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Bermuda Cruises

Discover a history-filled paradise full of pink sand beaches with a cruise to Bermuda.

Set sail from the East Coast of the United States and travel through the Atlantic seas to an island oasis with a cruise to Bermuda. Explore British colonial landmarks like the Royal Navy Dockyard. Take a dip in the blue waves at Horseshoe Bay Beach and wander through the vibrantly painted streets of St. George's and Hamilton to see the Gothic-style towers of the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity. Need to scratch your itch for outdoor adventure? Hike the Railway Trail and take in views of the clear-water coast, or snorkel among shipwrecks and coral reefs at Tobacco Bay. Discover the magic with a Bermuda cruise.

Save Big With These Bermuda Cruise Deals

Explore more while spending less with Bermuda cruise deals onboard our best cruise ships

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Endless Thrills

Set sail on the best Bermuda cruises to experience from historical wonders to natural beauty. Snorkel deep down and discover mysterious underwater shipwrecks from hundreds of years ago, or kick off your sandals and relax on the unique pink sand of some of the world's most beautiful beaches. 

Wreck-It Reef

Dive into the pristine blue waters of Bermuda. Explore underwater wreck sites and vibrant reefs at Tobacco Bay or in the waters near the Royal Naval Dockyard. This part of the Atlantic is home to the most shipwrecks in the region. While you're down there, you can see barracudas, parrot fish and angelfish, as well as many species of colorful coral.

Paradise Found

Spend the afternoon splashing around in the turquoise water and relaxing on pink sand beaches like West Whale Bay Beach or Horseshoe Bay Beach. Chill out with towels or rent some chairs and enjoy the day with a cocktail in hand. It's relaxation at its finest.

Dive Down For Crystals

Had your fill of beach time? Go underground at the Crystal and Fantasy Caves. Inside this underground natural wonder, you'll find a network of caves lined with crystal, quartz and calcite formations, illuminated by the glow of underground lakes.

Time Travelin'

Bermuda is buzzing with history. From Hamilton to St. George's, there are hundreds of years of historical buildings and places to explore. Cruise to Bermuda to discover the colonial roots of these vibrant cities, where cultures collide into a distinctive mix of European and indigenous influences you won't find replicated anywhere in the world.

History In Hamilton

Wander down the streets of the colonial capital city, Hamilton, where you'll find some of Bermuda's best bites, boutiques and galleries. Stroll down the shops and brightly painted colonial buildings of Front Street, and check out the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity, with its towers and turrets designed in the Gothic style of medieval England.

When The Saints Come Marching

Head to St. George's, where you can spend the afternoon exploring St. Peter's Church, the oldest Anglican church in the Western hemisphere. Or set your course just outside the city center and see the Unfinished Church, where the walls and columns of a partly completed chapel stand eerily atop a lush green hill.

Become An Island Expert

Want to learn about Bermudan history in more detail? Check out the National Museum of Bermuda during your vacation. Here, you can see the region's history throughout the ages through artifacts including early English and Spanish coins and the remnants of long-ago shipwrecks. 

Best Bermuda Cruises

A cruise to Bermuda is filled with exciting destinations, each with its own style and vibe. Discover Bermuda onboard the Best Royal Caribbean Cruise Ships.

Best Of Bermuda

Vacation in style and luxury on a Bermuda-only cruise. Bask in the sun on pink-sand beaches, visit candy-colored estates in Hamilton and St. George's , and dine on local delicacies like fish croquettes and semi-spicy, tomato-broth fish chowder. Cruise from New York , Baltimore, and Boston to experience Bermuda’s luxury style

From North To South

Join your Bermudan adventure with an exploration of North America, too. Walk the path of the American Revolution on Boston's Freedom Trail, and see Civil War-era Fort Sumner in Charleston, South Carolina .

WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO Bermuda Cruises Insider

The best of Bermuda can be experienced year-round. Cruise from the Eastern coast of the United States in the winter time and enjoy the change of seasons as you arrive to your destination.

Choose your port of departure depending on how many days you want to spend exploring Bermuda and all it has to offer. Explore fortresses and British colonial landmarks, or dive into the sea for some of the best scuba diving in the world.

Caribbean Ancient Ruins and Cities

Caribbean Rainforest and National Parks

Caribbean Wildlife Encounters

Make sure you pack strategically depending on the time of year you're headed on your Bermuda cruise. If you're going during the winter, pack a heavier coat so you're warm on sea days.

Get the most out of your time in Bermuda by booking excursions ahead of time.

If you're interested in shopping in Bermuda, decide what kind of shopping you want to do ahead of time so that you know which city is best for you.

FOR THE FOODIE'S Bermudan Bounty

Bermuda's cuisine reflects its diverse cultural history. From traditional fish stews to island takes on the classic English fish and chips, the bounty of the ocean is what brings together this culinary tapestry.

And A Splash Of Rum

You can't visit Bermuda without tasting Gosling's Black Seal Rum. And luckily, it's a main ingredient in a ton of Bermuda favorites. Taste it in a cocktail form in the signature Dark 'n' Stormy or Rum Swizzle, or enjoy it as a key ingredient in the famous Bermuda fish chowder, a tomato broth-based stew of white fish and plenty of warming spices.

I'll Take It Fried

The tastes of that signature fish chowder take on new life in the form of a fish croquette, a fried, ball-shaped fritter that incorporates white fish and spices. Head to the restaurant Marcus' for a fish chowder bite made with snapper, scallops, chorizo and spices fried to crispy golden-brown fritter that has the perfect amount of bite to it.

It's a Piece Of Cake

No trip to Bermuda is complete without a bite of an original Horton's Bermuda Black Rum Cake. The first one was made over 31 years ago, and you can now pick one up at the Bermuda Craft Market. The buttery, light, moist cake is a delicious and traditional Bermuda dessert.

RELATED PORTS

Arrive in a Bermuda cruise port, spend your days window-shopping in the colonial city of Hamilton. Explore underwater shipwrecks and coral reefs in the Atlantic with a snorkeling excursion off King's Wharf. Learn more about the colonial history of the brightly colored homes and English-style churches that line the streets of St. George's.

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King’s Wharf Bermuda

Last updated on February 1st, 2024 at 04:46 pm

Welcome to King's Wharf, a bustling cruise port in Bermuda. Explore the historic Royal Naval Dockyard, where you can visit the National Museum of Bermuda, browse unique craft markets, or even swim with dolphins at Dolphin Quest. Enjoy thrilling water sports, relax on pristine beaches, and savor the flavors of Bermuda's famous rum cake. King's Wharf offers a wealth of activities and attractions for all.

Helpful King's Wharf Bermuda Links

Sub-Tropical, Mild in Winter. May to October temperatures often above 75 F. High humidity in summer

Bermudian Dollar, US Dollars are widely accepted but you will often get Bermudian Dollars in change. There is an ATM located in the Clocktower building and in the Victuals Yard which is within easy walking distance of where the ships dock in King’s Wharf Bermuda.

Wireless Internet:

Free WiFI is available around the Visitor’s Center. Just connect to “Bermuda WiFi” and open your browser. If the Bermuda Tourism Authority page doesn’t come up, type in “login.com” and that should take you to the connect page. The Frog & Onion Pub also has WiFi available with a purchase.

Where You Dock in King’s Wharf Bermuda

King’s Wharf Bermuda is one of 2 ports that receive cruise ships, depending on the size. Small ships will dock in Hamilton Bermuda , while larger cruise ships will dock in King’s Wharf Bermuda, otherwise known as the Royal Naval Dockyards.

When you visit King’s Wharf by cruise ship, you will immediately see The Commissioner’s House sitting high above harbor, within the walls of the arsenal and citadel known as the Keep. It is home to a number of exhibits from Bermuda’s history.

Getting Around King’s Wharf Bermuda

Public transportation in Bermuda is widely available and stops at or near most destinations of note. It is a good idea to buy a transportation pass at the Visitor’s Center located right at the dock, which costs $19.00 and is good for 1 day on both buses and ferries, across all transportation zones.

Multi day passes are also available in Hamilton, but no longer available at the Dockyard. See here for more information. Remember that most locals commute into Hamilton to work, so the buses and ferries are quite busy during morning and afternoon “rush hours.”

The central bus terminal is located on Washington Street in Hamilton , near City Hall and is the hub for the 11 bus routes across Bermuda. Schedules are available at at the terminal wherever you purchase tokens or a transportation pass. Take the times on the schedule as a guideline, not a rule. If you need to be back to the port at a certain time, don’t cut it too close. Hamilton is about an hour bus ride from either St George’s at one end to the Dockyard at the other.

If you want to catch a bus, look for the blue and pink poles along the side of the road. Pink poles are for buses heading to Hamilton. Blue poles are for buses heading away from Hamilton.

If you are looking to just go to the beach, there are designated Beach Express buses within walking distance of the pier. They don’t work on a set schedule but wait until the bus is full before leaving.

Water Ferries

Sea Express is the company which operates the water ferries and they can be a quick way to get from one point of the island to another. Plus, its a nice way to see Bermuda from a different vantage point. There are four different ferry routes, of different colors and they follow the schedule fairly closely.

A water ferry is the quickest way to get from the Dockyards to St. George’s or Hamilton if you are not taking a tour which includes these destinations.

Taxis are available at the Kings Wharf & Hamilton ports, St. George’s and outside of most major hotels and resorts.

Taxi fares are regulated by the government and they do offer tours of the island with prices that start around $40 per person for an hour.

Because the speed limit is only 22mph (the roads can be narrow with lots of twists and turns) you wouldn’t get too far in just an hour.

Usually there is a 3 hour tour minimum. Look for taxis with a blue flag – these have been vetted as qualified tour guides.

You will notice that scooters are a main mode of transportation for locals. While rentals are available around the island, most cruise lines don’t recommend their passengers doing this. It’s an economical way to tour the island, however there can be some crazy drivers and the roads in some spots are so narrow that two vehicles can barely pass each other, let alone a scooter on the side of the road. Plus, because it’s a British Overseas Territory, people drive on the left side of the road.

At Kings Wharf Bermuda and throughout the island, only locals can own or rent cars, primarily because driving can be hazardous, with blind curves and narrow roads, most of which have no shoulders.

There is a free trolley that goes right from the ship through the Dockyards at Kings Wharf. It makes several stops where you can hop on and off. It’s great if you have mobility issues to get to some of the shops or restaurants around the Dockyard, however there are few benches right by the dock and there may be a 10-15 minute wait for the next trolley.

Shopping In King’s Wharf Bermuda

Note that store hours are typically 9am-5:30pm Monday-Saturday and closed on Sunday. If large ships are in port, some stores may have extended hours.

The Dockyard

The Dockyard is located at King’s Wharf Bermuda , which is home to some great shops specializing in arts and crafts. Check out the Bermuda Craft Market , home to locals selling handmade goods. The Bermuda Arts Centre is also home to local artists selling their crafts. The Clocktower building also houses different specialty shops and people selling souvenirs. Check out the Bermuda Fudge Co. & Bermuda Rum Cake Company for some delicious treats.

Front Street

Along Hamilton’s waterfront is a key shopping area, with boutiques and unique shops offering British items. Look for department stores such as A.S. Cooper & Sons (since 1897), or Cooper’s Cachet for jewelry, crystal and high quality clothing. Check out Cecile or Calypso for high end fashion or colorful European style clothing.

Reid Street

Also in Hamilton, Reid Street runs parallel to Front Street and offers department stores such as Marks & Spencer or Gibbons Company which offers duty free fragrances or premium fashions with no sales tax. Visit Benetton or Nine West for high quality fashion.

St. George’s

The Town of St. George’s Bermuda is filled with history, and many different artists have galleries and shops where you can purchase their works of art in various mediums.

It was named after Sir George Somers after he and others were shipwrecked nearby, on their way to Jamestown, Virginia. A few men stayed behind and within a few years, St. George Bermuda became the capital of Bermuda until it was changed in the early 1800’s.

Dining In King’s Wharf Bermuda

Bermuda is not really known for innovative cuisine since most of their food has to be flown in. There are a few local favorites including spiny lobster, Bermuda Rockfish, a black-eyed peas and rice dish called Hoppin’ John, conch dishes and shark hash.

While Bermuda’s restaurants have improved in the last several years, the prices are higher than one would typically pay in the US or Canada. You will also notice that there are no chain fast food restaurants. A Kentucky Fried Chicken managed to set up shop before the government stopped allowing franchise and chain restaurants from outside Bermuda.

Also, since Bermuda is a fairly conservative country, ensure you are wearing a cover-up over a bathing suit. Also, jackets are often required for men during dinner. Ask about the dress code when making reservations.

Although most diners still prefer to tip a small amount if the service is exceptional, there is an automatic 10-17% service charge added to each bill.

Restaurants Near the Dock

Bone Fish Bar & Grill – Lunch ($$) Dinner ($$$) – Seafood, Pasta

Frog & Onion Pub & Dockyard Brewing Co. – Lunch ($$), Dinner ($$$) – Pub Fare, Burgers, Live Music. Free WiFi with purchase. They make their own beer on-site.

Hammerheads Bar & Grill (inside Snorkel Park Beach) – Pub Fare – $$

Cafe Amici (Clockwork Tower) – Breakfast ($), Lunch ($$), Dinner ($$$) – Italian Fare, Pizza

Freeport Seafood Restaurant – Lunch ($$), Dinner ($$$), Seafood, Sushi

Things To Do in King’s Wharf Bermuda

Dolphin Quest – at the Dockyard, within the walls of the Keep. Swim with Atlantic Bottlenose dolphins.

National Museum of Bermuda & Commissioners House – if you’re a history buff you’ll love the exhibits and artifacts including many from shipwrecks

The Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute – a world-first in deep-water exploration. It has a fantastic shell collection and undersea submersible simulator.

The Bermuda Aquarium, Natural History Museum & Zoo – see the large collection of marine life, including a huge 7 foot moray eel. They have exhibits on deep sea exploration, humpback whales and the geology of Bermuda

Golfing is a huge draw in Bermuda. It has more golf courses per square mile than anywhere else in the world. Some great courses are:

Mid-Ocean Club – rated one of the best in the world. Private, but open to visitors on Monday, Wednesday & Friday. Tee times may be made up to 3 months in advance. $250 per 18 holes

Port Royal Golf Course – one of the most popular on the island. Public course, tee times may be made up to 7 days in advance. Club & shoe rental available. $180 per 18 holes.

Riddell’s Bay Golf & Country Club – Bermuda’s oldest course. Private, but open to visitors. Call in advance to book a tee time and inquire about rates.

Snorkel Park – Within walking distance of the dock. There is an admission cost and cost to rent equipment, but if you just want a place close by with beautiful shallow water, this is the spot.

Church Bay (Southampton) – this little out of the way beach is great for snorkeling

Mangrove Bay (near Somerset Village) – calm waters, perfect for kids – no restrooms, however

Horseshoe Bay Beach – Southampton Parish – most famous beach in Bermuda. It is quite a hike down a hill to get to the beach and even worse going back up. There are entrepreneurs that offer rides for as little as $1 per person, one way. The undertow can be rough, so keep an eye on the kids

Tobacco Bay Beach – St. George’s Parish – great for snorkeling & has equipment rentals

Resort Day Pass – Spend the day enjoying the amenities at a beach resort, including daybeds, pools, restaurants, drinks and of course, the beach. Check out ResortPass for more info.

Top Tours & Excursions In King’s Wharf Bermuda

Best of bermuda complete island tour.

Experience the main sites of Bermuda, from one end of the island to another with short stops at Gibbs Lighthouse and St. George. Tour ends in Hamilton where you’ll have opportunity to explore before catching the ferry back to the Dockyards....

• Duration: 4.5 hours minimum
• Activity Level: Low

Golf at Belmont Hills Country Club

Golf at one of Bermuda’s premier golf clubs! Designed by Algie Pulley, these 6100 yards are surrounded by narrow fairways, multi-tiered greens and Bermuda’s naturally gorgeous surroundings. Price includes golf cart....

• Duration: 5 hours (or time it takes for 18 holes)
• Activity Level: Moderate
• Note: Clubs and Shoes available for rent. Dress code in effect.

Catamaran Cruise & Snorkel

Board a spacious catamaran to a secluded shallow water cove where you will snorkel in some of the most beautiful water seeing marine life and coral. Complementary beverages & fresh-baked cookies provided...

• Duration: 3.5 hours (2 hour activity duration)

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25 Best Things to Do in Bermuda on a Cruise – A Bermuda Cruise Guide

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If you’re planning a Bermuda cruise, you’re in luck! Bermuda is an island with a rich history, friendly people and genuine pink sand beaches!

After cruising to Bermuda several times, I’ve put together a list of the very best things to do in Bermuda on a cruise. Whether you are looking for family-friendly activities, Bermuda beach excursions or something off the beaten path, these must-see Bermuda attractions won’t disappoint!

In this guide, I’ve included some useful Bermuda tips and information you need to know about this popular cruise destination, including how to get around and explore on your own.

Why Cruise to Bermuda?

The island of Bermuda has become a popular cruise destination for numerous reasons. A self governing British Overseas Territory, Bermuda has a comfortable sub-tropical climate. A misconception is that Bermuda is located in the Caribbean. However, Bermuda’s location is just 700 miles away from North Carolina, in the Atlantic ocean.

Convenient North-East Departures

Bermuda cruises have North East departures leaving from New York, New Jersey, Boston and Baltimore. This is a convenient for many Americans and Canadians who like to drive to their port or have a short flight.

Overnights in Bermuda

Many cruises to Bermuda offer overnight stays (2-3 days in Bermuda), allowing time for excursions to pink sand beaches, world renowned golf courses, and a Unesco World Heritage Site.

Options for Cruise Lines and Cruise Ships

There are many cruise ships that sail to Bermuda, from large cruise ships that dock in Royal Naval Dockyard, to smaller ships that may dock in Hamilton or St. George.

Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line and Carnival all have regular cruises to Bermuda. Luxury lines like Viking Cruises and Regent Seven Seas have some sailings that include Bermuda as well.

Where Do Cruise Ships Dock?

Most cruise ships dock in King’s Wharf or Heritage Wharf, also known as the Royal Naval Dockyard , or just Dockyard. This cruise port is great spot, within walking distance to the National Museum of Bermuda, Snorkel Park Beach and the Bermuda Craft Market.

Getting Around in Bermuda

King’s Wharf is a short walk to public transportation options. A shuttle or the local bus will take you to the beautiful pink beaches on the south shore of the island. The ferries are the best way to get to Hamilton Parish and St. George, where you’ll find many attractions and natural wonders.

You can purchase 1-3 day passes for the bus and ferry at the visitor’s center in Dockyard, steps away from your cruise ship.

Suggestions for Cruisers When Planning Your Bermuda itinerary

Remember that your ship will be docked at the cruise port for a night or two, depending on your itinerary. It’s a good idea to plan excursions that will be further from the cruise ship on day 1 and day 2. Then save the last day for activities that are close to the ship in the Royal Navy Dockyard .

Can You Use US dollars in Bermuda?

Bermuda Cruise Tip: Note that the Bermudian dollar is 1 to 1 with the US dollar and US dollars are taken happily in Bermuda.

Related:   What to Pack for a Bermuda Cruise: The Ultimate Guide

Top Things to Do in Bermuda on a Cruise

Here are a few popular must-see Bermuda attractions. Please tailor this Bermuda cruise guide to your interests and pick a few attractions to focus on. If you love Bermuda, simply plan another cruise to return!

1. Horseshoe Bay Beach

Arguably the most famous beach in Bermuda, Horseshoe Bay Beach is about a 15 minute drive from the Royal Naval Dockyard cruise port. You’ll see long stretches of blush pink sand and striking rock formations, jutting out from the turquoise waters close by the shoreline.

You can get there by taking public transportation or a shuttle right from the cruise port. At about 7$ a person from port right down to the beach, the shuttle is very convenient. While there are other beaches nearby, including Warwick and Church Bay which you may also want to visit, you simply must see Horseshoe Bay!

Do not let the crowds scare you off – walk all the way past the crowds to the left. Continue past the first couple rock formations and it is Heaven!

2. Baby Beach

If you have young children check out Baby Beach immediately to the right. The rock formations insulate the cove area from rougher seas at the main beach and provide for great viewing of many fish and crabs!

3. Rum Bum Beach Bar and Beach House Restaurant

While you’re at Horseshoe Bay Beach, you can grab a bite to eat at the on-site take out restaurant along with a pretty good Rum Swizzle from the Beach Bar. While not inexpensive at about 10$ a drink, they’re quite good!

Read more: The Ultimate Guide to Horseshoe Bay Beach Bermuda (for cruisers)

4. Tobacco Bay Beach

Located in St. George’s parish, Tobacco Bay Beach is considered to be one of the best Bermuda Beaches for snorkeling. While Tobacco Bay is known for it’s shallow and clear waters, perfect for seeing marine life, how Tobacco Beach got it’s name is interesting part of Bermuda’s history.

In the early 1600’s, a group of Castaways whose ship wrecked upon the reefs explored the island of Bermuda and it’s beautiful beaches. At this beach, they found wild tobacco growing. Hence, Tobacco Bay Beach was named .

Now don’t go looking for tobacco on your Bermuda cruise. There’s none to be found hundreds of years later, but the name “Tobacco Bay Beach” remains.

5. Hamilton City

Just a ferry ride away from Royal Navy Dockyard is Hamilton, the capital city of Bermuda. This truly is a beautiful small city to explore. If you enjoy history, consider spending a day in Hamilton to see the sights.

As you arrive in Hamilton, you’ll see Front Street, the main street lined with colorful pastel buildings facing the harbour. Hamilton is a great place to shop for jewelry, clothing, crafts made by local artisans, souvenirs and rum.

Tip:  There’s a department store called Marks & Spencers in walking distance from Hamilton Harbour.  It has a section in the back with delicious food imported from the UK. We buy some shortbread and jam cookies and striped mint candies called Humbugs. We bring them back as souvenirs for friends and family back home.

6. City of Hamilton Walking Tour

Spend a couple of hours walking around the city of Hamilton on a self-guided walking tour or take a tour with the local town crier. Start on Front Street, then explore up and down Queen Street, Cedar Avenue and Church Street.

Some interesting sights to see include government buildings such as the Cabinet Building, the Sessions House and the impressive City Hall. An interesting fact about Bermuda’s rich history, is that Bermuda’s parliament is the oldest in the British commonwealth.

If you enjoy museums and art, make sure to stop in at the Bermuda National Gallery.

7. Cathedral of the Holy Trinity

In the parish of Hamilton, you’ll also find some of Bermuda’s oldest historic churches. In particular, the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity is worth a visit. On weekdays it’s open to guests who wish to climb the tower, where you experience incredible views of Hamilton city.

8. Hamilton Harbour Nights

If your cruise ship will be in Bermuda on a Wednesday, you should plan on going to Hamilton’s Harbour Nights Festival. Hamilton Harbour Nights is a fun evening street fair with local vendors of handicrafts and delicious street food.

There are performers and a parade. You will also get to see a parade of local Gombey Dancers in traditional costumes. This is truly one of my all-time favorite Bermuda attractions. You won’t find this anywhere else!

How to get to Hamilton from the cruise port (Dockyard)

You simply take the 25 minute ferry ride from the ship dock to Hamilton. I suggest going a bit early as the ferry line does get long and it will be crowded. The ferry is 5$ per person each way, however depending on what you are planning during your visit to Bermuda, it may be worth buying a multi day pass for the ferry and bus.

Bermuda Cruise Tip

If you head into town a couple hours before, you can visit some of the Government buildings and beautiful churches and perhaps do a bit of shopping. You can also check out some of the popular local restaurants and people watch.

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9. Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo (BAMZ)

If you are looking for things to do in Bermuda with kids, this Aquarium, Zoo and Museum is a favorite for families. The super large aquarium is the main attraction, and is a living replica of Bermuda’s coral reef – so you’ll see a wide variety of Bermuda marine life here. You’ll see outdoor pools with seals and turtles as well.

Once you see the aquarium, visit the small zoo and interesting museum. Do check their website for opening hours and tour times.

10. Crystal Caves and Fantasy Caves

In the parish of Hamilton, you will find the famous natural beauty of the Crystal Caves. This unique cave, home to underground shimmering stalactites set over a clear ocean fed lake is a sight you won’t soon forget!

You’ll be intrigued to know that Mark Twain himself was the first tourist to visit!

We had an amazing day at Crystal Caves on our Bermuda cruise on the Celebrity Summit .

If you’re thinking of going to Crystal or Fantasy Caves, here’s detailed review and helpful guide with how to get to Crystal Caves from Royal Naval Dockyard  using Bermuda’s public transportation.

Read more: A Guide to Bermuda Crystal Caves on Your Own

11. The Swizzle Inn

This well known pub and restaurant is home to the famous Rum Swizzle. If you’re planning a day, consider coming here for a casual lunch or dinner after visiting Crystal Caves or another sight. Consider getting a pitcher or original rum swizzles and sharing.

The Swizzle Inn is located across the street from Crystal Caves.

12. Bermuda’s National Drink – the Rum Swizzle

Bermuda is known for 2 drinks, the Rum Swizzle and the Dark and Stormy, both made with Goslings Rum. I’ve had both, but the Rum Swizzle is one of my all time favorites. I now even make a version of this drink at home!

You’ll find Rum Swizzles at quite a few bars and restaurants in Bermuda, however the original is at the Swizzle Inn.

Follow along in our YouTube video as we head over to Crystal Caves, Swizzle Inn and Hamilton by ferry and bus.

13. Gibb’s Lighthouse

Located about 30 minutes away from the cruise port, accessible by bus or taxi, Gibb’s Lighthouse is a phenomenal spot to get a great bird’s eye view of western Bermuda and the cruise ship port.

There’s even a restaurant where you can enjoy afternoon tea. If you are a lover of Maritime History and British history, be sure to put this on your list of things to do while in Bermuda.

14. Parish of St. George Historical Reenactment

St. George is about 45 minutes away from  by ferry. It is a truly gorgeous ride, so well worth the trip!

St. George is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and this is a good place to do a walking tour. You’ll find historical landmarks and museums, including the T ucker House Museum, The Unfinished Church and Fort-St. Catherine. 

What is the Must-Do ?

This town is quaint and slow paced and has some interesting sites to see, plus one of the quirkiest things you will see anywhere! The Ducking Stool in the town center, King’s Square.

St. George has 18th century historical re-enactments in King’s Square which include a Town Crier and “The Dunking of the Nagging Wench”.

Now, I bring my sense of humor when I travel and we just thought this was totally different.

Local actors participate and school children come watch. They just really have a fun time and involve the “audience” in the show. It is usually on Thursday’s at 12:30, however please check for the current schedule .

Things to do near the cruise ship in Bermuda – Royal Naval Dockyard/King’s Wharf

The Dockyard area near the cruise ship has quite a lot to do and see, however do plan your Bermuda itinerary carefully.

It may surprise you to know that even with 2 and 3 days in port, every year there are cruise passengers who miss the ship , as don’t return to the ship on time.

As a suggestion, use your first day or two to visit places further from the port and do excursions on your own. Your last day and evenings could be spent closer to the ship in the dockyard area.

Just note that the last day in Bermuda is always busier around the cruise port/Dockyard area.

15. Royal Naval Dockyard

The Royal Naval Dockyard has quite a few activities to do and places to visit, all within a short distance of your cruise ship. It’s well worth exploring and taking time to visit this part of Bermuda.

There’s even a free trolley if your feet are just a little tired from exploring Bermuda’s beaches and other attractions. You’ll find really pretty shops with Bermuda crafts and souvenirs, well as some nice, casual restaurants and pubs. There are museums, a beach area and several types of activities!

Since there’s so much to see, we toured Royal Navy Dockyard and created this video below (where you’ll see some of our favorite things!)

Related:  Bermuda’s Royal Naval Dockyard: Best Things to Do Near the Cruise Port

16. Snorkel Park Beach

This man-made beach is literally a 5 minute walk from the cruise ship dock. It’s a very calm small beach to visit if you have young children as well as if you’re looking for a beach day on the last day of your cruise. At 5$ to enter, its a great deal for nice, fun beach day.

They have snorkel gear that you can rent, or you can bring your own. Kayaks and other water sports equipment is available for rent.

17. Dolphin Quest

Right next to Snorkel Park, you’ll find Dolphin Quest. If you or your children have dreamed of swimming with dolphins and learning about them, this is offered within walking distance of the ship. Booking ahead is suggested.

18. National Museum of Bermuda

If you or your children enjoy learning about Bermuda’s History as well as seeing artifacts from sunken treasures, this is a great way to spend a few hours. There is also a play area for young children. The museum located in the Keep, Royal Naval Dockyard is free for children 16 and under and does have a charge for adults. Check their website for opening hours and rates.

19. Clock-tower Mall and Local Shops in Dockyard

The Clock-tower Mall, which is visible in many of the the pictures you’ll see of the Bermuda Cruise Port, is filled with small local shops. If you want to bring back some Bermuda perfume, some artist’s paintings or prints, handmade jewelry and other crafts, this is the place to find it.

Other shops in Dockyard include a rum cake shop and the glass blowing shop where they demonstrate their work. Some great clothing stores feature nautical themed clothing and made in Bermuda jewelry, candles and other collectibles.

*Many of the shops and some local artists and shopkeepers are featured in this Bermuda Dockyard video on YouTube .

20. Bermuda Treats to Eat or Take Home

My favorite souvenirs to bring home usually include some local treats. You can find some good options right in dockyard, close to your cruise ship.

21. Bermudas’s Moongate in Dockyard

Bermuda has several Moongates located around the island. Lucky for us cruisers, there is one right in Dockyard fairly close to the cruise ships.

Legend has it that if couples walk through the Moongate together, they’ll be blessed with a long and happy life together.

My husband and I first walked through this Moongate in 2008 during our first visit to Bermuda by cruise. Since then we’ve gone through it each and every time we’ve returned.

I’ve come to realize that this Moongate is part of many people’s Bermuda stories, from anniversaries, to engagements to just being together and stopping for a moment to create a vacation memory.

Let it become one of yours – find the Moongate (and take a photo).

Bermuda Shore Excursions

It’s been said that Bermuda is best seen from the water. There are some great excursions including catamaran snorkeling , wave runners, glass bottom boats and more.

While you certainly don’t have to book and excursion, as there is plenty to do and see on your own, there is value to a local excursion. You can book these with your cruise ship, or directly with a local tour operator.

It can be a good idea to book online before you go as excursions are popular and can sell out.

22. Snorkeling and Boat Excursions

I quite like catamaran and boat excursions as for me it is the right amount of “organization”, local information from the tour operator or guide, and activity to make it an enjoyable part of our visit.

The last couple of years we’ve had great excursions with Rising Son Tours. We’ve appreciated the gorgeous catamarans, friendly and informative crew, and rum swizzles of course!

We were provided with noodles, paddle-boards and had an overall great time floating in the crystal clear waters.

If you’re not fond of getting into the water, consider a romantic Champagne Catamaran excursion at sunset or a boat tour of some of the beautiful and famous homes of Bermuda.

Here’s my review, so you can see what is offered and what to expect:  Bermuda Rising Son Cruises Catamaran Snorkeling Review

23. Port Royal Golf Course

Bermuda has some of the most beautiful and highly rated golf courses in the world, so if you are a golfer, put this on your wish list. Port Royal Golf Course in Southampton is the closest golf course to the ship and is easily accessible by bus or cab. Golf clubs, shoes and carts are all available to rent. However, if you are cruising to Bermuda it is very easy to bring your own golf clubs on board.

24. Tom Moore’s Jungle/Blue Hole Park

If you are looking for something different that is not often on the cruiser’s radar, make your way to Tom Moore’s Jungle in the parish of Hamilton. This nature reserve has wooded paths, mangroves, caves and grottos, including well known Blue Grotto. You’ll see a variety of birds and fish as well.

There’s always an interesting story in Bermuda: this nature reserve is named after Irish poet Tom Moore, who wrote poetry under a calabash tree in this reserve in 1844. The famous tree was destroyed in a hurricane several years ago, however its branches have begun to grow again.

25. Dining in Bermuda & Local Eats

Bermuda is a bit on the expensive side, as a lot is imported from the US or Britain. Since you are cruising, try to plan your day so that you can take advantage of eating some meals on the ship and some meals in Bermuda.

Some of the most popular pubs for both locals and tourists include the Hog Penny Pub or Flanagan’s Irish Pub in Hamilton. If you want to grab a bite close to the ship, a great spot is The Frog and Onion Pub.

A little place quite close to the cruise port that is distinctively local is Woody’s. It’s only about 5 minutes away by cab. I’ve unfortunately not eaten there yet, however I hear from the locals that they make a fabulous fish sandwich!

If you’ve been to Bermuda and know other great spots I should add to my list, please leave a comment below.

Final Thoughts on the Best Things to do in Bermuda for Cruisers

I hope that this list of the best things to do in Bermuda on a cruise can help you enjoy Bermuda as much as I have!

Although Bermuda is a small island, remember to build a little itinerary so that you plan things that are in the same area. Divide up your must-see Bermuda attractions into your 2-3 days. Whatever is left, just means you must return on another cruise!

Related & Popular Posts

• Bermuda’s Royal Naval Dockyard – Best Things to Do Near the Cruise Port
• The Ultimate Guide to Horseshoe Bay Beach Bermuda
• Rising Son Catamaran Snorkeling Excursion Review
• Crystal Caves Review & Directions from the Cruise Port
• Bermuda Cruise Packing List

Check this Podcast episode where I chatted about Bermuda by Cruise with Guys Telling Stories .

Have you cruised to Bermuda or are you planning to? Please let me know your tips and questions in the comments below.

Happy Cruising!

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14 Comments

Oh my gosh this place looks amazing! And I had no idea you could cruise there so easily. It sounds like a great option!

I think it is one of the best kept secrets 😉

Bermuda looks beautiful! The colour of the water is spectacular. Ilana, great list of things to do and travel tips. One day when we get closer to that side of the world we will go for sure!

Thanks Katie for you comment!Truly the water and beaches are so beautiful. I am sure your kids would love it there!

Oh my gosh Ilana, I was so excited to go to Bermuda because of the beaches and crystal caves, but there are so many historical sites I didn’t know about until reading this post! Thanks for sharing the info Ilana!

Lol Melissa, you need 2 cruises to Bermuda, right? Actually, you’ll be fine. With 3 days in Bermuda just pick what you most want to do most and save some Bermuda for next time. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment! I hope you have an amazing cruise :-).

You missed a port! Bermuda cruises also depart from Baltimore!

You’re right! How could I have omitted that? You’ll be happy to know I’ve edited and added Baltimore to the list of departure cities for Bermuda Cruises.

If you’ve cruised from Baltimore, I’d really like to hear about the experience, so let me know.

My favorite thing o do was on the other end of the island is an old NASA tracking station. Looking around old buildings and tracking equipment from the 60’s was cool. It also has over a two mile long runway from the old space. Shuttle days. Built for emergency landings of shuttle.

Hi Russell,

That is so interesting! I’ll have to look into this and probably one day do a good tour of the island!

Thanks for the great suggestion!

I am cruising out of Norfolk VA for a overnight Bermuda cruise through carnival! That’s for the good advice!

That’s so exciting! Glad the post was helpful 🙂

Enjoy your cruise!

All really great things to do in Bermuda. We have been twice and heading back again next year on the new NCL PRIMA. One thing you didn’t mentioned that we have done is sport fishing. They have some great fishing around Bermuda. Love your content ILANA Keith

Wow, nice cruise Keith.

Thanks for mentioning sports fishing. I really had no idea, but it’s another enjoyable thing to do in Bermuda.

Thanks for sharing & for your kind words!

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Shaped by British, Portuguese, West Indian, and African cultures, Bermuda is fringed by teeming coral reefs and the almost impossibly turquoise waters of the Sargasso Sea, due east of South Carolina. This sub-tropical paradise, which blends history with a contemporary and very inviting way of life, is an easy escape from the East Coast. But the island is still a world apart—and a luxury cruise to Bermuda is the perfect way to enjoy this exclusive destination. 

