Today’s K-12 students see games as a gateway to more personalized learning and the opportunity to develop workplace ready skills. Educators are equally intrigued with the potential of games to increase students’ engagement. Since 2003, Project Tomorrow, a national education nonprofit organization, has conducted the annual Speak Up National Research Project to collect and report on the authentic, unfiltered views of K-12 students, parents and educators on digital learning, including the use of games both in and out of the classroom. In this talk, we will share the latest Speak Up research data from over 403,000 K-12 students, parents and educators on the benefits/challenges of incorporating games within instruction – and pose provocative questions for audience discussion on the future of serious games within both formal and informal learning.
Fostering Friendships - Enhancing Social Bonds in the Classroom
Julie Evans - By the Numbers: New Research on Games & Learning
1. Julie Evans, Project Tomorrow CEO
July 22, 2014
Twitter: @SpeakUpEd
By the
Numbers:
New Research
on Games and
Learning
2. Today’s Discussion:
About Speak Up 2013
Myth-busting
Selection of research snacks
New questions for your consideration
Discussion time
Speak Up 2013 National Research Project:
Views of K-12 Students, Parents, Teachers,
Librarians and Administrators
(c) Project Tomorrow 2014
3. Programs:
• Research & evaluation studies
• STEM education programs
• Advocacy for digital learning
(c) Project Tomorrow 2014
Mission: To ensure that today’s
students are prepared to become
tomorrow’s leaders, innovators and
engaged citizens of the world.
Project Tomorrow, a national
education not for profit organization
4. (c) Project Tomorrow 2014
Annual national research project
Using online surveys + focus groups
Surveys for: K-12 Students,Teachers, Parents,Administrators,
Community Members
Special: Pre-ServiceTeachers in Schools of Education
Open for all K-12 schools and schools of education
Schools, districts & colleges receive free report with their own
data
Inform policies, plans & programs
Local: school stakeholder data
State: state level data
Federal: national findings
Speak Up National Research Project
5. Learning & Teaching with Technology
21st Century Skills: Digital Citizenship & Global Awareness
Math and Science Instruction / Digital Writing
Students’ Career Interests in STEM
Professional Development / Teacher Preparation
Internet Safety / Digital Footprints
Administrators’ Challenges / Bandwidth Capacity
Emerging Technologies both in & out of the Classroom
Mobile Devices, Online Learning, Digital Content, E-texts
Educational Games, Social Media tools and applications
Flipped Classroom, Print to Digital, Online Assessments
Designing the 21st Century School
Speak Up survey question themes
(c) Project Tomorrow 2014
7. (c) Project Tomorrow 2014
Many thanks to our K-12 National Champion
Outreach Partners:
8. (c) Project Tomorrow 2014
K-12 Students 325,279
Teachers & Librarians 32,151
Parents (in English & Spanish) 39,986
School/District Administrators 4,530
Community Members (new this year!) 1,346
About the participating schools & districts
o 9,005 schools and 2,710 districts
o 90% public schools – 10% private/parochial/charter/other
o 32% urban / 31% rural / 37% suburban
o 30% school wideTitle 1; 43% majority minority school
o All 50 states + DC + Guam + DODEA schools
National Speak Up 2013 Participation:
403,292
10. (c) Project Tomorrow 2014
Creating a new digital
learning playbook –
Myth-busting
11. Why do schools and districts participate in
Speak Up?
.
Power of local data
Use data as input for planning
To justify budget and purchasing decisions
Inform new initiatives – as an evaluation tool
As a tool to engage parents
Use for grant writing and fund development
Content for professional development
To counteract mythology
(c) Project Tomorrow 2014
12. Commonly heard education mythology
“New teachers don’t need any training in how to use
technology within teaching”
“Parents won’t accept online textbooks”
“Online learning undercuts the role of the teacher.”
“There is so much great content online for teachers to use in the
classroom – so, what is the problem?”
“Just put technology XYZ in the classroom and magically students
will learn more!”
“Parents are ready for the Common Core, and eager to support it.”
(c) Project Tomorrow 2014
14. (c) Project Tomorrow 2014
Let’s test our digital learning
myth-busting skills
Which one is the lie?
1. One-quarter of K-12 teachers have incorporated
games based environments into their teaching
practice.
2. Younger teachers say they don’t need training on
how to incorporate games within learning.
