ home devices. It was also evident in the research that teachers were using more digital content than before. There was a weekly increase of 41% in online animated movies and less, but still significant, increases in simulations, online curriculum use, mobile apps for learning, and cloud-based collaboration tools.

As a result of increased access and increased utilization, there was a noticeable shift in teachers’ interest in the professional development types they needed. Data precisely from teachers during the school closure period reflected their desire to understand how to implement new learning environments due to their experience. There was a 120% increase in teachers saying they want to learn how to teach an online class as well as increased interest in the use of social media to communicate with parents and students, how to create videos, and facilitate an online discussion forum or a blended or flipped classroom. An outcome of school closures and digital tools outside of school, students, teachers, and parents all agreed communication between students and teachers in grades 6 -12 increased significantly.

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Emerging Education Transformation   

Some interesting perspectives from teachers and parents became apparent during the Speak Up research project. Whereas many teachers had previously thought of technology exclusively as a tool for student engagement, there was evidence that with the sudden shift to digital learning, technology was the learning platform. As a result of the teachers’ increased experience using technology, mainly digital content, they become better informed about what constitutes quality in that digital content and what they wanted to see in the products for usage in the classroom. Digital tools added value to both teachers and parents as the tools facilitated more student-centered learning focused on individual student’s strengths and support needs. It led to another key finding from the Speak Up research this year; parents are much more supportive of the value of effective technology use in supporting their child’s future success.

What remained consistent before school closures and after school closures was student perspectives on online and virtual learning environments. 49% of students surveyed agreed that their best learning experiences involve solving real-world, hands-on, project-based learning. They also felt that online gaming provided them with opportunities to problem solve, collaborate, and use critical-thinking skills. 50% of students in grades 6-12 students stated that digital tools help them develop a greater sense of personal ownership of the learning process. 

The research conducted by Dr. Evans and Project Tomorrow plays a vital role in uncovering growth and opportunity in K-12 education, underscored Fleming. The information provided in the Speak Up National Findings will support district and state leaders to make policy decisions “that will share the future of our educational system, and by virtue, shape the future of our children.” 

This edWeb broadcast was sponsored by Project Tomorrow

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This article was modified and published by eSchool News.

About the Presenters

Dr. Julie A. Evans is the CEO of Project Tomorrow and the founder of the heralded Speak Up Research Project. She serves as the chief researcher on the Speak Up Project as well as leading research efforts on the impact of innovative learning models and interventions in both K-12 and higher education. As a national thought leader and influencer, Julie leverages her career experiences as a tech entrepreneur and nonprofit leader to stimulate new discussions within the education ecosystem. She is a graduate of Brown University and earned her doctorate in educational leadership from the University of California, San Diego. Julie serves on several boards and advisory councils and is a frequent speaker and writer on digital learning. She was named in 2020 as the winner of EdTech Digest’s National Leader award and is the longest serving woman executive in the education technology nonprofit sector.

Christina Fleming is Vice President of K-12 Product Management and Marketing at Blackboard. In this capacity, Christina oversees management of Blackboard’s education technology portfolio designed for K-12. This includes the Blackboard Learn and Blackboard Classroom Learning Management Systems, as well as various communication tools including Blackboard Connect and the Blackboard Communications Suite. She is responsible for managing the product roadmap, the overall K-12 P&L, as well as marketing strategy and client communications. Christina has a Bachelor’s in Business with a concentration in Marketing from The University of Notre Dame. She lives in Maryland.

Join the Community

21st Century Learning is a free professional learning community on edWeb.net that serves as a forum for collaboration in a world where change is constant and learning never stops.

Project Tomorrow is a national nonprofit organization with a mission to ensure that today’s students are well-prepared to become tomorrow’s leaders, innovators and engaged citizens of the world. We support that mission with programs and research that focus on innovation and new learning models in the K-12 classroom, including through the effective use of technology.

 

Eileen Belastock, CETL is the Director of Technology and Information for Nauset Public Schools, MA, and also works with edWeb.net to write articles on their professional learning edWebinars. You can follow Eileen on Twitter @EileenBelastock.