Districts face numerous challenges related to the selection, integration, evaluation, and procurement of educational technologies. An overwhelming number of available edtech products are heavily marketed to district leaders and educators alike, and they can be difficult and time consuming to sort through. Digital products vary in terms of the investment of time and money required for implementation, and existing procurement policies are sometimes more relevant for a print-based economy. In many schools, individual teachers select and adopt products for their classrooms, even as leaders are seeking more efficient and standardized ways to manage adoption. Further, the evidence base for products varies from non-existent to substantial, yet It is difficult to know whether or not a product is appropriate for a particular context, especially when considering the significant number of other potential factors that could impact student achievement. While many districts strive to conduct formal pilots, it can be challenging to gather evidence in order to make informed decisions about which products to adopt and scale.
“Part of the challenge, I think, is the volume of tech resources and, you know, edtech companies that are out there, kind of jockeying for that space. And then processes -- that we have some of and others that we're missing -- to be able to access and vet and evaluate what works best. But then the accompanying research base that says, ‘this is the right tool and the right choice and here's the research behind it.’ And I know companies vary, but overall I would say that they don't do a very good job of building the case associated with the research and metrics that are compelling.”
Edtech Pilot Framework - From Digital Promise, the Edtech Pilot Framework provides a step-by-step process to help education leaders and technology developers run successful educational technology pilots. Check out each step to hear from district leaders, learn helpful tips, and find relevant tools and resources.
Learning Assembly Piloting Toolkit - In this toolkit, educators can access a wide range of resources from Learning Assembly organizations to support their pilots from start to finish: from pilot planning, to supporting implementation, to reporting results.
Edtech Marketplace Today - This blog series from Digital Promise invites voices from the field to highlight the ways in which the edtech marketplace struggles to meet the needs of learners, educators, or research-based product developers.
Challenge Map