Days drift by in a delightful blend of scuba diving, golfing, exploring art galleries and historic fortifications, or simply relaxing on exquisite pink sand beaches. Let Celebrity show you Bermuda’s many charms, with blissful days at sea to unwind on either side of your time on this fascinating island.

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Pink beaches.

Bermuda’s beaches are famous not just for their beauty but for their blush-pink sand, caused by the presence of tiny, ground up shells. Horseshoe Bay Beach is the most famous, with clear, teal-blue water and tumbled rocks. Warwick Long Bay is adorned with rock outcrops and has pretty tide pools to explore. Elbow Beach is the place to head for a livelier scene, with bars, restaurants, and watersports facilities, as well as a shallow reef, teeming with fish.

Scuba Diving

Bermuda’s coral reefs and rocks have claimed more than 300 wrecks over time, making this one of the world’s top dive sites. Warm, glass-clear water and the fact that many of the wrecks lie in as little as 30 feet of water make Bermuda a dream for novice divers, too. What’s more, the underwater life is spectacular. You should see blue angelfish, parrotfish, spiny lobster, silvery jacks, wrasse, and graceful eagle rays, as well as coral in brilliant colors.

Colorful History

Step back in time in the National Museum of Bermuda in the Royal Naval Dockyard to learn about 400 years of the island’s history, from antique maps and cannons to treasures rescued from shipwrecks. Learn about the island’s role in both World Wars, and the darker days of the slave trade. UNESCO-protected St. George’s, too, is a fascinating insight into the past, with colorful old buildings and cobblestone streets to explore, as well as the 17th century St. Peter’s Church.

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Explore Bermuda with Celebrity and you’ll enjoy a winning combination of long days ashore and on board a haven of relaxation on our contemporary, design-led ships. Rejuvenate your spirit in The Spa, unwind by the pool, and toast a balmy evening and flamingo-pink skies at the Sunset Bar.  

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What are the best things to do in Bermuda on a cruise?

From naval history to pretty country villages, hiking trails, and pink sand beaches, there are endless things to do during your time in Bermuda. Our itineraries spend two nights docked here, so you’ll have plenty of time to explore.

One of the best things to do is to snorkel over the coral reefs and multiple wrecks that surround the island. There are some fascinating museums, too; the National Museum of Bermuda, located in a fort at the Royal Naval Dockyard, takes you through 400 years of history. Historic St. George’s is a UNESCO World Heritage Site just 45 minutes from the port by ferry, with narrow cobblestone lanes, colorful old homes, and quaint churches.

If you’re an active traveler, there’s all manner of watersports to try, as well as world-class golf, and cycling or hiking the historic 18-mile Railway Trail. Explore the Crystal and Fantasy Caves, where you’ll see dramatic stalagmites and stalactites and a shimmering underground lake.

There’s also excellent craft shopping in Bermuda, much of it within Royal Naval Dockyard.

Look out for rum, rum cake, spicy pepper sauces, ceramics, linen, locally made fragrances, cedarwood items, and the famous Bermuda shorts. 

When is the best time to cruise to Bermuda?

Bermuda’s peak season is from May to October, with July and August the warmest and sunniest months. May has the lowest rainfall. Just outside of the high season, you should still enjoy pleasant weather. Months with lower humidity, particularly April, make exploring easy.

What should I pack?

Depending on the time of year you’ve chosen, pack for a subtropical climate. Bring plenty of beachwear, a sun hat, sunglasses, coverups, water shoes (if you’re visiting coral beaches), and reef-friendly sunblock. 

A light waterproof jacket is handy for the occasional rain showers. Consider bringing comfortable walking shoes; Bermuda is a very walkable place with some wonderful hikes. 

If you intend to play golf, check the dress code of the courses you want to play. A collared shirt with sleeves and shorts the length of Bermuda shorts is standard.

Throughout the ship, casual resort wear, sundresses, shorts, polos, or button-downs are appropriate, paired with sandals, low heels, and loafers. In main and specialty dining, we ask guests to refrain from wearing swimsuits, see-through coverups or robes, bare feet, tank tops, T-shirts, and baseball caps. 

Smart Casual attire is required for entry to main dining, specialty dining, and the Celebrity Theatre. Smart Casual means you look comfortable yet tasteful in a dress, skirt, long pants, or jeans with a stylish top or button-down. Shorts and flip-flops are not considered Smart Casual. 

Each itinerary features one to two more “formal” nights that we call Evening Chic. Evening Chic means you dress to impress, glamorous and sophisticated in your own way, with a cocktail dress, skirt, slacks, or designer jeans, an elegant dress top, or blazer—some guests even pack a tuxedo or gown for onboard photos. 

The daily program, delivered to your stateroom and available at the Guest Relations Desk, will be your guide to the correct attire each evening. If you do not wish to participate in Evening Chic, Smart Casual attire is acceptable for dining and attending the theater.

What travel documents are required?

Round-trip cruises from Cape Liberty to Bermuda are known as “closed-loop cruises” for which U.S. citizens do not require a passport.

According to U.S. Customs & Border Protection, acceptable forms of identity include an Enhanced Driver’s License, which is a state-issued driver’s license that provides proof of identity and U.S. citizenship; a government-issued birth certificate (issued by the Vital Records Department in the state where the person was born) or passport; and if 16 or older, a government-issued driver’s license or picture ID denoting photo, name, and date of birth.

For transatlantic cruises that call at Bermuda, all visitors will need a valid passport.

Where do cruises depart from?

Our Bermuda cruises depart from Cape Liberty, New Jersey. Bermuda is also a stop on several of our transatlantic cruises, which depart from Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, Barcelona, and Lisbon.

How long does it take to get to Bermuda?

The sailing time between Cape Liberty and Bermuda’s Royal Naval Dockyard is two days, during which you’ll have plenty of opportunity to relax and enjoy the many amenities of the ship. On the return journey, you’ll have one day and two nights at sea.

On a westbound Transatlantic cruise, you’ll have four days at sea between the Azores and Bermuda. On an eastbound voyage, you’ll leave Tampa and arrive in Bermuda after three days at sea. If you depart from Fort Lauderdale, there will be two days at sea before reaching the island.

What’s the weather like?

Bermuda is located in the Atlantic Ocean, a long way north of the Caribbean, and enjoys a temperate, subtropical climate. In other words, you can expect summers to be warm and sunny, with temperatures around the mid-80s, and high humidity. 

May to October is considered the high season, with April and November bringing slightly cooler but still pleasant weather. Expect average highs of 68°F in April and 72°F in November. 

What currency is used in Bermuda?

Bermuda’s currency is the Bermuda Dollar, which is tied to the U.S. Dollar. You can use U.S. dollars in most places on the island, although you may be given change in Bermuda dollars.

Where can I see pink sand beaches?

Horseshoe Bay Beach is one of the most beautiful pink sand beaches, where rocky outcrops fringe the sweep of pink and there are umbrellas and beach chairs available to rent. Warwick Long Bay, one of the longest beaches, has pale pink sand and great snorkeling close to the shore. Tiny Jobson’s Cove, nearby, is almost entirely hemmed in by rocks and is safe for swimming in the turquoise shallows. 

Also nearby is Stonehole Bay, a beautiful combination of pale pink sand, cyan water, and craggy rocks. Elbow Beach, another popular spot, curves around the coast for nearly a mile, and is protected by coral reefs.

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On a luxury Bermuda cruise with Seabourn, visit the ports of  King’s Wharf ,  Hamilton  and the  UNESCO World Heritage site  of  St. George’s . Travel to the beautiful pink sand beaches to snorkel clear blue waters; rent a scooter and tour the island; or visit the various historical sites including the Royal Naval Dockyard.

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The British flair of crisp colonial architecture lining the lanes of Bermuda is a delightful contrast to the isle’s verdant hills and laid-back island vibes on these imaginative voyages. It’s a place where bright white roofs are used to catch rainfall for drinking water, where there are more golf courses per square mile than anywhere else in the world and where the classic Dark ‘n’ Stormy cocktail was born. Tour UNESCO-protected St. George in a horse-drawn carriage, lounge on Bermuda’s famed pink-sand beaches at Horseshoe Bay, explore the archipelago’s legacies and past along the African Diaspora Heritage Trail, and browse the shops and vibrant street art on Front Street in Hamilton.

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Port Day Guide: Best Things to Do in Bermuda on a Cruise

Posted by Annick Lenoir-Peek | Updated on Nov 7, 2023 | Published on Nov 14, 2023 | Bermuda , Port Days | 0

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Welcome to our Port Day Guide, your ultimate guide for exploring the enchanting island of Bermuda. If you’re looking for the best things to do in Bermuda on a cruise, you’ve come to the right place! Bermuda is renowned for its iconic pink sand beaches, pristine waters, and rich maritime history, making it a treasure trove of unique experiences and captivating sights just waiting to be discovered.

Whether you’re a day-tripper boarding from a cruise ship or have the luxury of more time to explore, this guide will help you discover the best of Bermuda. Find the hidden gems and must-see sites that make Bermuda a destination unlike any other.

So, buckle up as we dive in and make the most of your time in this island paradise!

Best Things to Do in Bermuda

Royal Naval Dockyard

Start your day with a visit to the Bermuda Royal Naval Dockyard , also known as “King’s Wharf.” This historic naval station, nestled gracefully on Bermuda’s picturesque western coast, bears a storied legacy tracing its roots back to the early 19th century.

The Dockyard was founded in the early 19th century to serve as a station for the Royal Navy’s West Indies Squadron. It also served as a refuge for naval warships and maintenance and storage facilities. It was also used as a base for anti-piracy patrols and the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade.

The Dockyard is an expressive testament to Bermuda’s long maritime heritage. It is marked by its remarkable naval architecture featuring imposing stone defenses and robust docks. Among its most notable features is “The Keep,” a fortress-like tower that once occupied the role of administrative headquarters for this formidable naval stronghold.

Today, the Royal Naval Dockyard has transformed into a bustling tourist destination. The Dockyard offers a variety of shops, restaurants, museums, and exciting activities that draw travelers in. Some notable attractions include the charming Clocktower Mall, the National Museum of Bermuda, and the thrilling Dolphin Quest adventure.

Front Street

Front Street, Bermuda’s bustling main street in Hamilton, represents the island’s unique charm and vibrancy. What sets this thoroughfare apart is its captivating waterfront promenade, where colonial buildings adorned in shades of pink, yellow, and blue overlook the tranquil Hamilton Harbor.

One of Front Street’s captivating features is its lovely coastal location. Here, you can soak in scenic views of Hamilton Harbor, observe the graceful arrival and departure of boats and cruise ships, and take leisurely strolls along the charming harborfront promenade.

Front Street is also a true treasure trove for shopping enthusiasts. Boutiques, department stores, and specialized shops fill the Boulevard. You can find everything from high-end clothing and beautiful jewelry to locally produced souvenirs. It’s a treasure trove of one-of-a-kind gifts and Bermuda-themed items that represent the essence of the island. 

Dining options abound, with many restaurants, cafés, and guests lining the street. Front Street caters to all culinary tastes, whether you’re in the mood for mouthwatering seafood, international cuisine, or traditional Bermudian delicacies like fish chowder and fish sandwiches.

During the summer, Wednesday nights on Front Street come alive with the weekly Harbour Nights event. Here, you may enjoy Gombey dancers’ vibrant performances, enjoy street food delights , participate in family activities, and discover the works of local artisans .

PRO TIP: If you want your photo in front of the Bermuda letter sign, you’ll find it on Front Street, to the left of the Visitor’s Center, as you face the water.

Horseshoe Bay Beach

Horseshoe Bay Beach , Bermuda’s crown gem, is known for its stunning pink beaches and turquoise waters. This famous spot, nestled along the south coast of Bermuda’s main island, is loved by both locals and tourists. The impressive natural limestone cliffs and rich flora surrounding its shoreline add to its enchantment. The beach boasts a unique curved shape resembling a horseshoe from the name itself, adding to its charm.

Horseshoe Bay Beach provides a variety of activities for visitors seeking fun and relaxation, including beachcombing, sunbathing, beach volleyball, swimming, and snorkeling in crystal-clear waters. Adventurous ones can explore the surrounding areas via hiking paths, soaking in the scenic beauty of the coastline.

The beach has everything you need for your comfort and convenience. Changing rooms, bathrooms, and beach equipment rentals are all conveniently available. When you’re thirsty, the beachside café serves a range of snacks and refreshing beverages. A gift shop also allows you to take a little of Bermuda’s charm home with you.

However, it’s important to note that Horseshoe Bay Beach’s popularity can lead to overcrowding, especially when multiple cruise ships are docked. To enjoy a more serene experience, consider planning your visit during the early morning or late afternoon hours, when the crowds tend to be smaller.

Warwick Long Bay Beach

Warwick Long Bay Beach , located on Bermuda’s serene South Shore, is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered. This lovely beach stretches for half a mile. It is bordered by rugged outcroppings and graced by a coral island rising from the dazzling blue oceans offshore.

What truly sets Warwick Long Bay Beach apart is its sense of isolation and serenity. Compared to some of Bermuda’s more bustling beaches, it offers a quieter and more peaceful escape. It is a perfect choice for those seeking a tranquil retreat.

Walking paths in South Shore Park connect this expansive pink-sand beach to several serene coves and gorgeous shorelines. Despite its limited profile, the beach is ideal for families thanks to its shallow, quiet waves, which offer a safe sanctuary for swimming and relaxing.

Warwick Long Bay Beach’s crystal-clear and calm waters make it an ideal spot for snorkeling and exploring the vibrant underwater world. Depending on the weather conditions, it can even be a fantastic destination for inexperienced surfers looking to catch some waves.

Warwick Long Bay Beach is easily accessible, with public transit readily accessible. The Number 7 bus route travels conveniently along the South Shore, providing an easy and picturesque trip to this hidden gem.

Whether you’re searching for tranquility, water adventures, or a peaceful day by the shore, Warwick Long Bay Beach invites you with its unspoiled beauty and serene ambiance, making it a must-visit destination for a blissful beach experience in Bermuda.

St. George’s

A short ferry or bus ride from the Royal Naval Dockyard will transport you to St. George’s , a UNESCO-listed town that is a testament to Bermuda’s rich and enduring history. As the oldest continuously inhabited English-speaking town in the Americas, St. George’s invites you to wander through its narrow streets and immerse yourself in a past era.

A stroll through St. George’s feels like a journey into a charming time capsule. Beautifully preserved historic buildings line cobblestone streets, each whispering stories of Bermuda’s historical past. Among these architectural treasures stands St. Peter’s Church, a living relic and the oldest Anglican church in continuous use beyond the British Isles. Its serene interior and ancient graveyard are testaments to centuries of history.

One of the town’s must-visit sites is the Bermuda National Trust Museum, housed in the historic Mitchell House. Here, you can dive deeper into the island’s captivating history and gain insights into the lives of its early settlers. The museum’s exhibits shed light on Bermuda’s maritime heritage, display centuries-old artifacts, and illuminate the island’s essential role in shaping historical events.

St. George’s enchants visitors not only with its historical landmarks but also with its natural splendor. Magnificent views of crystal-clear waters and breathtaking scenery surround the town. If you still have time, I highly recommend taking a leisurely stroll along the sandy shores of Tobacco Bay Beach, where you may bask in the sun’s warmth or go snorkeling to see the diverse marine life that thrives beneath the surface.

St. Peter’s Church

St. Peter’s Church, located in St. George’s Parish, is a historical treasure that serves as a testament to Bermuda’s lasting spiritual heritage. Built in 1612, it is the oldest operating Anglican Church outside the British Isles. St. Peter’s Church, located on the northeastern edge of Bermuda’s main island, provides an intriguing glimpse into the island’s early history.

Within its hallowed walls, you will encounter a variety of historical relics and architectural splendor. The church still has its original altar, an 18th-century throne recovered from a shipwreck, and communion silver from the 1600s. The African Diaspora Heritage Trail includes two historic cemeteries near the church that were historically divided for white and black Bermudians.

St. Peter’s Church represents the architectural style that was popular at the time. The church’s simple yet attractive architecture, made of locally gathered Bermuda stone, blends beautifully with its lovely surroundings. Inside, a wooden altar, a pulpit, a baptismal font, and stained glass windows portray the church’s and the island’s history, among its historic and modern features.

The surrounding cemetery was the final resting place of numerous early citizens and notable figures from Bermuda. Gravestones tell intriguing stories about Bermuda’s past, providing a meaningful connection to the island’s history.

With no entrance fee, St. Peter’s Church welcomes the public, making it an accessible and culturally stimulating visit for anyone touring St. George’s town. A visit to this old church, whether by foot or bus, promises a meaningful experience of Bermuda’s history, spirituality, and architectural splendor.

Unfinished Church

The Unfinished Church, a remarkable Gothic-style architectural wonder, holds a unique allure with its unfinished state, adding to its fascinating charm. Its walls and structural foundations are in place, yet it lacks both a roof and interior furnishings. The result is a hauntingly beautiful, open-air space.

The church’s history is connected with a mission to rebuild the storm-damaged St. Peter’s Church, destroyed by a storm in 1824. The new church’s construction started in 1874, guided by the design of Scottish architect William Hay. However, it was never completed due to congregational differences and budgetary restrictions.

The Gothic Revival style of the church’s construction is a visual wonder, with pointed arches, ribbed vaults, and flying buttresses. Its striking look against the backdrop of a beautiful sky and the sea makes it a popular photo spot.

The Unfinished Church, open to the public, has no entrance fee. It welcomes you to explore its interior and exterior, allowing you to admire its architectural structures and the tranquil gardens.

Whether you’re drawn in by its unique aesthetics, historical tales, or the dynamic activities it hosts, the Unfinished Church guarantees an unforgettable experience for those who walk through its walls.

Bermuda Botanical Gardens

The Bermuda Botanical Gardens , established in 1898, extends over 36 acres of natural grandeur in the heart of Paget Parish, only a short drive from the island’s capital, Hamilton. This charming floral paradise is easily accessible, with handy public transit, taxis, and scooters readily available.

Initially designed by the Bermudian government as an area for research and teaching, these Gardens have grown over time into a renowned public attraction known for their breathtaking landscapes and botanical diversity.

During your visit, you can enjoy a kaleidoscope of plant species, trees, and blossoms from all over the world. The Palm Garden, Rose Garden, Camellia Collection, and Orchid Collection are among the themed gardens that highlight the grounds, each providing a unique and visually engaging experience. Greenhouses house exquisite orchid and succulent collections. The gardens also include historic buildings such as Camden House, Bermuda’s prestigious government residence, and the Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art.

The Bermuda Botanical Gardens also provides an excellent spot for leisurely walks, picnics, and birdwatching. Educational displays, such as a sensory garden for the visually impaired, offer unique insights into Bermuda’s agricultural heritage. If you want to learn more about the garden’s secrets, take a tour. Complimentary 90-minute guided tours are offered every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday at 10:30 a.m.

Whether you seek a tranquil escape, an educational adventure, or simply a day immersed in the beauty of nature, the Bermuda Botanical Gardens invite you to explore their lush landscapes and rich history .

Gibbs Hill Lighthouse

Gibbs Hill Lighthouse is a famous and beloved tourist destination representing Bermuda’s unique charm. This 117-foot-tall lighthouse is in Bermuda’s heart because of its towering grandeur, breathtaking panoramas, and historical significance. Built in 1846 from cast iron, it is the world’s oldest of its kind and one of only two remaining cast-iron lighthouses.

Strategically located, the lighthouse boasts panoramic views of Hamilton, the Royal Naval Dockyard, the South Shore, and the scenic Little Sound. Embarking on an adventure here involves climbing the lighthouse’s spiral staircase, which consists of 185 steps, to one of the island’s most panoramic viewpoints.

While Gibbs Hill Lighthouse is a popular tourist attraction, it also serves as a navigational beacon, flashing white lights every 5 seconds to guide ships safely through nearby waterways and reefs.

Gibbs Hill Lighthouse is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The lighthouse is open to the public for an entrance fee of $2.50 per person, charged at the on-site gift store. The gift shop is also an excellent place to buy iconic Bermuda souvenirs or a cold beverage.

Bermuda Railway Trail

This captivating pathway promises a distinctive and unique journey through the island, meandering through charming villages, green forests, and scenic coastlines.

Starting at the Royal Naval Dockyard, your tour will take you through the charming Bermudian towns of Somerset and Flatts Village. These charming villages represent Bermuda’s rich cultural past, with vibrant architecture and warm greetings from the locals. Watch for the different kinds of birds and unique plant life that adorn the trail, adding to its attraction.

One of the most intriguing parts of the Bermuda Railway Trail is its historical tapestry. Along the route, you’ll encounter well-preserved remnants of Bermuda’s historic railway system, which once operated from 1931 to 1948. Crossing these antique railway bridges offers a portal to the past and provides sweeping panoramic views of the surrounding landscapes.

The trail’s main attraction undeniably lies in its breathtaking coastal vistas. Cycling along this scenic route rewards you with breathtaking views of Bermuda’s crystalline waters and rugged shorelines, making it a photographer’s and wildlife enthusiast’s paradise.

To take your experience to the fullest, I recommend renting a bicycle , readily available at numerous rental shops. Remember to pack essentials such as sunscreen, water, and snacks to keep you energized and prepared for an unforgettable journey through Bermuda’s captivating landscapes.

Crystal and Fantasy Caves

The Crystal and Fantasy Caves in Hamilton are unique natural wonders known for their impressive geological structures. These subterranean caverns, now known worldwide, were discovered by accident in the early 20th century. The caves were stumbled upon by two young boys in 1907 during a game of cricket that led them to a small hole in the ground. Little did they know that this chance discovery would unveil the hidden treasures of these underground wonders.

Crystal Cave’s crystal-covered tunnels and fascinating 55-foot-deep lake reveal an enchanting world of azure-blue underwater waters. During your visit, you will find a variety of unique formations inside its depths, from stalactites and stalagmites of all forms and sizes to the unique and beautiful chandelier clusters and wonderful crystallized soda straws gracing the cave ceilings. Each cave has its own unique and breathtaking beauty.

You may discover these natural beauties by taking guided tours that provide an immersive and informative experience. You will be guided through the caves by knowledgeable guides. The guides offer intriguing insights into their formation, historical significance, and geological significance. These guided tours last 30 to 40 minutes and provide a view into the captivating environment under Bermuda’s surface.

Blue Hole Park

Blue Hole Park, known locally as Tom Moore’s Jungle , is a mesmerizing natural beauty tucked away in Hamilton Parish on Bermuda’s eastern coast.

The captivating Blue Hole, a large, deep pool surrounded by thriving mangroves, is at the heart of Blue Hole Park. It offers an appealing natural swimming spot set within the island’s rich nature. The park’s allure doesn’t end there. Explore the network of caves and grottoes adorned with natural lakes and stalactite formations and connected by underground tunnels!

Some of the blue holes are swimmable, providing a one-of-a-kind opportunity to immerse yourself in the crystal-clear waters. While exploring these natural treasures, practicing caution and being aware of changing depths is essential.

Blue Hole Park also has well-kept walking paths that wind through the lush forest. This park has it all, whether you want a tranquil stroll, a refreshing swim, or a look into underground mysteries.

PRO TIP: You can only visit the Blue Hole on an accompanied tour for safety reasons. Book a tour if you’d like to try them.

Sample a Rum Swizzle

What’s a rum swizzle? It’s Bermuda’s national cocktail , of course! Named after the Swizzle Inn, which made it famous, the Rum Swizzle contains rum, orange and pineapple juices, bitters, and grenadine. Thanks to the pineapple, the tropical rum punch hits all the right notes. Don’t leave Bermuda without sampling a Rum Swizzle, but be careful, as some places make them really strong! 

Know Before You Go to Bermuda

Best time to visit bermuda.

Bermuda’s latitude is similar to North Carolina’s in the United States. With its location in the Atlantic, it enjoys a temperate climate year-round. The high season in Bermuda is the summer when the beaches are most popular. Late April to mid-October are excellent months – and the shoulder months before or after the summer are the best. Cruise ships sail to Bermuda from the United States from April to November.

Keep in mind that Bermuda is located in an area prone to hurricanes. Hurricane season lasts from June 1 to November 30, with September the busiest hurricane month. But don’t let that deter you from visiting this beautiful island paradise! The island is well-equipped to deal with any weather emergency.

Bermuda Currency

Bermudians use the Bermudian Dollar. The exchange of the Bermudian Dollar to the U.S. Dollar is one-to-one. This means that travelers to Bermuda can easily use their U.S. Dollars to pay for items but should be aware that they may receive Bermudian Dollars as change.

Bermuda Language

As a former British colony, Bermudians speak primarily English, with some island influences. English speakers will have no problems in Bermuda.

Getting Around Bermuda

The island offers fantastic public transportation , from ferrie s to buses. Taxis are plentiful. You can even rent an electric vehicle. Read this blog for more transportation options.

Final Thoughts on Things to Do in Bermuda on a Cruise Day

If you’re wondering if Bermuda is worth visiting on a cruise, the answer is a resounding yes! Whether you want to learn about history, engage in a little adventure, or just relax on the beach, Bermuda has someone to offer every type of visitor.

Check out these related posts:

• A Self-Guided Tour to St. George’s
• Best Souvenirs from Bermuda
• How to Get Around Bermuda

Happy travels, Annick, The Common Traveler

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Here's when you need (and don't need) a passport to cruise.

It's the type of sailing – closed-loop or open-loop – that largely determines whether or not you need a passport to cruise.

Do You Need a Passport for a Cruise?

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A passport isn't always required for cruising.

To determine whether or not you need a passport to cruise, you first need to figure out if the itinerary is closed-loop or open-loop (also known as open-jaw).

Closed-loop cruise: A closed-loop cruise typically doesn't require a passport since it begins and ends in the same U.S. port (though there are some exceptions to this rule).

Example: Royal Caribbean International 's seven-night Western Caribbean & Perfect Day cruise stops in several countries – the Bahamas, Jamaica, Haiti and Grand Cayman – but the itinerary is considered closed-loop because it starts and ends in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Open-loop cruise: An open-loop cruise begins in one U.S. port and ends in a different U.S. port.

Example: Carnival Cruise Line 's 16-day Panama Canal from Seattle itinerary is not considered closed-loop because it departs from Seattle and completes its journey in New Orleans.

All of the above regulations have been determined by the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative: a plan by the departments of State and Homeland Security that determines which documents are acceptable for proving identity and citizenship when entering the United States.

Where to cruise without a passport

There are several destinations where you can cruise without a passport on a closed-loop sailing. They include the following:

• The Bahamas

When looking at cruises to these locations, be mindful of the home ports. The Bahamas, Mexico, Bermuda, the Caribbean and Canada are all foreign ports, which means they only qualify for the passport exception if they are a stop along your cruise itinerary . If the cruise originates in any of these countries, it is likely you will need a passport.

Since Alaska, Hawaii and New England are all U.S. destinations, any closed-loop routes departing from these locations will not require a passport. However, keep in mind that it can be hard to find closed-loop cruises originating in Hawaii or Alaska.

To find closed-loop itineraries for a Hawaiian voyage or Alaskan cruise , try searching for sailings departing from major cities on the West Coast, like Seattle or Los Angeles . By contrast, quite a few closed-loop cruises leave from New England ports, but they are often marketed as Canadian cruises.

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When you need a passport for closed-loop cruises

Some cruise itineraries include foreign ports that require a passport for disembarkation. This is most commonly an issue for travelers on a closed-loop Caribbean cruise. Barbados , Guadeloupe , Haiti, Martinique , St. Barts , and Trinidad and Tobago all require U.S. citizens to present a valid passport to disembark and enter the country, despite WHTI regulations not requiring a passport for these destinations. Labadee, Royal Caribbean's private island , is an exception and does not require a passport despite its location in Haiti.

If your itinerary includes a country requiring a U.S. passport, your cruise line will require you to have the passport at check-in. Note that your passport must not expire within six months of your arrival in a foreign country or else it won't be considered valid for international travel.

Read: The Easiest Way to Renew Your Passport

Acceptable forms of ID

All travelers – U.S. citizens and foreign nationals alike – must present documents that show identity and citizenship when entering the United States. A U.S. passport can show both. If you don't have one or don't want to bring one, be aware that you may need to present more than one document.

U.S. citizens 16 and older

If you're a U.S. citizen age 16 or older sailing on a closed-loop cruise without your passport, you will need a government-issued photo ID like a driver's license. In addition, you must present a document that proves your U.S. citizenship. These include:

• Passport card
• State-issued enhanced driver's license (EDL)
• Government-issued birth certificate
• Trusted Traveler Program card (NEXUS, SENTRI or FAST)
• American Indian Card (Form I-872) or Enhanced Tribal ID Card

The Trusted Traveler Programs are risk-based programs to facilitate the entry of travelers who have been vetted and preapproved. Most of these programs will provide you with a machine-readable card that allows you to pass through border checkpoints quickly. Keep in mind, some of these IDs are only available to travelers 16 and older.

Read: TSA Precheck vs. Global Entry

U.S. citizens younger than 16

U.S. citizens younger than 16 are only required to present proof of citizenship, such as one of the following documents:

• Original, notarized or certified copy of their government-issued birth certificate
• Consular Report of Birth Abroad issued by U.S. Department of State
• Certificate of Naturalization issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

Read: How to Get a Passport for Kids

Non-U.S. citizens

If you are a lawful permanent resident (or LPR) of the United States, you are required to present a permanent resident card or other valid evidence of permanent residence status.

Non-U.S. citizens, with the exception of Canadians and Mexicans, are not subject to passport exceptions, so a valid passport will need to be provided. Canadian citizens can present a valid passport, Enhanced Driver's License or Trusted Traveler Program card. Mexican citizens must present a passport with a visa or a Border Crossing Card.

Unacceptable forms of ID

While most common forms of identification are accepted, there are a few exceptions. U.S. military identification cards and U.S. Merchant Mariner documents are valid forms of identification, but only when traveling on official orders or in conjunction with official maritime business, so it is unlikely they will be accepted when traveling on a cruise.

Here are some other documents that will not be accepted as proof of citizenship:

• Voter registration cards
• Social Security cards
• Baptismal papers
• Hospital certificates of birth (for anyone older than a newborn)

It is important to note that many of the permitted forms of identification, such as a passport card or EDL, are only accepted at land and sea border crossings. Unforeseen circumstances, such as a medical air evacuation, may cause you to return to the U.S. by air travel. In this case, these documents won't be accepted when you try to reenter at the border crossing.

To avoid extra delays in your return to the U.S. following unforeseen travel complications, the Department of State recommends that everyone taking a cruise from the United States carry a valid passport book in case of emergency.

Why Trust U.S. News Travel

Erin Vasta has traveled extensively to international destinations, gaining a deep knowledge of travel regulations in the process. Her expertise in this area has saved her family and friends from unnecessary travel delays and ensured stress-free trips through border security in nearly 15 countries. To write this article, Vasta used her international travel experience and research skills.

You might also be interested in:

• The Top Passport Holders
• Cruise Packing List: Essentials to Bring
• Safe at Sea: The Best Cruise Insurance

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Where can I cruise without a passport?

At TPG, we always recommend cruising with a passport, but there are many reasons why you might want to set sail without one.

What if an opportunity pops up on short notice, and you don't have a passport yet? Or what if you forgot to renew yours when it expired? What if it's only a three-night cruise to the Bahamas, and the passport application fee is almost as much as the cruise fare? Or, maybe you have children nearing age 16 and can't justify paying for passports that will only be good for five years.

First of all, do you even need a passport to cruise ? The answer is often but not always. You have options to cruise without a passport because not every sailing requires them. Thanks to an international agreement called the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative , U.S. citizens can cruise on certain itineraries within North American countries using government-issued identification (like a valid driver's license) and proof of citizenship (like a government-issued birth certificate).

The cruises that you don't need a passport for are closed-loop sailings, which depart from and return to the same port within the U.S. One-way sailings from one U.S. port to another or from a U.S. port to a foreign one would require a passport.

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Before we go further, let's clarify that when we talk about cruising without a passport, we're referring to pricey passport books that some travelers do not wish to purchase. Passport cards can also be used for identification when cruising in all the places we are about to discuss; these cards are a low-cost alternative to traveling with your driver's license and birth certificate.

Let's look at the options for where you can cruise without a passport.

Cruising to Alaska is one of the easiest ways to experience all the state offers. You'll have opportunities to see glaciers and wildlife; stroll the streets of charming coastal towns; eat your fill of local crab legs and salmon; and enjoy nature on a kayak, zip line or hike.

If you're interested in cruising to Alaska without a passport, look for itineraries that begin (and end) in Seattle , San Francisco or southern California ports, such as Los Angeles or Long Beach, California. The most common length for these closed-loop Alaska cruises operated by the major cruise lines is seven nights. Cruises early or late in the season might be only four or five nights, and trips departing from LA are usually 14 nights.

What if you really want to cruise one-way from Canada to Alaska (or vice versa)? Although Canada prefers U.S. citizens who arrive by sea or land to have a passport book, it is not required as long as they have proper identification and proof of citizenship. The U.S., however, requires one of the following WHTI-approved forms of identification for entries by land or sea: passport card, enhanced driver's license, I-872 American Indian card or trusted traveler program IDs like Nexus, Sentri and Fast.

Technically, if you have one of those forms of ID but not a passport book, you can take a one-way Alaska cruise — as long as you don't have to fly to or from Canada.

More complications arise for non-passport holders who book shore excursions that involve crossing from Alaska to Canada. White Pass and Yukon Route train rides are good examples. White Pass and Yukon Route allows cruise passengers to go on the three-hour train excursion without a passport but doesn't allow them to take any longer routes. That's their policy, not a legal requirement.

This means that Alaska cruises are one instance when the passport card would be a handy alternative to traveling with both an ID card and a birth certificate. It opens up one-way itineraries.

Related: The best Alaska cruise for every type of traveler

A cruise to the Caribbean transports you to tropical islands bathed in turquoise waters. Whether you seek warm beaches, cool drinks, water sports or cultural education, you can find a Caribbean cruise to fit the bill.

It's easy to cruise without a passport in the Caribbean: Just book one of the many closed-loop, round-trip sailings departing from a U.S. port. Most major cruise lines offer sailings that range between three and 15 nights from ports like Galveston, Texas; New Orleans; multiple ports in Florida (including Miami and Fort Lauderdale); Charleston, South Carolina; Baltimore; Bayonne, New Jersey; and New York City.

Most Caribbean islands participate in the WHTI, but it's always best to check the details specific to the ports of call included in your itinerary. Don't forget that islands such as Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix are U.S. territories, so visits never require passports for U.S. citizens.

Related: The best Caribbean cruises for every type of traveler

Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory, lying 643 miles off the coast of North Carolina. Hop on a cruise ship for a direct route to the island's famous beaches and golf courses. Spring and summer are the prime seasons to visit, but cruises are possible throughout the year.

Cruising without a passport to Bermuda is also easy. Apart from a few isolated cruises stopping in Bermuda as they come or go from other destinations, there are no one-way Bermuda cruises to confuse the situation. If you plan to sail without a passport, be wary of any Bermuda cruise longer than 10 nights. Those are likely to be point-to-point cruises that happen to include Bermuda.

Passport-free cruises to Bermuda include ample five- to 10-night sailings from the East Coast ports of Baltimore, Bayonne, Boston and Manhattan. Occasional itineraries also pop up throughout the Bermuda season departing from Norfolk, Virginia; Charleston; and the Florida ports of Miami, Port Canaveral (near Orlando) and Jacksonville.

Related: Does it make sense to take a short cruise to Bermuda?

Long known for delightful strands of beach and access to every imaginable form of water fun under the subtropical sun, the Bahamas are the ideal destination for easy and quick cruise vacations.

Skip the passport on three- to five-night Bahamas cruises sailing round-trip on most major cruise lines from the eastern Florida ports of Jacksonville, Port Canaveral, Fort Lauderdale's Port Everglades and Miami.

A few longer, seven- to 15-night itineraries stop in the Bahamas on their way into the Caribbean. Departures from Bayonne, Manhattan, Baltimore and Charleston will often get you weeklong Bahamas itineraries, as will sailings from Tampa, Galveston and New Orleans.

