What most schools miss when assessing educational software
You’d be forgiven for finding the educational technology space a bit intimidating. The decision fatigue that can come with sifting through seemingly endless options is draining, to say the least.
That is unless you approach it from a more informed place.
The trick is to get clear about why you’re implementing new software for the classroom. What will it accomplish? How will students use it? How will educators interact with it? Which challenges will be solved by its introduction?
From there, you can use these three strategies to help you ace your educational software selection.
Look for Long-lasting Software
It’s always tempting to save on edtech. And though buying outdated solutions may save you at first, it will almost certainly cost you in the long run.
If you don't want to have to refresh your software all over again in the near future, spend extra and invest in something with staying power.
That’s likely one reason the Google Classroom application was downloaded more than 603,000 times in the United Kingdom in January 2021 alone.
Check for Ease of Use
On that note, all new edtech comes with a learning curve. But ultimately, your investment should still be user-friendly and intuitive to use. Make sure that’s true for teachers and parents as well as students.
As Education Technology UK points out, “What’s needed instead, is edtech that’s specifically designed to support the needs of teachers. Educators need tech that’s easy to set up, configure, manage and use, as well as supports the unique teaching and learning requirements of each classroom – be that in school or remotely…”
Check that the potential educational tool is also easily accessible to students of all learning styles and abilities. If it doesn’t accommodate a variety of students, it’s likely to create more headaches than teachable moments.
Look for tools with:
Touchscreen responsiveness
Personalisation features
Help desk or tutorial resources
Content customisation
Accessibility options
Find the Right Online Space for Learners
By now, we’re aware that the classroom isn’t just a physical place. With the right tools and software, learning can happen from anywhere.
Solutions like Google Workspace for Education enable innovation and collaboration, both in and out of the classroom. Flexible and secure, they help amplify education by:
Enhancing class instruction. Thoughtful, simple-to-use learning tools facilitate better collaboration and connection.
Boosting teacher productivity. Create, organise, share, and grade from a single platform, allowing educators to give more personalised attention to students.
Elevating student work. Simple tools help learners create extraordinary work that showcases their full potential.
Protecting school data. That includes everything from teacher and student identification to administrative records, with safety features that safeguard individual privacy and the entire school network.
Not all classrooms are the same. Still, that doesn’t mean they can’t use similar criteria to evaluate which educational software is right for them. With a little bit of advanced study, you can ensure your edtech tools make the honour roll.
This article was produced by Google for Education in association with Computer Talk.