As the use of computing and networking technologies in schools grows, educators increasingly incorporate online tools and resources into their curricula – some even replace traditional classroom interactions with “virtual” courses that take place entirely online.
In October 2007, a national report was released that examined student, teacher and parent attitudes and aspirations for online learning. This groundbreaking report, Learning in the 21st Century: A National Report of Online Learning, provides valuable input into the national conversation about how to ensure that every student has access to a 21st century education.
The data findings from this year’s Speak Up survey of over 250,000 students, parents, teachers, and school leaders compel us to release an addendum to the National Report as a means to share with the education community the latest findings on online learning.
This addendum, which is entitled Learning in the 21st Century: A Trends Update, provides new and timely data on the growth of online learning in America’s schools for both student learning and teacher professional development, and examines the challenges faced by school and district leaders in regards to technology and learning.
A sampling of key findings in the trends update:
- While only 7% of teachers in 2006 identified online classes as their preferred methodology for their own professional development, over 26% of teachers in 2007 chose online learning as their first choice for training.
- Over 41% of students believe that online classes will have the greatest positive impact on their learning, a growth of over 20% from the 2006 data findings.
- More than 88% of education leaders say that the effective implementation of instructional technology is core to their mission, and 84% believe that technology use does indeed enhance student achievement.
Download the latest trends update report now!