3. Parents are less supportive of the idea of games
within learning than school administrators.
4. The gender gap in game playing disappears if
the students are younger than 8th grade.
15. Students function as a “Digital Advance Team”
Students regularly adopt and adapt emerging technologies
for learning
Students’ frustrations focus on the unsophisticated use of
technologies within education
Persistent digital disconnect between students and adults
Learning is a 24/7 enterprise; school time is only a small
part of the learning day
Students want a more personalized learning environment –
both in and out of school
What have we learned over the past 11 years?
(c) Project Tomorrow 2014
16. (c) Project Tomorrow 2014
Social–based learning
Un–tethered learning
Digitally–rich learning
Learning
Games
The Students’ Vision for Digital Learning
17. (c) Project Tomorrow 2014
Let’s learn more about games & learning
Who is playing games?
Are students really playing
educational games?
What do students say are the
benefits of playing educational
games?
18. Students are playing games at school for
learning!
.
(c) Project Tomorrow 2014
Playing games for learning:
2007
K-2 students 60%
Gr 3-5 students 47%
Gr 6-8 students 40%
Gr 9-12 students 23%
19. Growth from 2007 to 2013
.
(c) Project Tomorrow 2014
Playing games for learning:
2007 2013
K-2 students 60% 68%***
Gr 3-5 students 47% 60%***
Gr 6-8 students 40% 48%***
Gr 9-12 students 23% 30%
*** no gender differentiation in frequency of game playing
20. (c) Project Tomorrow 2014
21%
50%
73%
89%
41%
62%
66%
66%
41%
58%
61%
50%
18%
39%
48%
39%
Gr K-2
Gr 3-5
Gr 6-8
Gr 9-12
Digital Reader Tablet Laptop Smartphone
K-12 Students’ Personal Access to Mobile
Devices
21. (c) Project Tomorrow 2014
“What mobile device I use depends upon the task”
Read a book?
Take notes in class?
Play games?
Use social
media and play
games?
Create content?
Different tools for different tasks
22. Students, parents & teachers are all
playing games!
.
(c) Project Tomorrow 2014
Mobile app games?
Middle school students – 31%
High school students – 26%
Parents – 28%
Teachers – 35%
23. (c) Project Tomorrow 2014
Social media:
tools to connect, collaborate, create
Texting:
2/3rds of students Gr 6-12
(growth of 37% since 2008)
Twitter:
28% of students in Gr 9-12
Creating videos:
28% of students in Gr 6-8
only 15% in 2007
24. (c) Project Tomorrow 2014
Massively multi-player
online games (MMOG)
¼ of students in Gr 6-8
Facebook
39% of students in Gr 9-12
decrease of 41% since 2007
Social media:
tools to connect, collaborate, create
25. Students, parents & teachers are all
playing games!
.
(c) Project Tomorrow 2014
Massively multi-player online games?
Middle school students – 23%
High school students – 18%
26. Students, parents & teachers are all
playing games!
.
(c) Project Tomorrow 2014
Massively multi-player online games?
Middle school students – 23%
High school students – 18%
Parents – 4%
Teachers – 3%
27. What do students say are the benefits of
playing educational games?
.
(c) Project Tomorrow 2014
Benefits of Games Students
K-2
Students
Gr 3-5
Students
Gr 6-8
Students
Gr 9-12
Helps me understand
difficult learning
concepts
57% 48% 56% 48%
School would be more
fun
48% 43% 52% 44%
Games engage me in
learning
43% 40% 47% 43%
Learn more about a
subject
49% 44% 39% 31%
28. (c) Project Tomorrow 2014
15%
18%
31%
40%
49%
56%
13%
21%
22%
38%
50%
46%
Tweeted about an academic topic
Found an expert online to answer questions
Used online writing tools
Watched a video to help with homework
Played an online game to learn something
Researched a website to learn more about
a topic
Boys Girls
How Middle School Students are Using
Digital Tools to Self-Direct Learning
Outside of School
29. (c) Project Tomorrow 2014
What does the future look like for
games and learning?
Are we building capacity? What
are the interests and aspirations
of teachers and principals?
Are we all on the same page with
a shared vision for games in
learning?
