Friday, July 9, 2010

Study finds K-20 institutions are embracing technology and e-learning slowly but steadily

The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) has released the results of its Spring 2010 SIIA Vision K-20 Survey. The SIIA vision is based on the belief that every K-20 institution should have an instructional and institutional framework that embraces technology and e-learning. Educators participating in the survey were asked to answer 20 benchmark statements to indicate their progress toward the SIIA measures and goals. The measures consist of: 21st century tools, anytime/anywhere access, differentiated learning, assessment tools, and enterprise support. While the goals include: meet the needs of all students; support accountability and inform instruction; deepen learning and motivate students; facilitate communication, connectivity and collaboration; manage the education enterprise effectively and economically; enable students to learn from any place at any time; and nurture creativity and self-expression.

The survey was completed by 647 educators and showed that K-20 institutions are moving towards SIIA’s vision but the progress is slow. The average score for the 20 benchmark statements was 62% which represents a small increase over the scores reported in 2009 (61.8%) and 2008 (60.9%). As indicated in past surveys, postsecondary institutions are farther ahead than K-12 schools in almost every category. Overall, the two benchmarks with the highest level of achievement were: security tools to protect student data and privacy, and the availability of high-speed broadband access for robust communication, administrative, and instructional needs.