Technology in the classroom can be a scary thought for some teachers but it doesn’t have to be. The simplest way schools can integrate technology into the classroom is to start with reading. A digital reading platform with eBooks and audiobooks empowers students to take charge of their own learning and maintain a sense of privacy. According to an OverDrive and ASCD survey, educators across the country agree that they see at least one benefit in using eBooks and audiobooks over print in the classroom. The most commonly cited benefit was the ability to deliver individualized instruction.

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About 80 percent of administrators surveyed are currently using digital content in a variety of ways, from embedding it in the curriculum to using it outside of the classroom and everything in between, with another 9 percent planning to implement digital content in the next year or so. Among those already using digital content, 65 percent report that their school or districts’ replacement of print materials will increase next year; however, for now, these materials represent about a third of their instructional materials and budgets.

Of those 7 out of 10 using digital content in the classroom, more are using it as part of their curriculum than not. The 10 percent only using it outside the classroom appear to be using digital content to create a rounded-out e-book collection in a library or media center.

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The top three benefits respondents saw in digital content were

  • the ability to deliver individualized instruction,
  • allowing students to practice independently, and
  • capturing greater student attention/engagement.

ASCD and OverDrive contracted with Readex Research to conduct the online survey among 2,964 of ASCD’s current members in administrative roles. The data was gathered from November 10 through December 8, 2015, with a response rate of 9 percent, and most results are based on the 2,033 respondents who said their role in education is as a school- or district-based administrator.

Read the Article Survey Results (PDF, 4.4 MB)

Source: OverDrive