Related: Best Bahamas cruise tips for first-timers and repeat visitors alike

Our southern neighbor boasts two coastlines of cruise fun. Like most tropical cruise destinations, the top draws are the beaches and the ocean; however, cruise ports in Mexico also give you access to ancient Mayan ruins, delicious cuisine and an abundance of land activities.

Mexico's Caribbean and Pacific coasts are both accessible to cruisers who do not hold passports. If you want to visit Mexico's eastern shores, you can find three- to 15-night cruises to Costa Maya, Cozumel and Progreso. Sailings depart Florida from Miami, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale and Port Canaveral; you can also find itineraries from New Orleans, Galveston and Mobile, Alabama.

Western Mexico, often referred to as the Mexican Riviera, includes the ports of Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Ensenada, among others. Cruises with several major lines depart San Diego, San Pedro port in LA and Long Beach for voyages lasting anywhere from three to 10 nights.

Related: The best Mexico cruises for every type of traveler

From water sports to American history and Hawaiian culture, there's a lot to experience on a Hawaii cruise . The best part might be the ability to hop from island to island, sampling the flavors of each as you go.

Closed-loop Hawaii cruises that don't require passports come in two varieties. The short option is to fly to Honolulu and take a seven- or 10-night cruise on Norwegian Cruise Line 's Pride of America. This is the only large cruise ship allowed to operate entirely within the Hawaiian Islands without visiting a foreign port.

Small-ship cruise operator UnCruise Adventures also offers seven-night, inter-island Hawaiian sailings. The American-flagged ships only cruise to and from U.S. ports, so no passport is needed, as would be the case on any domestic trip.

The long-cruise options consist of 14- to 18-night round-trip sailings from San Diego, LA (Long Beach and San Pedro) and San Francisco. You won't need a passport for these closed-loop sailings, but you do need to be prepared for multiple days at sea as you cross the Pacific from California to Hawaii.

Beware of 20-plus-night cruises that are round-trip sailings from the West Coast and would seem to fit the bill for closed-loop cruises that don't require passports. Most of these cruises don't work because they also include stops in French Polynesia, which is outside of the WHTI agreement. Passports are required for the islands in the South Pacific, which means they're required for the entire cruise.

Related: The best Hawaii cruises for every type of traveler

Canada and New England

Cruises up North America's East Coast allow you to take in historical sights of early Americana, stand atop rugged cliffs on the coast of Nova Scotia or revel in the French culture of Quebec.

Mainstream cruise lines operate numerous cruises along the U.S. and Canadian coasts that don't require passports. These depart from the ports of Bayonne, Baltimore, Boston, Manhattan, Brooklyn and occasionally Norfolk. The majority of these New England and Canada cruises are weeklong fall sailings; however, a handful depart at other times of the year or are a touch longer, ranging from eight to 10 nights.

Related: The best cruises to Canada and New England

Some cruise lines also offer one-way cruises in both directions between Canada and New England. These itineraries, like Alaska cruises, might be possible without a passport book. This is the case as long as your plans don't include flying into or out of Canada and your cruise line allows you to cruise with either a passport card or other acceptable form of identification and proof of citizenship.

We checked with a few lines for you. Princess, Holland America and Celebrity all strongly recommend passport books, but they allow one of the WHTI forms of identification. Again, the passport card opens up one-way possibilities, assuming you aren't flying and your cruise only includes Canada and the U.S.

Bottom line

While cruising with a passport is always recommended, it's not required by law in certain circumstances. Closed-loop cruises from U.S. ports that visit Bermuda, Canada, the Caribbean and Mexico are part of an international agreement that allows U.S. citizens to cruise without a passport. In these cases, government-issued identification and proof of U.S. citizenship are acceptable alternatives to a passport book.

Passport cards are an affordable and unquestionable alternative to carrying an ID and birth certificate. If you want to go this route, know they are not valid for travel by air into or out of any foreign country, including Canada, Mexico, Bermuda or Caribbean countries — which is the primary reason most travel advisers urge cruisers to have a passport book.

As we've shown, you have plenty of options for where to cruise without a passport, and many travelers do so without incident. However, anything from engine trouble on your cruise ship to bad weather or an accident in port might necessitate a flight home from a foreign country. This would put you in an awkward position if you didn't have a passport.

Plus, as much fun as simple round-trip cruises are, passports open up additional vacation possibilities in the form of longer, point-to-point and overseas trips. Don't dismiss registering for a passport, even as you consider where you can cruise without one.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

• The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
• A beginners guide to picking a cruise line
• The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
• A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
• 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
• Top ways cruisers waste money
• 12 best cruises for people who never want to grow up
• The ultimate guide to what to pack for a cruise

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

technology in education important

How important is technology in education benefits, challenges, and impact on students.

Many of today’s high-demand jobs were created in the last decade, according to the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). As advances in technology drive globalization and digital transformation, teachers can help students acquire the necessary skills to succeed in the careers of the future.

How important is technology in education? The COVID-19 pandemic is quickly demonstrating why online education should be a vital part of teaching and learning. By integrating technology into existing curricula, as opposed to using it solely as a crisis-management tool, teachers can harness online learning as a powerful educational tool.

The effective use of digital learning tools in classrooms can increase student engagement, help teachers improve their lesson plans, and facilitate personalized learning. It also helps students build essential 21st-century skills.

Virtual classrooms, video, augmented reality (AR), robots, and other technology tools can not only make class more lively, they can also create more inclusive learning environments that foster collaboration and inquisitiveness and enable teachers to collect data on student performance.

Still, it’s important to note that technology is a tool used in education and not an end in itself. The promise of educational technology lies in what educators do with it and how it is used to best support their students’ needs.

Educational Technology Challenges

BuiltIn reports that 92 percent of teachers understand the impact of technology in education. According to Project Tomorrow, 59 percent of middle school students say digital educational tools have helped them with their grades and test scores. These tools have become so popular that the educational technology market is projected to expand to $342 billion by 2025, according to the World Economic Forum.

However, educational technology has its challenges, particularly when it comes to implementation and use. For example, despite growing interest in the use of AR, artificial intelligence, and other emerging technology, less than 10 percent of schools report having these tools in their classrooms, according to Project Tomorrow. Additional concerns include excessive screen time, the effectiveness of teachers using the technology, and worries about technology equity.

Prominently rising from the COVID-19 crisis is the issue of content. Educators need to be able to develop and weigh in on online educational content, especially to encourage students to consider a topic from different perspectives. The urgent actions taken during this crisis did not provide sufficient time for this. Access is an added concern — for example, not every school district has resources to provide students with a laptop, and internet connectivity can be unreliable in homes.

Additionally, while some students thrive in online education settings, others lag for various factors, including support resources. For example, a student who already struggled in face-to-face environments may struggle even more in the current situation. These students may have relied on resources that they no longer have in their homes.

Still, most students typically demonstrate confidence in using online education when they have the resources, as studies have suggested. However, online education may pose challenges for teachers, especially in places where it has not been the norm.

Despite the challenges and concerns, it’s important to note the benefits of technology in education, including increased collaboration and communication, improved quality of education, and engaging lessons that help spark imagination and a search for knowledge in students.

• The Benefits of Technology in Education

Teachers want to improve student performance, and technology can help them accomplish this aim. To mitigate the challenges, administrators should help teachers gain the competencies needed to enhance learning for students through technology. Additionally, technology in the classroom should make teachers’ jobs easier without adding extra time to their day.

Technology provides students with easy-to-access information, accelerated learning, and fun opportunities to practice what they learn. It enables students to explore new subjects and deepen their understanding of difficult concepts, particularly in STEM. Through the use of technology inside and outside the classroom, students can gain 21st-century technical skills necessary for future occupations.

Still, children learn more effectively with direction. The World Economic Forum reports that while technology can help young students learn and acquire knowledge through play, for example, evidence suggests that learning is more effective through guidance from an adult, such as a teacher.

Leaders and administrators should take stock of where their faculty are in terms of their understanding of online spaces. From lessons learned during this disruptive time, they can implement solutions now for the future. For example, administrators could give teachers a week or two to think carefully about how to teach courses not previously online. In addition to an exploration of solutions, flexibility during these trying times is of paramount importance.

Below are examples of how important technology is in education and the benefits it offers to students and teachers.

Increased Collaboration and Communication

Educational technology can foster collaboration. Not only can teachers engage with students during lessons, but students can also communicate with each other. Through online lessons and learning games, students get to work together to solve problems. In collaborative activities, students can share their thoughts and ideas and support each other. At the same time, technology enables one-on-one interaction with teachers. Students can ask classroom-related questions and seek additional help on difficult-to-understand subject matter. At home, students can upload their homework, and teachers can access and view completed assignments using their laptops.

• Personalized Learning Opportunities

Technology allows 24/7 access to educational resources. Classes can take place entirely online via the use of a laptop or mobile device. Hybrid versions of learning combine the use of technology from anywhere with regular in-person classroom sessions. In both scenarios, the use of technology to tailor learning plans for each student is possible. Teachers can create lessons based on student interests and strengths. An added benefit is that students can learn at their own pace. When they need to review class material to get a better understanding of essential concepts, students can review videos in the lesson plan. The data generated through these online activities enable teachers to see which students struggled with certain subjects and offer additional assistance and support.

Curiosity Driven by Engaging Content

Through engaging and educational content, teachers can spark inquisitiveness in children and boost their curiosity, which research says has ties to academic success. Curiosity helps students get a better understanding of math and reading concepts. Creating engaging content can involve the use of AR, videos, or podcasts. For example, when submitting assignments, students can include videos or interact with students from across the globe.

Improved Teacher Productivity and Efficiency

Teachers can leverage technology to achieve new levels of productivity, implement useful digital tools to expand learning opportunities for students, and increase student support and engagement. It also enables teachers to improve their instruction methods and personalize learning. Schools can benefit from technology by reducing the costs of physical instructional materials, enhancing educational program efficiency, and making the best use of teacher time.

Become a Leader in Enriching Classrooms through Technology

Educators unfamiliar with some of the technology used in education may not have been exposed to the tools as they prepared for their careers or as part of their professional development. Teachers looking to make the transition and acquire the skills to incorporate technology in education can take advantage of learning opportunities to advance their competencies. For individuals looking to help transform the education system through technology, American University’s School of Education Online offers a Master of Arts in Teaching and a Master of Arts in Education Policy and Leadership to prepare educators with essential tools to become leaders. Courses such as Education Program and Policy Implementation and Teaching Science in Elementary School equip graduate students with critical competencies to incorporate technology into educational settings effectively.

Learn more about American University’s School of Education Online and its master’s degree programs.

Virtual Reality in Education: Benefits, Tools, and Resources

Data-Driven Decision Making in Education: 11 Tips for Teachers & Administration

Helping Girls Succeed in STEM

BuiltIn, “Edtech 101”

EdTech, “Teaching Teachers to Put Tech Tools to Work”

International Society for Technology in Education, “Preparing Students for Jobs That Don’t Exist”

The Journal, “How Teachers Use Technology to Enrich Learning Experiences”

Pediatric Research, “Early Childhood Curiosity and Kindergarten Reading and Math Academic Achievement”

Project Tomorrow, “Digital Learning: Peril or Promise for Our K-12 Students”

World Economic Forum, “The Future of Jobs Report 2018”

World Economic Forum, “Learning through Play: How Schools Can Educate Students through Technology”

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REALIZING THE PROMISE:

Leading up to the 75th anniversary of the UN General Assembly, this “Realizing the promise: How can education technology improve learning for all?” publication kicks off the Center for Universal Education’s first playbook in a series to help improve education around the world.

It is intended as an evidence-based tool for ministries of education, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, to adopt and more successfully invest in education technology.

While there is no single education initiative that will achieve the same results everywhere—as school systems differ in learners and educators, as well as in the availability and quality of materials and technologies—an important first step is understanding how technology is used given specific local contexts and needs.

The surveys in this playbook are designed to be adapted to collect this information from educators, learners, and school leaders and guide decisionmakers in expanding the use of technology.  

Introduction

While technology has disrupted most sectors of the economy and changed how we communicate, access information, work, and even play, its impact on schools, teaching, and learning has been much more limited. We believe that this limited impact is primarily due to technology being been used to replace analog tools, without much consideration given to playing to technology’s comparative advantages. These comparative advantages, relative to traditional “chalk-and-talk” classroom instruction, include helping to scale up standardized instruction, facilitate differentiated instruction, expand opportunities for practice, and increase student engagement. When schools use technology to enhance the work of educators and to improve the quality and quantity of educational content, learners will thrive.

Further, COVID-19 has laid bare that, in today’s environment where pandemics and the effects of climate change are likely to occur, schools cannot always provide in-person education—making the case for investing in education technology.

Here we argue for a simple yet surprisingly rare approach to education technology that seeks to:

• Understand the needs, infrastructure, and capacity of a school system—the diagnosis;
• Survey the best available evidence on interventions that match those conditions—the evidence; and
• Closely monitor the results of innovations before they are scaled up—the prognosis.

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The framework.

Our approach builds on a simple yet intuitive theoretical framework created two decades ago by two of the most prominent education researchers in the United States, David K. Cohen and Deborah Loewenberg Ball. They argue that what matters most to improve learning is the interactions among educators and learners around educational materials. We believe that the failed school-improvement efforts in the U.S. that motivated Cohen and Ball’s framework resemble the ed-tech reforms in much of the developing world to date in the lack of clarity improving the interactions between educators, learners, and the educational material. We build on their framework by adding parents as key agents that mediate the relationships between learners and educators and the material (Figure 1).

Figure 1: The instructional core

Adapted from Cohen and Ball (1999)

As the figure above suggests, ed-tech interventions can affect the instructional core in a myriad of ways. Yet, just because technology can do something, it does not mean it should. School systems in developing countries differ along many dimensions and each system is likely to have different needs for ed-tech interventions, as well as different infrastructure and capacity to enact such interventions.

The diagnosis:

How can school systems assess their needs and preparedness.

A useful first step for any school system to determine whether it should invest in education technology is to diagnose its:

• Specific needs to improve student learning (e.g., raising the average level of achievement, remediating gaps among low performers, and challenging high performers to develop higher-order skills);
• Infrastructure to adopt technology-enabled solutions (e.g., electricity connection, availability of space and outlets, stock of computers, and Internet connectivity at school and at learners’ homes); and
• Capacity to integrate technology in the instructional process (e.g., learners’ and educators’ level of familiarity and comfort with hardware and software, their beliefs about the level of usefulness of technology for learning purposes, and their current uses of such technology).

Before engaging in any new data collection exercise, school systems should take full advantage of existing administrative data that could shed light on these three main questions. This could be in the form of internal evaluations but also international learner assessments, such as the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), and/or the Progress in International Literacy Study (PIRLS), and the Teaching and Learning International Study (TALIS). But if school systems lack information on their preparedness for ed-tech reforms or if they seek to complement existing data with a richer set of indicators, we developed a set of surveys for learners, educators, and school leaders. Download the full report to see how we map out the main aspects covered by these surveys, in hopes of highlighting how they could be used to inform decisions around the adoption of ed-tech interventions.

The evidence:

How can school systems identify promising ed-tech interventions.

There is no single “ed-tech” initiative that will achieve the same results everywhere, simply because school systems differ in learners and educators, as well as in the availability and quality of materials and technologies. Instead, to realize the potential of education technology to accelerate student learning, decisionmakers should focus on four potential uses of technology that play to its comparative advantages and complement the work of educators to accelerate student learning (Figure 2). These comparative advantages include:

• Scaling up quality instruction, such as through prerecorded quality lessons.
• Facilitating differentiated instruction, through, for example, computer-adaptive learning and live one-on-one tutoring.
• Expanding opportunities to practice.
• Increasing learner engagement through videos and games.

Figure 2: Comparative advantages of technology

Here we review the evidence on ed-tech interventions from 37 studies in 20 countries*, organizing them by comparative advantage. It’s important to note that ours is not the only way to classify these interventions (e.g., video tutorials could be considered as a strategy to scale up instruction or increase learner engagement), but we believe it may be useful to highlight the needs that they could address and why technology is well positioned to do so.

When discussing specific studies, we report the magnitude of the effects of interventions using standard deviations (SDs). SDs are a widely used metric in research to express the effect of a program or policy with respect to a business-as-usual condition (e.g., test scores). There are several ways to make sense of them. One is to categorize the magnitude of the effects based on the results of impact evaluations. In developing countries, effects below 0.1 SDs are considered to be small, effects between 0.1 and 0.2 SDs are medium, and those above 0.2 SDs are large (for reviews that estimate the average effect of groups of interventions, called “meta analyses,” see e.g., Conn, 2017; Kremer, Brannen, & Glennerster, 2013; McEwan, 2014; Snilstveit et al., 2015; Evans & Yuan, 2020.)

*In surveying the evidence, we began by compiling studies from prior general and ed-tech specific evidence reviews that some of us have written and from ed-tech reviews conducted by others. Then, we tracked the studies cited by the ones we had previously read and reviewed those, as well. In identifying studies for inclusion, we focused on experimental and quasi-experimental evaluations of education technology interventions from pre-school to secondary school in low- and middle-income countries that were released between 2000 and 2020. We only included interventions that sought to improve student learning directly (i.e., students’ interaction with the material), as opposed to interventions that have impacted achievement indirectly, by reducing teacher absence or increasing parental engagement. This process yielded 37 studies in 20 countries (see the full list of studies in Appendix B).

Scaling up standardized instruction

One of the ways in which technology may improve the quality of education is through its capacity to deliver standardized quality content at scale. This feature of technology may be particularly useful in three types of settings: (a) those in “hard-to-staff” schools (i.e., schools that struggle to recruit educators with the requisite training and experience—typically, in rural and/or remote areas) (see, e.g., Urquiola & Vegas, 2005); (b) those in which many educators are frequently absent from school (e.g., Chaudhury, Hammer, Kremer, Muralidharan, & Rogers, 2006; Muralidharan, Das, Holla, & Mohpal, 2017); and/or (c) those in which educators have low levels of pedagogical and subject matter expertise (e.g., Bietenbeck, Piopiunik, & Wiederhold, 2018; Bold et al., 2017; Metzler & Woessmann, 2012; Santibañez, 2006) and do not have opportunities to observe and receive feedback (e.g., Bruns, Costa, & Cunha, 2018; Cilliers, Fleisch, Prinsloo, & Taylor, 2018). Technology could address this problem by: (a) disseminating lessons delivered by qualified educators to a large number of learners (e.g., through prerecorded or live lessons); (b) enabling distance education (e.g., for learners in remote areas and/or during periods of school closures); and (c) distributing hardware preloaded with educational materials.

Prerecorded lessons

Technology seems to be well placed to amplify the impact of effective educators by disseminating their lessons. Evidence on the impact of prerecorded lessons is encouraging, but not conclusive. Some initiatives that have used short instructional videos to complement regular instruction, in conjunction with other learning materials, have raised student learning on independent assessments. For example, Beg et al. (2020) evaluated an initiative in Punjab, Pakistan in which grade 8 classrooms received an intervention that included short videos to substitute live instruction, quizzes for learners to practice the material from every lesson, tablets for educators to learn the material and follow the lesson, and LED screens to project the videos onto a classroom screen. After six months, the intervention improved the performance of learners on independent tests of math and science by 0.19 and 0.24 SDs, respectively but had no discernible effect on the math and science section of Punjab’s high-stakes exams.

One study suggests that approaches that are far less technologically sophisticated can also improve learning outcomes—especially, if the business-as-usual instruction is of low quality. For example, Naslund-Hadley, Parker, and Hernandez-Agramonte (2014) evaluated a preschool math program in Cordillera, Paraguay that used audio segments and written materials four days per week for an hour per day during the school day. After five months, the intervention improved math scores by 0.16 SDs, narrowing gaps between low- and high-achieving learners, and between those with and without educators with formal training in early childhood education.

Yet, the integration of prerecorded material into regular instruction has not always been successful. For example, de Barros (2020) evaluated an intervention that combined instructional videos for math and science with infrastructure upgrades (e.g., two “smart” classrooms, two TVs, and two tablets), printed workbooks for students, and in-service training for educators of learners in grades 9 and 10 in Haryana, India (all materials were mapped onto the official curriculum). After 11 months, the intervention negatively impacted math achievement (by 0.08 SDs) and had no effect on science (with respect to business as usual classes). It reduced the share of lesson time that educators devoted to instruction and negatively impacted an index of instructional quality. Likewise, Seo (2017) evaluated several combinations of infrastructure (solar lights and TVs) and prerecorded videos (in English and/or bilingual) for grade 11 students in northern Tanzania and found that none of the variants improved student learning, even when the videos were used. The study reports effects from the infrastructure component across variants, but as others have noted (Muralidharan, Romero, & Wüthrich, 2019), this approach to estimating impact is problematic.

A very similar intervention delivered after school hours, however, had sizeable effects on learners’ basic skills. Chiplunkar, Dhar, and Nagesh (2020) evaluated an initiative in Chennai (the capital city of the state of Tamil Nadu, India) delivered by the same organization as above that combined short videos that explained key concepts in math and science with worksheets, facilitator-led instruction, small groups for peer-to-peer learning, and occasional career counseling and guidance for grade 9 students. These lessons took place after school for one hour, five times a week. After 10 months, it had large effects on learners’ achievement as measured by tests of basic skills in math and reading, but no effect on a standardized high-stakes test in grade 10 or socio-emotional skills (e.g., teamwork, decisionmaking, and communication).

Drawing general lessons from this body of research is challenging for at least two reasons. First, all of the studies above have evaluated the impact of prerecorded lessons combined with several other components (e.g., hardware, print materials, or other activities). Therefore, it is possible that the effects found are due to these additional components, rather than to the recordings themselves, or to the interaction between the two (see Muralidharan, 2017 for a discussion of the challenges of interpreting “bundled” interventions). Second, while these studies evaluate some type of prerecorded lessons, none examines the content of such lessons. Thus, it seems entirely plausible that the direction and magnitude of the effects depends largely on the quality of the recordings (e.g., the expertise of the educator recording it, the amount of preparation that went into planning the recording, and its alignment with best teaching practices).

These studies also raise three important questions worth exploring in future research. One of them is why none of the interventions discussed above had effects on high-stakes exams, even if their materials are typically mapped onto the official curriculum. It is possible that the official curricula are simply too challenging for learners in these settings, who are several grade levels behind expectations and who often need to reinforce basic skills (see Pritchett & Beatty, 2015). Another question is whether these interventions have long-term effects on teaching practices. It seems plausible that, if these interventions are deployed in contexts with low teaching quality, educators may learn something from watching the videos or listening to the recordings with learners. Yet another question is whether these interventions make it easier for schools to deliver instruction to learners whose native language is other than the official medium of instruction.

Distance education

Technology can also allow learners living in remote areas to access education. The evidence on these initiatives is encouraging. For example, Johnston and Ksoll (2017) evaluated a program that broadcasted live instruction via satellite to rural primary school students in the Volta and Greater Accra regions of Ghana. For this purpose, the program also equipped classrooms with the technology needed to connect to a studio in Accra, including solar panels, a satellite modem, a projector, a webcam, microphones, and a computer with interactive software. After two years, the intervention improved the numeracy scores of students in grades 2 through 4, and some foundational literacy tasks, but it had no effect on attendance or classroom time devoted to instruction, as captured by school visits. The authors interpreted these results as suggesting that the gains in achievement may be due to improving the quality of instruction that children received (as opposed to increased instructional time). Naik, Chitre, Bhalla, and Rajan (2019) evaluated a similar program in the Indian state of Karnataka and also found positive effects on learning outcomes, but it is not clear whether those effects are due to the program or due to differences in the groups of students they compared to estimate the impact of the initiative.

In one context (Mexico), this type of distance education had positive long-term effects. Navarro-Sola (2019) took advantage of the staggered rollout of the telesecundarias (i.e., middle schools with lessons broadcasted through satellite TV) in 1968 to estimate its impact. The policy had short-term effects on students’ enrollment in school: For every telesecundaria per 50 children, 10 students enrolled in middle school and two pursued further education. It also had a long-term influence on the educational and employment trajectory of its graduates. Each additional year of education induced by the policy increased average income by nearly 18 percent. This effect was attributable to more graduates entering the labor force and shifting from agriculture and the informal sector. Similarly, Fabregas (2019) leveraged a later expansion of this policy in 1993 and found that each additional telesecundaria per 1,000 adolescents led to an average increase of 0.2 years of education, and a decline in fertility for women, but no conclusive evidence of long-term effects on labor market outcomes.

It is crucial to interpret these results keeping in mind the settings where the interventions were implemented. As we mention above, part of the reason why they have proven effective is that the “counterfactual” conditions for learning (i.e., what would have happened to learners in the absence of such programs) was either to not have access to schooling or to be exposed to low-quality instruction. School systems interested in taking up similar interventions should assess the extent to which their learners (or parts of their learner population) find themselves in similar conditions to the subjects of the studies above. This illustrates the importance of assessing the needs of a system before reviewing the evidence.

Preloaded hardware

Technology also seems well positioned to disseminate educational materials. Specifically, hardware (e.g., desktop computers, laptops, or tablets) could also help deliver educational software (e.g., word processing, reference texts, and/or games). In theory, these materials could not only undergo a quality assurance review (e.g., by curriculum specialists and educators), but also draw on the interactions with learners for adjustments (e.g., identifying areas needing reinforcement) and enable interactions between learners and educators.

In practice, however, most initiatives that have provided learners with free computers, laptops, and netbooks do not leverage any of the opportunities mentioned above. Instead, they install a standard set of educational materials and hope that learners find them helpful enough to take them up on their own. Students rarely do so, and instead use the laptops for recreational purposes—often, to the detriment of their learning (see, e.g., Malamud & Pop-Eleches, 2011). In fact, free netbook initiatives have not only consistently failed to improve academic achievement in math or language (e.g., Cristia et al., 2017), but they have had no impact on learners’ general computer skills (e.g., Beuermann et al., 2015). Some of these initiatives have had small impacts on cognitive skills, but the mechanisms through which those effects occurred remains unclear.

To our knowledge, the only successful deployment of a free laptop initiative was one in which a team of researchers equipped the computers with remedial software. Mo et al. (2013) evaluated a version of the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) program for grade 3 students in migrant schools in Beijing, China in which the laptops were loaded with a remedial software mapped onto the national curriculum for math (similar to the software products that we discuss under “practice exercises” below). After nine months, the program improved math achievement by 0.17 SDs and computer skills by 0.33 SDs. If a school system decides to invest in free laptops, this study suggests that the quality of the software on the laptops is crucial.

To date, however, the evidence suggests that children do not learn more from interacting with laptops than they do from textbooks. For example, Bando, Gallego, Gertler, and Romero (2016) compared the effect of free laptop and textbook provision in 271 elementary schools in disadvantaged areas of Honduras. After seven months, students in grades 3 and 6 who had received the laptops performed on par with those who had received the textbooks in math and language. Further, even if textbooks essentially become obsolete at the end of each school year, whereas laptops can be reloaded with new materials for each year, the costs of laptop provision (not just the hardware, but also the technical assistance, Internet, and training associated with it) are not yet low enough to make them a more cost-effective way of delivering content to learners.

Evidence on the provision of tablets equipped with software is encouraging but limited. For example, de Hoop et al. (2020) evaluated a composite intervention for first grade students in Zambia’s Eastern Province that combined infrastructure (electricity via solar power), hardware (projectors and tablets), and educational materials (lesson plans for educators and interactive lessons for learners, both loaded onto the tablets and mapped onto the official Zambian curriculum). After 14 months, the intervention had improved student early-grade reading by 0.4 SDs, oral vocabulary scores by 0.25 SDs, and early-grade math by 0.22 SDs. It also improved students’ achievement by 0.16 on a locally developed assessment. The multifaceted nature of the program, however, makes it challenging to identify the components that are driving the positive effects. Pitchford (2015) evaluated an intervention that provided tablets equipped with educational “apps,” to be used for 30 minutes per day for two months to develop early math skills among students in grades 1 through 3 in Lilongwe, Malawi. The evaluation found positive impacts in math achievement, but the main study limitation is that it was conducted in a single school.

Facilitating differentiated instruction

Another way in which technology may improve educational outcomes is by facilitating the delivery of differentiated or individualized instruction. Most developing countries massively expanded access to schooling in recent decades by building new schools and making education more affordable, both by defraying direct costs, as well as compensating for opportunity costs (Duflo, 2001; World Bank, 2018). These initiatives have not only rapidly increased the number of learners enrolled in school, but have also increased the variability in learner’ preparation for schooling. Consequently, a large number of learners perform well below grade-based curricular expectations (see, e.g., Duflo, Dupas, & Kremer, 2011; Pritchett & Beatty, 2015). These learners are unlikely to get much from “one-size-fits-all” instruction, in which a single educator delivers instruction deemed appropriate for the middle (or top) of the achievement distribution (Banerjee & Duflo, 2011). Technology could potentially help these learners by providing them with: (a) instruction and opportunities for practice that adjust to the level and pace of preparation of each individual (known as “computer-adaptive learning” (CAL)); or (b) live, one-on-one tutoring.

Computer-adaptive learning

One of the main comparative advantages of technology is its ability to diagnose students’ initial learning levels and assign students to instruction and exercises of appropriate difficulty. No individual educator—no matter how talented—can be expected to provide individualized instruction to all learners in his/her class simultaneously . In this respect, technology is uniquely positioned to complement traditional teaching. This use of technology could help learners master basic skills and help them get more out of schooling.

Although many software products evaluated in recent years have been categorized as CAL, many rely on a relatively coarse level of differentiation at an initial stage (e.g., a diagnostic test) without further differentiation. We discuss these initiatives under the category of “increasing opportunities for practice” below. CAL initiatives complement an initial diagnostic with dynamic adaptation (i.e., at each response or set of responses from learners) to adjust both the initial level of difficulty and rate at which it increases or decreases, depending on whether learners’ responses are correct or incorrect.

Existing evidence on this specific type of programs is highly promising. Most famously, Banerjee et al. (2007) evaluated CAL software in Vadodara, in the Indian state of Gujarat, in which grade 4 students were offered two hours of shared computer time per week before and after school, during which they played games that involved solving math problems. The level of difficulty of such problems adjusted based on students’ answers. This program improved math achievement by 0.35 and 0.47 SDs after one and two years of implementation, respectively. Consistent with the promise of personalized learning, the software improved achievement for all students. In fact, one year after the end of the program, students assigned to the program still performed 0.1 SDs better than those assigned to a business as usual condition. More recently, Muralidharan, et al. (2019) evaluated a “blended learning” initiative in which students in grades 4 through 9 in Delhi, India received 45 minutes of interaction with CAL software for math and language, and 45 minutes of small group instruction before or after going to school. After only 4.5 months, the program improved achievement by 0.37 SDs in math and 0.23 SDs in Hindi. While all learners benefited from the program in absolute terms, the lowest performing learners benefited the most in relative terms, since they were learning very little in school.

We see two important limitations from this body of research. First, to our knowledge, none of these initiatives has been evaluated when implemented during the school day. Therefore, it is not possible to distinguish the effect of the adaptive software from that of additional instructional time. Second, given that most of these programs were facilitated by local instructors, attempts to distinguish the effect of the software from that of the instructors has been mostly based on noncausal evidence. A frontier challenge in this body of research is to understand whether CAL software can increase the effectiveness of school-based instruction by substituting part of the regularly scheduled time for math and language instruction.

Live one-on-one tutoring

Recent improvements in the speed and quality of videoconferencing, as well as in the connectivity of remote areas, have enabled yet another way in which technology can help personalization: live (i.e., real-time) one-on-one tutoring. While the evidence on in-person tutoring is scarce in developing countries, existing studies suggest that this approach works best when it is used to personalize instruction (see, e.g., Banerjee et al., 2007; Banerji, Berry, & Shotland, 2015; Cabezas, Cuesta, & Gallego, 2011).

There are almost no studies on the impact of online tutoring—possibly, due to the lack of hardware and Internet connectivity in low- and middle-income countries. One exception is Chemin and Oledan (2020)’s recent evaluation of an online tutoring program for grade 6 students in Kianyaga, Kenya to learn English from volunteers from a Canadian university via Skype ( videoconferencing software) for one hour per week after school. After 10 months, program beneficiaries performed 0.22 SDs better in a test of oral comprehension, improved their comfort using technology for learning, and became more willing to engage in cross-cultural communication. Importantly, while the tutoring sessions used the official English textbooks and sought in part to help learners with their homework, tutors were trained on several strategies to teach to each learner’s individual level of preparation, focusing on basic skills if necessary. To our knowledge, similar initiatives within a country have not yet been rigorously evaluated.

Expanding opportunities for practice

A third way in which technology may improve the quality of education is by providing learners with additional opportunities for practice. In many developing countries, lesson time is primarily devoted to lectures, in which the educator explains the topic and the learners passively copy explanations from the blackboard. This setup leaves little time for in-class practice. Consequently, learners who did not understand the explanation of the material during lecture struggle when they have to solve homework assignments on their own. Technology could potentially address this problem by allowing learners to review topics at their own pace.

Practice exercises

Technology can help learners get more out of traditional instruction by providing them with opportunities to implement what they learn in class. This approach could, in theory, allow some learners to anchor their understanding of the material through trial and error (i.e., by realizing what they may not have understood correctly during lecture and by getting better acquainted with special cases not covered in-depth in class).

Existing evidence on practice exercises reflects both the promise and the limitations of this use of technology in developing countries. For example, Lai et al. (2013) evaluated a program in Shaanxi, China where students in grades 3 and 5 were required to attend two 40-minute remedial sessions per week in which they first watched videos that reviewed the material that had been introduced in their math lessons that week and then played games to practice the skills introduced in the video. After four months, the intervention improved math achievement by 0.12 SDs. Many other evaluations of comparable interventions have found similar small-to-moderate results (see, e.g., Lai, Luo, Zhang, Huang, & Rozelle, 2015; Lai et al., 2012; Mo et al., 2015; Pitchford, 2015). These effects, however, have been consistently smaller than those of initiatives that adjust the difficulty of the material based on students’ performance (e.g., Banerjee et al., 2007; Muralidharan, et al., 2019). We hypothesize that these programs do little for learners who perform several grade levels behind curricular expectations, and who would benefit more from a review of foundational concepts from earlier grades.

We see two important limitations from this research. First, most initiatives that have been evaluated thus far combine instructional videos with practice exercises, so it is hard to know whether their effects are driven by the former or the latter. In fact, the program in China described above allowed learners to ask their peers whenever they did not understand a difficult concept, so it potentially also captured the effect of peer-to-peer collaboration. To our knowledge, no studies have addressed this gap in the evidence.

Second, most of these programs are implemented before or after school, so we cannot distinguish the effect of additional instructional time from that of the actual opportunity for practice. The importance of this question was first highlighted by Linden (2008), who compared two delivery mechanisms for game-based remedial math software for students in grades 2 and 3 in a network of schools run by a nonprofit organization in Gujarat, India: one in which students interacted with the software during the school day and another one in which students interacted with the software before or after school (in both cases, for three hours per day). After a year, the first version of the program had negatively impacted students’ math achievement by 0.57 SDs and the second one had a null effect. This study suggested that computer-assisted learning is a poor substitute for regular instruction when it is of high quality, as was the case in this well-functioning private network of schools.

In recent years, several studies have sought to remedy this shortcoming. Mo et al. (2014) were among the first to evaluate practice exercises delivered during the school day. They evaluated an initiative in Shaanxi, China in which students in grades 3 and 5 were required to interact with the software similar to the one in Lai et al. (2013) for two 40-minute sessions per week. The main limitation of this study, however, is that the program was delivered during regularly scheduled computer lessons, so it could not determine the impact of substituting regular math instruction. Similarly, Mo et al. (2020) evaluated a self-paced and a teacher-directed version of a similar program for English for grade 5 students in Qinghai, China. Yet, the key shortcoming of this study is that the teacher-directed version added several components that may also influence achievement, such as increased opportunities for teachers to provide students with personalized assistance when they struggled with the material. Ma, Fairlie, Loyalka, and Rozelle (2020) compared the effectiveness of additional time-delivered remedial instruction for students in grades 4 to 6 in Shaanxi, China through either computer-assisted software or using workbooks. This study indicates whether additional instructional time is more effective when using technology, but it does not address the question of whether school systems may improve the productivity of instructional time during the school day by substituting educator-led with computer-assisted instruction.

