Evidence in Ed Tech: A Matter of Importance

• 11/14/24

Is your ed tech effective? It's a question that weighs heavily on the minds of both educational institutions and edtech companies — with good reason. A study by LearnPlatform by Instructure found that school districts accessed an average of 2,739 distinct ed tech tools annually during the 2023-24 school year. Managing this much tech places significant stress on these educational institutions. With Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding no longer available, opportunities to pay for these products are limited. The opportunities that remain often require a key standard: evidence. Evidence that interventions positively impact the educational experience for students and teachers.

The Importance of Evidence

When evaluating which ed tech tools to adopt, evidence of impact is one of the most important factors to consider. At the highest level, ed tech should be chosen based on its ability to improve student outcomes. But in practice, it can be difficult to look beyond marketing claims and flashy features. Many ed tech products may promise innovation or engagement, but without evidence to back these claims, there's no way to be sure whether they will positively affect learning. Teachers and administrators don't have the bandwidth to verify the claims of efficacy for close to 3,000 tools.

For ed tech companies, just as robust research validation provides institutions with confidence that their programs can effectively enhance student learning, it also provides vendors external confirmation that their product genuinely makes a difference. Software products designed with an understanding of how students learn are more likely to succeed than those that are simply built around technological novelty. Evidence-based ed tech demonstrates not only efficacy in its specific domain, but also showcases how its design supports skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration.

Reducing the Risk of Negative Outcomes

Ensuring technology has proper evidence for effectiveness not only highlights the positive but aids in avoiding the negative. Tools without strong evidence may not only fail to improve learning outcomes, but may actively cause further harm by distracting students, confusing teachers, or wasting valuable class time. Teachers, who are often the ones expected to implement ed tech in the classroom, may become frustrated with ed tech that doesn't live up to its promises. This could lead to diminished enthusiasm for technology as a whole and underuse of even the best tools available.

Encouraging Continuous Improvement

Evidence is not just a one-time consideration. Evidence promotes an ongoing culture of evaluation and improvement. Schools should continually assess the ed tech they implement by collecting data and soliciting feedback from teachers, students, and additional stakeholders. By implementing a process that allows for refinements and adjustments over time, an ongoing culture of gauging the effectiveness of ed tech can be established.

As these educators and administrators look for solutions that are not only innovative but also reliable and research-backed, a strong commitment to evidence also helps vendors build credibility in a crowded market. Furthermore, from the perspective of a vendor, it is our collective responsibility to continue to improve student learning outcomes.

The Right Kind of Evidence

What defines the "right kind" of evidence to receive funding and outline ed tech effectiveness? It varies. Although all 50 states mandate that interventions, practices, and programs be evidence-based, the criteria for defining "evidence-based" vary widely across states. Thirty-four states broadly promote the use of these programs, while 16 states specify that programs must meet at least Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Level IV or higher. Only one state requires programs to meet a minimum of ESSA Level III or higher. Unfortunately, navigating state funding requirements can be extremely difficult, as information is frequently dispersed across multiple documents and agencies. This fragmentation makes it hard for decision-makers to determine exactly what is required to secure these vital funds.

As part of its ongoing commitment to enhancing ed tech effectiveness, Instructure has launched the Education Policy Atlas, a valuable new resource that details federal, state, and funding guidelines for evidence. Designed for K-12 districts, state education departments, and ed tech companies, this atlas provides a comprehensive overview of evidence requirements for each state. By offering a unified resource for strategic planning, this initiative extends and democratizes that commitment, helping stakeholders evaluate how technology aligns with federal and state funding requirements in the evolving post-pandemic landscape.

Cost-Effectiveness in Ed Tech

Evidence helps schools determine whether the return on investment for a particular ed tech product and can reveal whether the financial and human resources required to implement it are justified.

For example, some software might require substantial investments in hardware, teacher training, and ongoing technical support. Evidence helps determine whether the long-term benefits — such as improved student outcomes or administrative efficiency — outweigh these initial and ongoing costs.

As educational institutions face limited funding opportunities and a rapidly expanding ed tech market, the importance of evidence in selecting and implementing technology cannot be overstated. With thousands of options available, schools need to prioritize products that have been proven to positively impact student outcomes, ensuring their investments are both effective and cost-efficient. A strong commitment to evidence benefits both educational institutions and ed tech vendors by fostering trust, reducing the risk of negative outcomes, and encouraging continuous improvement. As funding criteria vary across states and become more stringent, resources like the Education Policy Atlas provide crucial support in helping schools navigate complex requirements. Ultimately, a culture of evidence in ed tech is essential for advancing learning, improving student achievement, and ensuring that technology investments lead to meaningful, long-term benefits in education.