More digital devices, educational software and regular teacher sessions can improve information literacy among educators and students.
Teachers who are familiar with AI still believe that students can misuse it.
According to the Education Policy Outlook 2024 report, the world of education today faces 3 major critical issues: the shortage of teachers; the excessive amount of time teachers spend on non-instructional tasks; the digital skills gap of students.
The World Economic Forum points out that 39% of the key skills required by the labor market will change by 2030. Instead, the technological skills, especially artificial intelligence and big data analysis, will be increasingly important. It’s therefore crucial that education and technology become an inseparable combination to improve teachers' daily work and consequently train students' digital skills to cope with a changing world of work.
Through its research “Edutech: where are today's schools?”, Acer for Education looks at the implementation of technology, analyzing the use of digital devices, priorities for improvement, and perceptions about the associated benefits and risks. At the same time, the company highlights significant trends that could influence future education policies.
Technology in classroom: increasing but not enough
Nearly 80% of respondents consider the laptop the most useful device in class, but just half of them have a PC assigned or funded by the school. 40% must rely on their personal device and 11% use a shared one within different classrooms.
Among traditional devices, desktops and projectors are widely used in schools (58% and 55% respectively), while STEM tools such as robotics and 3D printing are still among the least popular with 34%, even though they are considered critical to preparing students for the future.
Digital devices are still used for basic activities, denoting in most cases a lack of digital skills among teachers. In fact, students mainly use laptops within labs (37%) to access class materials or platforms, to carry out assignments and projects (35%) or read books in digital format (29%).
Less than one-fifth of students use digital devices for activities involving STEM tools (19%) or Esport/Gamification (15%).
Teachers use technology devices during classroom or laboratory lessons (80%), for example to share presentations or online materials with students, to conduct assessment tests (66%), or simply to update the electronic register (57%) or outside the classroom for administrative tasks (63%).
Artificial intelligence (AI), an edged weapon
AI has entered many fields, and the area of education cannot be overlooked. The research shows that half of teachers are already using AI and the other half are interested but would like to learn more about it and agree that it can bring many benefits but also some concerns.
While AI enables teachers to simplify lesson planning (70%), being a useful ally in preparing assisted exercises (62%), analyze student progress (58%), and perform automatic assessments (56%), it’s also seen as a powerful tool in students' hands who may exploit it to their advantage: cheating when doing homework (49%) or relying on GenAI when writing essays or other contents (44%) thus losing the ability to do this work independently and distorting the grade they receive.
Another concern comes from the excessive use of digital devices that may affect the physical well-being of students spending many hours in front of a PC (mentioned by 41% of respondents), with consequences for posture and eyesight, or that using keyboards too much may lead to forgetting handwriting (43%).
“This research confirms how technology has now become a mainstay of modern education, but it is equally clear that there is still a long way to go. It clearly emerges that in most schools there is a need for increased investment in digital devices, in the IT infrastructure as well as in teacher training and awareness policies for responsible use of technology, such as AI,” commented Cristina Pez, Commercial Director for Education at Acer EMEA. “From the very beginning, Acer listens to the needs of teachers and offers future-proofed technology to support them concretely in their everyday work and to foster a meaningful, inclusive and engaging learning experience.”
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