Computing
UK schools embrace technology as pace of evolution increases T
he pace of technological evolution is moving much faster in the UK education sector than might have been expected, according to the results of the second annual KYOCERA Document Solutions UK Ltd Education Technology report. The survey of more than 500 teachers, department heads and school heads across the UK revealed the extent to which teachers and students are using technology to aid learning, drive efficiency and reduce costs.
More than half of respondents (51%) believed that their school, college or university was keeping up with technology-led change, a large rise in confidence compared to the 41% who felt the same when asked in 2013. Add to this the growing move towards new technological trends such as BYOD (Bring Your Own Device), cloud computing and apps and this year’s report reflects a much more positive outlook for UK education. According to Moya Kelleher, Education Business Manager, KYOCERA Document Solutions UK Ltd “It is very encouraging to see how UK schools, colleges and universities are keeping up with the latest technology developments, particularly given their lack of confidence when asked this last year. The ongoing challenge is to ensure that this thirst for advancement is accompanied by a drive to control costs.”
Technology use & improvements
Schools and other education institutions are increasingly using technology to differentiate themselves, with 65% of respondents feeling that this was the case – a 24% increase from 2013. This is most prevalent in higher education, with colleges (75%) and universities (74%) most aware of how technology could help them to stand out from the crowd. BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) is perhaps one of the ways for schools, colleges and universities to achieve this, with the survey findings showing a rise in both awareness and use. Almost two thirds (65%) of respondents felt that BYOD has had an impact in their classroom, with only a quarter (26%) of teachers claiming not to be using BYOD or have even heard of the term - as opposed to almost two thirds (64%) in 2013.
Increased use of BYOD may go hand in hand with the finding that student mobile devices are allowed in class by 33% of the teachers who participated in this survey. Teachers in London (29%) and in the West Midlands (27%) were most likely to say BYOD has had a significant impact in their schools, which corresponds somewhat with results on the school’s policy in regards to student mobile devices, with 35% and 58% of teachers respectively saying their schools allow mobile devices in class. Those in the North East are least likely to allow mobile devices in the classroom with only one in ten teachers saying they permit it and 59% saying they’re not allowed in class or indeed on campus (11%).
As well as BYOD, teachers were also asked which other technologies were making a difference in the classroom and which ones they expected to increase in significance over the next year:
Whilst not as marked as the increase in BYOD adoption, UK schools have also increased their use of apps in the classroom in the past year. More than half (55%) are now using apps to support learning, as opposed to 42% in 2013. It would seem that the technology to watch in 2015 is cloud, with 51% of teachers claiming that this is the improvement they’d most like to see in the next year.
3D printing is another technology that has the potential to disrupt the education sector, with only 23% unable to see a way that this could be used in their school, college or university. Of those that saw the potential, more than half (53%) felt it could help to create teaching aids across all subjects.
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www.education-today.co.uk January 2015 Challenges for the future
Perhaps surprisingly, with the uncertainty that a General Election year might bring, there has been a big shakeup in relation to what teachers perceive to be the biggest challenges to come. Whilst Government legislation had been the overwhelming concern last year, with 41% highlighting this, only 17% of respondents said the same this time around. The biggest challenge outlined in 2014 is seemingly resources, with 35% saying that’s the biggest challenge. Class sizes had also increased as a concern, garnering 28% of the vote compared to 13% in 2013.
“As schools, colleges and universities have become more accustomed to the challenges posed by Government legislation, it’s natural that other concerns will increase in significance,” comments Moya Kelleher. “The most encouraging thing is that, despite this, concerns about keeping up with technology were minimal. It would appear that those working in the education sector in the UK have a much more positive outlook for technology adoption, which will doubtless deliver long term benefits for their students.”
uwww.kyocera.co.uk
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