There are several critical issues in educational technology which need to be considered by policy makers, school leaders and teachers. These include:
· online learning,
· data systems and privacy,
· predictive analytics,
· bandwidth,
· the digital divide,
· new learning models,
· digital literacy,
· technology security,
· digital accessibility, and
· legal/policy concerns (SREB, 2018).
Digital literacy (DL) has an impact on several of these critical issues. Students must have DL to use accessibility resources to access digital content and learn with technology. DL is also needed for students to track their progress and demonstrate mastery in competency-based education learning model (Glowa, 2013). The digital divide has a large effect on student DL. Teachers also need DL in order to create and use accessible digital resources, teach students how to use them, and analyze data. These are interesting areas to me because they are ones that students and teachers deal with regularly, and they can be addressed with quality training.
There was overlap in the areas of data systems, data privacy, predictive analytics, and technology security. Enormous amounts of data are collected from students. In order to effectively use it, systems need to be in place for coordinating agencies to share data. Per federal law, there also needs to be security regarding how data is stored, accessed, shared, and protected (SREB, 2018; Aldamen, 2021). Without large amounts of data, predictive analysis is not possible (SREB, 2018). While these issues can have a great effect, they do not generally impact the day-to-day operations in a classroom. These are areas that are of greater concern to the administrators and IT staff.
Other areas with overlap are bandwidth, digital divide, data, and legal/policy issues. The access to high-speed internet varies largely between urban and rural areas and socioeconomic groups (Mashable, 2021; Brake, 2020). The inequities in availability of high-speed internet, and resulting digital divide, is something that schools must deal with but do not have control over. This is a policy issue that legislators must deal with. Legislative and policy rules also dictate data collection requirements. The digital divide also affects schools and how they use big data. If schools and teachers do not have the proper technology or training to use the tools, then resources are wasted (SREB, 2018).
Accessibility needs much more attention. Schools are legally required to provide accessible digital content (SREB, 2017). Based on my experience, many teachers have not had any training about these legal requirements or about how to create or find accessible digital content. There are some easy ways to do this, and with the right training, teachers could easily select or create accessible content.
Some of these issues are beyond my ability to control, but I believe that a quality professional development program for school personnel could lead to improved online learning, student digital literacy, and accessibility. Training should focus on education first, various uses of technology, pedagogy for distance learning, teacher DL, and course design using Universal Design for Learning (Li & Lalani, 2020; Access to Learning; 2022).
Resources
Access to learning. AEM Center. (2022, January 25). Retrieved February 18, 2022, from https://aem.cast.org/get-started/access-learning
Aldamen, H. (2021, April 6). Big data: Shaping the future of Education. YouTube. Retrieved January 21, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dm6YHVIXFM
Brake, D. (2020, July 13). Lessons from the pandemic: Broadband policy after covid-19. Lessons From the Pandemic: Broadband Policy After COVID-19. Retrieved February 1, 2022, from https://itif.org/publications/2020/07/13/lessons-pandemic-broadband-policy-after-covid-19
Glowa, L., (2013). Re-engineering information technology design considerations for competency education, a CompetencyWorks issue brief, International Association for K–12 Online Learning. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED561304
Li, Cathy., & Lalani, F. (2020, April 29). The COVID-19 pandemic has changed education forever. this is how. World Economic Forum. Retrieved January 15, 2022, from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/coronavirus-education-global-covid19-online-digital-learning/
Mashable. (2021, April 26). The 'digital divide' and covid-19's impact on internet access: Mashable. YouTube. Retrieved January 27, 2022, from https://youtu.be/xkbZPAJF88k
SREB, (2017) Expanding Accessibility to Digital Spaces Through Improved Policy and Practice Retrieved December 9, 2019 from https://sulross.blackboard.com/bbcswebdav/courses/2019_SPRG_21411_ED_6381/2018_SPRG_21931_ED_6381_ImportedContent_20180107094503/2017_edtech_policybrief_final_5-3%281%29.pdf
SREB, (2018). 10 Issues in Educational Technology, 2108. Retrieved December 7, 2019 from https://www.sreb.org/sites/main/files/file-attachments/10issues_v8-web_version_accessible.pdf?1521568731
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