Increasing learner engagement

Another way in which technology may improve education is by increasing learners’ engagement with the material. In many school systems, regular “chalk and talk” instruction prioritizes time for educators’ exposition over opportunities for learners to ask clarifying questions and/or contribute to class discussions. This, combined with the fact that many developing-country classrooms include a very large number of learners (see, e.g., Angrist & Lavy, 1999; Duflo, Dupas, & Kremer, 2015), may partially explain why the majority of those students are several grade levels behind curricular expectations (e.g., Muralidharan, et al., 2019; Muralidharan & Zieleniak, 2014; Pritchett & Beatty, 2015). Technology could potentially address these challenges by: (a) using video tutorials for self-paced learning and (b) presenting exercises as games and/or gamifying practice.

Video tutorials

Technology can potentially increase learner effort and understanding of the material by finding new and more engaging ways to deliver it. Video tutorials designed for self-paced learning—as opposed to videos for whole class instruction, which we discuss under the category of “prerecorded lessons” above—can increase learner effort in multiple ways, including: allowing learners to focus on topics with which they need more help, letting them correct errors and misconceptions on their own, and making the material appealing through visual aids. They can increase understanding by breaking the material into smaller units and tackling common misconceptions.

In spite of the popularity of instructional videos, there is relatively little evidence on their effectiveness. Yet, two recent evaluations of different versions of the Khan Academy portal, which mainly relies on instructional videos, offer some insight into their impact. First, Ferman, Finamor, and Lima (2019) evaluated an initiative in 157 public primary and middle schools in five cities in Brazil in which the teachers of students in grades 5 and 9 were taken to the computer lab to learn math from the platform for 50 minutes per week. The authors found that, while the intervention slightly improved learners’ attitudes toward math, these changes did not translate into better performance in this subject. The authors hypothesized that this could be due to the reduction of teacher-led math instruction.

More recently, Büchel, Jakob, Kühnhanss, Steffen, and Brunetti (2020) evaluated an after-school, offline delivery of the Khan Academy portal in grades 3 through 6 in 302 primary schools in Morazán, El Salvador. Students in this study received 90 minutes per week of additional math instruction (effectively nearly doubling total math instruction per week) through teacher-led regular lessons, teacher-assisted Khan Academy lessons, or similar lessons assisted by technical supervisors with no content expertise. (Importantly, the first group provided differentiated instruction, which is not the norm in Salvadorian schools). All three groups outperformed both schools without any additional lessons and classrooms without additional lessons in the same schools as the program. The teacher-assisted Khan Academy lessons performed 0.24 SDs better, the supervisor-led lessons 0.22 SDs better, and the teacher-led regular lessons 0.15 SDs better, but the authors could not determine whether the effects across versions were different.

Together, these studies suggest that instructional videos work best when provided as a complement to, rather than as a substitute for, regular instruction. Yet, the main limitation of these studies is the multifaceted nature of the Khan Academy portal, which also includes other components found to positively improve learner achievement, such as differentiated instruction by students’ learning levels. While the software does not provide the type of personalization discussed above, learners are asked to take a placement test and, based on their score, educators assign them different work. Therefore, it is not clear from these studies whether the effects from Khan Academy are driven by its instructional videos or to the software’s ability to provide differentiated activities when combined with placement tests.

Games and gamification

Technology can also increase learner engagement by presenting exercises as games and/or by encouraging learner to play and compete with others (e.g., using leaderboards and rewards)—an approach known as “gamification.” Both approaches can increase learner motivation and effort by presenting learners with entertaining opportunities for practice and by leveraging peers as commitment devices.

There are very few studies on the effects of games and gamification in low- and middle-income countries. Recently, Araya, Arias Ortiz, Bottan, and Cristia (2019) evaluated an initiative in which grade 4 students in Santiago, Chile were required to participate in two 90-minute sessions per week during the school day with instructional math software featuring individual and group competitions (e.g., tracking each learner’s standing in his/her class and tournaments between sections). After nine months, the program led to improvements of 0.27 SDs in the national student assessment in math (it had no spillover effects on reading). However, it had mixed effects on non-academic outcomes. Specifically, the program increased learners’ willingness to use computers to learn math, but, at the same time, increased their anxiety toward math and negatively impacted learners’ willingness to collaborate with peers. Finally, given that one of the weekly sessions replaced regular math instruction and the other one represented additional math instructional time, it is not clear whether the academic effects of the program are driven by the software or the additional time devoted to learning math.

The prognosis:

How can school systems adopt interventions that match their needs.

Here are five specific and sequential guidelines for decisionmakers to realize the potential of education technology to accelerate student learning.

1. Take stock of how your current schools, educators, and learners are engaging with technology .

Carry out a short in-school survey to understand the current practices and potential barriers to adoption of technology (we have included suggested survey instruments in the Appendices); use this information in your decisionmaking process. For example, we learned from conversations with current and former ministers of education from various developing regions that a common limitation to technology use is regulations that hold school leaders accountable for damages to or losses of devices. Another common barrier is lack of access to electricity and Internet, or even the availability of sufficient outlets for charging devices in classrooms. Understanding basic infrastructure and regulatory limitations to the use of education technology is a first necessary step. But addressing these limitations will not guarantee that introducing or expanding technology use will accelerate learning. The next steps are thus necessary.

“In Africa, the biggest limit is connectivity. Fiber is expensive, and we don’t have it everywhere. The continent is creating a digital divide between cities, where there is fiber, and the rural areas.  The [Ghanaian] administration put in schools offline/online technologies with books, assessment tools, and open source materials. In deploying this, we are finding that again, teachers are unfamiliar with it. And existing policies prohibit students to bring their own tablets or cell phones. The easiest way to do it would have been to let everyone bring their own device. But policies are against it.” H.E. Matthew Prempeh, Minister of Education of Ghana, on the need to understand the local context.

2. Consider how the introduction of technology may affect the interactions among learners, educators, and content .

Our review of the evidence indicates that technology may accelerate student learning when it is used to scale up access to quality content, facilitate differentiated instruction, increase opportunities for practice, or when it increases learner engagement. For example, will adding electronic whiteboards to classrooms facilitate access to more quality content or differentiated instruction? Or will these expensive boards be used in the same way as the old chalkboards? Will providing one device (laptop or tablet) to each learner facilitate access to more and better content, or offer students more opportunities to practice and learn? Solely introducing technology in classrooms without additional changes is unlikely to lead to improved learning and may be quite costly. If you cannot clearly identify how the interactions among the three key components of the instructional core (educators, learners, and content) may change after the introduction of technology, then it is probably not a good idea to make the investment. See Appendix A for guidance on the types of questions to ask.

3. Once decisionmakers have a clear idea of how education technology can help accelerate student learning in a specific context, it is important to define clear objectives and goals and establish ways to regularly assess progress and make course corrections in a timely manner .

For instance, is the education technology expected to ensure that learners in early grades excel in foundational skills—basic literacy and numeracy—by age 10? If so, will the technology provide quality reading and math materials, ample opportunities to practice, and engaging materials such as videos or games? Will educators be empowered to use these materials in new ways? And how will progress be measured and adjusted?

4. How this kind of reform is approached can matter immensely for its success.

It is easy to nod to issues of “implementation,” but that needs to be more than rhetorical. Keep in mind that good use of education technology requires thinking about how it will affect learners, educators, and parents. After all, giving learners digital devices will make no difference if they get broken, are stolen, or go unused. Classroom technologies only matter if educators feel comfortable putting them to work. Since good technology is generally about complementing or amplifying what educators and learners already do, it is almost always a mistake to mandate programs from on high. It is vital that technology be adopted with the input of educators and families and with attention to how it will be used. If technology goes unused or if educators use it ineffectually, the results will disappoint—no matter the virtuosity of the technology. Indeed, unused education technology can be an unnecessary expenditure for cash-strapped education systems. This is why surveying context, listening to voices in the field, examining how technology is used, and planning for course correction is essential.

5. It is essential to communicate with a range of stakeholders, including educators, school leaders, parents, and learners .

Technology can feel alien in schools, confuse parents and (especially) older educators, or become an alluring distraction. Good communication can help address all of these risks. Taking care to listen to educators and families can help ensure that programs are informed by their needs and concerns. At the same time, deliberately and consistently explaining what technology is and is not supposed to do, how it can be most effectively used, and the ways in which it can make it more likely that programs work as intended. For instance, if teachers fear that technology is intended to reduce the need for educators, they will tend to be hostile; if they believe that it is intended to assist them in their work, they will be more receptive. Absent effective communication, it is easy for programs to “fail” not because of the technology but because of how it was used. In short, past experience in rolling out education programs indicates that it is as important to have a strong intervention design as it is to have a solid plan to socialize it among stakeholders.

Beyond reopening: A leapfrog moment to transform education?

On September 14, the Center for Universal Education (CUE) will host a webinar to discuss strategies, including around the effective use of education technology, for ensuring resilient schools in the long term and to launch a new education technology playbook “Realizing the promise: How can education technology improve learning for all?”

file-pdf Full Playbook – Realizing the promise: How can education technology improve learning for all? file-pdf References file-pdf Appendix A – Instruments to assess availability and use of technology file-pdf Appendix B – List of reviewed studies file-pdf Appendix C – How may technology affect interactions among students, teachers, and content?

About the Authors

Alejandro j. ganimian, emiliana vegas, frederick m. hess.

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New global data reveal education technology’s impact on learning

The promise of technology in the classroom is great: enabling personalized, mastery-based learning; saving teacher time; and equipping students with the digital skills they will need  for 21st-century careers. Indeed, controlled pilot studies have shown meaningful improvements in student outcomes through personalized blended learning. 1 John F. Pane et al., “How does personalized learning affect student achievement?,” RAND Corporation, 2017, rand.org. During this time of school shutdowns and remote learning , education technology has become a lifeline for the continuation of learning.

As school systems begin to prepare for a return to the classroom , many are asking whether education technology should play a greater role in student learning beyond the immediate crisis and what that might look like. To help inform the answer to that question, this article analyzes one important data set: the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), published in December 2019 by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Every three years, the OECD uses PISA to test 15-year-olds around the world on math, reading, and science. What makes these tests so powerful is that they go beyond the numbers, asking students, principals, teachers, and parents a series of questions about their attitudes, behaviors, and resources. An optional student survey on information and communications technology (ICT) asks specifically about technology use—in the classroom, for homework, and more broadly.

In 2018, more than 340,000 students in 51 countries took the ICT survey, providing a rich data set for analyzing key questions about technology use in schools. How much is technology being used in schools? Which technologies are having a positive impact on student outcomes? What is the optimal amount of time to spend using devices in the classroom and for homework? How does this vary across different countries and regions?

From other studies we know that how education technology is used, and how it is embedded in the learning experience, is critical to its effectiveness. This data is focused on extent and intensity of use, not the pedagogical context of each classroom. It cannot therefore answer questions on the eventual potential of education technology—but it can powerfully tell us the extent to which that potential is being realized today in classrooms around the world.

Five key findings from the latest results help answer these questions and suggest potential links between technology and student outcomes:

• The type of device matters—some are associated with worse student outcomes.
• Geography matters—technology is associated with higher student outcomes in the United States than in other regions.
• Who is using the technology matters—technology in the hands of teachers is associated with higher scores than technology in the hands of students.
• Intensity matters—students who use technology intensely or not at all perform better than those with moderate use.
• A school system’s current performance level matters—in lower-performing school systems, technology is associated with worse results.

This analysis covers only one source of data, and it should be interpreted with care alongside other relevant studies. Nonetheless, the 2018 PISA results suggest that systems aiming to improve student outcomes should take a more nuanced and cautious approach to deploying technology once students return to the classroom. It is not enough add devices to the classroom, check the box, and hope for the best.

What can we learn from the latest PISA results?

How will the use, and effectiveness, of technology change post-covid-19.

The PISA assessment was carried out in 2018 and published in December 2019. Since its publication, schools and students globally have been quite suddenly thrust into far greater reliance on technology. Use of online-learning websites and adaptive software has expanded dramatically. Khan Academy has experienced a 250 percent surge in traffic; smaller sites have seen traffic grow fivefold or more. Hundreds of thousands of teachers have been thrown into the deep end, learning to use new platforms, software, and systems. No one is arguing that the rapid cobbling together of remote learning under extreme time pressure represents best-practice use of education technology. Nonetheless, a vast experiment is underway, and innovations often emerge in times of crisis. At this point, it is unclear whether this represents the beginning of a new wave of more widespread and more effective technology use in the classroom or a temporary blip that will fade once students and teachers return to in-person instruction. It is possible that a combination of software improvements, teacher capability building, and student familiarity will fundamentally change the effectiveness of education technology in improving student outcomes. It is also possible that our findings will continue to hold true and technology in the classroom will continue to be a mixed blessing. It is therefore critical that ongoing research efforts track what is working and for whom and, just as important, what is not. These answers will inform the project of reimagining a better education for all students in the aftermath of COVID-19.

PISA data have their limitations. First, these data relate to high-school students, and findings may not be applicable in elementary schools or postsecondary institutions. Second, these are single-point observational data, not longitudinal experimental data, which means that any links between technology and results should be interpreted as correlation rather than causation. Third, the outcomes measured are math, science, and reading test results, so our analysis cannot assess important soft skills and nonacademic outcomes.

It is also worth noting that technology for learning has implications beyond direct student outcomes, both positive and negative. PISA cannot address these broader issues, and neither does this paper.

But PISA results, which we’ve broken down into five key findings, can still provide powerful insights. The assessment strives to measure the understanding and application of ideas, rather than the retention of facts derived from rote memorization, and the broad geographic coverage and sample size help elucidate the reality of what is happening on the ground.

Finding 1: The type of device matters

The evidence suggests that some devices have more impact than others on outcomes (Exhibit 1). Controlling for student socioeconomic status, school type, and location, 2 Specifically, we control for a composite indicator for economic, social, and cultural status (ESCS) derived from questions about general wealth, home possessions, parental education, and parental occupation; for school type “Is your school a public or a private school” (SC013); and for school location (SC001) where the options are a village, hamlet or rural area (fewer than 3,000 people), a small town (3,000 to about 15,000 people), a town (15,000 to about 100,000 people), a city (100,000 to about 1,000,000 people), and a large city (with more than 1,000,000 people). the use of data projectors 3 A projector is any device that projects computer output, slides, or other information onto a screen in the classroom. and internet-connected computers in the classroom is correlated with nearly a grade-level-better performance on the PISA assessment (assuming approximately 40 PISA points to every grade level). 4 Students were specifically asked (IC009), “Are any of these devices available for you to use at school?,” with the choices being “Yes, and I use it,” “Yes, but I don’t use it,” and “No.” We compared the results for students who have access to and use each device with those who do not have access. The full text for each device in our chart was as follows: Data projector, eg, for slide presentations; Internet-connected school computers; Desktop computer; Interactive whiteboard, eg, SmartBoard; Portable laptop or notebook; and Tablet computer, eg, iPad, BlackBerry PlayBook.

On the other hand, students who use laptops and tablets in the classroom have worse results than those who do not. For laptops, the impact of technology varies by subject; students who use laptops score five points lower on the PISA math assessment, but the impact on science and reading scores is not statistically significant. For tablets, the picture is clearer—in every subject, students who use tablets in the classroom perform a half-grade level worse than those who do not.

Some technologies are more neutral. At the global level, there is no statistically significant difference between students who use desktop computers and interactive whiteboards in the classroom and those who do not.

Finding 2: Geography matters

Looking more closely at the reading results, which were the focus of the 2018 assessment, 5 PISA rotates between focusing on reading, science, and math. The 2018 assessment focused on reading. This means that the total testing time was two hours for each student, of which one hour was reading focused. we can see that the relationship between technology and outcomes varies widely by country and region (Exhibit 2). For example, in all regions except the United States (representing North America), 6 The United States is the only country that took the ICT Familiarity Questionnaire survey in North America; thus, we are comparing it as a country with the other regions. students who use laptops in the classroom score between five and 12 PISA points lower than students who do not use laptops. In the United States, students who use laptops score 17 PISA points higher than those who do not. It seems that US students and teachers are doing something different with their laptops than those in other regions. Perhaps this difference is related to learning curves that develop as teachers and students learn how to get the most out of devices. A proxy to assess this learning curve could be penetration—71 percent of US students claim to be using laptops in the classroom, compared with an average of 37 percent globally. 7 The rate of use excludes nulls. The United States measures higher than any other region in laptop use by students in the classroom. US = 71 percent, Asia = 40 percent, EU = 35 percent, Latin America = 31 percent, MENA = 21 percent, Non-EU Europe = 41 percent. We observe a similar pattern with interactive whiteboards in non-EU Europe. In every other region, interactive whiteboards seem to be hurting results, but in non-EU Europe they are associated with a lift of 21 PISA points, a total that represents a half-year of learning. In this case, however, penetration is not significantly higher than in other developed regions.

Finding 3: It matters whether technology is in the hands of teachers or students

The survey asks students whether the teacher, student, or both were using technology. Globally, the best results in reading occur when only the teacher is using the device, with some benefit in science when both teacher and students use digital devices (Exhibit 3). Exclusive use of the device by students is associated with significantly lower outcomes everywhere. The pattern is similar for science and math.

Again, the regional differences are instructive. Looking again at reading, we note that US students are getting significant lift (three-quarters of a year of learning) from either just teachers or teachers and students using devices, while students alone using a device score significantly lower (half a year of learning) than students who do not use devices at all. Exclusive use of devices by the teacher is associated with better outcomes in Europe too, though the size of the effect is smaller.

Finding 4: Intensity of use matters

PISA also asked students about intensity of use—how much time they spend on devices, 8 PISA rotates between focusing on reading, science, and math. The 2018 assessment focused on reading. This means that the total testing time was two hours for each student, of which one hour was reading focused. both in the classroom and for homework. The results are stark: students who either shun technology altogether or use it intensely are doing better, with those in the middle flailing (Exhibit 4).

The regional data show a dramatic picture. In the classroom, the optimal amount of time to spend on devices is either “none at all” or “greater than 60 minutes” per subject per week in every region and every subject (this is the amount of time associated with the highest student outcomes, controlling for student socioeconomic status, school type, and location). In no region is a moderate amount of time (1–30 minutes or 31–60 minutes) associated with higher student outcomes. There are important differences across subjects and regions. In math, the optimal amount of time is “none at all” in every region. 9 The United States is the only country that took the ICT Familiarity Questionnaire survey in North America; thus, we are comparing it as a country with the other regions. In reading and science, however, the optimal amount of time is greater than 60 minutes for some regions: Asia and the United States for reading, and the United States and non-EU Europe for science.

The pattern for using devices for homework is slightly less clear cut. Students in Asia, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and non-EU Europe score highest when they spend “no time at all” on devices for their homework, while students spending a moderate amount of time (1–60 minutes) score best in Latin America and the European Union. Finally, students in the United States who spend greater than 60 minutes are getting the best outcomes.

One interpretation of these data is that students need to get a certain familiarity with technology before they can really start using it to learn. Think of typing an essay, for example. When students who mostly write by hand set out to type an essay, their attention will be focused on the typing rather than the essay content. A competent touch typist, however, will get significant productivity gains by typing rather than handwriting.

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Finding 5: the school systems’ overall performance level matters.

Diving deeper into the reading outcomes, which were the focus of the 2018 assessment, we can see the magnitude of the impact of device use in the classroom. In Asia, Latin America, and Europe, students who spend any time on devices in their literacy and language arts classrooms perform about a half-grade level below those who spend none at all. In MENA, they perform more than a full grade level lower. In the United States, by contrast, more than an hour of device use in the classroom is associated with a lift of 17 PISA points, almost a half-year of learning improvement (Exhibit 5).

At the country level, we see that those who are on what we would call the “poor-to-fair” stage of the school-system journey 10 Michael Barber, Chinezi Chijoke, and Mona Mourshed, “ How the world’s most improved school systems keep getting better ,” November 2010. have the worst relationships between technology use and outcomes. For every poor-to-fair system taking the survey, the amount of time on devices in the classroom associated with the highest student scores is zero minutes. Good and great systems are much more mixed. Students in some very highly performing systems (for example, Estonia and Chinese Taipei) perform highest with no device use, but students in other systems (for example, Japan, the United States, and Australia) are getting the best scores with over an hour of use per week in their literacy and language arts classrooms (Exhibit 6). These data suggest that multiple approaches are effective for good-to-great systems, but poor-to-fair systems—which are not well equipped to use devices in the classroom—may need to rethink whether technology is the best use of their resources.

What are the implications for students, teachers, and systems?

Looking across all these results, we can say that the relationship between technology and outcomes in classrooms today is mixed, with variation by device, how that device is used, and geography. Our data do not permit us to draw strong causal conclusions, but this section offers a few hypotheses, informed by existing literature and our own work with school systems, that could explain these results.

First, technology must be used correctly to be effective. Our experience in the field has taught us that it is not enough to “add technology” as if it were the missing, magic ingredient. The use of tech must start with learning goals, and software selection must be based on and integrated with the curriculum. Teachers need support to adapt lesson plans to optimize the use of technology, and teachers should be using the technology themselves or in partnership with students, rather than leaving students alone with devices. These lessons hold true regardless of geography. Another ICT survey question asked principals about schools’ capacity using digital devices. Globally, students performed better in schools where there were sufficient numbers of devices connected to fast internet service; where they had adequate software and online support platforms; and where teachers had the skills, professional development, and time to integrate digital devices in instruction. This was true even accounting for student socioeconomic status, school type, and location.

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Second, technology must be matched to the instructional environment and context. One of the most striking findings in the latest PISA assessment is the extent to which technology has had a different impact on student outcomes in different geographies. This corroborates the findings of our 2010 report, How the world’s most improved school systems keep getting better . Those findings demonstrated that different sets of interventions were needed at different stages of the school-system reform journey, from poor-to-fair to good-to-great to excellent. In poor-to-fair systems, limited resources and teacher capabilities as well as poor infrastructure and internet bandwidth are likely to limit the benefits of student-based technology. Our previous work suggests that more prescriptive, teacher-based approaches and technologies (notably data projectors) are more likely to be effective in this context. For example, social enterprise Bridge International Academies equips teachers across several African countries with scripted lesson plans using e-readers. In general, these systems would likely be better off investing in teacher coaching than in a laptop per child. For administrators in good-to-great systems, the decision is harder, as technology has quite different impacts across different high-performing systems.

Third, technology involves a learning curve at both the system and student levels. It is no accident that the systems in which the use of education technology is more mature are getting more positive impact from tech in the classroom. The United States stands out as the country with the most mature set of education-technology products, and its scale enables companies to create software that is integrated with curricula. 11 Common Core State Standards sought to establish consistent educational standards across the United States. While these have not been adopted in all states, they cover enough states to provide continuity and consistency for software and curriculum developers. A similar effect also appears to operate at the student level; those who dabble in tech may be spending their time learning the tech rather than using the tech to learn. This learning curve needs to be built into technology-reform programs.

Taken together, these results suggest that systems that take a comprehensive, data-informed approach may achieve learning gains from thoughtful use of technology in the classroom. The best results come when significant effort is put into ensuring that devices and infrastructure are fit for purpose (fast enough internet service, for example), that software is effective and integrated with curricula, that teachers are trained and given time to rethink lesson plans integrating technology, that students have enough interaction with tech to use it effectively, and that technology strategy is cognizant of the system’s position on the school-system reform journey. Online learning and education technology are currently providing an invaluable service by enabling continued learning over the course of the pandemic; this does not mean that they should be accepted uncritically as students return to the classroom.

Jake Bryant is an associate partner in McKinsey’s Washington, DC, office; Felipe Child is a partner in the Bogotá office; Emma Dorn is the global Education Practice manager in the Silicon Valley office; and Stephen Hall is an associate partner in the Dubai office.

The authors wish to thank Fernanda Alcala, Sujatha Duraikkannan, and Samuel Huang for their contributions to this article.

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How Technology Is Changing the Future of Higher Education

Labs test artificial intelligence, virtual reality and other innovations that could improve learning and lower costs for Generation Z and beyond.

By Jon Marcus

This article is part of our latest Learning special report . We’re focusing on Generation Z, which is facing challenges from changing curriculums and new technology to financial aid gaps and homelessness.

MANCHESTER, N.H. — Cruising to class in her driverless car, a student crams from notes projected on the inside of the windshield while she gestures with her hands to shape a 3-D holographic model of her architecture project.

It looks like science fiction, an impression reinforced by the fact that it is being demonstrated in virtual reality in an ultramodern space with overstuffed pillows for seats. But this scenario is based on technology already in development.

The setting is the Sandbox ColLABorative, the innovation arm of Southern New Hampshire University, on the fifth floor of a downtown building with panoramic views of the sprawling red brick mills that date from this city’s 19th-century industrial heyday.

It is one of a small but growing number of places where experts are testing new ideas that will shape the future of a college education, using everything from blockchain networks to computer simulations to artificial intelligence, or A.I.

Theirs is not a future of falling enrollment, financial challenges and closing campuses. It’s a brighter world in which students subscribe to rather than enroll in college, learn languages in virtual reality foreign streetscapes with avatars for conversation partners, have their questions answered day or night by A.I. teaching assistants and control their own digital transcripts that record every life achievement.

The possibilities for advances such as these are vast. The structure of higher education as it is still largely practiced in America is as old as those Manchester mills, based on a calendar that dates from a time when students had to go home to help with the harvest, and divided into academic disciplines on physical campuses for 18- to 24-year-olds.

Universities may be at the cutting edge of research into almost every other field, said Gordon Jones, founding dean of the Boise State University College of Innovation and Design. But when it comes to reconsidering the structure of their own, he said, “they’ve been very risk-averse.”

Now, however, squeezed by the demands of employers and students — especially the up and coming Generation Z — and the need to attract new customers, some schools, such as Boise State and Southern New Hampshire University, are starting labs to come up with improvements to help people learn more effectively, match their skills with jobs and lower their costs.

More than 200 have added senior executives whose titles include the words “digital” or “innovation,” the consulting firm Entangled Solutions found; many were recruited from the corporate and tech sectors. M.I.T. has set up a multimillion-dollar fund to pay for faculty to experiment with teaching innovations .

Some colleges and universities are collaborating on such ideas in groups including the University Innovation Alliance and the Marvel Universe-worthy HAIL Storm — it stands for Harvesting Academic Innovation for Learners — a coalition of academic innovation labs.

If history is a guide, the flashiest notions being developed in workshops in these places won’t get far. University campuses are like archaeological digs of innovations that didn’t fulfill their promises. Even though the biggest leap forward of the last few decades, for example — delivering courses online — appears to have lowered costs , the graduation rates of online higher education remain much lower than those of programs taught in person .

“One of the most important things we do here is disprove and dismantle ideas,” said William Zemp, chief strategy and innovation officer at Southern New Hampshire University.

“There’s so much white noise out there, you have to be sort of a myth buster.”

But some ambitious concepts are already being tested.

College by Subscription

One of these would transform the way students pay for higher education. Instead of enrolling, for example, they might subscribe to college; for a monthly fee, they could take whatever courses they want, when they want, with long-term access to advising and career help.

The Georgia Institute of Technology is one of the places mulling a subscription model, said Richard DeMillo, director of its Center for 21st Century Universities. It would include access to a worldwide network of mentors and advisers and “whatever someone needs to do to improve their professional situation or acquire a new skill or get feedback on how things are going.”

Boise State is already piloting this concept. Its Passport to Education costs $425 a month for six credit hours or $525 for nine in either of two online bachelor’s degree programs. That’s 30 percent cheaper than the in-state, in-person tuition.

Paying by the month encourages students to move faster through their educations, and most are projected to graduate in 18 months, Mr. Jones said. The subscription model has attracted 47 students so far, he said, with another 94 in the application process.

However they pay for it, future students could find other drastic changes in the way their educations are delivered.

Your Teacher Is a Robot

Georgia Tech has been experimenting with a virtual teaching assistant named Jill Watson, built on the Jeopardy-winning IBM Watson supercomputer platform. This A.I. answers questions in a discussion forum alongside human teaching assistants; students often can’t distinguish among them, their professor says. More Jill Watsons could help students get over hurdles they encounter in large or online courses. The university is working next on developing virtual tutors, which it says could be viable in two to five years .

S.N.H.U., in a collaboration with the education company Pearson, is testing A.I. grading. Barnes & Noble Education already has an A.I. writing tool called bartleby write , named for the clerk in the Herman Melville short story, that corrects grammar, punctuation and spelling, searches for plagiarism and helps create citations.

At Arizona State University, A.I. is being used to watch for signs that A.S.U. Online students might be struggling, and to alert their academic advisers.

“If we could catch early signals, we could go to them much earlier and say, ‘Hey you’re still in the window’ ” to pass, said Donna Kidwell, chief technology officer of the university’s digital teaching and learning lab, EdPlus.

Another harbinger of things to come sits on a hillside near the Hudson River in upstate New York, where an immersion lab with 15-foot walls and a 360-degree projection system transports Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute language students to China , virtually.

The students learn Mandarin Chinese by conversing with A.I. avatars that can recognize not only what they say but their gestures and expressions, all against a computer-generated backdrop of Chinese street markets, restaurants and other scenes.

Julian Wong, a mechanical engineering major in the first group of students to go through the program, “thought it would be cheesy.” In fact, he said, “It’s definitely more engaging, because you’re actively involved with what’s going on.”

Students in the immersion lab mastered Mandarin about twice as fast as their counterparts in conventional classrooms, said Shirley Ann Jackson, the president of Rensselaer.

Dr. Jackson, a physicist, was not surprised. The students enrolling in college now “grew up in a digital environment,” she said. “Why not use that to actually engage them?”

Slightly less sophisticated simulations are being used in schools of education, where trainee teachers practice coping with simulated schoolchildren. Engineering students at the University of Michigan use an augmented-reality track to test autonomous vehicles in simulated traffic.

A Transcript for Life

The way these kinds of learning get documented is also about to change. A race is underway to create a lifelong transcript.

Most academic transcripts omit work or military histories, internships, apprenticeships and other relevant experience. And course names such as Biology 301 or Business 102 reveal little about what students have actually learned.

“The learner, the learning provider and the employer all are speaking different languages that don’t interconnect,” said Michelle Weise, chief innovation officer at the Strada Institute for the Future of Work.

A proposed solution: the “interoperable learning record,” or I.L.R. (proof that, even in the future, higher education will be rife with acronyms and jargon).

The I.L.R. would list the specific skills that people have learned — customer service, say, or project management — as opposed to which courses they passed and majors they declared. And it would include other life experiences they accumulated.

This “digital trail” would remain in the learner’s control to share with prospective employers and make it easier for a student to transfer academic credits earned at one institution to another.

American universities, colleges and work force training programs are now awarding at least 738,428 unique credentials , according to a September analysis by a nonprofit organization called Credential Engine, which has taken on the task of translating these into a standardized registry of skills.

Unlike transcripts, I.L.R.s could work in two directions. Not only could prospective employees use them to look for jobs requiring the skills they have; employers could comb through them to find prospective hires with the skills they need.

“We’re trying to live inside this whole preindustrial design and figure out how we interface with technology to take it further,” said Dr. Kidwell of Arizona State. “Everybody is wrangling with trying to figure out which of these experiments are really going to work.”

This story was produced in collaboration with The Hechinger Report , a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education.

Technology in Education: An Overview

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Technology is everywhere in education: Public schools in the United States now provide at least one computer for every five students. They spend more than $3 billion per year on digital content. Led by the federal government, the country is in the midst of a massive effort to make affordable high-speed Internet and free online teaching resources available to even the most rural and remote schools. And in 2015-16, for the first time, more state standardized tests for the elementary and middle grades will be administered via technology than by paper and pencil.

To keep up with what’s changing (and what isn’t), observers must know where to look.

There’s the booming ed-tech industry, with corporate titans and small startups alike vying for a slice of an $8 billion-plus yearly market for hardware and software. Much attention is also paid to the “early adopters”—those districts, schools, and teachers who are making the most ingenious and effective uses of the new tools at their disposal.

But a significant body of research has also made clear that most teachers have been slow to transform the ways they teach, despite the influx of new technology into their classrooms. There remains limited evidence to show that technology and online learning are improving learning outcomes for most students. And academics and parents alike have expressed concerns about digital distractions, ways in which unequal access to and use of technology might widen achievement gaps, and more.

State and federal lawmakers, meanwhile, have wrestled in recent years with the reality that new technologies also present new challenges. The rise of “big data,” for example, has led to new concerns about how schools can keep sensitive student information private and secure.

What follows is an overview of the big trends, opportunities, and concerns associated with classroom technology. Links to additional resources are included in each section for those who would like to dig deeper.

What Is Personalized Learning?

Many in the ed-tech field see new technologies as powerful tools to help schools meet the needs of ever-more-diverse student populations. The idea is that digital devices, software, and learning platforms offer a once-unimaginable array of options for tailoring education to each individual student’s academic strengths and weaknesses, interests and motivations, personal preferences, and optimal pace of learning.

In recent years, a group of organizations including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, and EDUCAUSE have crafted a definition of “personalized learning” that rests on four pillars:

• Each student should have a “learner profile” that documents his or her strengths, weaknesses, preferences, and goals;
• Each student should pursue an individualized learning path that encourages him or her to set and manage personal academic goals;
• Students should follow a “competency-based progression” that focuses on their ability to demonstrate mastery of a topic, rather than seat time; and,
• Students’ learning environments should be flexible and structured in ways that support their individual goals.

How does technology support that vision?

In many schools, students are given district-owned computing devices or allowed to bring their own devices from home. The idea is that this allows for “24-7” learning at the time and location of the student’s choosing.

Learning management systems, student information systems, and other software are also used to distribute assignments, manage schedules and communications, and track student progress.

And educational software and applications have grown more “adaptive,” relying on technology and algorithms to determine not only what a student knows, but what his or her learning process is, and even his or her emotional state.

For all the technological progress, though, implementation remains a major challenge. Schools and educators across the country continue to wrestle with the changing role of teachers, how to balance flexible and “personalized” models with the state and federal accountability requirements they still must meet, and the deeper cultural challenge of changing educators’ long-standing habits and routines.

Despite the massive investments that many school systems are making, the evidence that digital personalized learning can improve student outcomes or narrow achievement gaps at scale remains scattered, at best.

Additional resources:

• Taking Stock of Personalized Learning (Education Week special report)
• A Working Definition of Personalized Learning
• Why Ed Tech Is Not Transforming How Teachers Teach

What Is 1-to-1 Computing?

Increasingly, schools are moving to provide students with their own laptop computer, netbook, or digital tablet. Schools purchased more than 23 million devices for classroom use in 2013 and 2014 alone. In recent years, iPads and then Chromebooks (inexpensive Web-based laptops) have emerged as the devices of choice for many schools.

Video: Creating a Digital Culture

The two biggest factors spurring the rise in 1-to-1 student computing have been new mandates that state standardized tests be delivered online and the widespread adoption of the Common Core State Standards.

Generally, the hope is that putting devices in the hands of students will help with some or all of the following goals:

• Allowing teachers and software to deliver more personalized content and lessons to students, while allowing students to learn at their own pace and ability level;
• Helping students to become technologically skilled and literate and thus better prepared for modern workplaces;
• Empowering students to do more complex and creative work by allowing them to use digital and online applications and tools;
• Improving the administration and management of schools and classrooms by making it easier to gather information on what students know and have done;
• Improving communications among students, teachers, and parents.

Despite the potential benefits, however, many districts have run into trouble when attempting to implement 1-to-1 computing initiatives. Paying for the devices can be a challenge, especially as the strategy of issuing long-term bonds for short-term technology purchases has come into question. Many districts have also run into problems with infrastructure (not enough bandwidth to support all students accessing the Internet at the same time) and deployment (poor planning in distributing and managing thousands of devices.)

The most significant problem for schools trying to go 1-to-1, though, has been a lack of educational vision. Without a clear picture of how teaching and learning is expected to change, experts say, going 1-to-1 often amounts to a “spray and pray” approach of distributing many devices and hoping for the best.

