Helping pupils to get the best remote learning experience with the latest educational technology

The Coronavirus pandemic has been incredibly hard for children and young people who have only just returned to face-to-face teaching. They’ve had to endure major disruption to their education and adapt very quickly to learning remotely for months at a time. But what has this experience been like for them, and have they reaped the many benefits that this type of learning brings?

So, here are some educational technology (EdTech) trends that will help you in supporting your pupils, by making sure that they’re getting the best out of online learning now and in the future.

Supporting learning with free data and devices

Ofcom’s Connected Nations report estimates that, in the UK, 9% of children don’t have access to a laptop, desktop or tablet, and that more than 880,000 children live in a household with only a mobile internet connection.

At the same time, 43,000 homes can’t access a good-quality fixed broadband service or 4G coverage. So, internet providers are having to offer free data to schoolchildren to enable them to study at home. 

When schools and colleges first closed at the start of the pandemic, all the major UK broadband companies removed the data caps on their broadband packages, giving pupils wider access to connectivity to support their learning needs.

The Department for Education (DfE) introduced its Get Help with Technology programme, temporarily increasing data allowances for mobile phone users on certain networks so that children and young people can access remote learning if their face-to-face education is disrupted. And it’s handed out 1.3m devices to disadvantaged students across the country, at a cost of £400m.

BT’s Lockdown Learning Support Scheme offers unlimited data for eligible families without fixed connectivity at home so that their children can keep learning online. It’s also giving away free WiFi vouchers to schools and allowing free access to some of the most popular learning websites to make sure that critical learning continues even when data access runs out.

So, although the digital divide remains a challenge, help is available. And making use of these free resources has the potential to make a very real difference to your students, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Creating better learning outcomes with technology-trained teachers

Teachers want to move to a more blended learning approach. 71% of headteachers fully support the increased use of digital learning and 85% of teachers see great value in using digital learning tools in the classroom (Mark In Style 2020). However, many of them don’t have the confidence to implement online learning effectively.

According to a new survey by YouGov, 30% of secondary school teachers and 45% of primary school teachers admit to feeling unsupported when it comes to EdTech, while nearly half of teachers in general (47%) feel that they can’t access adequate training resources. Forty percent had never used an online or digital platform before the pandemic struck, a figure which rises to 54% of the primary school teachers surveyed.

Educators are worried about a lack of face-to-face time with their students (65%), the social and emotional development of their pupils (53%) and their ability to teach effectively (51%). This means that it’s imperative that teachers have better access to IT training and support so that they and their pupils can thrive in a technology-driven world.

Keeping your school and your pupils safe by minimising online risks

Schools have been working non-stop to be able to deliver remote education whenever it’s needed. Some of these plans include technological ‘firsts’ such as live streamed lessons. But these new approaches pose a number of risks, especially around cyber security, online education’s safety and pupils’ wellbeing.

Besides the obviously harmful outcome of physical isolation on pupils’ mental wellbeing, some other risks to watch out for include online grooming, harmful content, online bullying and peer-on-peer abuse (Farrer, 2020). 

Cyber security is also a problem. Between July and August 2020, the number of cyber-attacks and data breaches in the education sector rose by 20% (Education Technology, 2020). According to the 2020 Cyber Security Breaches report, 41% of primary schools surveyed in 2019 had experienced a security breach or attack, which increased to 76% at secondary school level and 80% for further education.

So, it’s critical to have a safeguarding strategy that keeps your pupils, teachers and data safe.   

Helping your students to learn by embracing and investing in technology

An effective blended learning approach relies on schools investing in technology and infrastructure, as well as embracing the many new ways of teaching that going digital supports.

Even before the pandemic, the UK’s EdTech sector was estimated to be worth £3.4bn by 2021. And yet, a report by the Educational Policy Institute shows that spending on ICT resources in schools has only increased by 17% since 2003, compared to 42% across other categories of expenditure in the same period. The British Educational Suppliers Association says in its Impact of Coronavirus on Schools Report #6 study, that 44% of schools anticipate having to increase their budgets to support home learning.

This makes it very clear that schools are going to have to rethink their entire infrastructure strategy and invest in the right systems and IT practices to make sure that their students and teachers continue to thrive.

It’s now also time for schools to embrace the exciting new tools that technology brings, such as interactive electronic textbooks and the use of virtual reality in education.

It really is a world of possibility out there; we just have to make sure that every child and young person can benefit from it.

To find out how we can help you to get the best from your EdTech investment, visit our Education Technology Service or feel free to contact us.

Matthew Coleman-Hamilton, Head of Technical & Service Development at Entrust