Top 10 Things Everyone Should Know about Today’s Students and Digital Learning

Top Ten Things Everyone
Should Know about Today’s
Students and Digital Learning
Dr. Julie A. Evans
CEO, Project Tomorrow
@JulieEvans_PT
June 26, 2017

Today’s Discussion
 Research findings from the Speak Up Project
 Authentic voices of students – our expert panel
 Project Tomorrow resources to support your work
 Your questions, comments and thoughts

@Project Tomorrow 2017
Meet our expert panel!
Cooper Johnson 5th Grade Plano TX
Connor Johnson 9th Grade Plano TX
Charlotte Kaczka 9th Grade Albemarle VA
Cassidy Krebsbach 11th Grade Milton WI
Ryan Herrington 12th Grade Milton WI

Tweet with us!
@JulieEvans_PT @SpeakUpEd #ISTE17

About Project Tomorrow
 Nonprofit education organization supporting K-12 education since
1999
 Mission is to ensure today’s students are well prepared for the future
 Programs and research focus on role of digital tools within the
education ecosystem
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

About the Speak Up Project
 Annual research project since 2003
 Uses online surveys + focus groups
 Facilitated through schools and districts
 Online surveys for: K-12 Students,
Teachers, Parents, Administrators, and
Community Members
 All K-12 schools – public, private,
parochial, charter, virtual - are eligible to
participate

 Participating schools and districts get
access to all locally collected data + state
and national data for benchmarks
 National data is reported via white
papers and infographics – and used
regularly by edu orgs & policymakers
 100% free service for schools/districts
Since 2003,
5 million
Speak Up
surveys
submitted

Topics covered include:
 Use of technology to support learning – formal and informal
 School climate for innovation
 College and career ready skill development
 Leadership challenges
 Teachers’ needs and professional learning experiences
 Valuations of different stakeholders on digital learning
 Emerging trends with digital tools, content and resources
 New classroom models
 School to home communications
 Designing the ultimate school

Getting to know you!

STUDENTS’ DIGITAL LIVES
o Have my own tablet at home (56%) but use a Chromebook at school (43%)
o #1 complaint about school technology? Want to use my own mobile device!
o 2/3rds say they use the Internet weekly to help with schoolwork
o Interested in a job in a STEM field (46%)
o 6 of 10 would like to learn how to code
o Play online, video and digital games (78%)
o Using technology helps me develop critical thinking skills (46%)

Who is this?
 3rd grade girl
 6th grade boy
 9th grade girl
 12th grade boy

Who is this?
 3rd grade girl

Introducing the Speak Up Project to inform new
discussions and better decision-making around
your digital learning plans
“Without data, you are
just another person with
an opinion …”

Top Ten Things Education Leaders Should Know
about Today’s Students and eLearning

National participation in Speak Up 2016: 514,085
Survey Audience # of Surveys Submitted
K-12 Students 435,510
Teachers & Librarians 38,512
Parents 29,670
Administrators 4,592
Community Members 5,801
About schools and districts: 2,445 districts, 7,123 schools
26% urban, 36% rural, 38% suburban, 57% title 1 eligible

Speak Up 2016 Research Findings: Top 10 Things You Need to Know
Student use of technology at school – what bugs them?

Students’ report on the obstacles they face using tech for learning at school
1. Internet is too slow (60%)
2. School blocks websites I need for
schoolwork (51%)
3. Too many rules! (43%)
4. Can’t use my own mobile device or my
social media tools (37%)
5. Teachers limit our technology use (37%)

schoolwork (51%)
In 2011, only 32%
In 2011, 50% said this

schoolwork (51%)
In 2011, only 32%
In 2011, 50% said this
No change in 5 years

How students are using
mobile devices for
learning

What devices do you have for your own use?
36%
52%
35%
14%
47%
59%
37%
19%
77%
60%
50%
19%
90%
44%
56%
15%
Smartphone Tablet Laptop Digital Reader
Students and their mobile devices
K-2 Gr 3-5 Gr 6-8 Gr 9-12

1:1 student assigned devices to use in school – laptops, tablets, Chromebooks
Gr 3-5: 30%
Gr 6-8: 33%
Gr 9-12: 40%
Gr 3-5: 26%
Gr 6-8: 20%
Gr 9-12: 9%
Gr 3-5: 45%
Gr 6-8: 44%
Gr 9-12: 32%
What devices do you use at school?
58% of students in Gr 9-12 say they use their own mobile device at school

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

Use of games for learning

What types of digital content are students using in class?
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
AR/VR
Primary source docs
Animations/simulations
Online curriculum
Online videos
Online textbooks
Games
Gr 9-12 Gr 6-8

Benefits of learning games? Students say it not just about engagement!
Students: benefits of playing learning games in school
 Makes school more interesting
 Challenges me to think more than other class activities
 Gives me immediate feedback
 Increases my engagement in learning
 Adapts to what I know – makes it harder or easier for me
 I learn more about what we are studying
 Fits the way I learn best
 My critical thinking and problem solving skills improve
 Connects what we are learning to the real world

Fully online classes – sign me up!

High school students’ experience and aspirations for virtual or fully online classes
Online class
subject area
I have taken an
online class in this
subject
I would like to take an
subject
World Language 15% 45%
Art Appreciation 10% 44%
Computer Science 15% 42%
Creative Writing 14% 39%
Personal Finance 11% 38%
Math 23% 34%

High school students’ experience and aspirations for virtual or fully online classes
Online class
subject area
I have taken an
subject
I would like to take an
subject
World Language 15% 45%
Art Appreciation 10% 44%
Computer Science 15% 42%
Creative Writing 14% 39%
Personal Finance 11% 38%
Math 23% 34%
40% of high
school students
say they are
regularly using
online writing
tools on their
own to improve
their writing
skills

A new (or old) way for student-teacher conferences

If your teacher wants to share with you
information about how well you are doing in
that class or where you need to improve, what is
the best way for them to do that?