Some critics of educational technology also point to a recent study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which found that countries where 15-year old students use computers most in the classroom scored the worst on international reading and math tests.

• Learn More About 1-to-1 Computing
• Hard Lessons Learned in Ambitious L.A. iPad Initiative
• Chromebooks Gaining Popularity in School Districts

What Is Blended Learning?

In its simplest terms, blended learning combines traditional, teacher-to-student lessons with technology-based instruction.

Many schools and districts use a “rotation” model, which is often viewed as an effective means of providing students with more personalized instruction and smaller group experiences. In some cases, saving money (through larger overall class sizes, for example) is also a goal. The basic premise involves students rotating between online and in-person stations for different parts of the day. There are many versions of this approach, however: Do students stay in the classroom or go to a computer lab?

Does online instruction cover core content, or is it primarily for remediation? Are all students doing the same thing online, or do different students have different software and learning experiences?

Video: At Blended Learning School, Students on Flexible Schedules

One big trend for schools involves trying to make sure that what happens online is connected with what happens during face-to-face interactions with teachers. That could involve giving teachers a say in selecting the software that students use, for example, or making a concerted effort to ensure online programs provide teachers with data that is useful in making timely instructional decisions.

Another trend involves boosting students’ access to the Internet outside of school. Robust blended learning programs involve “anytime, anywhere” access to learning content for students—a major challenge in many communities.

Perhaps the biggest hurdle confronting educators interested in blended learning, though, is the lack of a solid research base. As of now, there is still no definitive evidence that blended learning works (or doesn’t.) While some studies have found encouraging results with specific programs or under certain circumstances, the question of whether blended learning positively impacts student learning still has a mostly unsatisfactory answer: “It depends.”

• Blended Learning: Breaking Down Barriers (Education Week special report)
• Blended Learning Research: The 7 Studies You Need to Know
• Learn More About Blended Learning

What Is the Status of Tech Infrastructure and the E-Rate?

The promise of technology in the classroom is almost entirely dependent on reliable infrastructure. But in many parts of the country, schools still struggle to get affordable access to high-speed Internet and/or robust wireless connectivity.

A typical school district network involves multiple components. In 2014, the Federal Communications Commission established connectivity targets for some of the pieces:

• A connection to the broader Internet provided by an outside service provider to the district office (or another central district hub). Target: 100 megabits per second per 1,000 students in the short-term, and 1 Gigabit per second per 1,000 students in the long-term.
• A “Wide Area Network” that provides network connections between the district’s central hub and all of its campuses, office buildings, and other facilities. Target: Connections capable of delivering 10 Gigabits per second per 1,000 students.
• “Local Area Networks” that provide connections within a school, including the equipment necessary to provide Wi-Fi service inside classrooms. Target: The FCC recommended a survey to determine a suitable measure. Many school-technology advocates call for internal connections that support 1-to-1 computing.

To support schools (and libraries) in building and paying for these networks, the FCC in 1996 established a program known as the E-rate. Fees on consumers’ phone bills fund the program, which has paid out more than $30 billion since its inception.

In 2014, the commission overhauled the E-rate, raising the program’s annual spending cap from $2.4 billion to $3.9 billion and prioritizing support for broadband service and wireless networks. The changes were already being felt as of Fall 2015; after steadily declining for years, the number of schools and libraries applying for E-rate funds for wireless network equipment skyrocketed, with nearly all of the applicants expected to receive a portion of the $1.6 billion in overall wireless-related requests.

As part of the E-rate overhaul, the FCC also approved a series of regulatory changes aimed at leveling the playing field for rural and remote schools, which often face two big struggles: accessing the fiber-optic cables that experts say are essential to meeting the FCC’s long-term goals, and finding affordable rates.

Infrastructure in some contexts can also be taken to include learning devices, digital content, and the policies and guidelines that govern how they are expected to be used in schools (such as “responsible use policies” and “digital citizenship” programs aimed to ensure that students and staff are using technology appropriately and in support of learning goals.)

Another big—and often overlooked—aspect of infrastructure is what’s known as interoperability. Essentially, the term refers to common standards and protocols for formatting and handling data so that information can be shared between software programs. A number of frameworks outline data interoperability standards for different purposes. Many hope to see the field settle on common standards in the coming years.

Additional Resources:

• The Typical School Network (EducationSuperHighway)
• The E-rate Overhaul in 4 Easy Charts
• Reversing a Raw Deal: Rural Schools Still Struggle to Access Affordable High Speed Internet (Education Week special series)

How Is Online Testing Evolving?

The biggest development on this front has been states’ adoption of online exams aligned with the Common Core State Standards. During the 2014-15 school year, 10 states (plus the District of Columbia) used exams from the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC), and 18 states used exams from the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, all of which were delivered primarily online. Many of the other states also used online assessments.

The 2015-16 school year will be the first in which more state-required summative assessments in U.S. middle and elementary schools will be delivered via technology rather than paper and pencil, according to a recent analysis by EdTech Strategies, an educational technology consulting firm.

Beyond meeting legislative mandates, perceived benefits include cost savings, ease of administration and analysis, and the potential to employ complex performance tasks.

But some states—including Florida, Minnesota, Montana, and Wisconsin—have experienced big problems with online tests, ranging from cyber attacks to log-in problems to technical errors. And there is growing evidence that students who take the paper-and-pencil version of some important tests perform better than peers who take the same exams online, at least in the short term.

Nevertheless, it appears likely that online testing will continue to grow—and not just for state summative assessments. The U.S. Department of Education, for example, is among those pushing for a greater use of technologically enhanced formative assessments that can be used to diagnose students’ abilities in close to real time. In the department’s 2016 National Education Technology Plan, for example, it calls for states and districts to “design, develop, and implement learning dashboards, response systems, and communication pathways that give students, educators, families, and other stakeholders timely and actionable feedback about student learning to improve achievement and instructional practices.”

• PARCC Scores Lower for Students Who Took Exams on Computers
• Map: The National K-12 Testing Landscape
• Pencils Down: The Shift to Online and Computer-Based Testing (EdTech Strategies)
• Online Testing Glitches Causing Distrust in Technology
• U.S. Ed-Tech Plan Calls Attention to ‘Digital-Use Divide’

How Are Digital Materials Used in Classrooms?

Digital instructional content is the largest slice of the (non-hardware) K-12 educational technology market, with annual sales of more then $3 billion. That includes digital lessons in math, English/language arts, and science, as well as “specialty” subjects such as business and fine arts. The market is still dominated by giant publishers such as Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Pearson, who have been scrambling to transition from their print-centric legacy products to more digital offerings.

But newcomers with one-off products or specific areas of expertise have made inroads, and some apps and online services have also gained huge traction inside of schools.

As a result, many schools use a mix of digital resources, touting potential benefits such as greater ability to personalize, higher engagement among students, enhanced ability to keep content updated and current, and greater interactivity and adaptivity (or responsiveness to individual learners).

Still, though, the transition to digital instructional materials is happening slowly, for reasons that range from the financial (for districts that haven’t been able to purchase devices for all students, for example) to the technical (districts that lack the infrastructure to support every student being online together.) Print still accounts for about 70 percent of pre-K-12 instructional materials sales in the United States.

• Learn More About Digital Curriculum
• Digital Content Providers Ride Wave of Rising Revenues
• K-12 Print Needs Persist Despite Digital Growth

What Are Open Educational Resources?

Rather than buying digital instructional content, some states and districts prefer using “open” digital education resources that are licensed in such a way that they can be freely used, revised, and shared. The trend appears likely to accelerate: The U.S. Department of Education, for example, is now formally encouraging districts to move away from textbooks and towards greater adoption of OER.

New York and Utah have led the way in developing open educational resources and encouraging their use by schools. The K-12 OER Collaborative, which includes 12 states and several nonprofit organizations, is working to develop OER materials as well.

Proponents argue that OER offer greater bang for the buck, while also giving students better access to a wider array of digital materials and teachers more flexibility to customize instructional content for individual classrooms and students. Some also believe OER use encourages collaboration among teachers. Concerns from industry and others generally focus on the quality of open materials, as well as the challenges that educators face in sifting through voluminous one-off resources to find the right material for every lesson.

• What is OER? (Creative Commons)
• Districts Put Open Educational Resources to Work
• Calculating the Return on Open Educational Resources

How Are Virtual Education and Distance Learning Doing?

One technology trend that has come under increasing scrutiny involves full-time online schools, particularly cyber charters. About 200,000 students are enrolled in about 200 publicly funded, independently managed online charter schools across 26 states.

But such schools were found to have an “overwhelming negative impact” on student learning in a comprehensive set of studies released in 2015 by a group of research organizations, including Stanford University’s Center for Research on Education Outcomes at Stanford University.

That research did not cover the more than two dozen full-time online schools that are state-run, however, nor did it cover the dozens more that are run by individual school districts. Thousands upon thousands of students who are enrolled in traditional brick-and-mortar schools also take individual courses online. Five states—Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Michigan, and Virginia—now require students to have some online learning to graduate. Other states, such as Utah, have passed laws encouraging such options for students.

For many students, especially those in rural and remote areas, online and distance learning can offer access to courses, subjects, and teachers they might otherwise never be able to find. Such opportunities can also benefit advanced and highly motivated students and those with unusual schedules and travel requirements, and be a useful tool to keep schools running during snow days.

But so far, achieving positive academic outcomes at scale via online learning has proven difficult, and many observers have expressed concerns about the lack of accountability in the sector, especially as relates to for-profit managers of online options.

• Learn More About Remote/Virtual Learning
• Cyber Charters Have ‘Overwhelming Negative Impact’

Education Issues, Explained

How to Cite This Article Herold, B. (2016, February 5). Technology in Education An Overview. Education Week. Retrieved Month Day, Year from https://www.edweek.org/technology/technology-in-education-an-overview/2016/02

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Technology in the Classroom & The Benefits for K-12 Schools

Rebecca Torchia is a web editor for  EdTech: Focus on K–12 . Previously, she has produced podcasts and written for several publications in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and her hometown of Pittsburgh.

Technology integration is no longer about whether tech belongs in classrooms. In today’s education landscape, it pertains to how technology is chosen and used for learning.

Schools have received waves of government funding for educational technology. Administrators and IT leadership still have  until September 2022 and September 2023  to obligate ESSER I and ESSER II funds, respectively. To get the best return on investment with this funding, districts must ensure technology integration is done effectively.

Students benefit from technology integration when it is done well. It can lead to a more equitable educational experience and give students the tools to be successful in life.

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What Does Technology in The Classroom Look Like Today?

Technology integration is the use of technology in teaching and learning to achieve academic goals.

“I don’t use tech unless it solves a problem I have in the classroom,” says Lisa Highfill, a technology integration specialist at  Pleasanton Virtual Academy  in California.

For example, Highfill says, she’ll use a  Jamboard  where students can post their responses instead of calling on them one at a time. “Then, when they’re all quiet, what are they doing? They’re reading each other’s comments.”

Meaningful tech integration should be done thoughtfully to enhance a learning experience. “You don’t want to use technology just for technology’s sake,” says Melissa Lim, a technology integration specialist at Oregon’s  Portland Public Schools . “We recommend using the Triple E Framework as a simple tool to help determine if it’s worth using technology or if you’re just using it as a substitute.”

The Triple E Framework  was developed by Liz Kolb, a clinical associate professor of education and learning technologies at the University of Michigan. When K–12 IT leaders evaluate new tech based on this framework, they can determine “how well technology tools integrated into lessons are helping students engage in, enhance and extend learning goals,” according to Kolb’s website for the framework.

“It’s all about the learning first,” Lim says.

Why Is Integrating Technology Important in Education?

Technology integration in Education is important for multiple reasons. It makes learning more equitable for K–12 students, and — when used in lower grades — it sets them up for success in school and, moving forward, in their careers.

“If you’re a teacher who doesn’t use a lot of technology, your students aren’t getting equitable access to learning experiences that another teacher who uses technology is giving to their students,” Lim says.

Melissa Lim Technology Integration Specialist, Portland Public Schools

Now that many students have devices and access to technology, educators and school leaders must work to  narrow the digital divide  through equity of use. If students aren’t exposed to technology and taught how to use it, they will fall behind their peers.

“Educators should make sure logging in is a really easy, smooth process,” Highfill says. “Once I get everyone logged in, the No. 1 thing I have to get students to learn how to do is share their screen.”

This not only helps her work through problems with students, she says, but also helps students take  a more active role in their learning . Students will find new ways to achieve a goal or manipulate a technology and can show the class — and the teacher — how they’ve accomplished it by sharing their screen. “You empower them and put them in the teaching role,” Highfill adds.

What Are the Benefits of Technology for Students?

Through technology, schools can support all students. There are roughly 60 grade school students and nearly 250 high school students enrolled at Pleasanton Virtual Academy. “I’m so excited our district put in that investment,” Highfill says. “We’re a public school virtual academy. They invested in a quality virtual academy to meet the needs of all students.”

Even students who are learning in an in-person environment are  using technology in their daily lives . Integrating it into the classroom gives them an opportunity to learn to use tech in a meaningful way.

READ MORE:   Build the themes of digital citizenship into instruction and business planning.

“If you have the skills and know how to research and find information and discern whether that information is true or not, that’s going to help you not only in school with your schoolwork, but also with life in general,” Lim says.

“I watch the kids, and they’re very addicted to their devices,” says Highfill. “So, it’s my new teaching point: How can you take a digital diet, and how can you identify when tech is not doing good things for you?”

Highfill says that anytime there’s a fear about introducing technology to the classroom, educators should use that. “We have to teach students how to take care of themselves if they’re going to use technology,” she says.

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The Importance of Technology in Education

Discover how the use of technology in education supports student and educator success.

Technology in Education:

Accelerates student learning outcomes, helps to address unfinished learning, and prepares students for tomorrow’s workforce.

Empowers educators to personalize learning and efficiently manage a dynamic workload.

Supports IT teams as they deploy and maintain a secure, scalable edtech infrastructure.

Helps academic leaders advance digital strategies and achieve system-wide goals.

Technology is transforming how students learn inside and outside the classroom and empowering educators to deliver immersive, personalized learning experiences that prepare students to thrive in the workplace of the future.

Technology is embedded into every part of our lives because it provides a wealth of benefits—efficiency, access, connectivity, and personalization, to name a few. The same can be said for the benefits of technology in education when used as a tool for learning and teaching. In today’s blended learning environment, rightsized technology and technology infrastructure can help maximize student learning both in and outside of the classroom and support educators and academic leaders in achieving educational priorities and goals.

Benefits of Technology for Educators

Primary and secondary school educators  are steadfastly dedicated to enabling students—each with individual needs and development paths—with the skill sets and mindsets they need to thrive in life and in today’s technology-driven world. Technology can be used as a powerful tool in education to support educators in achieving their teaching goals.

For example, technology-infused active learning experiences can help teachers of any subject for any age develop student social, emotional, and practical skills through the act of completing activities and assignments.

Technology can also be used to personalize learning for students. Content and the delivery of that content can be adapted to the needs and learning styles of individual students. Access to real-time student data can help teachers assess student progress, adjust their approach at a class-wide or individual level, or inform recommendations for specific asynchronous learning opportunities.

[Technology] has really transformed the way I teach, which means my students get to learn things that they normally wouldn’t be able to while developing real-world skills and discovering new ways to communicate and collaborate.” —Samantha Seery, teacher, Chandler High School, Chandler, Arizona

Digital and AI-based tools can help teachers maximize their available time and alleviate some of their workload. For example, tools for formative and summative assessments can be used as a first pass at grading, saving educators time that they can direct toward students who need additional support in mastering learning objectives.

Videoconferencing capabilities can extend the teaching and learning environment, enabling virtual one-on-one sessions between a student and teacher, or improve individual parent- and guardian-to-teacher communication through digital meetings and messages while helping teachers be more efficient.

Benefits of Technology for Students

The use of technology in education also gives students ownership over how they learn, making education relevant to their digital lives. With access to devices and digital resources both in and outside the classroom, students are inspired to become problem-solvers, critical thinkers, collaborators, and creators—and develop a lifelong love of learning.

Access to new digital learning tools, such as AI-based applications that adjust question sets and feedback based on student answers or PC-based VR learning opportunities, can help increase student engagement while simultaneously supporting academic development.

Technology also enables students to develop the technical skills and analytical mindsets  they need to be successful in today’s educational landscape and in tomorrow’s workforce. Regular technology usage and relevant STEM education experiences  can hone students’ problem-solving and critical thinking skills as they learn by doing. Whether they pursue a career in STEM or other industries, developing technology proficiency prepares students for future career opportunities in any field.

• Supporting Teacher and Student Outcomes

IT professionals  know that edtech is critical to student and educator success in today’s evolving education environments. The right technology investments can help IT teams keep devices and data secure; maintain a stable, scalable infrastructure that safeguards productivity; and enable immersive, innovative learning experiences for students.

Effectively enabling this level of infrastructure starts with digital strategy at the school system level and requires strategic alignment of technology investments with system-level priorities and educational objectives. Digital strategies, including those to advance innovation, inclusivity, educator retention, learning gap closures, and sustainability  can all benefit from technology that’s purposefully adopted in service of these initiatives.

It is also critical to understand the day-to-day teaching and learning needs and how and where technology is being used so technology purchases support the flexible and dynamic needs of today’s blended learning environment.

• The Importance of Device Selection

Teachers and students need technology that is matched to their learning environments and activities. Well-matched devices provide the performance and capabilities needed for today’s activities with room to grow alongside the students as they progress. Well-performing technology also helps to maximize learning time and increase student engagement because both teachers and students can be actively engaged in teaching and learning rather than delayed by lagging or unresponsive devices or services. IT teams also benefit from performant, capable, and stable devices that require less support time and cost.

When evaluating educational devices  consider:

• Forward-looking skills development needs and learning goals.
• Device usage inside and outside the classroom.
• Compatibility with digital curriculum and content.
• Assessment and reporting requirements.
• Manageability and deployment options.
• Privacy and security features.
• Device functionality.
• Total cost of ownership.

How Intel Supports Educational Needs

Intel empowers school systems with education technology, solutions, and teaching and learning resources that enable personalized learning, immersive educational experiences, inclusive classrooms, and a secure, scalable IT infrastructure. Learn more about what Intel offers through one of these resources:

• Learn how Intel is partnering with educational leaders to shape the future of education technology, drive innovation, and deliver equitable solutions that meet the needs of all students—no matter how or where they learn.
• Explore Intel education
• Discover how technology can enable new teaching methodologies, enrich existing curricula, and help students develop the critical-thinking and technical skills they need.
• Explore K-12 resources
• Find the right device for your learning environments with solutions that meet your students’ needs and your school system’s strategic, budget, manageability and deployment, and functionality requirements.
• Explore device solutions
• Learn how to transform your schools and better support your IT staff with capable and secure technologies and a wide range of education industry solutions that help maximize teacher and student outcomes.
• Explore solutions for IT professionals

Learn More about Programs and Solutions to Drive Educational Outcomes

Exploring the potential of ai in education.

In this 2023 position paper, we discuss the potential of AI to transform learning, AI use cases, and considerations and recommendations for constructing an AI framework for education.

Read the 2023 AI in education paper

Using AI to Impact Outcomes

AI technology can be used as a tool in education to improve the quality of student, teacher, and staff experiences through the automation of routine tasks, access to data-driven insights, and more personalized learning opportunities for students.

Discover AI use cases for education

Teaching AI Knowledge and Skills

Students must learn to understand and manage AI and related technologies to be successful now and in the future. Learn strategies for teaching AI skills, use cases, and ethical considerations to early primary grades to lay the groundwork for building advanced skills.

Learn strategies for teaching AI

Powerful PCs

Facilitate and drive optimal learning experiences with capable PCs sized to meet student and teacher use and performance needs.

Learn about PCs for schools

Immersive Learning

With access to PC-based virtual reality, students can engage in active learning experiences that are memorable, immersive, and effective.

Discover benefits of PC-based VR

Collaborative Esports

Esports brings together students’ passion for PC gaming with the skill-building, leadership, and social-emotional opportunities of team extracurricular activities.

Get started with esports

Intel® Skills for Innovation (Intel® SFI)

Intel® SFI empowers decision-makers and educators to adopt technology that supports innovative, engaging learning experiences across different environments.

Get professional development and lessons

Intel® AI for Youth

AI for Youth democratizes opportunities for students to learn AI skills and apply them responsibly as they design high-impact solutions for the modern world.

Learn about the AI for youth program

Intel® Digital Readiness Programs

Intel® Digital Readiness Programs empower nontechnical audiences with the skill sets, mindsets, and opportunities to use technology impactfully and responsibly in the age of AI.

Learn about available programs

• Intel Solutions and Resources for Education
• Programs and Solutions to Drive Educational Outcomes

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What 126 studies say about education technology

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In recent years, there has been widespread excitement around the transformative potential of technology in education. In the United States alone, spending on education technology has now exceeded $13 billion . Programs and policies to promote the use of education technology may expand access to quality education, support students’ learning in innovative ways, and help families navigate complex school systems.

However, the rapid development of education technology in the United States is occurring in a context of deep and persistent inequality . Depending on how programs are designed, how they are used, and who can access them, education technologies could alleviate or aggravate existing disparities. To harness education technology’s full potential, education decision-makers, product developers, and funders need to understand the ways in which technology can help — or in some cases hurt — student learning.

To address this need, J-PAL North America recently released a new publication summarizing 126 rigorous evaluations of different uses of education technology. Drawing primarily from research in developed countries, the publication looks at randomized evaluations and regression discontinuity designs across four broad categories: (1) access to technology, (2) computer-assisted learning or educational software, (3) technology-enabled nudges in education, and (4) online learning.

This growing body of evidence suggests some areas of promise and points to four key lessons on education technology.

First, supplying computers and internet alone generally do not improve students’ academic outcomes from kindergarten to 12th grade, but do increase computer usage and improve computer proficiency. Disparities in access to information and communication technologies can exacerbate existing educational inequalities. Students without access at school or at home may struggle to complete web-based assignments and may have a hard time developing digital literacy skills.

Broadly, programs to expand access to technology have been effective at increasing use of computers and improving computer skills. However, computer distribution and internet subsidy programs generally did not improve grades and test scores and in some cases led to adverse impacts on academic achievement. The limited rigorous evidence suggests that distributing computers may have a more direct impact on learning outcomes at the postsecondary level.

Second, educational software (often called “computer-assisted learning”) programs designed to help students develop particular skills have shown enormous promise in improving learning outcomes, particularly in math. Targeting instruction to meet students’ learning levels has been found to be effective in improving student learning, but large class sizes with a wide range of learning levels can make it hard for teachers to personalize instruction. Software has the potential to overcome traditional classroom constraints by customizing activities for each student. Educational software programs range from light-touch homework support tools to more intensive interventions that re-orient the classroom around the use of software.

Most educational software that have been rigorously evaluated help students practice particular skills through personalized tutoring approaches. Computer-assisted learning programs have shown enormous promise in improving academic achievement, especially in math. Of all 30 studies of computer-assisted learning programs, 20 reported statistically significant positive effects, 15 of which were focused on improving math outcomes.

Third, technology-based nudges — such as text message reminders — can have meaningful, if modest, impacts on a variety of education-related outcomes, often at extremely low costs. Low-cost interventions like text message reminders can successfully support students and families at each stage of schooling. Text messages with reminders, tips, goal-setting tools, and encouragement can increase parental engagement in learning activities, such as reading with their elementary-aged children.

Middle and high schools, meanwhile, can help parents support their children by providing families with information about how well their children are doing in school. Colleges can increase application and enrollment rates by leveraging technology to suggest specific action items, streamline financial aid procedures, and/or provide personalized support to high school students.

Online courses are developing a growing presence in education, but the limited experimental evidence suggests that online-only courses lower student academic achievement compared to in-person courses. In four of six studies that directly compared the impact of taking a course online versus in-person only, student performance was lower in the online courses. However, students performed similarly in courses with both in-person and online components compared to traditional face-to-face classes.

The new publication is meant to be a resource for decision-makers interested in learning which uses of education technology go beyond the hype to truly help students learn. At the same time, the publication outlines key open questions about the impacts of education technology, including questions relating to the long-term impacts of education technology and the impacts of education technology on different types of learners.

To help answer these questions, J-PAL North America’s Education, Technology, and Opportunity Initiative is working to build the evidence base on promising uses of education technology by partnering directly with education leaders.

Education leaders are invited to submit letters of interest to partner with J-PAL North America through its  Innovation Competition . Anyone interested in learning more about how to apply is encouraged to contact initiative manager Vincent Quan .

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Higher Education News , Tips for Online Students

Discovering the Importance of Technology in Education 

Updated: January 29, 2024

Published: May 24, 2019

Technology has taken over our world and has dramatically changed the way we live, work, and learn. In the education sector, technology has been a game-changer and has transformed the traditional methods of teaching and learning.  In a classroom setting, students are often given a lot of information to process quickly. This can be overwhelming and cause confusion. Technology provides access to numerous online resources that support independent learning and research. It also helps simplify the learning process by making concepts easier to understand, for example through instructional videos.   

Gone are the days of rote memorization and blackboard lectures. Today’s students are digital natives, who have grown up surrounded by technology and are accustomed to a more interactive, dynamic learning experience. Let’s take a closer look at the importance of technology in education.  

How Important is Technology in Education?  

Technology enhances the learning experience for students by providing them with the tools and resources necessary to succeed. From online resources that help simplify complex concepts to interactive learning experiences that keep students engaged, technology provides students with the support they need to thrive in the classroom and beyond. 

Here are reasons why technology is important in education. They include more engaged students, support for multiple learning styles, better collaboration, more instant feedback for teachers, and preparation for the future.   Let’s take a closer look at the importance of technology in education:  

Enhances Creativity and Innovation  

Technology has opened up a world of opportunities for students to be creative and innovative. With access to a wealth of information and resources at their fingertips, students can experiment, explore and bring their ideas to life.   

This type of hands-on learning is much more engaging and enjoyable for students and helps to foster critical thinking skills. For example, students can use graphic design software to create posters, animations, or videos to present their ideas.   

They can use 3D printing to design and create prototypes of their inventions. They can even use virtual and augmented reality to bring their ideas to life and make them more interactive.  

Supports Personalized Learning  

One of the biggest benefits of technology in education is personalized learning. With online resources and educational software, students can find information that is tailored to their needs, interests, and learning style.   

They can work at their own pace, repeat lessons if they need to, and access information that is relevant to their studies. This type of individualized learning can help students to stay motivated and achieve better results.  

Improves Communication and Collaboration  

Technology has revolutionized the way students, teachers, and administrators communicate and collaborate. With online platforms and social media, students can share ideas, work on projects, and stay connected no matter where they are. They can even work on projects with classmates from other schools or countries, breaking down geographical barriers and building a sense of community in the classroom.   

Furthermore, teachers can use technology to create interactive lessons, online quizzes and tests, and provide instant feedback to students, helping them to stay on track and improve their performance.  

Teaches Students How to be Responsible Online  

With so many social media options out there, it’s no surprise that students are already digital natives. But by bringing technology into the classroom, teachers get to help these students learn how to be responsible and make positive impacts in the digital world. The classroom becomes a mini version of the online world where students get to practice communicating, searching, and interacting with others just like they would in the real digital world.   

Makes Learning More Fun  

Students today are heavily reliant on technology in their daily lives outside the classroom. But incorporating technology in the classroom can not only make learning more interesting, but also help to reinforce the material taught. One innovative teaching method, game-based learning (GBL), involves using interactive games and leaderboards to deliver lessons, making the learning process much more engaging for students.  

With technology, students can also create multimedia projects and share their work with classmates, adding a creative element to the learning experience. Thanks to virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), students can take virtual field trips and simulations that can offer hands-on experiences that bring subjects to life.   

Prepares Students for the Future  

Technology is a critical tool for preparing students for the future. The workforce is rapidly evolving and technology is playing a significant role. Students need to be equipped with the skills they need to succeed in the digital age.   

Technology provides students with the tools and resources they need to develop a range of essential skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and collaboration. It also provides them with exposure to a variety of digital tools and platforms, helping them to become confident and proficient users.  

What Is the Role of Technology in Education?: The Future  

Wondering what is the role of technology in education ? The 3 important roles technology plays in education are increased collaboration and communication, personalized learning opportunities, and engaging content.  

The future of technology in education is bright and full of possibilities. From virtual and augmented reality to artificial intelligence and machine learning, technology is constantly evolving, and there is so much more to come. Virtual and augmented reality will soon become an integral part of the education experience, allowing students to immerse themselves in interactive, 3D simulations of real-life scenarios. Some benefits of technology in education include improved adaptability, more enriched collaboration, more enjoyable learning experiences, enhanced feedback, better connections, improved tech skills, and reduced costs.  

Artificial intelligence will also play a big role, with chatbots and AI-powered tutors providing instant feedback and support to students. Machine learning will also help to personalize the learning experience, making it more effective and efficient.  

In conclusion, technology has transformed the way we learn, and its impact on education has been profound. It has opened up new avenues for creativity and innovation, supported personalized learning, improved communication and collaboration, and prepared students for the future. As technology continues to evolve, it will be exciting to see how it will continue to shape and improve the education sector.  

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What is Educational Technology and Why is it Important?

What is educational technology.

Why is Educational Technology in Education Important?

Educational technology in education is important because it helps today’s teachers to integrate new technologies and tools into their classroom. Teachers are able to upgrade and improve the learner-centeredness of their classroom. It enables teachers to engage their students in unique, innovative, and equitable ways. Teachers are also able to expand their network and connect with other teachers and educators nationally and globally.

What can I do with a Master’s in Educational Technology degree?

Many teachers pursue a Master’s degree in Educational Technology because they want to improve their use of educational technology—they want to learn how to more effectively integrate the use of 1:1 devices, or how to teach in a hybrid or fully online setting, or how to improve student engagement and achievement with technology. Not only do they learn all of these skills and more, they also learn how to integrate research-supported strategies to improve their teaching and how to coach their peers to do the same. 

Graduates of a Master’s in Educational Technology degree have gone on to become:

• National Board-Certified Teachers
• School Administrators
• Technology Facilitators and Coordinators
• Personnel at Ed Tech Start Ups
• Instructional Designers (both within and outside of education)
• Online preK-12 Teachers
• STEM Teachers and Coordinators
• Professional Learning Leaders and Liaisons
• Curriculum Developers

Here are some of the recent promotions that 2020 graduates of Loyola University Maryland’s Master’s in Educational Technology program have accepted:

• Technology Teacher and Musician Joanna Edwards accepted a new position as Technology Teacher at Elizabeth Seton High School.
• With her MEd in Educational Technology, Julia Goffredi started a new position as Coordinator of Educational Technology at Notre Dame Preparatory School.
• Michele Baskin recently accepted a position at Great Minds to be a Digital Curriculum Developer on their PhD Science program.

What are the Top 5 Advantages of Loyola’s Educational Technology Program? 

• Create engaging and transformative online instruction
• Learn multimedia design for the classroom
• Become a technology leader in your school
• Understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of technology, and how to address both in the classroom.
• Active professional networking with other teachers and educators nationally and globally.

Learn more about Loyola University Maryland’s fully online M.Ed. in Educational Technology program.

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Information and communication technology (ICT) in education

Information and communications technology (ict) can impact student learning when teachers are digitally literate and understand how to integrate it into curriculum..

Schools use a diverse set of ICT tools to communicate, create, disseminate, store, and manage information.(6) In some contexts, ICT has also become integral to the teaching-learning interaction, through such approaches as replacing chalkboards with interactive digital whiteboards, using students’ own smartphones or other devices for learning during class time, and the “flipped classroom” model where students watch lectures at home on the computer and use classroom time for more interactive exercises.

When teachers are digitally literate and trained to use ICT, these approaches can lead to higher order thinking skills, provide creative and individualized options for students to express their understandings, and leave students better prepared to deal with ongoing technological change in society and the workplace.(18)

ICT issues planners must consider include: considering the total cost-benefit equation, supplying and maintaining the requisite infrastructure, and ensuring investments are matched with teacher support and other policies aimed at effective ICT use.(16)

Issues and Discussion

Digital culture and digital literacy: Computer technologies and other aspects of digital culture have changed the ways people live, work, play, and learn, impacting the construction and distribution of knowledge and power around the world.(14) Graduates who are less familiar with digital culture are increasingly at a disadvantage in the national and global economy. Digital literacy—the skills of searching for, discerning, and producing information, as well as the critical use of new media for full participation in society—has thus become an important consideration for curriculum frameworks.(8)

In many countries, digital literacy is being built through the incorporation of information and communication technology (ICT) into schools. Some common educational applications of ICT include:

• One laptop per child: Less expensive laptops have been designed for use in school on a 1:1 basis with features like lower power consumption, a low cost operating system, and special re-programming and mesh network functions.(42) Despite efforts to reduce costs, however, providing one laptop per child may be too costly for some developing countries.(41)
• Tablets: Tablets are small personal computers with a touch screen, allowing input without a keyboard or mouse. Inexpensive learning software (“apps”) can be downloaded onto tablets, making them a versatile tool for learning.(7)(25) The most effective apps develop higher order thinking skills and provide creative and individualized options for students to express their understandings.(18)
• Interactive White Boards or Smart Boards : Interactive white boards allow projected computer images to be displayed, manipulated, dragged, clicked, or copied.(3) Simultaneously, handwritten notes can be taken on the board and saved for later use. Interactive white boards are associated with whole-class instruction rather than student-centred activities.(38) Student engagement is generally higher when ICT is available for student use throughout the classroom.(4)
• E-readers : E-readers are electronic devices that can hold hundreds of books in digital form, and they are increasingly utilized in the delivery of reading material.(19) Students—both skilled readers and reluctant readers—have had positive responses to the use of e-readers for independent reading.(22) Features of e-readers that can contribute to positive use include their portability and long battery life, response to text, and the ability to define unknown words.(22) Additionally, many classic book titles are available for free in e-book form.
• Flipped Classrooms: The flipped classroom model, involving lecture and practice at home via computer-guided instruction and interactive learning activities in class, can allow for an expanded curriculum. There is little investigation on the student learning outcomes of flipped classrooms.(5) Student perceptions about flipped classrooms are mixed, but generally positive, as they prefer the cooperative learning activities in class over lecture.(5)(35)

ICT and Teacher Professional Development: Teachers need specific professional development opportunities in order to increase their ability to use ICT for formative learning assessments, individualized instruction, accessing online resources, and for fostering student interaction and collaboration.(15) Such training in ICT should positively impact teachers’ general attitudes towards ICT in the classroom, but it should also provide specific guidance on ICT teaching and learning within each discipline. Without this support, teachers tend to use ICT for skill-based applications, limiting student academic thinking.(32) To sup­port teachers as they change their teaching, it is also essential for education managers, supervisors, teacher educators, and decision makers to be trained in ICT use.(11)

Ensuring benefits of ICT investments: To ensure the investments made in ICT benefit students, additional conditions must be met. School policies need to provide schools with the minimum acceptable infrastructure for ICT, including stable and affordable internet connectivity and security measures such as filters and site blockers. Teacher policies need to target basic ICT literacy skills, ICT use in pedagogical settings, and discipline-specific uses. (21) Successful imple­mentation of ICT requires integration of ICT in the curriculum. Finally, digital content needs to be developed in local languages and reflect local culture. (40) Ongoing technical, human, and organizational supports on all of these issues are needed to ensure access and effective use of ICT. (21)

Resource Constrained Contexts: The total cost of ICT ownership is considerable: training of teachers and administrators, connectivity, technical support, and software, amongst others. (42) When bringing ICT into classrooms, policies should use an incremental pathway, establishing infrastructure and bringing in sustainable and easily upgradable ICT. (16) Schools in some countries have begun allowing students to bring their own mobile technology (such as laptop, tablet, or smartphone) into class rather than providing such tools to all students—an approach called Bring Your Own Device. (1)(27)(34) However, not all families can afford devices or service plans for their children. (30) Schools must ensure all students have equitable access to ICT devices for learning.