30. (c) Project Tomorrow 2014
Teachers’ use of digital content in the
classroom
14%
52%
32%
32%
21%
63%
12%
18%
13%
39%
23%
42%
8%
17%
14%
24%
15%
46%
Videos that I create
Animations
Real time data
Online textbooks
Game environments
Videos that I find online
English teachers Math teachers Science teachers
31. Why are teachers interested in games
based instruction?
.
(c) Project Tomorrow 2014
Increase student engagement 74%
Address different learning styles 63%
Reinforce understanding 49%
Differentiate instruction 48%
Opportunity to practice skills 46%
25% of teachers say they are regularly
using digital games in their classroom
32. (c) Project Tomorrow 2014
Disconnect between students and teachers
25%
64%
Teachers
Students
Use of games in a learning setting
33. Teachers & principals are intrigued –
but how to build capacity?
.
(c) Project Tomorrow 2014
Teachers’ wish list for professional development
How to find good mobile apps
How to leverage tablets in my lessons
How to manage student owned devices in my classroom
How to find and use interactive games (26%)
How to create or use videos within instruction
How to find high quality digital content
How to differentiate instruction using various technologies
34. (c) Project Tomorrow 2014
Professional Development
Wish List
1st year 1-3 4-10 11-15 16+
How to differentiate
instruction using technology
51% 48% 44% 44% 46%
Identifying digital content 39% 33% 33% 34% 35%
Identifying mobile apps 39% 37% 36% 36% 35%
Using games 37% 29% 26% 24% 26%
Using tablets 32% 31% 31% 30% 31%
Implementing a blended
classroom
27% 24% 23% 23% 22%
Teachers’ wish list for professional
development in technology use
Years of experience
35. Teachers & principals are intrigued –
but how to build capacity?
.
(c) Project Tomorrow 2014
For the future: principals’ aspirations for next
generation of teachers
34% want pre-service teachers to learn
how to effectively use games within
instruction
36. .
(c) Project Tomorrow 2014
Are we all on the same page?
How do we create a shared vision for
games in learning?
Annual Speak Up Question:
What if you could design the
ultimate school, what digital tools
would be absolutely essential?
37. .
(c) Project Tomorrow 2014
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Online classes
Tablets
E-textbooks
Games
Schoolwide Internet
Principals Teachers Parents Gr 6-8 students
How do we create a shared vision for
games in learning?
39. (c) Project Tomorrow 2014
Let’s test our digital learning
myth-busting skills
Which one is the lie?
1. One-quarter of K-12 teachers have incorporated
games based environments into their teaching
practice.
2. Younger teachers say they don’t need training on
how to incorporate games within learning.
3. Parents are less supportive of the idea of games
within learning than school administrators.
4. The gender gap in game playing disappears if
the students are younger than 8th grade.
40. (c) Project Tomorrow 2014
Let’s test our digital learning
myth-busting skills
Are you a myth-buster for
games?
1. One-quarter of K-12 teachers have incorporated
games based environments into their teaching
practice. TRUE
2. Younger teachers say they don’t need training on
how to incorporate games within learning. LIE
3. Parents are less supportive of the idea of games
within learning than school administrators.
TRUE
4. The gender gap in game playing disappears if
the students are younger than 8th grade. TRUE
41. (c) Project Tomorrow 2014
Questions we are exploring ….
How should we bridge the entertainment – education gulf
in game development – to the satisfaction of educators?
What are the right messaging points for games
within K-12 education?
How do we get parents on board? Do we need them on
board to move games in learning forward?
What should teacher training look like for games within
learning? What should teachers be learning in their
preparation programs?
42. (c) Project Tomorrow 2014
What questions
do you have?
What questions
should we be
asking on the
Speak Up
surveys?
43. National Speak Up Findings and reports
Targeted and thematic reports
Digital learning trends
Mobile learning & social media
Intelligent adaptive software
Digital parent series
NEW! Games within Learning - September
Presentations, podcasts and webinars
Services: consulting, workshops, evaluation and efficacy
studies
Speak Up 2014 opens on October 6
(c) Project Tomorrow 2014
More Speak Up? www.tomorrow.org
44. .
(c) Project Tomorrow 2014
Thank you.
Let’s continue this conversation.
Julie Evans
jevans@tomorrow.org
www.tomorrow.org
Twitter: SpeakUpEd
Copyright Project Tomorrow 2014
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