Very early on in my education career, on a subject leaders course, I became aware of a worrying issue. On the course, one of the areas for discussion was EdTech and infrastructure. It turned out that a local school had invested heavily in iPads, but did not have the necessary infrastructure (WiFi) in place.
The result of this was that the iPads were effectively useless and there was no more money in the pot to attempt to rectify this matter. In essence, the school was sold a product but not a solution that would have any impact for either learners or teachers. This matter has stayed with me for years. I believe that the reason, it has done so, is because, sometimes non-technical professionals place their trust in others who do not ultimately consider the matter holistically, but rather through a narrow lens. This reality, provides the backdrop, for this article in which I will explore barriers to implementing technology in the classroom along with how to manage them. The challenges of a tech strategy vary depending upon educational context, resources and stakeholder involvement. Let’s look at 9 areas barriers to tech implementation along with considerations and solutions.
TEACHER TRAINING: Before teachers can be expected to use tech, effectively in the classroom, there needs to be a training programme in place. Also, I feel, the programme should show and share contextualised examples of tech used within subject areas. This is a bug bear of mine. I have sat through countless, “training programmes” that have been so generic, I have left without any substance. Once training has taken place, I suggest taking schemes of work or specifications and annotating where EdTech would be beneficial, and to whom it would be beneficial.
ASSESSMENT CHALLENGES: Part of implementing EdTech should involve consideration for how work will be assessed, both formative and summative. Having experienced first-hand systems that took more than the teaching time to mark an individual piece of work! Automated marking systems and those that can be easily customised to organisational needs, are the ones that win my vote. Anything that effectively reduces teacher workload.
RESISTANCE TO CHANGE: There are many different factors that can play into resistance to change. This can range from learners, teachers, administrators, senior leadership, governors and parents. Everyone needs to be brought along the journey of tech within an organisation. The clear and tangible benefits of tech implementation and investment must be known, made visible and appropriate for each particular audience.
SCREEN-TIME BALANCE: A real consideration when using tech in the classroom is to look at how much time across the day a student will be potentially looking at a screen, in addition to time out of class looking at a screen. The latter may be unknown. However, it is widely recognised that reduction in screentime is important for overall health and areas such as reducing eyestrain, preventing headaches, increasing focus and productivity and in greater social interaction.
DIGITAL INEQUALITY: Is an important consideration, when making decisions around tech. There are many schools in the country, with limited devices for learners in school. This then magnifies outside of the classroom in terms of “digital” – covering devices and connectivity. Here at eduthing we bridge this divide through EdTech loan kit, to help schools enrich the curriculum without added expense. Some of the equipment in our kit, supports AR, VR and 3D printing activities. Nationally, there is also the Digital Poverty Alliance (an initiative of The Learning Foundation) which has programmes in place to help bridge the digital divide such as Tech4Families Another current initiative is that from the National Centre for Computing Education (NCCE) available for state schools that do not currently offer GCSE Computer Science to learners. Schools can be supported with funding to address areas such as budget, infrastructure, staff development and more. By pulling all of these aspects together and making a plan this also helps to bridge the digital divide.
DATA PRIVACY: With any system implementation, due consideration needs to be taken to ensure that the use of tech does not put personal and organisational data at risk of a cyber security threat or a data breach. Here at eduThing we offer our schools a bespoke cyber incident response plan as part of our managed service.
SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS: As our world becomes more digital, we must consider the impact of tech upon the environment. Sustainability needs to be part of the plan for implementing a tech solution. We help our schools with “mapping your journey to the cloud” and all aspects of sustainable tech.
BUDGETARY CONSTRAINTS: With funding being a big factor in education organisations, resulting in not being able to implement tech effectively, I recommend also having a member of staff who is knowledgeable in grant bidding to ensure that your school is able to access as much funding as possible.
LACK OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND RESOURCES: coming back to the start of this article, the correct infrastructure must be in place to deliver an effective solution, this means, up to date devices, both in terms of hardware and software, along with reliable connectivity. With this in mind utilising a managed service will go a long way toward strengthening your tech offering. As I draw to a close, my last few words of advice are to consider tech now and future tech, along with impact and implications it may have within your setting. We are preparing our learners for an as yet unknown world and we need to give all the best possible opportunity. Tech solutions are a part of the answer. I also encourage you to read this recently released research report from the Department for Education – 2022-23 Technology in Schools Survey Research report November 2023.