Inclusiveness Considerations

Digital Divide: The digital divide refers to disparities of digital media and internet access both within and across countries, as well as the gap between people with and without the digital literacy and skills to utilize media and internet.(23)(26)(31) The digital divide both creates and reinforces socio-economic inequalities of the world’s poorest people. Policies need to intentionally bridge this divide to bring media, internet, and digital literacy to all students, not just those who are easiest to reach.

Minority language groups: Students whose mother tongue is different from the official language of instruction are less likely to have computers and internet connections at home than students from the majority. There is also less material available to them online in their own language, putting them at a disadvantage in comparison to their majority peers who gather information, prepare talks and papers, and communicate more using ICT. (39) Yet ICT tools can also help improve the skills of minority language students—especially in learning the official language of instruction—through features such as automatic speech recognition, the availability of authentic audio-visual materials, and chat functions. (2)(17)

Students with different styles of learning: ICT can provide diverse options for taking in and processing information, making sense of ideas, and expressing learning. Over 87% of students learn best through visual and tactile modalities, and ICT can help these students ‘experience’ the information instead of just reading and hearing it. (20)(37) Mobile devices can also offer programmes (“apps”) that provide extra support to students with special needs, with features such as simplified screens and instructions, consistent placement of menus and control features, graphics combined with text, audio feedback, ability to set pace and level of difficulty, appropriate and unambiguous feedback, and easy error correction. (24)(29)

Plans and policies

• India [ PDF ]
• Detroit, USA [ PDF ]
• Finland [ PDF ]
• Alberta Education. 2012. Bring your own device: A guide for schools . Retrieved from http://education.alberta.ca/admin/technology/research.aspx
• Alsied, S.M. and Pathan, M.M. 2015. ‘The use of computer technology in EFL classroom: Advantages and implications.’ International Journal of English Language and Translation Studies . 1 (1).
• BBC. N.D. ‘What is an interactive whiteboard?’ Retrieved from http://www.bbcactive.com/BBCActiveIdeasandResources/Whatisaninteractivewhiteboard.aspx
• Beilefeldt, T. 2012. ‘Guidance for technology decisions from classroom observation.’ Journal of Research on Technology in Education . 44 (3).
• Bishop, J.L. and Verleger, M.A. 2013. ‘The flipped classroom: A survey of the research.’ Presented at the 120th ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition. Atlanta, Georgia.
• Blurton, C. 2000. New Directions of ICT-Use in Education . United National Education Science and Culture Organization (UNESCO).
• Bryant, B.R., Ok, M., Kang, E.Y., Kim, M.K., Lang, R., Bryant, D.P. and Pfannestiel, K. 2015. ‘Performance of fourth-grade students with learning disabilities on multiplication facts comparing teacher-mediated and technology-mediated interventions: A preliminary investigation. Journal of Behavioral Education. 24.
• Buckingham, D. 2005. Educación en medios. Alfabetización, aprendizaje y cultura contemporánea, Barcelona, Paidós.
• Buckingham, D., Sefton-Green, J., and Scanlon, M. 2001. 'Selling the Digital Dream: Marketing Education Technologies to Teachers and Parents.'  ICT, Pedagogy, and the Curriculum: Subject to Change . London: Routledge.
• "Burk, R. 2001. 'E-book devices and the marketplace: In search of customers.' Library Hi Tech 19 (4)."
• Chapman, D., and Mählck, L. (Eds). 2004. Adapting technology for school improvement: a global perspective. Paris: International Institute for Educational Planning.
• Cheung, A.C.K and Slavin, R.E. 2012. ‘How features of educational technology applications affect student reading outcomes: A meta-analysis.’ Educational Research Review . 7.
• Cheung, A.C.K and Slavin, R.E. 2013. ‘The effectiveness of educational technology applications for enhancing mathematics achievement in K-12 classrooms: A meta-analysis.’ Educational Research Review . 9.
• Deuze, M. 2006. 'Participation Remediation Bricolage - Considering Principal Components of a Digital Culture.' The Information Society . 22 .
• Dunleavy, M., Dextert, S. and Heinecke, W.F. 2007. ‘What added value does a 1:1 student to laptop ratio bring to technology-supported teaching and learning?’ Journal of Computer Assisted Learning . 23.
• Enyedy, N. 2014. Personalized Instruction: New Interest, Old Rhetoric, Limited Results, and the Need for a New Direction for Computer-Mediated Learning . Boulder, CO: National Education Policy Center.
• Golonka, E.M., Bowles, A.R., Frank, V.M., Richardson, D.L. and Freynik, S. 2014. ‘Technologies for foreign language learning: A review of technology types and their effectiveness.’ Computer Assisted Language Learning . 27 (1).
• Goodwin, K. 2012. Use of Tablet Technology in the Classroom . Strathfield, New South Wales: NSW Curriculum and Learning Innovation Centre.
• Jung, J., Chan-Olmsted, S., Park, B., and Kim, Y. 2011. 'Factors affecting e-book reader awareness, interest, and intention to use.' New Media & Society . 14 (2)
• Kenney, L. 2011. ‘Elementary education, there’s an app for that. Communication technology in the elementary school classroom.’ The Elon Journal of Undergraduate Research in Communications . 2 (1).
• Kopcha, T.J. 2012. ‘Teachers’ perceptions of the barriers to technology integration and practices with technology under situated professional development.’ Computers and Education . 59.
• Miranda, T., Williams-Rossi, D., Johnson, K., and McKenzie, N. 2011. "Reluctant readers in middle school: Successful engagement with text using the e-reader.' International journal of applied science and technology . 1 (6).
• Moyo, L. 2009. 'The digital divide: scarcity, inequality and conflict.' Digital Cultures . New York: Open University Press.
• Newton, D.A. and Dell, A.G. 2011. ‘Mobile devices and students with disabilities: What do best practices tell us?’ Journal of Special Education Technology . 26 (3).
• Nirvi, S. (2011). ‘Special education pupils find learning tool in iPad applications.’ Education Week . 30 .
• Norris, P. 2001. Digital Divide: Civic Engagement, Information Poverty, and the Internet Worldwide . Cambridge, USA: Cambridge University Press.
• Project Tomorrow. 2012. Learning in the 21st century: Mobile devices + social media = personalized learning . Washington, D.C.: Blackboard K-12.
• Riasati, M.J., Allahyar, N. and Tan, K.E. 2012. ‘Technology in language education: Benefits and barriers.’ Journal of Education and Practice . 3 (5).
• Rodriquez, C.D., Strnadova, I. and Cumming, T. 2013. ‘Using iPads with students with disabilities: Lessons learned from students, teachers, and parents.’ Intervention in School and Clinic . 49 (4).
• Sangani, K. 2013. 'BYOD to the classroom.' Engineering & Technology . 3 (8).
• Servon, L. 2002. Redefining the Digital Divide: Technology, Community and Public Policy . Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishers.
• Smeets, E. 2005. ‘Does ICT contribute to powerful learning environments in primary education?’ Computers and Education. 44 .
• Smith, G.E. and Thorne, S. 2007. Differentiating Instruction with Technology in K-5 Classrooms . Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education.
• Song, Y. 2014. '"Bring your own device (BYOD)" for seamless science inquiry in a primary school.' Computers & Education. 74 .
• Strayer, J.F. 2012. ‘How learning in an inverted classroom influences cooperation, innovation and task orientation.’ Learning Environment Research. 15.
• Tamim, R.M., Bernard, R.M., Borokhovski, E., Abrami, P.C. and Schmid, R.F. 2011. ‘What forty years of research says about the impact of technology on learning: A second-order meta-analysis and validation study. Review of Educational Research. 81 (1).
• Tileston, D.W. 2003. What Every Teacher Should Know about Media and Technology. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
• Turel, Y.K. and Johnson, T.E. 2012. ‘Teachers’ belief and use of interactive whiteboards for teaching and learning.’ Educational Technology and Society . 15(1).
• Volman, M., van Eck, E., Heemskerk, I. and Kuiper, E. 2005. ‘New technologies, new differences. Gender and ethnic differences in pupils’ use of ICT in primary and secondary education.’ Computers and Education. 45 .
• Voogt, J., Knezek, G., Cox, M., Knezek, D. and ten Brummelhuis, A. 2013. ‘Under which conditions does ICT have a positive effect on teaching and learning? A call to action.’ Journal of Computer Assisted Learning. 29 (1).
• Warschauer, M. and Ames, M. 2010. ‘Can one laptop per child save the world’s poor?’ Journal of International Affairs. 64 (1).
• Zuker, A.A. and Light, D. 2009. ‘Laptop programs for students.’ Science. 323 (5910).

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How important is technology in education.

Importance Of Technology In Education

In Sanskrit. the word for education is "shiksha." The meaning of "shiksha" is the sense of learning and acquiring knowledge.

The Meaning Of Education

Knowledge, learning, and information: the word "education" is used in the English language, and is derived from the Latin word "educatum" which means "teaching work." Some great scholars have attributed its origin to "educare" which means "to raise."

1. Narrow Meaning

This is the education given to the child in the school. The place, duration, curriculum, etc. of such education is fixed. In this sense, the person's school life is their education. Mackenzie has written: "In a narrow sense, education refers to the conscious efforts made for the development and promotion of our powers."

2. Broader Meaning

In this sense, education is a lifelong process by which a person develops their overall personality and their ability to adjust to their environment.

The Meaning Of Technology

The use of scientific inventions, rules, principles, and processes in different aspects of life comes under the use of technology. Many types of technologies exist, including educational technology. In other words, the application of scientific principles to different areas of life is called technology. Therefore, the meaning of technology is "the art of science." Therefore, when scientific, orderly, and well-organized knowledge is used to do daily work, then it is given the name of technology. The word "technology" is usually associated with machines, but it is not necessary that machines should always be used.

The Meaning Of Educational Technology

When scientific, technical, and psychological principles and methods are properly used to make the teaching/learning process easy, simple, efficient, and effective, it comes under the umbrella of educational technology. As new discoveries are made, there is also a change in its meaning, definition, and form. Today, scientific and technological inventions have affected every aspect of human life. Education, teaching, and learning have also been greatly affected by them. In the field of education, as a result of the latest research, discoveries, and investigations, such techniques (i.e., skills) have been developed, which are helping in achieving all the objectives of education. These competencies and skills, which are especially based on science, are given the name of educational technology.

Features Of Educational Technology

• Educational technology affects both the science of education and the art of teaching.
• It fully reflects the influence of science and technology.
• The practical side of learning is given more importance in educational technology. Educational technology affects the student, teacher, administrator, and the entire school environment.
• It simplifies and empowers the teaching/learning process. Educational technology proves helpful in the spread of education, and is a continuously developing subject.
• It mainly emphasizes achieving the objectives of education. It is capable of bringing necessary changes in the learning situation to fulfill the educational objectives. It is related to cognitive, affective, and psychomotor objectives.
• As science progresses, so does the development of educational technology. The various rules and inventions of science are the basis of educational technology.

Functions Of Educational Technology And The Need For It

Just as there is a need in our life to use science and technology to get the maximum benefits in the least time, using less energy, in the same way educational technology is needed in the field of education. The need for educational technology in education is due to the following reasons:

• It gives positive emphasis to the development of the latest methods for effective education.
• Educational technology makes the teaching process scientific, objective, clear, simple, easy, interesting, and effective.
• Educational technology gives proper guidance to solve teaching problems.
• It provides proper guidance to make the teaching/learning process effective, such as setting teaching goals, examining the initial behavior of students, selecting and organizing appropriate curricula, appropriate teaching methods and strategies, and supporting materials.
• It offers effective means of communication between teachers and learners to engage in the exchange of ideas.
• It includes the use of all types of arts, methods, materials, skills, principles, and instruments of science, psychology, and technology.
• It can be used to arrange and control the learning conditions required to achieve educational technical objectives.
• Just as science and technology help us to do more work with less energy and effort in our daily life, in the same way educational technology controls the waste of energy and time in the teaching process.
• It also lays emphasis on the development of appropriate evaluation methods for measuring behavior change and for checking the results of the teaching process.
• After the evaluation process, by examining the final behavior of the students, emphasis is also given to providing the expected reinforcement and support required.
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Classroom technology offers a multitude of benefits for students. It fosters a more interactive and engaging learning environment, promotes creativity, allows students to learn at their own pace, and provides access to a vast array of resources. These resources include online materials, educational tools, and even connections with global communities. Additionally, technology empowers students with essential tech skills for future careers and provides access to up-to-date information for tackling complex topics.

Classroom technology allows teachers to steer their students away from by-heart learning and towards practical learning in the truest sense. Innovations in education technology enable teachers to stream educational videos, watch recorded lectures and access digital textbooks to improve the learning experience. The use of technology in the classroom increases engagement, promotes teamwork, inspires creativity and enhances student learning. Read this blog to learn more about how classroom technology benefits learning.

The Impact of Education Technology on Students

Here is how the use of technology in the classroom impacts students positively –

Increases Interactivity and Classroom Engagement

Seamless and careful incorporation of classroom technology makes students more engaged and take more control over the learning process. Effective technology stimulates student-centred project-based learning and alters the dynamics of classroom management . Chat rooms and other available applications allow students to engage with the teacher and another student swiftly without wasting class time.

Encourages Creativity

No matter what the students are interested in learning- arts, video production, or music – online resources are virtually endless. Technology can support all creative endeavors of students. While tablets can capture students’ sketches, editing software lets them bring photos to life and manipulate them creatively.

Encourages Self-Paced Learning

In traditional classrooms, students trying to understand new ideas often lag behind their peers. However, online assignments allow them to progress at their own pace. Guided lessons or supplementary coursework help students who need more time to get extra support. Both the teachers and the students benefit from classroom technology. The ever-present nature of education technology allows students to access their material online whenever, and teachers can also see which students need extra support.

Provides Greater Access to Resources

The Internet allows students to access everything from study materials and digital applications to immersive education and online tools from across the globe. They can also link to community forums and virtual worlds in real time and work on community projects using cloud-based applications. Teachers can access course materials at any time by setting up an LMS (Learning Management System) or providing each student access to course-specific applications. Blended learning – a combination of classroom technology and face-to-face learning is a way to achieve this.

Increases Accessibility and Inclusivity

Technology helps bridge the gap for students with disabilities or those who live in remote locations. Word processors point out spelling mistakes of students, and adaptive readers highlight text or read aloud to students so they can research and use technology. With the use of technology in the classroom becoming more prevalent, students with special needs will not stand out or seem out of place.

Empowers Students for the Future

Though we do not know the kinds of jobs that will be around when many of the students are adults joining the workforce, we do know that technology is not going anywhere. They will need strong technology skills in whichever field they choose after school. A mindset that processes newer ways of learning and technology can make all the difference in a student’s future.

Provides Up-to-Date Information

While revisions to hard copy materials take months or even years, students and teachers can access the latest information instantly with online textbooks. There is no longer a need to cut out articles from a newspaper to discuss current issues in class. Students and teachers can access current events online on many reputable news sites.

Tackles Complex Topics

Students may be required to explore challenging and complex matters during learning. With classroom technology, students and teachers can access all the resources they need to address intricate topics they may encounter during the teaching and learning processes.

Final Thoughts

While some people vehemently support the use of classroom technology, others point out the negative impact it has on the students. Parents and teachers may worry about the extra screen time, distractions and the lack of face-to-face interactions. However, if the use of technology in the classroom is done effectively, teachers can negate the handful of negative associations to create a safe learning environment. Education technology will increase the engagement and motivation of students while working on fun and interactive educational tasks. Overall, they will develop the skills to have a golden future.

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Technology in education

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A tool on whose terms?

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Major advances in technology, especially digital technology, are rapidly transforming the world. Information and communication technology (ICT) has been applied for 100 years in education, ever since the popularization of radio in the 1920s. But it is the use of digital technology over the past 40 years that has the most significant potential to transform education. An education technology industry has emerged and focused, in turn, on the development and distribution of education content, learning management systems, language applications, augmented and virtual reality, personalized tutoring, and testing. Most recently, breakthroughs in artificial intelligence (AI), methods have increased the power of education technology tools, leading to speculation that technology could even supplant human interaction in education.

In the past 20 years, learners, educators and institutions have widely adopted digital technology tools. The number of students in MOOCs increased from 0 in 2012 to at least 220 million in 2021. The language learning application Duolingo had 20 million daily active users in 2023, and Wikipedia had 244 million page views per day in 2021. The 2018 PISA found that 65% of 15-year-old students in OECD countries were in schools whose principals agreed that teachers had the technical and pedagogical skills to integrate digital devices in instruction and 54% in schools where an effective online learning support platform was available; these shares are believed to have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Globally, the percentage of internet users rose from 16% in 2005 to 66% in 2022. About 50% of the world’s lower secondary schools were connected to the internet for pedagogical purposes in 2022.

The adoption of digital technology has resulted in many changes in education and learning. The set of basic skills that young people are expected to learn in school, at least in richer countries, has expanded to include a broad range of new ones to navigate the digital world. In many classrooms, paper has been replaced by screens and pens by keyboards. COVID-19 can be seen as a natural experiment where learning switched online for entire education systems virtually overnight. Higher education is the subsector with the highest rate of digital technology adoption, with online management platforms replacing campuses. The use of data analytics has grown in education management. Technology has made a wide range of informal learning opportunities accessible.

Yet the extent to which technology has transformed education needs to be debated. Change resulting from the use of digital technology is incremental, uneven and bigger in some contexts than others. The application of digital technology varies by community and socioeconomic level, by teacher willingness and preparedness, by education level, and by country income. Except in the most technologically advanced countries, computers and devices are not used in classrooms on a large scale. Technology use is not universal and will not become so any time soon. Moreover, evidence is mixed on its impact: Some types of technology seem to be effective in improving some kinds of learning. The short- and long-term costs of using digital technology appear to be significantly underestimated. The most disadvantaged are typically denied the opportunity to benefit from this technology.

Too much attention on technology in education usually comes at a high cost. Resources spent on technology, rather than on classrooms, teachers and textbooks for all children in low- and lower-middle-income countries lacking access to these resources are likely to lead to the world being further away from achieving the global education goal, SDG 4. Some of the world’s richest countries ensured universal secondary schooling and minimum learning competencies before the advent of digital technology. Children can learn without it.

However, their education is unlikely to be as relevant without digital technology. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights defines the purpose of education as promoting the ‘full development of the human personality’, strengthening ‘respect for … fundamental freedoms’ and promoting ‘understanding, tolerance and friendship’. This notion needs to move with the times. An expanded definition of the right to education could include effective support by technology for all learners to fulfil their potential, regardless of context or circumstance.

Clear objectives and principles are needed to ensure that technology use is of benefit and avoids harm. The negative and harmful aspects in the use of digital technology in education and society include risk of distraction and lack of human contact. Unregulated technology even poses threats to democracy and human rights, for instance through invasion of privacy and stoking of hatred. Education systems need to be better prepared to teach about and through digital technology, a tool that must serve the best interests of all learners, teachers and administrators. Impartial evidence showing that technology is being used in some places to improve education, and good examples of such use, need to be shared more widely so that the optimal mode of delivery can be assured for each context.

CAN TECHNOLOGY HELP SOLVE THE MOST IMPORTANT CHALLENGES IN EDUCATION?

Discussions about education technology are focused on technology rather than education. The first question should be: What are the most important challenges in education? As a basis for discussion, consider the following three challenges:

• Equity and inclusion: Is fulfilment of the right to choose the education one wants and to realize one’s full potential through education compatible with the goal of equality? If not, how can education become the great equalizer?
• Quality: Do education’s content and delivery support societies in achieving sustainable development objectives? If not, how can education help learners to not only acquire knowledge but also be agents of change?
• Efficiency: Does the current institutional arrangement of teaching learners in classrooms support the achievement of equity and quality? If not, how can education balance individualized instruction and socialization needs?

How best can digital technology be included in a strategy to tackle these challenges, and under what conditions? Digital technology packages and transmits information on an unprecedented scale at high speed and low cost. Information storage has revolutionized the volume of accessible knowledge. Information processing enables learners to receive immediate feedback and, through interaction with machines, adapt their learning pace and trajectory: Learners can organize the sequence of what they learn to suit their background and characteristics. Information sharing lowers the cost of interaction and communication. But while such technology has tremendous potential, many tools have not been designed for application to education. Not enough attention has been given to how they are applied in education and even less to how they should be applied in different education contexts.

On the question of equity and inclusion , ICT – and digital technology in particular – helps lower the education access cost for some disadvantaged groups: Those who live in remote areas are displaced, face learning difficulties, lack time or have missed out on past education opportunities. But while access to digital technology has expanded rapidly, there are deep divides in access. Disadvantaged groups own fewer devices, are less connected to the internet (Figure 1) and have fewer resources at home. The cost of much technology is falling rapidly but is still too high for some. Households that are better off can buy technology earlier, giving them more advantages and compounding disparity. Inequality in access to technology exacerbates existing inequality in access to education, a weakness exposed during the COVID-19 school closures.

Figure 1: Internet connectivity is highly unequal

Percentage of 3- to 17-year-olds with internet connection at home, by wealth quintile, selected countries, 2017–19 Source: UNICEF database.

Education quality is a multifaceted concept. It encompasses adequate inputs (e.g. availability of technology infrastructure), prepared teachers (e.g. teacher standards for technology use in classrooms), relevant content (e.g. integration of digital literacy in the curriculum) and individual learning outcomes (e.g. minimum levels of proficiency in reading and mathematics). But education quality should also encompass social outcomes. It is not enough for students to be vessels receiving knowledge; they need to be able to use it to help achieve sustainable development in social, economic and environmental terms.

There are a variety of views on the extent to which digital technologies can enhance education quality. Some argue that, in principle, digital technology creates engaging learning environments, enlivens student experiences, simulates situations, facilitates collaboration and expands connections. But others say digital technology tends to support an individualized approach to education, reducing learners’ opportunities to socialize and learn by observing each other in real-life settings. Moreover, just as new technology overcomes some constraints, it brings its own problems. Increased screen time has been associated with adverse impact on physical and mental health. Insufficient regulation has led to unauthorized use of personal data for commercial purposes. Digital technology has also helped spread misinformation and hate speech, including through education.

Improvements to efficiency may be the most promising way for digital technology to make a difference in education. Technology is touted as being able to reduce the time students and teachers spend on menial tasks, time that can be used in other, educationally more meaningful activities. However, there are conflicting views on what is meaningful. The way that education technology is used is more complex than just a substitution of resources. Technology may be one-to-many, one-to-one or peer-to-peer technology. It may require students to learn alone or with others, online or offline, independently or networked. It delivers content, creates learner communities and connects teachers with students. It provides access to information. It may be used for formal or informal learning and can assess what has been learned. It is used as a tool for productivity, creativity, communication, collaboration, design and data management. It may be professionally produced or have user-generated content. It may be specific to schools and place-based or transcend time and place. As in any complex system, each technology tool involves distinct infrastructure, design, content and pedagogy, and each may promote different types of learning.

Technology is evolving too fast to permit evaluation that could inform decisions on legislation, policy and regulation. Research on technology in education is as complex as technology itself. Studies evaluate experiences of learners of various ages using various methodologies applied in contexts as different as self-study, classrooms and schools of diverse sizes and features, non-school settings, and at system level. Findings that apply in some contexts are not always replicable elsewhere. Some conclusions can be drawn from long-term studies as technologies mature but there is an endless stream of new products. Meanwhile, not all impact can be easily measured, given technology’s ubiquity, complexity, utility and heterogeneity. In brief, while there is much general research on education technology, the amount of research for specific applications and contexts is insufficient, making it difficult to prove that a particular technology enhances a particular kind of learning.

Why is there often the perception nevertheless that technology can address major education challenges? To understand the discourse around education technology, it is necessary to look behind the language being used to promote it, and the interests it serves. Who frames the problems technology should address? What are the consequences of such framing for education? Who promotes education technology as a precondition for education transformation? How credible are such claims? What criteria and standards need to be set to evaluate digital technology’s current and potential future contribution to education so as to separate hype from substance? Can evaluation go beyond short-term assessments of impact on learning and capture potential far-reaching consequences of the generalized use of digital technology in education?

Exaggerated claims about technology go hand in hand with exaggerated estimates of its global market size. In 2022, business intelligence providers’ estimates ranged from USD 123 billion to USD 300 billion. These accounts are almost always projected forward, predicting optimistic expansion, yet they fail to give historic trends and verify whether past projections proved true. Such reporting routinely characterizes education technology as essential and technology companies as enablers and disruptors. If optimistic projections are not fulfilled, responsibility is implicitly placed on governments as a way of maintaining indirect pressure on them to increase procurement. Education is criticized as being slow to change, stuck in the past and a laggard when it comes to innovation. Such coverage plays on users’ fascination with novelty but also their fear of being left behind.

The sections below further explore the three challenges this report addresses: equity and inclusion (in terms of access to education for disadvantaged groups and access to content), quality (in terms of teaching through and about digital technology) and efficiency (in terms of education management). After identifying technology’s potential to tackle these challenges, it discusses three conditions that need to be met for that potential to be fulfilled: equitable access, appropriate governance and regulation, and sufficient teacher capacity.

EQUITY AND INCLUSION: ACCESS FOR DISADVANTAGED GROUPS

A wide range of technology brings education to hard-to-reach learners. Technology has historically opened up education to learners facing significant obstacles in access to schools or well-trained teachers. Interactive radio instruction is used in nearly 40 countries. In Nigeria, radio instruction combined with print and audiovisual materials has been used since the 1990s, reaching nearly 80% of nomads and increasing their literacy, numeracy and life skills. Television has helped educate marginalized groups, notably in Latin America and the Caribbean. The Telesecundaria programme in Mexico, combining televised lessons with in-class support and extensive teacher training, increased secondary school enrolment by 21%. Mobile learning devices, often the only type of device accessible to disadvantaged learners, have been used in hard-to-reach areas and emergencies to share educational materials; complement in-person or remote channels; and foster interactions between students, teachers and parents, notably during COVID-19. Adults have been the main target of online distance learning, with open universities having increased participation for both working and disadvantaged adults.

Inclusive technology supports accessibility and personalization for learners with disabilities. Assistive technology removes learning and communication barriers, with numerous studies reporting a significant positive impact on academic engagement, social participation and the well-being of learners with disabilities. However, such devices remain inaccessible and unaffordable in many countries, and teachers often lack specialized training to use them effectively in learning environments. While people with disabilities used to rely exclusively on specialized devices to gain access to education, technology platforms and devices are increasingly incorporating accessibility features, which support inclusive, personalized learning for all students.

Technology supports learning continuity in emergencies. Mapping of 101 distance education projects in crisis contexts in 2020 showed that 70% used radio, television and basic mobile phones. During the Boko Haram crisis in Nigeria, the Technology Enhanced Learning for All programme used mobile phones and radios to support the learning continuity of 22,000 disadvantaged children, with recorded improvement in literacy and numeracy skills. However, there are significant gaps in terms of rigorous evaluation of education technology in emergencies, despite some limited recorded impact. Meanwhile, most projects are led by non-state actors as short-term crisis responses, raising sustainability concerns; education ministries implemented only 12% of the 101 projects.

Technology supported learning during COVID-19, but millions were left out. During school closures, 95% of education ministries carried out some form of distance learning, potentially reaching over 1 billion students globally. Many of the resources used during the pandemic were first developed in response to previous emergencies or rural education, with some countries building on decades of experience with remote learning. Sierra Leone revived the Radio Teaching Programme, developed during the Ebola crisis, one week after schools closed. Mexico expanded content from its Telesecundaria programme to all levels of education. However, at least half a billion, or 31% of students worldwide – mostly the poorest (72%) and those in rural areas (70%) – could not be reached by remote learning. Although 91% of countries used online learning platforms to deliver distance learning during school closures, the platforms only reached a quarter of students globally. For the rest, low-tech interventions such as radio and television were largely used, in combination with paper-based materials and mobile phones for increased interactivity.

Some countries are expanding existing platforms to reach marginalized groups. Less than half of all countries developed long-term strategies for increasing their resilience and the sustainability of interventions as part of their COVID-19 response plans. Many have abandoned distance learning platforms developed during COVID-19, while others are repurposing them to reach marginalized learners. The digital platform set up in Ukraine during the pandemic was expanded once the war broke out in 2022, allowing 85% of schools to complete the academic year.

EQUITY AND INCLUSION: ACCESS TO CONTENT

Technology facilitates content creation and adaptation. Open educational resources (OERs) encourage the reuse and repurposing of materials to cut development time, avoid duplication of work and make materials more context-specific or relevant to learners. They also significantly reduce the cost of access to content. In the US state of North Dakota, an initial investment of USD 110,000 to shift to OERs led to savings of over USD 1 million in student costs. Social media increases access to user-generated content. YouTube, a major player in both formal and informal learning, is used by about 80% of the world’s top 113 universities. Moreover, collaborative digital tools can improve the diversity and quality of content creation. In South Africa, the Siyavule initiative supported tutor collaboration on the creation of primary and secondary education textbooks.

Digitization of educational content simplifies access and distribution. Many countries, including Bhutan and Rwanda, have created static digital versions of traditional textbooks to increase availability. Others, including India and Sweden, have produced digital textbooks that encourage interactivity and multimodal learning. Digital libraries and educational content repositories such as the National Academic Digital Library of Ethiopia, National Digital Library of India and Teachers Portal in Bangladesh help teachers and learners find relevant materials. Learning management platforms, which have become a key part of the contemporary learning environment, help organize content by integrating digital resources into course structures.

Open access resources help overcome barriers. Open universities and MOOCs can eliminate time, location and cost barriers to access. In Indonesia, where low participation in tertiary education is largely attributed to geographical challenges, MOOCs play an important role in expanding access to post-secondary learning. During COVID-19, MOOC enrolment surged, with the top three providers adding as many users in April 2020 as in all of 2019. Technology can also remove language barriers. Translation tools help connect teachers and learners from various countries and increase the accessibility of courses by non-native students.

Ensuring and assessing the quality of digital content is difficult. The sheer quantity of content and its decentralized production pose logistical challenges for evaluation. Several strategies have been implemented to address this. China established specific quality criteria for MOOCs to be nationally recognized. The European Union developed its OpenupED quality label. India strengthened the link between non-formal and formal education. Micro-credentials are increasingly used to ensure that institution and learner both meet minimum standards. Some platforms aim to improve quality by recentralizing content production. YouTube, for example, has been funnelling financing and resources to a few trusted providers and partnering with well-established education institutions.

Technology may reinforce existing inequality in both access to and production of content. Privileged groups still produce most content. A study of higher-education repositories with OER collections found that nearly 90% were created in Europe or North America; 92% of the material in the OER Commons global library is in English. This influences who has access to digital content. MOOCs, for example, mainly benefit educated learners – studies have shown around 80% of participants on major platforms already have a tertiary degree – and those from richer countries. The disparity is due to divides in digital skills, internet access, language and course design. Regional MOOCs cater to local needs and languages but can also worsen inequality.

TEACHING AND LEARNING

Technology has been used to support teaching and learning in multiple ways. Digital technology offers two broad types of opportunities. First, it can improve instruction by addressing quality gaps, increasing opportunities to practise, increasing available time and personalizing instruction. Second, it can engage learners by varying how content is represented, stimulating interaction and prompting collaboration. Systematic reviews over the past two decades on technology’s impact on learning find small to medium-sized positive effects compared to traditional instruction. However, evaluations do not always isolate technology’s impact in an intervention, making it difficult to attribute positive effects to technology alone rather than to other factors, such as added instruction time, resources or teacher support. Technology companies can have disproportionate influence on evidence production. For example, Pearson funded studies contesting independent analysis that showed its products had no impact.

The prevalence of ICT use in classrooms is not high, even in the world’s richest countries. The 2018 PISA found that only about 10% of 15-year-old students in over 50 participating education systems used digital devices for more than an hour a week in mathematics and science lessons, on average (Figure 2) . The 2018 International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS) showed that in the 12 participating education systems, simulation and modelling software in classrooms was available to just over one third of students, with country levels ranging from 8% in Italy to 91% in Finland.

Figure 2: Even in upper-middle- and high-income countries, technology use in mathematics and science classrooms is limited

Percentage of 15-year-old students who used digital devices for at least one hour per week in mathematics or science classroom lessons, selected upper-middle- and high-income countries, 2018 Source: 2018 PISA database.

Recorded lessons can address teacher quality gaps and improve teacher time allocation. In China, lesson recordings from high-quality urban teachers were delivered to 100 million rural students. An impact evaluation showed improvements in Chinese skills by 32% and a 38% long-term reduction in the rural–urban earning gap. However, just delivering materials without contextualizing and providing support is insufficient. In Peru, the One Laptop Per Child programme distributed over 1 million laptops loaded with content, but no positive impact on learning resulted, partly due to the focus on provision of devices instead of the quality of pedagogical integration.

Enhancing technology-aided instruction with personalization can improve some types of learning. Personalized adaptive software generates analytics that can help teachers track student progress, identify error patterns, provide differentiated feedback and reduce workload on routine tasks. Evaluations of the use of a personalized adaptive software in India documented learning gains in after-school settings and for low-performing students. However, not all widely used software interventions have strong evidence of positive effects compared to teacher-led instruction. A meta-analysis of studies on an AI learning and assessment system that has been used by over 25 million students in the United States found it was no better than traditional classroom teaching in improving outcomes.

Varied interaction and visual representation can enhance student engagement. A meta-analysis of 43 studies published from 2008 to 2019 found that digital games improved cognitive and behavioural outcomes in mathematics. Interactive whiteboards can support teaching and learning if well integrated in pedagogy; but in the United Kingdom, despite large-scale adoption, they were mostly used to replace blackboards. Augmented, mixed or virtual reality used as an experiential learning tool for repeated practice in life-like conditions in technical, vocational and scientific subjects is not always as effective as real-life training but may be superior to other digital methods, such as video demonstrations.

Technology offers teachers low-cost and convenient ways to communicate with parents. The Colombian Institute of Family Welfare’s distance education initiative, which targeted 1.7 million disadvantaged children, relied on social media platforms to relay guidance to caregivers on pedagogical activities at home. However, uptake and effectiveness of behavioural interventions targeting caregivers are limited by parental education levels, as well as lack of time and material resources.

Student use of technology in classrooms and at home can be distracting, disrupting learning. A meta-analysis of research on student mobile phone use and its impact on education outcomes, covering students from pre-primary to higher education in 14 countries, found a small negative effect, and a larger one at the university level. Studies using PISA data indicate a negative association between ICT use and student performance beyond a threshold of moderate use. Teachers perceive tablet and phone use as hampering classroom management. More than one in three teachers in seven countries participating in the 2018 ICILS agreed that ICT use in classrooms distracted students. Online learning relies on student ability to self-regulate and may put low-performing and younger learners at increased risk of disengagement.

DIGITAL SKILLS

The definition of digital skills has been evolving along with digital technology. An analysis for this report shows that 54% of countries have identified digital skills standards for learners. The Digital Competence Framework for Citizens (DigComp), developed on behalf of the European Commission, has five competence areas: information and data literacy, communication and collaboration, digital content creation, safety, and problem-solving. Some countries have adopted digital skills frameworks developed by non-state, mostly commercial, actors. The International Computer Driving Licence (ICDL) has been promoted as a ‘digital skills standard’ but is associated mainly with Microsoft applications. Kenya and Thailand have endorsed the ICDL as the digital literacy standard for use in schools.

Digital skills are unequally distributed. In the 27 European Union (EU) countries, 54% of adults had at least basic digital skills in 2021. In Brazil, 31% of adults had at least basic skills, but the level was twice as high in urban as in rural areas, three times as high among those in the labour force as among those outside it, and nine times as high in the top socioeconomic group as in the two bottom groups. The overall gender gap in digital skills is small, but wider in specific skills. In 50 countries, 6.5% of males and 3.2% of females could write a computer program. In Belgium, Hungary and Switzerland, no more than 2 women for every 10 men could program; in Albania, Malaysia and Palestine, 9 women for every 10 men could do so. According to the 2018 PISA, 5% of 15-year-olds with the strongest reading skills but 24% of those with the weakest ones were at risk of being misled by a typical phishing email.

