Technology continues to shape the education sector by transforming teaching methods, communication, and class attendants. However, digitalization of learning can also cause unnecessary disruption if the instructors use the wrong software. The implication is that the school system should strategize on identifying the most promising educational technology. Although digitalization can positively transform the academic structure, it is crucial to test all ed-techs before integrating them into learning.
Benchmarking
There are pioneers who, through many years of experience, understand the most appropriate ed-tech for each level of learning. A school that is just starting to embrace digital learning can visit those advanced to observe and take lessons from them. Notably, engaging and comparing multiple educational institutions helps to identify gaps and make improvements during interventions. Thus, benchmarking helps identify the best ed-tech companies, schedule online learning, and the software to select.
Evidence-Based Research
Evidenced-based research is an experimental study conducted with the specific objective of improving learning. The performance of students in lower grades tends to reduce while those in the upper grade improve while using the same software. To understand the reasons for such an outcome, the teacher proposes a study that takes samples from the learners. Findings from the study may reveal that the software is complex for the cognitive development stage of the lower graders. Thus, such evidence can help select the most promising ed-tech intervention.
Expert Consultation
Companies that specialize in developing education technology have garnered experience and knowledge which they can use in giving the most appropriate feedback. For example, organizations, such as PASCO and Compass learning, offer appropriate ed-tech feedback to schools. Moreover, there are many writing and tutor websites, such as Wr1ter.com, that offer instruction to students on digital learning. Therefore, consulting the experts helps educators to understand the opportunities and possible threats of each technology before implementation.
Checklist for Desired Ed-Tech
The process of selecting media and technologies for teaching is complex and with various factors to consider. The teacher must understand the objective and learning outcome before choosing the appropriate technology. The checklist may include security, privacy, level of complexity, cost, and networking. In sum, having a formal checklist to verify if the digital program will be helpful in a course ensures a selection of rewarding ed-tech interventions.
Referrals from Successful School Systems
Notably, people are likely to make referrals after testing and getting a good experience from a product or service. Therefore, to identify a promising ed-tech intervention, it is prudent to seek counsel from school headteachers that have experience with the system. For example, some schools use cornerstone learning as their core ed-tech system. Therefore, before purchasing the cornerstone learning system, it is prudent to ask for relevant referrals.
In summary, school systems can identify promising ed-tech interventions through benchmarking, evidence-based research, expert consultations, referrals, and using a checklist before purchasing software or gadget. Thus, the school administration can use different strategies simultaneously to enhance the chances of getting the right digital system.