Blog Post #6: Research Statistics in Educational Technology

 

How Technology Impacts Our Students

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This week, I explored several research reports about technology in the classroom and how it impacts our students. I reviewed several reports and infographics and decided to blog about the information that most related to my teaching experience. 

Students' Access to Technology for Education

The first infographic I reviewed was New Generation of Mobile Devices from tomorrow.org. This infographic gave some statistics about students' access to technology and internet, as well as the gap that exists between students. This report stood out to me because internet access was a regular issue at my previous teaching position, even before the pandemic. Students had access to a Chromebook and internet at school, but had difficulty completing assignments at home due to lack of internet access. Many of my students would go to McDonald's after school to complete their work, which made the statistic "39% of students regularly use WiFi at a fast food restaurant or coffee shop to do schoolwork" (tomorrow.org) really resonate with me. I've experienced students using WiFi at restaurants after school and on the weekends, but did not realize this percentage was so high.

image source: tomorrow.org

When the COVID-19 pandemic forced everyone to stay home, internet access and equity was a huge conversation. There were students I never once saw from March 2020 to June 2020 because their families struggled to obtain affordable or free internet during this time. Although all students had Chromebooks and information regarding affordable or free internet was eventually dispersed to families, it was still a difficult time for students with connection issues. 

image source: tomorrow.org

This information is important for educators to review and understand. In school, internet and technology is increasingly becoming necessary to complete assignments both in and out of school. Although technology is a great tool and relevant to today's youth, there is also an obvious equity gap when looking at these report's statistics. Districts and teachers should review statistics like these to understand why some students are failing to complete their assignments and what possible solutions the school can offer. I feel that this conversation is especially necessary after the majority of students experienced remote learning.

Teaching Students to Become Digital Citizens

A second report that stood out to me was Common Sense Media's Research and Insights Behind the Common Sense Digital Citizenship Curriculum. As someone who taught a digital citizenship unit for 5 years in a public high school, I quickly realized how important it was for students to learn how to be a good digital citizen. As students increasingly rely on the internet and technology, it is crucial they understand how to keep themselves and others safe and appropriate online. 

In the report's review of age groups in relation to digital media, the section about "tweens and teens" aged 8-18 stood out to me. According to this report, not only is this age group using technology more frequently for completing school assignments, but "they are developing their identities, learning about relationships, and communicating with both known and unknown others" (Common Sense Media). This information is relevant to me as a former high school teacher and current middle school teacher. There were many instances at my previous district where an interaction that took place online resulted in a problem occurring at school between students. 

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With teens averaging screen time of 7 hours and 22 minutes per day, not including school work time or homework, much of today's students lives are online (Common Sense Media). Incorporating digital citizenship mini-lessons might be an important next step for teachers in ensuring the well being of their students while they are using digital media for either social or academic reasons.

How Does This Apply to Me?

Thinking about my 11 years of teaching, I have worked with both Gen Z students and the beginning of Generation Alpha. I know that I still have quite a while to go until retirement, and will encounter more generations of students that use the internet and digital media as tools and entertainment. It is important for teachers to keep up with educational research due to the changing nature of our students. Access to technology is an important topic for me, as well as many current teachers, due to issues surrounding the pandemic and equity. Digital citizenship is something I think we can all implement in our classes, regardless of content, when we are encouraging our students to explore and utilize online tools for our classes. 

Reflecting on some of the reports I read this week, I can see how these statistics can help me to better understand where my students are coming from and how to reach them in the classroom. I also believe some topics, like access to technology, need to be discussed at a district wide level to find solutions for these larger problems. In all of my years of teaching, I have never conducted yearly research on technology trends or generational statistics, but these reports have helped me realize the importance of keeping up with the most current information on our students.

Sources

James, C., Weinstein, E., & Mendoza, K. (2021). Teaching digital citizens in today's world: Research and insights behind the Common Sense K–12 Digital Citizenship Curriculum. (Version 2). San Francisco, CA: Common Sense Media.

New generation of mobile devices. Infographic: Introducing the New Learning Leader: The Principal as Digital Evangelist & Instructional Coach, October 2018. (n.d.). Retrieved September 28, 2021, from https://tomorrow.org/speakup/New-Generation-of-Mobile-Devices-6-2021.html.