Formal skills training may not be the main way of acquiring digital skills. About one quarter of adults in EU countries, ranging from 16% in Italy to 40% in Sweden, had acquired skills through a ‘formalised educational institution’. Informal learning, such as self-study and informal assistance from colleagues, relatives and friends, was used by twice as many. Still, formal education is important: In 2018, those with tertiary education in Europe were twice as likely (18%) as those with upper secondary education (9%) to engage in free online training or self-study to improve their computer, software or application use. Solid mastery of literacy and numeracy skills is positively associated with mastery of at least some digital skills.

A curriculum content mapping of 16 education systems showed that Greece and Portugal dedicated less than 10% of the curriculum to data and media literacy while Estonia and the Republic of Korea embedded both in half their curricula. In some countries, media literacy in curricula is explicitly connected to critical thinking in subject disciplines, as under Georgia’s New School Model. Asia is characterized by a protectionist approach to media literacy that prioritizes information control over education. But in the Philippines, the Association for Media and Information Literacy successfully advocated for incorporation of media and information literacy in the curriculum, and it is now a core subject in grades 11 and 12.

Digital skills in communication and collaboration matter in hybrid learning arrangements. Argentina promoted teamwork skills as part of a platform for programming and robotics competitions in primary and secondary education. Mexico offers teachers and students digital education resources and tools for remote collaboration, peer learning and knowledge sharing. Ethical digital behaviour includes rules, conventions and standards to be learned, understood and practised by digital users when using digital spaces. Digital communication’s anonymity, invisibility, asynchronicity and minimization of authority can make it difficult for individuals to understand its complexities.

Competences in digital content creation include selecting appropriate delivery formats and creating copy, audio, video and visual assets; integrating digital content; and respecting copyright and licences. The ubiquitous use of social media has turned content creation into a skill with direct application in electronic commerce. In Indonesia, the Siberkreasi platform counts collaborative engagement among its core activities. The Kenya Copyright Board collaborates closely with universities to provide copyright education and conducts frequent training sessions for students in the visual arts and ICT.

Education systems need to strengthen preventive measures and respond to many safety challenges, from passwords to permissions, helping learners understand the implications of their online presence and digital footprint. In Brazil, 29% of schools have conducted debates or lectures on privacy and data protection. In New Zealand, the Te Mana Tūhono (Power of Connectivity) programme delivers digital protection and security services to almost 2,500 state and state-integrated schools. A systematic review of interventions in Australia, Italy, Spain and the United States estimated that the average programme had a 76% chance of reducing cyberbullying perpetration. In Wales, United Kingdom, the government has advised schools how to prepare for and respond to harmful viral online content and hoaxes.

The definition of problem-solving skills varies widely among education systems. Many countries perceive them in terms of coding and programming and as part of a computer science curriculum that includes computational thinking, algorithm use and automation. A global review estimated that 43% of students in high-income countries, 62% in upper-middle-income, 5% in lower-middle-income but no students in low-income countries take computer science as compulsory in primary and/or secondary education. Only 20% of education systems require schools to offer computer science as an elective or core course. Non-state actors often support coding and programming skills. In Chile, Code.org has partnered with the government to provide educational resources in computer science.

EDUCATION MANAGEMENT

Education management information systems focus on efficiency and effectiveness. Education reforms have been characterized by increased school autonomy, target setting and results-based performance, all of which require more data. By one measure, since the 1990s, the number of policies making reference to data, statistics and information has increased by 13 times in high-income, 9 times in upper-middle-income, and 5 times in low- and lower-middle-income countries. But only 54% of countries globally – and as low as 22% in sub-Saharan Africa – have unique student identification mechanisms.

Geospatial data can support education management. Geographical information systems help address equity and efficiency in infrastructure and resource distribution in education systems. School mapping has been used to foster diversity and reduce inequality of opportunity. Ireland links three databases to decide in which of its 314 planning areas to build new schools. Geospatial data can identify areas where children live too far from the nearest school. For instance, it has been estimated that 5% of the population in Guatemala and 41% in the United Republic of Tanzania live more than 3 kilometres away from the nearest primary school.

Education management information systems struggle with data integration. In 2017, Malaysia introduced the Education Data Repository as part of its 2019–23 ICT Transformation Plan to progressively integrate its 350 education data systems and applications scattered across institutions. By 2019, it had integrated 12 of its main data systems, aiming for full integration through a single data platform by the end of 2023. In New Zealand, schools had been procuring student management systems independently and lack of interoperability between them was preventing authorities from tracking student progress. In 2019, the government began setting up the National Learner Repository and Data Exchange to be hosted in cloud data centres, but deployment was paused in 2021 due to cybersecurity concerns. European countries have been addressing interoperability concerns collectively to facilitate data sharing between countries and across multiple applications used in higher-education management through the EMREX project.

Computer-based assessments and computer adaptive testing have been replacing many paper-based assessments. They reduce test administration costs, improve measurement quality and provide rapid scoring. As more examinations shift online, the need for online cheating detection and proctoring tools has also increased. While these can reduce cheating, their effectiveness should be weighed against fairness and psychological effects. Evidence on the quality and usefulness of technology-based assessments has started to emerge, but much less is known about cost efficiency. Among 34 papers on technology-based assessments reviewed for this report, transparent data on cost were lacking.

Learning analytics can increase formative feedback and enable early detection systems. In China, learning analytics has been used to identify learners’ difficulties, predict learning trajectories and manage teacher resources. In the United States, Course Signals is a system used to flag the likelihood of a student not passing a course; educators can then target them for additional support. However, learning analytics requires all actors to have sufficient data literacy. Successful education systems typically have absorptive capacity, including strong school leaders and confident teachers willing to innovate. Yet often seemingly trivial issues, such as maintenance and repair, are ignored or underestimated.

ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY: EQUITY, EFFICIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY

Access to electricity and devices is highly unequal between and within countries. In 2021, almost 9% of the global population – and more than 70% of people in rural sub-Saharan Africa – lacked access to electricity. Globally, one in four primary schools do not have electricity. A 2018 study in Cambodia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Myanmar, Nepal and Niger found that 31% of public schools were on grid and 9% were off grid, with only 16% enjoying uninterrupted power supply. Globally, 46% of households had a computer at home in 2020; the share of schools with computers for pedagogical purposes was 47% in primary, 62% in lower secondary and 76% in upper secondary education. There were at most 10 computers per 100 students in Brazil and Morocco but 160 computers per 100 students in Luxembourg, according to the 2018 PISA.

Internet access, a vital enabler of economic, social and cultural rights, is also unequal. In 2022, two in three people globally used the internet. In late 2021, 55% of the world’s population had mobile broadband access. In low- and middle-income countries, 16% less women than men used mobile internet in 2021. An estimated 3.2 billion people do not use mobile internet services despite being covered by a mobile broadband network. Globally, 40% of primary, 50% of lower secondary and 65% of upper secondary schools are connected to the internet. In India, 53% of private unaided and 44% of private aided schools are connected, compared with only 14% of government schools.

Various policies are used to improve access to devices. Some one in five countries have policies granting subsidies or deductions to buy devices. One-to-one technology programmes were established in 30% of countries at one time; currently only 15% of countries pursue such programmes. A number of upper-middle- and high-income countries are shifting from providing devices to allowing students to use their own devices in school. Jamaica adopted a Bring Your Own Device policy framework in 2020 to aim for sustainability.

Some countries champion free and open source software. Education institutions with complex ICT infrastructure, such as universities, can benefit from open source software to add new solutions or functionalities. By contrast, proprietary software does not permit sharing and has vendor locks that hinder interoperability, exchange and updates. In India, the National e-Governance Plan makes it mandatory for all software applications and services used in government to be built on open source software to achieve efficiency, transparency, reliability and affordability.

Countries are committed to universal internet provision at home and in school. About 85% of countries have policies to improve school or learner connectivity and 38% have laws on universal internet provision. A review of 72 low- and middle-income countries found that 29 had used universal service funds to reduce costs for underserved groups. In Kyrgyzstan, renegotiated contracts helped cut prices by nearly half and almost doubled internet speed. In Costa Rica, the Hogares Conectados (Connected Households) programme, which provided an internet cost subsidy to the poorest 60% of households with school-age children, helped reduce the share of unconnected households from 41% in 2016 to 13% in 2019. Zero-rating, or providing free internet access for education or other purposes, has been used, especially during COVID-19, but is not without problems, as it violates the net neutrality principle.

Education technology is often underutilized. In the United States, an average of 67% of education software licences were unused and 98% were not used intensively. According to the EdTech Genome Project, 85% of some 7,000 pedagogical tools, which cost USD 13 billion, were ‘either a poor fit or implemented incorrectly’. Less than one in five of the top 100 education technology tools used in classrooms met the requirements of the US Every Student Succeeds Act. Research had been published for 39% of these tools but the research was aligned with the act in only 26% of cases.

Evidence needs to drive education technology decisions. A review in the United Kingdom found that only 7% of education technology companies had conducted randomized controlled trials, 12% had used third-party certification and 18% had engaged in academic studies. An online survey of teachers and administrators in 17 US states showed that only 11% requested peer-reviewed evidence prior to adopting education technology. Recommendations influence purchase decisions, yet ratings can be manipulated through fake reviews disseminated on social media. Few governments try to fill the evidence gap, so demand has grown for independent reviews. Edtech Tulna, a partnership between a private think tank and a public university in India, offers quality standards, an evaluation toolkit and publicly available expert reviews.

Education technology procurement decisions need to take economic, social and environmental sustainability into account. With respect to economic considerations, it is estimated that initial investment in education technology accounts for just 25% or less of the eventual total cost. Regarding social concerns, procurement processes need to address equity, accessibility, local ownership and appropriation. In France, the Territoires Numériques Educatifs (Digital Educational Territories) initiative was criticized because not all subsidized equipment met local needs, and local governments were left out of the decisions on which equipment to purchase. Both issues have since been addressed. Concerning environmental considerations, it has been estimated that extending the lifespan of all laptops in the European Union by a year would save the equivalent of taking almost 1 million cars off the road in terms of CO2 emissions.

Regulation needs to address risks in education technology procurement. Public procurement is vulnerable to collusion and corruption. In 2019, Brazil’s Comptroller General of the Union found irregularities in the electronic bidding process for the purchase of 1.3 million computers, laptops and notebooks for state and municipal public schools. Decentralizing public procurement to local governments is one way to balance some of the risks. Indonesia has used its SIPLah e-commerce platform to support school-level procurement processes. However, decentralization is vulnerable to weak organizational capacity. A survey of administrators in 54 US school districts found that they had rarely carried out needs assessments.

GOVERNANCE AND REGULATION

Governance of the education technology system is fragmented. A department or an agency responsible for education technology has been identified in 82% of countries. Placing education ministries in charge of education technology strategies and plans could help ensure that decisions are primarily based on pedagogical principles. However, this is the case in just 58% of countries. In Kenya, the 2019 National Information, Communications and Technology Policy led the Ministry of Information, Communications and Technology to integrate ICT at all levels of education.

Participation is often limited in the development of education technology strategies and plans. Nepal established a Steering and a Coordination Committee under the 2013–17 ICT in Education Master Plan for intersectoral and inter-agency coordination and cooperation in its implementation. Including administrators, teachers and students can help bridge the knowledge gap with decision makers to ensure that education technology choices are appropriate. In 2022, only 41% of US education sector leaders agreed that they were regularly included in planning and strategic conversations about technology.

The private sector’s commercial interests can clash with government equity, quality and efficiency goals. In India, the government alerted families about the hidden costs of free online content. Other risks relate to data use and protection, privacy, interoperability and lock-in effects, whereby students and teachers are compelled to use specific software or platforms. Google, Apple and Microsoft produce education platforms tied to particular hardware and operating systems.

Privacy risks to children make their learning environment unsafe. One analysis found that 89% of 163 education technology products recommended for children’s learning during the COVID-19 pandemic could or did watch children outside school hours or education settings. In addition, 39 of 42 governments providing online education during the pandemic fostered uses that ‘risked or infringed’ upon children’s rights. Data used for predictive algorithms can bias predictions and decisions and lead to discrimination, privacy violations and exclusion of disadvantaged groups. The Cyberspace Administration of China and the Ministry of Education introduced regulations in 2019 requiring parental consent before devices powered by AI, such as cameras and headbands, could be used with students in schools and required data to be encrypted.

Children’s exposure to screen time has increased. A survey of screen time of parents of 3- to 8-year-olds in Australia, China, Italy, Sweden and the United States found that their children’s screen exposure increased by 50 minutes during the pandemic for both education and leisure. Extended screen time can negatively affect self-control and emotional stability, increasing anxiety and depression. Few countries have strict regulations on screen time. In China, the Ministry of Education limited the use of digital devices as teaching tools to 30% of overall teaching time. Less than one in four countries are banning the use of smartphones in schools. Italy and the United States have banned the use of specific tools or social media from schools. Cyberbullying and online abuse are rarely defined as offences but can fall under existing laws, such as stalking laws as in Australia and harassment laws in Indonesia.

Monitoring of data protection law implementation is needed. Only 16% of countries explicitly guarantee data privacy in education by law and 29% have a relevant policy, mainly in Europe and Northern America. The number of cyberattacks in education is rising. Such attacks increase exposure to theft of identity and other personal data, but capacity and funds to address the issue are often insufficient. Globally, 5% of all ransomware attacks targeted the education sector in 2022, accounting for more than 30% of cybersecurity breaches. Regulations on sharing children’s personal information are rare but are starting to emerge under the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation. China and Japan have binding instruments on protecting children’s data and information.

Technology has an impact on the teaching profession. Technology allows teachers to choose, modify and generate educational materials. Personalized learning platforms offer teachers customized learning paths and insights based on student data. During the COVID-19 pandemic, France facilitated access to 17 online teaching resource banks mapped against the national curriculum. The Republic of Korea temporarily eased copyright restrictions for teachers. Online teacher-student collaboration platforms provide access to support services, facilitate work team creation, allow participation in virtual sessions and promote sharing of learning materials.

Obstacles to integrating technology in education prevent teachers from fully embracing it. Inadequate digital infrastructure and lack of devices hinder teachers’ ability to integrate technology in their practice. A survey in 165 countries during the pandemic found that two in five teachers used their own devices, and almost one third of schools had only one device for education use. Some teachers lack training to use digital devices effectively. Older teachers may struggle to keep up with rapidly changing technology. The 2018 Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) found that older teachers in 48 education systems had weaker skills and lower self-efficacy in using ICT. Some teachers may lack confidence. Only 43% of lower secondary school teachers in the 2018 TALIS said they felt prepared to use technology for teaching after training, and 78% of teachers in the 2018 ICILS were not confident in using technology for assessment.

Education systems support teachers in developing technology-related professional competencies. About half of education systems worldwide have ICT standards for teachers in a competency framework, teacher training framework, development plan or strategy. Education systems set up annual digital education days for teachers, promote OER, support the exchange of experiences and resources between teachers, and offer training. One quarter of education systems have legislation to ensure teachers are trained in technology, either through initial or in-service training. Some 84% of education systems have strategies for in-service teacher professional development, compared with 72% for pre-service teacher education in technology. Teachers can identify their development needs using digital self-assessment tools such as that provided by the Centre for Innovation in Brazilian Education.

Technology is changing teacher training. Technology is used to create flexible learning environments, engage teachers in collaborative learning, support coaching and mentoring, increase reflective practice, and improve subject or pedagogical knowledge. Distance education programmes have promoted teacher learning in South Africa and even equalled the impact of in-person training in Ghana. Virtual communities have emerged, primarily through social networks, for communication and resource sharing. About 80% of teachers surveyed in the Caribbean belonged to professional WhatsApp groups and 44% used instant messaging to collaborate at least once a week. In Senegal, the Reading for All programme used in-person and online coaching. Teachers considered face-to-face coaching more useful, but online coaching cost 83% less and still achieved a significant, albeit small, improvement in how teachers guided students’ reading practice. In Flanders, Belgium, KlasCement, a teacher community network created by a non-profit and now run by the Ministry of Education, expanded access to digital education and provided a platform for discussions on distance education during the pandemic.

Many actors support teacher professional development in ICT. Universities, teacher training institutions and research institutes provide specialized training, research opportunities and partnerships with schools for professional development in ICT. In Rwanda, universities collaborated with teachers and the government to develop the ICT Essentials for Teachers course. Teacher unions also advocate for policies that support teachers. The Confederation of Education Workers of the Argentine Republic established the right of teachers to disconnect. Civil society organizations, including the Carey Institute for Global Good, offer support through initiatives such as providing OER and online courses for refugee teachers in Chad, Kenya, Lebanon and Niger.

10 Important Roles Of Technology In Education

• Post Author: edmonger
• Post published: July 28, 2021
• Post Category: Ed Tech Solutions / Trends and Insights
• Post Comments: 3 Comments

We can’t deny the fact that the developed world we see today can never be possible without the evaluation of technology. Even the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) promotes the Important roles of technology in education. Only through a technology driven education system, students have innovative learning solutions.

In this pandemic era of Covid-19, it would have never been possible for teachers to make students efficient learners at home if technology was not introduced. In addition, technology allows students to learn more effectively via online educational tools.

What is the Importance of Technology in Education?

The vital roles of technology in education is that teachers can serve all study material so that students can better understand the topics and solve the problem easier via Edtech. Educational technology approaches modern classroom / Smart classes, which primarily focus on improvising the performance of every student.

To understand the Importance of Technology in Education and how a new generation impacts the change in the whole education scenario, one must go through this article beneath the last section.

Why Technology Is Important In Education?

The important roles of technology in education lead to improve quality of studying; better communication facilitates skills and knowledge to students. Apart from that, with E-learning technology tools, students can access study material from any geographical area, wherever they go.

In spite of having various higher technology driven Education tools, schools are still using the pen/ pencil-and-paper methods for learning. However, via EdTech, the whole education structure has been revolutionized, enriching the learning process at just one fingertip of students.

Imperative Roles of Technology in Education

Here we have created this article to make you aware of the Important roles of technology in education for students as well as parents and teachers, have a glance –

• Promotes Effective Educational system 

Undoubtedly, since technology is introduced in the classroom, it encourages the overall growth of students. Technology is a robust process to promote a healthy educational system worldwide. The Most Important roles of technology in education makes learning more accessible, exciting and enjoyable. The development of technological advancements in education leads to enhance knowledge and skills of students. 

• Technology Helps Students Learn Much And Better

Any of us still wondering that how important is technology in Education? Thus, let me inform you that a survey has proved that digital learning technology helps most students improve their grades. Furthermore, through technology-based E-learning, students can learn more and better from different resources without depending on an institution or an instructor. 

The most important thing is that technology helps learners more easily in their field. Such as, Students can convert or type text in handwritten style with an online text to handwriting converter tool.This tool allows them to share their educational notes in handwriting style. Which makes it more appealing and eye-catching and also plays an important role in the modern age.

• Improvise better Communication and Collaboration

We all know that the existence of technology has improved communication and collaboration to a better level. Likewise, Educational technology also boosted communication and collaboration between teachers and students and students/ parents, teachers/parents, and peers. 

Teachers can interact with students to clear their doubts and make e-learning more effective. Technology enables one-on-one interaction in the classroom online.

• Provide Teachers More Resources  

Educational technology provides teachers plenty of e-learning tools like Gamification, AR / VR, smartboards etc. Through Advanced modern technology of education, teachers can use various digital tools to magnify learning opportunities for students. 

E-learning solution technologies enable teachers to improve their teaching skills. From technology, teachers can instruct well through video lessons, microlearning, attractive infographics etc. Moreover, teachers can engage the students by delivering online tests and different courses.

• Learning At Own Pace

The important roles of technology in education is to students as they can learn at any time and from anywhere. With the technology-based E-learning process, one can study in their comfort zone. Students can play, pause and re-watch complex topics using online educational applications until the concept is clear. 

Also Check – Importance of Online Teaching

• More Opportunities For Online Project-Based Learning

Most schools are opting now for online Project-Based Learning instead of wasting time on pen paper-based projects. Edtech solutions have also made Project-Based learning much more accessible and convenient for students. Now, one can create presentations using Google Classroom, Google Docs, PPT and Slides, etc. Through online Project-Based Learning, students use their skills and knowledge up to the next level to complete an assignment.

The importance Of Technology in Education is not just limited to efficient learning, but students can also have their personalized learning opportunities. Availability of more resources/ material 24*7 to students allows them to personalize learning better. We all know that not all students have the same learning frequency; thus, personalized learning is considered. Personalize learning is also known as self-paced learning, which can help individuals optimize the quantity of material according to their capability.

• Efficient Problem Solving Stuff

Well, studying without having any doubts can be possible only through modern intelligent classes. Video modules of every concept help each of you to cut out the doubts. So, If any problem arises in any topic, just go through Problem Solving material and clear all doubts.

• Better Understanding through Graphics

Technology has evaluated the learning process through video graphics, which helps the human mind understand the concept faster and remember it for a long time. This can be only possible because of the visual information system. Using VR technology in education, students can retain knowledge by 25% to 60%. Using VR educational technology like gamification, mobile learning, microlearning, visual graphics etc. students can experience fun and learning at the same time and keep engaged with their studies. 

• Save Time And Money

With the availability of more study material via E-learning technology, the student can spend less money on other materials. Even nowadays, many schools are more focusing on buying online study material, which is cheaper and convenient for storage. Teachers can save time and money by teaching students via advanced educational, technological systems like augmented reality and virtual reality programs free of cost online and helps one to learn and understand faster.

Challenges of Educational Technology

Besides various Importance Of Technology in Education, India still lacks somewhere to explore the technological educational system. Somehow, we are facing Challenges in establishing modern Educational Technology in the schools. 

More screen study time may also lead to some severe health issues. For example, continues use of computers, tablets, and phones for studies may cause back pain, neck pain, blurred vision and more.

In Online classes, teachers cannot monitor every student; this makes them lure them towards cheating. The latest Technology encourages the cheating process among students by sharing test sheets, copy-pasting each other answers, Google answers during the online class test.

Impact of Technology in Education

In today’s world, we all are interlinked with technology everywhere in our daily lives. So why not use Technology in Education. Technology is the only tool that helps to improve the education system in different ways. From teachers to students, technology leaves a vast impact on education. Modern EdTech makes education more flexible and perceptive. Various technology driven education tools have introduced free online resources, personalized learning materials, more engaging content, and a better understanding of visuals and opportunities for advanced learning.

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Technology might be making education worse

Listen to the essay, as read by Antero Garcia, associate professor in the Graduate School of Education.

As a professor of education and a former public school teacher, I’ve seen digital tools change lives in schools.

I’ve documented the ways mobile technology like phones can transform student engagement in my own classroom.

I’ve explored how digital tools might network powerful civic learning and dialogue for classrooms across the country – elements of education that are crucial for sustaining our democracy today.

And, like everyone, I’ve witnessed digital technologies make schooling safer in the midst of a global pandemic. Zoom and Google Classroom, for instance, allowed many students to attend classrooms virtually during a period when it was not feasible to meet in person.

So I want to tell you that I think technologies are changing education for the better and that we need to invest more in them – but I just can’t.

Given the substantial amount of scholarly time I’ve invested in documenting the life-changing possibilities of digital technologies, it gives me no pleasure to suggest that these tools might be slowly poisoning us. Despite their purported and transformational value, I’ve been wondering if our investment in educational technology might in fact be making our schools worse.

Let me explain.

When I was a classroom teacher, I loved relying on the latest tools to create impressive and immersive experiences for my students. We would utilize technology to create class films, produce social media profiles for the Janie Crawfords, the Holden Caulfields, and other literary characters we studied, and find playful ways to digitally share our understanding of the ideas we studied in our classrooms.

As a teacher, technology was a way to build on students’ interests in pop culture and the world around them. This was exciting to me.

But I’ve continued to understand that the aspects of technology I loved weren’t actually about technology at all – they were about creating authentic learning experiences with young people. At the heart of these digital explorations were my relationships with students and the trust we built together.

“Part of why I’ve grown so skeptical about this current digital revolution is because of how these tools reshape students’ bodies and their relation to the world around them.”

I do see promise in the suite of digital tools that are available in classrooms today. But my research focus on platforms – digital spaces like Amazon, Netflix, and Google that reshape how users interact in online environments – suggests that when we focus on the trees of individual tools, we ignore the larger forest of social and cognitive challenges.

Most people encounter platforms every day in their online social lives. From the few online retail stores where we buy groceries to the small handful of sites that stream our favorite shows and media content, platforms have narrowed how we use the internet today to a small collection of Silicon Valley behemoths. Our social media activities, too, are limited to one or two sites where we check on the updates, photos, and looped videos of friends and loved ones.

These platforms restrict our online and offline lives to a relatively small number of companies and spaces – we communicate with a finite set of tools and consume a set of media that is often algorithmically suggested. This centralization of internet – a trend decades in the making – makes me very uneasy.

From willfully hiding the negative effects of social media use for vulnerable populations to creating tools that reinforce racial bias, today’s platforms are causing harm and sowing disinformation for young people and adults alike. The deluge of difficult ethical and pedagogical questions around these tools are not being broached in any meaningful way in schools – even adults aren’t sure how to manage their online lives.

You might ask, “What does this have to do with education?” Platforms are also a large part of how modern schools operate. From classroom management software to attendance tracking to the online tools that allowed students to meet safely during the pandemic, platforms guide nearly every student interaction in schools today. But districts are utilizing these tools without considering the wider spectrum of changes that they have incurred alongside them.

Antero Garcia, associate professor of education (Image credit: Courtesy Antero Garcia)

For example, it might seem helpful for a school to use a management tool like Classroom Dojo (a digital platform that can offer parents ways to interact with and receive updates from their family’s teacher) or software that tracks student reading and development like Accelerated Reader for day-to-day needs. However, these tools limit what assessment looks like and penalize students based on flawed interpretations of learning.

Another problem with platforms is that they, by necessity, amass large swaths of data. Myriad forms of educational technology exist – from virtual reality headsets to e-readers to the small sensors on student ID cards that can track when students enter schools. And all of this student data is being funneled out of schools and into the virtual black boxes of company databases.

Part of why I’ve grown so skeptical about this current digital revolution is because of how these tools reshape students’ bodies and their relation to the world around them. Young people are not viewed as complete human beings but as boxes checked for attendance, for meeting academic progress metrics, or for confirming their location within a school building. Nearly every action that students perform in schools – whether it’s logging onto devices, accessing buildings, or sharing content through their private online lives – is noticed and recorded. Children in schools have become disembodied from their minds and their hearts. Thus, one of the greatest and implicit lessons that kids learn in schools today is that they must sacrifice their privacy in order to participate in conventional, civic society.

The pandemic has only made the situation worse. At its beginnings, some schools relied on software to track students’ eye movements, ostensibly ensuring that kids were paying attention to the tasks at hand. Similarly, many schools required students to keep their cameras on during class time for similar purposes. These might be seen as in the best interests of students and their academic growth, but such practices are part of a larger (and usually more invisible) process of normalizing surveillance in the lives of youth today.

I am not suggesting that we completely reject all of the tools at our disposal – but I am urging for more caution. Even the seemingly benign resources we might use in our classrooms today come with tradeoffs. Every Wi-Fi-connected, “smart” device utilized in schools is an investment in time, money, and expertise in technology over teachers and the teaching profession.

Our focus on fixing or saving schools via digital tools assumes that the benefits and convenience that these invisible platforms offer are worth it.

But my ongoing exploration of how platforms reduce students to quantifiable data suggests that we are removing the innovation and imagination of students and teachers in the process.

Antero Garcia is associate professor of education in the Graduate School of Education .

In Their Own Words is a collaboration between the Stanford Public Humanities Initiative  and Stanford University Communications.

If you’re a Stanford faculty member (in any discipline or school) who is interested in writing an essay for this series, please reach out to Natalie Jabbar at [email protected] .

Annual event emphasizes importance of STEM education, working together

G REENVILLE, N.C (WNCT) — A unique robotics competition on Saturday not only showcased the talents of students, it gave them a chance to work together to solve problems.

F.I.R.S.T North Carolina Robotics held its annual state championships at Minges Coliseum on the campus of East Carolina University. It featured 40 high school teams statewide competing for a spot at the international championships in Houston.

Marie Hopper, the president of F.I.R.S.T N.C, said a competition like this helps people realize how important STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) is in everyday life.  

“Every single day touches STEM in some way, shape or form,” she said. “Everybody uses math on a daily basis. Whether you realize it or not. Just what time do you get up in the morning? That’s math. We do technology all the time, we’re all connected to our devices, we’re all connected with each other globally because of technology.” 

Click the above video to find out more. 

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WNCT.

More From Forbes

Do college majors matter not as much as you think.

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Students in a lecture hall.

It might be the most common question college students get: “What’s your major?”

While it may be a great conversation starter on campus, the question isn’t that effective in predicting someone’s job choice—certainly not a full career trajectory. The better we understand that, the better equipped we’ll be to help students with the bigger questions they face at the starting line of adulthood.

David Gwyn knows this. One year after graduating from college with an English degree, he convinced JPMorgan Chase, the country’s largest investment bank , to hire him as a financial analyst.

“I knew there was value in getting an English degree, being able to take complex ideas and make them clearer,” said Gwyn, who has a bachelor’s degree from Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pa. “I think the hardest part is convincing other people of that.”

He had to prove his value—selling the communications skills that underlie his college major.

“With a finance degree, you might have an understanding of the system, but they’ll teach you that anyway,” Gwyn said. “It’s the difference between having a specific skill set and having a general understanding that you can apply to the job.”

Gwyn wrote about his journey from English major to financial analyst a couple of years ago, describing how he prepared for the critical job interviews with Chase and what he learned—including tips for other job-seekers schooled in the humanities.

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“I’ve found that if you position yourself correctly, an English major is actually one of the most malleable areas of study,” he wrote on the Medium website. “And if you understand that and can articulate it, you’re one step closer to success in pretty much any field.”

Stories like this should encourage students who are wondering how to apply their college learning. Increasingly, in a world where technology fills the roles once occupied by people, we’ll see the importance of agile problem-solving, communications, and critical thinking. That’s the work that only humans can do, as I explored in my most recent book , “Human Work in the Age of Smart Machines.”

For example, in some professional fields—medicine, engineering, law, and accounting—it’s easy to see the path to a job. But not always: A study by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found that fewer than one in three college graduates work in their field of study. Other sources put the figure higher, but still only 46 percent.

And some of the country’s best-known business leaders can attest to the enduring value of humanities degrees, including Starbucks founder Howard Schultz, former YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki, and Andrea Jung, former CEO of Avon Products. All pursued liberal arts degrees.

Gwyn, meanwhile, has changed course again. After two years in banking, he left to earn a master’s degree in English literature from Rutgers University and turned to education. He now teaches middle school in a Philadelphia suburb and has a podcast devoted to authors of suspense fiction.

David Gwyn in his classroom.

One of his former colleagues, Spencer Liddic, was with JPMorgan Chase for six years. Liddic was a finance major in college, but he agrees with Gwyn on the underlying skills needed for success.

“I learned nearly my entire role while training with JPMorgan—not while I was in college,” Liddic said. “If you have an aptitude for learning, you can learn nearly any entry-level job with on-the-job training, with little to no background on the subject.”

Liddic was an operations analyst at the time and today owns a real estate investment company in of Scranton, Pa. He agreed that being able to relate to others—sometimes harder than it sounds—is key to success in many fields.

“This is a large part of an entry-level finance job, where you are communicating daily with not only your colleagues but with clients of the company,” he said. “Being able to effectively and efficiently communicate is as important a skill as you can have."

Timing and even luck can influence a job search, but a recent study commissioned by the Modern Language Association, a professional association for scholars of language and literature, found that English majors are holding their own.

“Contrary to popular belief, career outcomes for English majors are similar to those of all graduates,” the study said. “Data from the National Humanities Alliance shows that in 2018, the unemployment rate was 2.17% for all college graduates and 2.3% for English majors. The median career peak annual earnings for all college graduates in 2018 was $78,000; for English majors, it was $76,000.”

A report from the American Association of Colleges and Universities found that while humanities and social science BA grads lag others in salaries for the first few years after graduating, on average, they catch and often exceed them later on.

There are no guarantees in life, including higher education, and no report will take the place of smart job-hunting practices, including the ones Gwyn wrote about. So, what does an investment analyst turned middle school English teacher tell his students?

“I tell them I'm teaching skills that are transferable to whatever job you get,” Gwyn said. “I don't just teach the curriculum; I teach the skills.”

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This paper is in the following e-collection/theme issue:

Published on 5.4.2024 in Vol 12 (2024)

Effects of a Serious Smartphone Game on Nursing Students' Theoretical Knowledge and Practical Skills in Adult Basic Life Support: Randomized Wait List–Controlled Trial

Authors of this article:

Original Paper

• Nino Fijačko 1, 2 * , MSc   ; 
• Ruth Masterson Creber 3 * , PhD   ; 
• Špela Metličar 1, 4 * , RN   ; 
• Matej Strnad 2, 5, 6 * , MD, PhD   ; 
• Robert Greif 7, 8, 9 * , MME, MD   ; 
• Gregor Štiglic 1, 10 * , PhD   ; 
• Pavel Skok 2 * , MD, PhD  

1 Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia

2 Maribor University Medical Centre, Maribor, Slovenia

3 School of Nursing, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States

4 Medical Dispatch Centre Maribor, University Clinical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia

5 Faculty of Medicine, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia

6 Community Healthcare Center Dr Adolfa Drolca Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia

7 European Resuscitation Council Research Net, Niels, Belgium

8 University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland

9 School of Medicine, Sigmund Freud University Vienna, Vienna, Austria

10 Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia

*all authors contributed equally

Corresponding Author:

Nino Fijačko, MSc

Faculty of Health Sciences

University of Maribor

Žitna 15

Maribor, 2000

Phone: 386 23004764

Email: [email protected]

Background: Retention of adult basic life support (BLS) knowledge and skills after professional training declines over time. To combat this, the European Resuscitation Council and the American Heart Association recommend shorter, more frequent BLS sessions. Emphasizing technology-enhanced learning, such as mobile learning, aims to increase out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) survival and is becoming more integral in nursing education.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate whether playing a serious smartphone game called MOBICPR at home can improve and retain nursing students’ theoretical knowledge of and practical skills in adult BLS.

Methods: This study used a randomized wait list–controlled design. Nursing students were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either a MOBICPR intervention group (MOBICPR-IG) or a wait-list control group (WL-CG), where the latter received the MOBICPR game 2 weeks after the MOBICPR-IG. The aim of the MOBICPR game is to engage participants in using smartphone gestures (eg, tapping) and actions (eg, talking) to perform evidence-based adult BLS on a virtual patient with OHCA. The participants’ theoretical knowledge of adult BLS was assessed using a questionnaire, while their practical skills were evaluated on cardiopulmonary resuscitation quality parameters using a manikin and a checklist.

Results: In total, 43 nursing students participated in the study, 22 (51%) in MOBICPR-IG and 21 (49%) in WL-CG. There were differences between the MOBICPR-IG and the WL-CG in theoretical knowledge ( P =.04) but not in practical skills ( P =.45) after MOBICPR game playing at home. No difference was noted in the retention of participants’ theoretical knowledge and practical skills of adult BLS after a 2-week break from playing the MOBICPR game ( P =.13). Key observations included challenges in response checks with a face-down manikin and a general neglect of safety protocols when using an automated external defibrillator.

Conclusions: Playing the MOBICPR game at home has the greatest impact on improving the theoretical knowledge of adult BLS in nursing students but not their practical skills. Our findings underscore the importance of integrating diverse scenarios into adult BLS training.

Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05784675); https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05784675

Sudden cardiac arrest is one of the leading causes of death in adults worldwide. It is responsible for over a million deaths annually [ 1 ]. Most deaths occur in the out-of-hospital setting, and the outcome possibly can be improved with proper adult basic life support (BLS) [ 2 ]. Effective implementation of adult BLS can double the chances of survival after a sudden cardiac arrest [ 3 , 4 ]. Reviews report poor cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) by nursing students, despite the completion of adult BLS certification [ 5 ]. BLS knowledge and skills decline significantly within months of initial training [ 5 , 6 ]. For this reason, the European Resuscitation Council (ERC) and American Heart Association guidelines recommend shorter and more frequent adult BLS training as it helps retain adult BLS content longer and maintain competency levels [ 7 , 8 ]. Currently, adult BLS education in higher nursing education institutions traditionally imparts theoretical knowledge through a frontal approach and teaches practical skills using manikins and automated external defibrillators (AEDs), although the approach can vary significantly from one university to another [ 5 , 9 ].

