A survey by the Canvas team at Instructure (NYSE: INST), a leading software-as-a-service (SaaS) company, has found that 80 percent of teachers agree that technology makes their job easier, as well as saving them around three hours per week in marking and planning time.Seventy five percent of teachers expressed that employing technology for their own and students’ use enables them to spend more time teaching and giving individual attention to students, rather than spending lots of time on lesson planning, marking, reporting and more.
The survey results give credence to the idea that a “flipped classroom” model can work well for both students and teachers, as technology can help students get a head start on learning a subject at home, then use their classroom time for more group discussion and analysis.
The performance benefits for both teachers and students are clear. Significant numbers of respondents found that using technology to aid their teaching saves them time (53%), makes them more effective as a teacher (77%) and contributes to students being able to achieve better results (64%). Technology employed included personal computers, smartphone and tablet apps to create lesson plans, set assignments, grade work, track students’ progress and provide feedback.
A far cry from the idea that technology is pushing teachers and students apart, the majority (77%) think that employing technology in the classroom makes it easier for them to communicate with and relate to their students, however fears remain over how diverting technological devices can become. 54 percent of those surveyed reported that their students get distracted by technology.
75 percent said they are OK with students bringing their own personal electronic devices to class for educational purposes, but in order to stem the tide of unnecessary usage in class, more than half (56%) said they have instigated a rule of no texting, emailing or use of social media for personal reasons in class. Looking ahead to the next five years, teachers indicated that privacy will be the biggest issue to tackle in education technology, with security following closely behind.
Troy Martin, director of APAC at Instructure said: “The results of our survey reveal that teachers in Australia feel very strongly that technology is helping them to deliver a better, more interactive and immersive learning experience for their students. However, when it comes to policing the use of devices to make sure pupils stay on track in lessons, the teacher has a new set of challenges to overcome.
“As we see time and again in the schools we work with, the Canvas software has the ability to help foster great teacher and student relationships, which we believe are absolutely key to making any learning program successful.”
ABOUT THE DATA:
This study was conducted through an online survey of 2,011 K-12 and higher education teachers polled in the UK, US, Australia and Latin America. The findings in this release are based on answers from the 182 respondents in Australia. Teachers were asked 85 questions based on their attitudes towards use of technology in the classroom.The survey, performed through industry leading survey platform Qualtrics, was conducted in December 2015 by Instructure, creator of the Canvas learning management system, which is used by colleges, universities and K-12 districts around the world.
ABOUT INSTRUCTURE, THE CREATOR OF CANVAS:
Instructure, Inc. is the software-as-a-service (SaaS) technology company that makes software that makes people smarter. With a vision to help maximise the potential of people through technology, Instructure enables organisations everywhere to easily develop, deliver and manage engaging face-to-face and online learning experiences. To date, Instructure has connected millions of teachers and learners at more than 1,800 educational institutions and corporations throughout the world.
CONTACTS:
Hotwire PR
+61 (0) 2 8985 7294 | canvasaus@hotwirepr.com
Heather Erickson, VP Global Communications at Instructure
+1 (801) 658-7524 | herickson@instructure.com
Instructure, Canvas and the Bridge logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Instructure, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Other brands and names may be claimed as the property of others.