#1: Just talk to me in class!
 68% of Gr 6-12 students
#2: Send me an email
#3: Text me

Let’s hear from our expert panel!
Cooper Johnson 5th Grade Plano TX
Connor Johnson 9th Grade Plano TX
Charlotte Kaczka 9th Grade Albemarle VA
Cassidy Krebsbach 11th Grade Milton WI
Ryan Herrington 12th Grade Milton WI

Social media – connecting, collaborating, learning

What social media tools are students using?
Selected tools Rarely/never use Use all the time
Girls Boys Girls Boys
Facebook 46% 52% 24% 17%
Instagram 20% 32% 50% 33%
Snapchat 17% 31% 59% 39%
Twitter 53% 59% 24% 17%

How are high school students learning about news and current events?
Usage: Rarely/never
 Email blasts (62%)
 Follow a Twitter hashtag (61%)
 Read a print news story (55%)
 Listen to radio news (43%)
Usage: Daily/Weekly
 Through mobile apps (63%)
 Pushed by social media accounts
(48%)
 Internet searching (46%)
 Texts from family/friends (43%)
 Watch online video news story
(41%)

The all-purpose study guide – the Internet

How frequently are students using the Internet for homework outside of school?
15%
6%
16%
39%
24%
11%
6%
15%
34%
35%
6%
4%
11%
31%
48%
Rarely/never
A few times a year
A few times a month
A few times a week
Daily
Gr 9-12 Gr 6-8 Gr 3-5
Weekly:
79% Gr 9-12
69% Gr 6-8
63% Gr 3-5

How frequently are students using the Internet for homework outside of school?
How frequently are teachers assigning homework that is digital or Internet dependent?
Use Internet weekly for homework:
 79% Gr 9-12 Students
Students’ usage Teachers’ assignments
Assign weekly Internet homework:
 29% Gr 9-12 Teachers

Interest in STEM and coding

Who is interested in a STEM career for their future?
Level of interest Students in urban
schools
Students in
suburban schools
Students in rural
schools
Very interested 35% 35% 31%
Level of interest Students w/
advanced tech
skills
Students w/
average tech skills
Students w/
beginner tech
skills
Very interested 50% 28% 24%
Level of interest Girls Boys
Very interested 28% 39%

Who wants to learn how to code?
Yes, I am interested
in learning how to
code or program a
computer
Girls Boys
Grades 3-5 60% 67%
Grades 6-8 58% 67%
Grades 9-12 50% 65%
• Boys’ interest is
higher even in
elementary
school
• Girls’ interest
declines while
boys’ interest is
sustained thru
high school

Career preparation:
Goodbye, summer camp! Hello, online video!

How do students want
to learn about future
careers in STEM?
Declining interest in ….
After school programs (33%)
Working w/mentors (30%)
Taking a CTE class (29%)
Going to summer camp (28%)
Participating in competitions (27%)
Rising interest in ….
Through work experience (71%)
Career pros as teachers (49%)
Field trips to companies (48%)
Teachers w/industry experience (40%)
Follow experts on social media (35%)
Watching a video about jobs (33%)
Taking an online class (33%)
Taking an online quiz re: abilities (33%)
Playing an online game (31%)

o Using technology purposely
o Creating, making, inventing
o In a real world setting – not a
hypothetical environment
o Tapping into digital tools and media
o Through self-directed and personalized
learning that is honored by educators
How do students want to become prepared for the world of work?

Technology x learning = my future

Our students like learning!
I like learning about new ideas –
54%
I like learning how to do things –
67%
I like learning how to build or
make things – 60%
Learning how to use technology
is an important skill for my
future – 53%

Our students like learning!
I like learning about new ideas – 54%
I like learning how to do things – 67%
I like learning how to build or make
things – 60%
Learning how to use technology is an
important skill for my future – 53%
I use technology more outside of school for
learning than in school – 58%

 Learning at my own pace (60%)
 Getting better grades and test scores (59%)
 Developing creativity skills (55%)
 Understanding what I am learning better (53%)
 Learning in a way that fits my personal style (51%)
 Applying what I am learning to practical problems (50%)
 In control of my learning (48%)
 Developing critical thinking and problem solving skills (48%)
 Collaborating with others more (45%)
As a result of using technology for learning, I am ….

To understand ways to improve school and academic
outcomes for our students, we need to make sure
that we are always “seeing the learning experience”
through the right lens, the lens of our learners

National Speak Up reports and infographics
Targeted and thematic reports
Digital learning trends
Mobile learning & social media
Games in the classroom
Blended learning outcomes
Presentations, podcasts and webinars
Services: consulting, workshops, evaluation and efficacy studies
More resources available at www.tomorrow.org

Plan to participate in Speak Up 2017
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 & Communications
Officers
Gain news insights in the activities, attitudes and aspirations of your stakeholders
Surveys open Oct 2017 – Jan 2018
Learn more www.tomorrow.org/speakup

Your questions,
comments,
thoughts

Thank you for joining today’s discussion!
Dr. Julie A. Evans
jevans@tomorrow.org
949-609-4660 x15
Twitter: JulieEvans_PT and SpeakUpEd

Top 10 Things Everyone Should Know about Today’s Students and Digital Learning

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