A noticeable generational shift is evident in health care systems, both in Europe and abroad, characterized by the increasingly common employment of younger individuals. These younger future health care employees bring a higher proficiency in technology and information literacy [ 10 , 11 ], attributes cultivated from growing up in an era dominated by modern technology [ 12 ]. Technology-enhanced learning (TEL) approaches, developed to improve adult BLS knowledge and skill retention, ultimately aim to increase out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) survival [ 8 ]. The most recent adult BLS guidelines highlight the integration of TEL into adult BLS courses [ 8 , 13 , 14 ]. This includes not only immersive technologies, such as extended reality [ 15 ], but also mobile learning (m-learning), which has increased dramatically in nursing education in recent years [ 16 ]. A recent meta-analysis indicates that serious smartphone games are a promising and effective tool for adult BLS education [ 17 ].

M-learning, by its definition, encompasses the use of mobile technology [ 18 ], with mobile apps on smartphones often serving as the educational platform [ 19 ]. Research has demonstrated m-learning’s beneficial effects on fostering a variety of learning outcomes and competencies in the field of nursing [ 20 , 21 ]. Smartphone-based m-learning [ 21 ] seamlessly complements education through serious games and gamification [ 15 ]. Gamification involves applying game design elements to nongame contexts [ 22 ], such as educational content in higher education [ 23 ]. Conversely, serious games are crafted to use a specific type of game (eg, computer or mobile games) for the purpose of learning about significant subjects, such as adult BLS content education at the higher education level [ 24 ].

To the best of our knowledge, only a limited number of studies have explored the use of serious smartphone games for teaching adult BLS to health care students [ 25 - 29 ]. Among these, only 1 study demonstrated an improvement in both the theoretical knowledge and practical skills associated with adult BLS [ 28 ]. Other studies have reported enhancements in either theoretical knowledge [ 29 ] or practical skills related to adult BLS. The positive effects of a serious smartphone game can be seen as early as 2 weeks [ 25 , 26 ], as well as 1 month after the intervention [ 27 - 29 ]. Studies have compared different teaching methods, where the use of serious smartphone games seems to have better results than simulation-based learning but is less effective than virtual reality–based game learning [ 26 , 30 ]. Some studies have also shown improvements in practical skills, such as compression rate accuracy [ 27 , 28 ], although this tends to be inferior when compared to simulation-based methods [ 30 ]. In contrast, in 2 studies, serious smartphone games did not provide notable benefits and led to worse performance in theoretical and practical areas, although students showed a clear preference in favor of serious smartphone games [ 27 , 28 ].

The aim of the study was to evaluate whether playing a serious smartphone game called MOBICPR [ 31 ] at home can enhance nursing students’ theoretical knowledge of and practical skills in adult BLS.

Study Protocol

The study was conducted at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Maribor (Maribor, Slovenia) between March and May 2023. The study was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05784675). The study protocol was written in accordance with the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials of Electronic and Mobile Health Applications and Online Telehealth ( Multimedia Appendix 1 ) [ 32 ].

Ethical Considerations

Ethical approval was obtained from the Slovenian National Medical Ethics Committee (0120-157/2018), and permission to conduct the study on the faculty premises was obtained from the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Maribor. During an oral presentation of the study, nursing students were informed about the research protocol, and written consent was obtained afterward. Data confidentiality and anonymity were maintained throughout the study. Participants were rewarded for their participation in the study with a free beverage from a vending machine and a copy of the Game Changer painting by street artist Banksy [ 33 ].

Participants

All nursing students enrolled in the first-degree nursing program at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Maribor, during the 2022-2023 academic year were invited to participate in the study. Inclusion criteria to participate in the study were written informed consent, an age of at least 18 years, and ability to perform adult BLS on a manikin (eg, without injury). Our study had no exclusion criteria.

Study Design and Randomization

This study had a randomized wait list–controlled design, where nursing students were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio using a computer-generated list (Microsoft 365 Excel Enterprise) to either a MOBICPR intervention group (MOBICPR-IG) or a wait-list control group (WL-CG). The WL-CG was a group of nursing students who were assigned to a wait list and received the intervention (MOBICPR game for playing at home) 2 weeks after the MOBICPR-IG.

Interventions

All assessments of the participants’ theoretical knowledge of and practical skills in adult BLS were conducted 3 time points: baseline, 2-week follow-up, and 4-week follow-up. At the baseline assessment, the investigators first collected demographic data from the participants. Additionally, the participants were questioned about their willingness to assist both family members and strangers during OHCA with CPR. Prior to practical skills in adult BLS, participants’ the theoretical knowledge of adult BLS was assessed using a questionnaire with 33 single- and multiple-choice questions [ 25 , 34 - 36 ] on an open source online survey app called 1ka (Ljubljana, Slovenia); see Multimedia Appendix 2 . A back-translation approach was used for translating the questionnaire into the Slovenian language.

Prior to the assessment of adult BLS practical skills, each participant was given a scenario based on OHCA to read ( Multimedia Appendix 3 ). After reading the scenario, the participants were given a smartphone for calling emergency services at the time of performing adult BLS. Instead of dialing the actual emergency number, the participants used the contact stored on the smartphone as 112 (ie, the Slovenian emergency number). After the call was placed by each participant, the investigator answered the phone and conducted a simulated dispatcher conversation [ 37 ]. The investigator was a registered nurse working at the local medical dispatch center. Each participant performed 2-minute adult BLS without any help in a staged kitchen on a manikin (Resusci Anne Quality Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation [QCPR], Laerdal Medical) using an AED (Defibtech, Trainer AED). The staged kitchen was a space surrounded by mobile walls in the hospital’s simulated room. A photo of a kitchen was projected onto the wall, and below it was an electric stove with a pot full of water ( Figure 1 ). In each adult BLS scenario, the investigators turned on the electric stove, and the scenario began when the water started to boil, simulating a hazard. The kitchen was chosen because the majority of OHCAs occur there [ 38 ].

After 2 minutes of performing adult BLS, each participant received assistance from an outside person bringing in an AED and taking over CPR. The adult BLS practical skills of each participant were recorded using a Sony Handycam 4K AX53 camera and an Apple iPad Pro 3rd generation tablet. Two investigators with a background in emergency medicine and teaching laypersons adult BLS assessed the participants’ practical skills in adult BLS using a modified checklist [ 25 , 36 , 39 ] according to the ERC BLS guidelines of 2015 [ 40 ] and 2021 [ 34 ], with a total of 34 items ( Multimedia Appendix 4 ). A back-translation approach was used for translating the checklist into the Slovenian language. Numerical data from the SkillReporter for Tablet version 1.4.1 (Laerdal Medical) app installed on a Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite tablet was also included in the evaluation of the participants’ practical skills in adult BLS. Investigator debriefing was not conducted following the assessment of the participants’ adult BLS theoretical knowledge and practical skills. Instead, each participant (from MOBICPR-IG at baseline and from WL-CG 2 weeks after baseline) first played the MOBICPR game [ 31 ] on a Samsung Galaxy A13 smartphone in front of the investigator and then received the same smartphone to play at home. The objective of the MOBICPR game is for participants to interact with a smartphone using gestures (eg, tapping) and actions (eg, talking) to help save the life of a virtual patient with OHCA by performing evidence-based adult BLS. The MOBICPR game is based on the 2021 ERC BLS guidelines [ 34 ], and the BLS content was developed using the Delphi process. The patient’s chance of survival in the MOBICPR game reduced with each incorrect interaction by the participants. At the end of the MOBICPR game, each participant received a total score in the form of a gamification feature that corresponded to the risk of survival (score>50% meant the patient survived) [ 41 ]. Gamification, defined as “using game design elements in non-game contexts,” has been introduced into nursing education to promote engagement using features such as leaderboards, rewards, badges, and avatars [ 22 ]. After playing the MOBICPR game as much as they wanted for 2 weeks, participants in the MOBICPR-IG returned the smartphones. Participants in the W-CG then received the smartphones and followed the same protocol as participants in the MOBICPR-IG, that is, they played the MOBICPR game in front of the investigator before taking the smartphone home. Participants in the W-CG also returned the smartphones after playing the MOBICPR game at home for 2 weeks. Additionally, at the study’s conclusion, each participant was asked an open-ended question regarding the number of family members or friends with whom they shared the MOBICPR game for playing.

Outcome Measures

The primary outcomes were (1) assessment of the participants’ theoretical knowledge of adult BLS using a questionnaire with a total maximum score of 33 points, where each correct answer was awarded 1 point ( Multimedia Appendix 2 ), and (2) assessment of the participants’ practical skills in adult BLS using a checklist with a total maximum score of 39 points ( Multimedia Appendix 4 ).

The secondary outcome was a summary score of high-quality CPR components: (1) a chest compression (CC) rate of 100-120 beats per minute (bpm), (2) a CC depth of 50-60 mm, (3) CC fraction>80%, and (4) a rescue breath volume of 500-600 mL ( Multimedia Appendix 4 ). All measures were taken as mentioned earlier [ 16 , 23 , 27 , 28 ]. A total QCPR score was also included, ranging from 0% to 100%. More detailed information about software scoring is available on the Laerdal Medical website [ 42 ]. Both primary and secondary outcomes were measured at 3 time points: baseline, 2-week follow-up, and 4-week follow-up.

Statistical Analysis

Statistical analyses were conducted in October and November 2023. Data were analyzed using the R statistical programming language (R Foundation for Statistical Computing). The data presented in the summary table were prepared using frequency analysis, which also included a chi-square test to assess the similarity of the distribution between the intervention and control groups. Theoretical knowledge and practical skill assessments were averaged at the item level and subsequently analyzed using nonparametric statistical tests (Wilcoxon paired-sample test and Mann-Whitney U test) as the normality of the distribution was violated. As nonnormal distribution might represent a problem when calculating mean values, violin plots were also used for the purpose of visualizing aggregated scores due to their ability to visualize the distribution of the data. P <.05 was considered statistically significant. Effect size (η 2 ) values >0.1 represented a small effect; 0.3, a moderate effect; and ≥0.5, a large effect. Continuous variables were analyzed according to the Gaussian distribution and reported as the mean (SD) or the median (IQR), whichever was appropriate.

Participant Details

Of 124 nursing students, 80 (64.5%) declined to participate in the study and 44 (35.5%) were enrolled into the study. At follow-up, 1 (5%) of the 22 participants in the WL-CG dropped out. In the end, 43 (98%) of 44 participants were included in the final analysis ( Figure 2 ).

The mean age of the participants was 19 (SD 0.6) years, 38 (88%) were female, 35 (81%) had a background in health care and nursing education, 32 (74%) had an iOS smartphone, and the self-reported mean daily time spent on the smartphone was 3.8 (SD 1.2) hours ( Table 1 ).

a The percentages may exceed 100 because of rounding.

b MOBICPR-IG: MOBICPR intervention group.

c WL-CG: wait-list control group.

d Not applicable.

All participants had received some previous adult BLS training. However, only 2 (5%) had witnessed a cardiac arrest. Most of them (n=38, 88%) had already performed CCs on manikins, but only a few had also been giving rescue breaths (n=12, 28%) and used any kind of AED (n=13, 30%). All participants (n=43, 100%) expressed a willingness to assist a patient with OCHA and perform adult BLS. In addition, they all expressed a willingness to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on a family member or acquaintance. However, only about half of them (n=19, 44%) were willing to do the same for a stranger. The predominant concern for not administering rescue breaths to unknown individuals was the uncertainty regarding the patient’s medical history and the risk for infectious diseases, as cited by 22 (92%) of the 24 (56%) participants who expressed reluctance. On average, each participant introduced and shared the MOBICPR game with 3 (SD 2) family members or friends for trial and play.

Primary Outcomes

To assess the differences between the 2 groups at all 3 observed time points, we calculated the cumulative scores of adult BLS theoretical knowledge and practical skills for both groups.

Figure 3 shows that playing the MOBICPR game at home for 2 weeks improved the overall adult BLS theoretical knowledge (median gain of 4 points, IQR 3, η 2 =0.113, P =.005) and practical skills (median gain of 4 points, IQR 7, η 2 =0.05, P =.04). However, in the WL-CG, which waited for 2 weeks to play the MOBICPR game at home, the theoretical knowledge of adult BLS improved by 2 points (IQR 4, η 2 =0.302, P =.001), whereas the practical skills in adult BLS increased by 3 points (IQR 3, η 2 =0.018, P =.14). In the MOBICPR-IG, after 2 weeks of not playing the MOBICPR game at home, the retention of theoretical knowledge gained an additional 2 points (IQR 2, η 2 =0.019, P =.13) and practical skills gained 3 points (IQR 3.75, η 2 =0.122, P =.003) compared to the 2-week follow-up.

To focus on the impact of playing the MOBICPR game on adult BLS theoretical knowledge and practical skills, we observed participants in both groups and calculated the difference in the cumulative points for both groups after they played the MOBICPR game at home for 2 weeks.

As demonstrated in Figure 4 , in the WL-CG, only 3 (14%) participants improved their theoretical knowledge by ≥5 points and only 6 (29%) study participants who achieved this kind of improvement in the adult BLS practical skill score. In contrast, in the MOBICPR-IG, 9 (41%) participants improved their score by at least 5 points in both adult BLS theoretical knowledge and practical skills. The difference in improvement between the MOBICPR-IG and the WL-CG was not significant in practical skills (η 2 =0.021, P =.45), while in theoretical knowledge, we observed a statistically significant difference (η 2 =0.268, P =.04).

To obtain more detailed insight into the improvements due to playing the MOBICPR game, we observed the differences in item-level scores before and after playing. Table 2 compares the participants’ scores on questions used to test their theoretical knowledge. It is evident that there were notable differences in most items following engagement with the MOBICPR game. Of 33 scores, 13 (39%) decreased during MOBICPR game playing. For example, the score on question 3 (What is the second thing we check in a patient with cardiac arrest?) improved notably after MOBICPR game playing at home ( P =.001). In contrast, the score on question 16 (You are alone. Will you go for the AED if it is 100 m away?) did not improve after MOBICPR game playing at home ( P =.103).

a BLS: basic life support.

d CC: chest compression.

e AED: automated external defibrillator.

f CPR: cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Similarly, in the item-level score differences for practical skills, in 7 (21%) of 34 items, a significant increase was calculated ( Table 3 ). For example, the score on item 1 (Approaches the patient safely) improved after MOBICPR game playing at home ( P =.001). In contrast, the score on item 2 (Checks responsiveness: shouts and shakes the patient) did not improve after MOBICPR game playing at home ( P =.81).

d CPR: cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

e CC: chest compression.

f AED: automated external defibrillator.

Secondary Outcomes

Table 4 shows a comparison of the high-quality CPR components between participants before and after MOBICPR game playing at home for 2 weeks. There were notable differences in the median (IQR) of the total QCPR score for MOBICPR game playing at home for 2 weeks for the MOBICPR-IG (before: median 41 (IQR 54); after: median 70 (IQR 41); P =.011). There was no difference for the MOBICPR-IG after not playing the MOBICPR game at home for 2 weeks.

a CPR: cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

d Measurement at baseline.

e Measurement after 2 weeks of playing the MOBICPR game at home.

f Measurement after 2 weeks of not playing the MOBICPR game at home.

g CC: chest compression.

h bpm: beats per minute.

i Not applicable.

j QCPR: Quality Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation.

Principal Findings

In this study, playing the MOBICPR game at home for 2 weeks improved the theoretical knowledge of adult BLS in the participants but little their practical skills. These outcomes were expected, considering that the MOBICPR game was designed primarily to impart theoretical knowledge of adult BLS, rather than providing hands-on practice with an actual BLS manikin. To the best of our knowledge, only 2 studies have used data collected from manikin software to evaluate the practical parts of adult BLS as we did [ 27 , 28 ]. We observed in our study population that both the CC rate and the CC depth remain within the margins of the current ERC recommendation [ 34 ]; in comparison to our results, in the 2 studies [ 27 , 28 ], both the CC rate and the CC depth dropped below the margins after serious smartphone game playing. These 2 studies [ 27 , 28 ] also presented the total QCPR scores, and where our scores improved compared to theirs. Consequently, we recommend considering the MOBICPR game as a supplementary educational tool in future BLS course formats that incorporate immersive technologies [ 43 , 44 ] for retention of adult BLS knowledge.

In evaluating study participants performing adult BLS on a manikin, we observed 5 learning points (all reported in Tables 2 and 3 ), which could be useful for debriefing topics after BLS courses. Initially, a large number of participants struggled with checking the manikin’s response as it lay face down. Some checked the response without turning the manikin onto its back, while others did so with the manikin still face down. After playing the MOBICPR game at home, only a minority checked the response after turning the manikin onto its back. Studies show that two-thirds of all patients are found in positions unsuitable for performing CCs, such as the recovery position [ 45 ]. The second learning point concerned the right time for chest exposure during CPR. Many participants removed the clothing before looking, listening, and feeling for signs of breathing, while others did so before applying AED electrodes to the manikin’s bare chest. Studies indicate that exposing the chest during CPR can improve the rescuer’s ability to locate the center of the patient’s chest, leading to more effective CCs and reducing the risk of inaccurate compressions [ 46 ]. The third point was about shouting for help. A recent study revealed that almost all European BLS instructors teach laypersons to shout for help [ 47 ], even though it was removed from the ERC BLS guidelines [ 34 , 40 ]. Despite playing the MOBICPR game at home, the participants still tended to shout for help before calling emergency services. As a fourth point, we noticed that some participants attempted to multitask by calling the dispatcher and performing CCs simultaneously. This practice resulted in lower-quality CCs, as the focus was divided between providing information to the dispatcher and maintaining the 30:2 CC-to-rescue-breath ratio. Generation Z, like the participants in our study, tends to multitask and is more engaged in independent work [ 48 ]. Considering this insight, we are re-evaluating the recent ERC BLS guidelines, particularly their recommendation to activate the speakerphone or another hands-free feature on a mobile device before promptly initiating CPR [ 34 ]. Finally, we observed that almost all study participants failed to ensure safety before defibrillation when using an AED on the manikin. Issues arose before pressing the shock button, either because they did not check whether someone was touching the manikin or because they pressed the shock button prematurely. This highlights that using an AED is not intuitive for laypersons, as studies suggest, and special training should be considered [ 49 ].

The International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation provides a scientific statement on teaching laypersons adult BLS and suggests using TEL, such as serious smartphone games, to engage, motivate, and educate children and adolescents in saving more lives [ 34 ]. Several legitimate smartphone games have been identified as suitable for teaching adult BLS, but their content is questionable because it does not follow current BLS guidelines [ 50 , 51 ]. Moreover, most of them teach only hands-on CPR. Some also include ventilation and AED use [ 51 ]. However, the MOBICPR game was developed based on recent ERC BLS guidelines [ 34 ] and includes all the recommended BLS steps. In a recent MOBICPR study, students agreed that it was beneficial to play the MOBICPR game before practicing adult BLS on a manikin [ 41 ]. They also highly rated the usability of the MOBICPR game for providing adult BLS theoretical knowledge and practical skills. The results show that the MOBICPR game could be a novel, interactive, evidence-based BLS educational tool for playing at home after adult BLS training [ 41 , 52 ]. Moreover, our study revealed that the MOBICPR game could be an effective method for enhancing bystander willingness and awareness in performing CPR. This potential is demonstrated by the fact that all study participants introduced the MOBICPR game to their family members, relatives, or friends, as seen in similar studies where enhanced technology was used teaching adult BLS [ 53 ].

This gamified learning approach fits well with the educational theory heutagogy, also known as self-determined learning, where learners determine what they want to learn [ 8 ]. In the case of the MOBICPR game, learners can play it at any time to refresh their adult BLS knowledge without waiting for the next training session [ 54 ]. Moreover, the use of do-it-yourself manikins made from everyday items, such as plastic bottles, toilet paper, or even a pillow, for practicing CC techniques at home, especially in low-resource settings, coupled with the MOBICPR game, can potentially improve and solidify practical skills in adult BLS [ 55 - 58 ]. The MOBICPR game also includes gamification features, such as avatars, points, and various audio, textual, and graphical feedback. These gamification elements could motivate learners to engage with the game more frequently than they normally would [ 59 ]. Future educational tools, such as the MOBICPR game, should align with the 5 key messages outlined in the recent ERC BLS guidelines, ranging from recognizing cardiac arrest to learning the proper techniques for performing CPR [ 34 ]. This adherence is crucial for the effective education and retention of adult BLS skills, particularly following adult BLS courses in a home environment.

Limitations

This study has several limitations. First, because the study participants were only followed for 4 weeks, we were not able to show that the MOBICPR game improved their long-term retention of resuscitation knowledge and skills. Second, the sample size was small due to the lack of interest of participants in participating in the study and because only 1 generation of participants was able to be included at that time. Third, this was a single-faculty study, which limits the generalizability of the results. Fourth, in this study, participants were familiar with smartphone games. It is unclear how effective the MOBICPR game would be in children or older populations. Fifth, because this was a simulation-based study, the performance results may not be generalizable to real-life situations and could not present the impact on patient outcomes. Finaly, the content in the MOBICPR game was developed by researchers based on recent ERC BLS guidelines [ 34 ]. In the future, there are plans to introduce the MOBICPR game to the Slovenian National Resuscitation Council, with the goal of securing its certification, a process akin to that followed by the Italian Resuscitation Council for its smartphone-based serious games [ 60 ].

The home use of the MOBICPR game shows promise in enhancing the theoretical knowledge of adult BLS. Although there was no significant improvement in performing adult BLS or in retaining the related knowledge and skills, the study yielded important learning objectives for the enhancement of future adult BLS training. Further research is necessary to explore its lasting effects across various demographics and to determine the most effective use of the MOBICPR game in teaching adult BLS.

Acknowledgments

NF and GŠ are supported by Slovenian Research Agency (grants ARRS P2-0057, ARRS N3-0307, ARRS BI-US/22-24-138), NextGenerationEU, and the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation (C3330-22-953012). The authors would like to thank all nursing students who participated in this study.

Authors' Contributions

The study was carried out through collaboration among all authors. NF developed the study design and supervised the study. NF, GŠ, and ŠM drafted the manuscript. NF, GŠ, RG, and ŠM conducted data collection and analysis. NF, MS, PS, and RG interpreted results from the cardiopulmonary resuscitation point of view. RMC and RG conducted a comprehensive content review. All authors have read, revised, and approved the final manuscript.

Conflicts of Interest

NF is a member of the European Resuscitation Council (ERC) basic life support (BLS) Science and Education Committee. RG is the ERC director of guidelines and the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) and chair of the ILCOR Education, Implementation, and Teams Task Force. Other authors declare no conflicts of interest.

CONSORT-eHEALTH checklist (V 1.6.1).

Adult BLS theoretical knowledge questionnaire. BLS: basic life support.

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest scenario.

Adult BLS practical skills checklist. BLS: basic life support.

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• Ohle R, Moskalyk M, Boissonneault E, Bilgasem A, Tissot E, McIsaac S. Is a homemade cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) trainer non-inferior to a commercially available CPR mannequin in teaching high-quality CPR? A non-inferiority randomized control trial. Resusc Plus. Jun 2021;6:100134. [ FREE Full text ] [ CrossRef ] [ Medline ]
• Agario Y, Tanaka H, Takyu H. Cost-effective cardiopulmonary resuscitation practice device for maintaining chest compression quality: a semi-randomized controlled clinical trial. J EMS Med. May 2023;2(2):55-63. [ CrossRef ]
• Ratinho E, Martins C. The role of gamified learning strategies in student's motivation in high school and higher education: a systematic review. Heliyon. Aug 2023;9(8):e19033. [ FREE Full text ] [ CrossRef ] [ Medline ]
• Semeraro F, Imbriaco G, Del Giudice D, Antognoli M, Celin D, Cuttitta M, et al. Collaborators. Empowering the next generation: an innovative “kids save lives" blended learning programme for schoolchildren training. Resuscitation. Jan 2024;194:110088. [ CrossRef ] [ Medline ]

Abbreviations

Edited by G Eysenbach; submitted 03.01.24; peer-reviewed by L Wei; comments to author 14.02.24; revised version received 19.02.24; accepted 10.03.24; published 05.04.24.

©Nino Fijačko, Ruth Masterson Creber, Špela Metličar, Matej Strnad, Robert Greif, Gregor Štiglic, Pavel Skok. Originally published in JMIR Serious Games (https://games.jmir.org), 05.04.2024.

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work, first published in JMIR Serious Games, is properly cited. The complete bibliographic information, a link to the original publication on https://games.jmir.org, as well as this copyright and license information must be included.

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OpenAI deems its voice cloning tool too risky for general release

Delaying the Voice Engine technology rollout minimises the potential for misinformation in an important global election year

A new tool from OpenAI that can generate a convincing clone of anyone’s voice using just 15 seconds of recorded audio has been deemed too risky for general release, as the AI lab seeks to minimise the threat of damaging misinformation in a global year of elections.

Voice Engine was first developed in 2022 and an initial version was used for the text-to-speech feature built into ChatGPT , the organisation’s leading AI tool. But its power has never been revealed publicly, in part because of the “cautious and informed” approach that OpenAI is taking to release it more widely.

“We hope to start a dialogue on the responsible deployment of synthetic voices, and how society can adapt to these new capabilities,” OpenAI said in an unsigned blogpost. “Based on these conversations and the results of these small-scale tests, we will make a more informed decision about whether and how to deploy this technology at scale.”

In its post the company shared examples of real-world uses of the technology from various partners who were given access to it to build into their own apps and products.

Education technology firm Age of Learning uses it to generate scripted voiceovers, while “AI visual storytelling” app HeyGen offers users the ability to generate translations of recorded content in a way that is fluent but preserves the accent and voice of the original speaker. For example, generating English with an audio sample from a French speaker produces speech with a French accent.

Notably, researchers at the Norman Prince Neurosciences Institute in Rhode Island used a poor-quality 15-second clip of a young woman giving a presentation at a school project to “restore the voice” that she had lost due to a vascular brain tumour.

“We are choosing to preview but not widely release this technology at this time,” OpenAI said, in order “to bolster societal resilience against the challenges brought by ever more convincing generative models”. In the immediate future, it said: “We encourage steps like phasing out voice-based authentication as a security measure for accessing bank accounts and other sensitive information.”

OpenAI also called for the exploration of “policies to protect the use of individuals’ voices in AI” and “educating the public in understanding the capabilities and limitations of AI technologies, including the possibility of deceptive AI content”.

Voice Engine generations are watermarked, OpenAI said, which allows the organisation to trace the origin of any generated audio. Currently, it added, “our terms with these partners require explicit and informed consent from the original speaker and we don’t allow developers to build ways for individual users to create their own voices”.

But while OpenAI’s tool stands out for the technical simplicity and the tiny amount of original audio required to generate a convincing clone, competitors are already available to the public.

With just a “few minutes of audio”, companies such as ElevenLabs can generate a complete voice clone. To try to mitigate harms, the company has introduced a “no-go voices” safeguard, designed to detect and prevent the creation of voice clones “that mimic political candidates actively involved in presidential or prime ministerial elections, starting with those in the US and the UK”.

More on this story

US regulators investigate whether OpenAI investors were misled, say reports

‘Impossible’ to create AI tools like ChatGPT without copyrighted material, OpenAI says

AI expert warns against telling your secrets to chatbots such as ChatGPT

Llama 2: why is Meta releasing open-source AI model and are there any risks?

Claude 2: ChatGPT rival launches chatbot that can summarise a novel

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40 facts about elektrostal.

Written by Lanette Mayes

Modified & Updated: 02 Mar 2024

Reviewed by Jessica Corbett

Elektrostal is a vibrant city located in the Moscow Oblast region of Russia. With a rich history, stunning architecture, and a thriving community, Elektrostal is a city that has much to offer. Whether you are a history buff, nature enthusiast, or simply curious about different cultures, Elektrostal is sure to captivate you.

This article will provide you with 40 fascinating facts about Elektrostal, giving you a better understanding of why this city is worth exploring. From its origins as an industrial hub to its modern-day charm, we will delve into the various aspects that make Elektrostal a unique and must-visit destination.

So, join us as we uncover the hidden treasures of Elektrostal and discover what makes this city a true gem in the heart of Russia.

Key Takeaways:

• Elektrostal, known as the “Motor City of Russia,” is a vibrant and growing city with a rich industrial history, offering diverse cultural experiences and a strong commitment to environmental sustainability.
• With its convenient location near Moscow, Elektrostal provides a picturesque landscape, vibrant nightlife, and a range of recreational activities, making it an ideal destination for residents and visitors alike.

Known as the “Motor City of Russia.”

Elektrostal, a city located in the Moscow Oblast region of Russia, earned the nickname “Motor City” due to its significant involvement in the automotive industry.

Home to the Elektrostal Metallurgical Plant.

Elektrostal is renowned for its metallurgical plant, which has been producing high-quality steel and alloys since its establishment in 1916.

Boasts a rich industrial heritage.

Elektrostal has a long history of industrial development, contributing to the growth and progress of the region.

Founded in 1916.

The city of Elektrostal was founded in 1916 as a result of the construction of the Elektrostal Metallurgical Plant.

Located approximately 50 kilometers east of Moscow.

Elektrostal is situated in close proximity to the Russian capital, making it easily accessible for both residents and visitors.

Known for its vibrant cultural scene.

Elektrostal is home to several cultural institutions, including museums, theaters, and art galleries that showcase the city’s rich artistic heritage.

A popular destination for nature lovers.

Surrounded by picturesque landscapes and forests, Elektrostal offers ample opportunities for outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, and birdwatching.

Hosts the annual Elektrostal City Day celebrations.

Every year, Elektrostal organizes festive events and activities to celebrate its founding, bringing together residents and visitors in a spirit of unity and joy.

Has a population of approximately 160,000 people.

Elektrostal is home to a diverse and vibrant community of around 160,000 residents, contributing to its dynamic atmosphere.

Boasts excellent education facilities.

The city is known for its well-established educational institutions, providing quality education to students of all ages.

A center for scientific research and innovation.

Elektrostal serves as an important hub for scientific research, particularly in the fields of metallurgy, materials science, and engineering.

Surrounded by picturesque lakes.

The city is blessed with numerous beautiful lakes, offering scenic views and recreational opportunities for locals and visitors alike.

Well-connected transportation system.

Elektrostal benefits from an efficient transportation network, including highways, railways, and public transportation options, ensuring convenient travel within and beyond the city.

Famous for its traditional Russian cuisine.

Food enthusiasts can indulge in authentic Russian dishes at numerous restaurants and cafes scattered throughout Elektrostal.

Home to notable architectural landmarks.

Elektrostal boasts impressive architecture, including the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord and the Elektrostal Palace of Culture.

Offers a wide range of recreational facilities.

Residents and visitors can enjoy various recreational activities, such as sports complexes, swimming pools, and fitness centers, enhancing the overall quality of life.

Provides a high standard of healthcare.

Elektrostal is equipped with modern medical facilities, ensuring residents have access to quality healthcare services.

Home to the Elektrostal History Museum.

The Elektrostal History Museum showcases the city’s fascinating past through exhibitions and displays.

A hub for sports enthusiasts.

Elektrostal is passionate about sports, with numerous stadiums, arenas, and sports clubs offering opportunities for athletes and spectators.

Celebrates diverse cultural festivals.

Throughout the year, Elektrostal hosts a variety of cultural festivals, celebrating different ethnicities, traditions, and art forms.

Electric power played a significant role in its early development.

Elektrostal owes its name and initial growth to the establishment of electric power stations and the utilization of electricity in the industrial sector.

Boasts a thriving economy.

The city’s strong industrial base, coupled with its strategic location near Moscow, has contributed to Elektrostal’s prosperous economic status.

Houses the Elektrostal Drama Theater.

The Elektrostal Drama Theater is a cultural centerpiece, attracting theater enthusiasts from far and wide.

Popular destination for winter sports.

Elektrostal’s proximity to ski resorts and winter sport facilities makes it a favorite destination for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter activities.

Promotes environmental sustainability.

Elektrostal prioritizes environmental protection and sustainability, implementing initiatives to reduce pollution and preserve natural resources.

Home to renowned educational institutions.

Elektrostal is known for its prestigious schools and universities, offering a wide range of academic programs to students.

Committed to cultural preservation.

The city values its cultural heritage and takes active steps to preserve and promote traditional customs, crafts, and arts.

Hosts an annual International Film Festival.

The Elektrostal International Film Festival attracts filmmakers and cinema enthusiasts from around the world, showcasing a diverse range of films.

Encourages entrepreneurship and innovation.

Elektrostal supports aspiring entrepreneurs and fosters a culture of innovation, providing opportunities for startups and business development.

Offers a range of housing options.

Elektrostal provides diverse housing options, including apartments, houses, and residential complexes, catering to different lifestyles and budgets.

Home to notable sports teams.

Elektrostal is proud of its sports legacy, with several successful sports teams competing at regional and national levels.

Boasts a vibrant nightlife scene.

Residents and visitors can enjoy a lively nightlife in Elektrostal, with numerous bars, clubs, and entertainment venues.

Promotes cultural exchange and international relations.

Elektrostal actively engages in international partnerships, cultural exchanges, and diplomatic collaborations to foster global connections.

Surrounded by beautiful nature reserves.

Nearby nature reserves, such as the Barybino Forest and Luchinskoye Lake, offer opportunities for nature enthusiasts to explore and appreciate the region’s biodiversity.

Commemorates historical events.

The city pays tribute to significant historical events through memorials, monuments, and exhibitions, ensuring the preservation of collective memory.

Promotes sports and youth development.

Elektrostal invests in sports infrastructure and programs to encourage youth participation, health, and physical fitness.

Hosts annual cultural and artistic festivals.

Throughout the year, Elektrostal celebrates its cultural diversity through festivals dedicated to music, dance, art, and theater.

Provides a picturesque landscape for photography enthusiasts.

The city’s scenic beauty, architectural landmarks, and natural surroundings make it a paradise for photographers.

Connects to Moscow via a direct train line.

The convenient train connection between Elektrostal and Moscow makes commuting between the two cities effortless.

A city with a bright future.

Elektrostal continues to grow and develop, aiming to become a model city in terms of infrastructure, sustainability, and quality of life for its residents.

In conclusion, Elektrostal is a fascinating city with a rich history and a vibrant present. From its origins as a center of steel production to its modern-day status as a hub for education and industry, Elektrostal has plenty to offer both residents and visitors. With its beautiful parks, cultural attractions, and proximity to Moscow, there is no shortage of things to see and do in this dynamic city. Whether you’re interested in exploring its historical landmarks, enjoying outdoor activities, or immersing yourself in the local culture, Elektrostal has something for everyone. So, next time you find yourself in the Moscow region, don’t miss the opportunity to discover the hidden gems of Elektrostal.

Q: What is the population of Elektrostal?

A: As of the latest data, the population of Elektrostal is approximately XXXX.

Q: How far is Elektrostal from Moscow?

A: Elektrostal is located approximately XX kilometers away from Moscow.

Q: Are there any famous landmarks in Elektrostal?

A: Yes, Elektrostal is home to several notable landmarks, including XXXX and XXXX.

Q: What industries are prominent in Elektrostal?

A: Elektrostal is known for its steel production industry and is also a center for engineering and manufacturing.

Q: Are there any universities or educational institutions in Elektrostal?

A: Yes, Elektrostal is home to XXXX University and several other educational institutions.

Q: What are some popular outdoor activities in Elektrostal?

A: Elektrostal offers several outdoor activities, such as hiking, cycling, and picnicking in its beautiful parks.

Q: Is Elektrostal well-connected in terms of transportation?

A: Yes, Elektrostal has good transportation links, including trains and buses, making it easily accessible from nearby cities.

Q: Are there any annual events or festivals in Elektrostal?

A: Yes, Elektrostal hosts various events and festivals throughout the year, including XXXX and XXXX.

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