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Educational Technology

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Educational technology refers not only to the hardware and software used in an educational setting, but how technological resources are used to support teaching and learning. RAND researchers form multidisciplinary teams to field rigorous studies of educational technology that provide actionable information to educators, policymakers, and product developers.

Q&A

Schools Pivot Online in Wake of COVID-19: Q&A with RAND Experts

Apr 2, 2020

Nearly all school-age children in the United States are no longer in the classroom as districts shut down to reduce the spread of the new coronavirus. RAND education researchers discuss how this situation might exacerbate educational inequities, how districts and teachers are innovating and what they need, and what parents can do.
Report

What Digital Materials Do Teachers Use?

Apr 16, 2020

Digital materials for lesson planning and instruction are becoming an increasingly important resource for teachers. A survey of English language arts, mathematics, and science teachers across the United States provides insights on which materials they use and what they consider barriers to use.

Explore Educational Technology

Commentary

How COVID-19 Affected America's Schools

RAND surveyed teachers and principals to gauge how the pandemic has affected schooling, what supports these educators need, and how they are thinking about the next school year.

May 26, 2020
Report

COVID-19 and the State of K–12 Schools: Results and Technical Documentation from the Spring 2020 American Educator Panels COVID-19 Surveys

This technical report provides information about the sample, survey instrument, and resultant data for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) surveys administered to principals and teachers via RAND's American Educator Panels in spring 2020.

May 26, 2020
Commentary

Digital Learning Needs to Benefit All Children When Schools Close

Three factors are essential for any digital learning method. First, it must be inclusive. Second, it should support the learning experience, not replace it. And third, evidence of what works should inform digital learning interventions.

May 4, 2020
Commentary

Now That Digital Materials Are Front and Center, How Should They Be Used?

Schools and teachers can support student learning during the COVID-19 crisis by considering how to keep curricula front and center alongside a set of targeted digital materials that connect with curricula and can keep students learning, engaged, and connected to their school support systems.

May 4, 2020
Blog

Medical Supply Shortfalls, Parenting Through the Pandemic, North Korea: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on reducing medical supply shortfalls, understanding who's in charge during a pandemic, North Korea's nuclear blackmail, and more.

Apr 17, 2020
Blog

Hospitals' Critical Care Capacity, Unemployment Insurance, Farmworkers: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on how hospitals can increase critical care capacity, reforming the U.S. unemployment system, supporting farmworkers, and more.

Apr 10, 2020
Report

Teachers' Access to and Use of Student Data Varies

Using student data to inform instruction is considered sound educational practice. Many teachers have access to grades, attendance records, and standardized test scores. But they don't all have the skills needed to interpret and use the data. Providing educators with more support could increase their use of student data.

Apr 10, 2020
Commentary

Online Doesn't Have to Mean Impersonal

Children's needs extend beyond the purely academic. It is important that their social and emotional well-being is supported as instruction moves online during the COVID-19 pandemic. A whole-child view of what students need could benefit them now more than ever.

Apr 2, 2020
Multimedia

The Impact of COVID-19 on the U.S. Education System

In this Call with the Experts podcast, in response to the COVID-19 crisis RAND experts discuss K–12 education issues, potential income-based gaps, social and emotional learning matters, and resources for students and parents. The experts also consider actions that can be taken to facilitate learning while meeting social distancing goals.

Mar 31, 2020
Commentary

Coronavirus Forces Colleges Online. Will Learning Ever Be the Same?

Colleges and universities have turned to online courses to help slow the spread of COVID-19. But distance learning may also hold promise as a long-term strategy to help make higher education more accessible and affordable.

Mar 16, 2020
Journal Article

Journal Article

Implementing an Adaptive Intelligent Tutoring System as an Instructional Supplement

This article studies the implementation of ALEKS (Assessment and LEarning in Knowledge Spaces) in a blended-learning model. This is the first rigorous experimental evaluation of ALEKS in K–12 in-school settings, and the first to gather extensive implementation data.

Mar 10, 2020
Report

Report

Evaluation of a Technology-based Intervention for Reading in UK Classroom Settings

RAND Europe found in a UK randomised controlled trial that classes of primary school children randomly allocated to receive a technology-based education intervention using Microsoft's Immersive Reader performed as well as business-as-usual classes.

Jan 29, 2020
Report

How Technology Could Better Serve Refugees and Those Who Help Them

There are 71 million forcibly displaced people in the world, many of whom live in developing countries. Refugees and the agencies that assist them have turned to technology as a vital resource, but gaps remain. How can tech be developed and used more strategically in humanitarian settings?

Dec 17, 2019
Tool

Tool

Putting Data to Work for Young People: A Ten-Step Guide for Expanded Learning Intermediaries

This ten-step plan should help expanded learning nonprofits address challenges related to data collection and management and therefore make after-school and summer programs better and more accessible for students.

Oct 15, 2019
Journal Article

Journal Article

Digital Feedback in Primary Maths: Evaluation Report

This report evaluates the efficacy of a digital feedback programme designed to maximise the impact of teachers' feedback on pupil outcome.

Oct 1, 2019
Commentary

Federal Policy Might Encourage Innovation to Cut the Cost of College

A big factor in the rise of college costs is the traditional seat-time model requiring undergraduate students to spend a specified amount of time in classrooms, frequently with doctorally qualified faculty. But there are alternative models that could enable colleges and universities to offer degrees more efficiently and affordably.

Jun 5, 2019
Commentary

Measuring Social-Emotional Skills, Carefully

In the often-fraught debate over education policy, there is growing agreement that educators should pay close attention to the development of the social and emotional skills that allow students to persevere when working on difficult tasks, regulate emotions, and work effectively in teams. But measuring such skills remains a significant challenge.

Feb 28, 2019
Journal Article

Journal Article

The Use of Responsive Circles in Schools: An Exploratory Study

The purpose of the study was to examine how educators use responsive circles. We aimed to fill a gap in the literature by offering details about their implementation based on enacted responsive circles in a large urban school setting.

Feb 8, 2019

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RAND Topic:
Educational Technology

Research conducted by

RAND Education and Labor