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America’s Digital Schools 2008 Report: The Six Trends to Watch
MDR today announced the release of America’s Digital Schools 2008: The Six Trends to Watch. This new report, the second in the America’s Digital Schools (ADS) series, explores six noteworthy technology trends that are transforming U.S. education today: online testing, Internet bandwidth capacity, student computing devices, interactive whiteboards, learning management systems, and 1:1 computing. The report, co-authored by industry experts Jeanne Hayes and Tom Greaves, is based on extensive research conducted by surveying more than 4,000 technology directors nationwide.
“Understanding these trends and concerns is important for educators, policymakers, and vendors alike,” said co-author Jeanne Hayes. “The goal of the report was to provide data for all stakeholders to help them make plans, avoid future crises, improve student performance, and ultimately ensure that our country is competitive in the world economy.”
The ADS 2008 Report bears out the major findings of ADS 2006, while shedding new light on emerging technologies, such as the growth in online testing, the movement toward optical networks in place of T-1 lines, per-student cost of 1:1 computing, comparisons of popular learning management systems and different Internet services sources, plus the appeal of interactive whiteboards.
The survey details some important shifts taking place in educational technology:
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A remarkable 69% of school districts are adding online assessments to their testing mix as schools become more data-driven. With online testing, teachers can get results much faster so they can more quickly adjust instruction and remediation.
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The report also addresses districts’ growing concerns about the cost and availability of Internet bandwidth due to the expansion of both online testing and online resources. In fact, 54% of U.S. districts foresee problems paying for bandwidth in the future, and an astonishing 67% report that they already have policies in place to conserve bandwidth (including banning streaming video, which has been shown to have considerable educational value).
On April 30, MDR hosted a free webinar, “Key Learnings & Trends on Implementing Technology Initiatives,” that explored some of the report’s findings. During the one-hour live online presentation, Jeanne Hayes discussed the report, while several educators spoke about their personal experiences in driving technology projects in their districts. A recording of the session is posted on MDR’s Web site, www.schooldata.com, for complimentary viewing at any time by visitors to the site.
ADS 2008 is sponsored by Pearson Education, Advanced Micro Devices, Promethean, and Qwest Communications. In addition, the research is supported by the National School Boards Association, the American Association of School Administrators, the Consortium for School Networking, the International Society for Technology in Education, and the Software Information Industry Association.
As marketing partner, the electronic ADS 2008 Report is published and distributed by MDR. The report is delivered in both a PDF and hard-copy format and is priced at $999 per single user, $2,997 per multiuser. There is also a discounted bundle of the ADS 2008 Report and the ADS 2006 Report at $1,499 per single user.
About the Authors
Jeanne Hayes, Principal of The Hayes Connection, is a well-known thought leader in the education industry, a pioneer in tracking educational technology results and demographics, and an interpreter of market and customer data. Learn more at www.HayesConnection.com.
Tom Greaves, Principal of The Greaves Group, is a highly regarded visionary with over 30 years’ experience developing educational technology products, such as desktop computers, curriculum and network management products, and 1:1 e-learning solutions. Learn more at www.GreavesGroup.com.
Order the ADS 2008 Report at www.schooldata.com or call your MDR Representative at 800-333-8802.
For more details about the study and to connect with the authors, visit www.ADS2008.org.
