School IT managers were the unsung heroes of 2020. With fast-tracked remote working deployment and a universal reliance on technology for basic teaching, technical staff kept schools up and running after March 2020.

This year, is there a greater pragmatism when it comes to tech usage? As schools now recognise what’s truly useful and what’s not, this realism could be the first step to a refreshed tech roadmap.

Now we’re asking technical staff how IT impacted teaching and pedagogy in their school last year. Did you adopt a technology-first or hybrid learning approach? What impact did that have on your pupils and teachers? Have your say in our annual survey.

2020 was the year edtech came home

Perhaps unsurprisingly, almost 80% of educators agree that technology helped them do a better job in education this year. It’s not unexpected that distance learning, apps and video conferencing software have seen huge uptick in popularity, this year, too.

How have these tools had an impact, one year on? A digital-first approach was needed, of course, but it had to be effective. Pupils thrive in a classroom environment and there are technologies available to support class-based learning in more ways than it is used. 

Does your school align IT to pedagogical goals?

Our State of Technology in Education report  last year revealed that the highest priorities for most schools are results and attainment. From an IT perspective, the goals were online safety and safeguarding. For many schools, it’s essential that any IT investments feed directly into these objectives. 

Does your school find that edtech is most effective if it takes a comprehensive, targeted approach to learning? When it comes to hybrid learning, for example, instead of thinking a mass drive online automatically solves the problem, schools should develop holistic strategies which minimise disruption with clear objectives for academic success. 

Be a part of our annual State of Technology in Education report

What changes to pedagogy and learning have you seen in the past 12 months, thanks to technology? Has IT become a focal point in your 2022 strategy? Complete our survey to be a part of our 6th and most important State of Technology in Education report to date, and be entered into a prize draw.