In 2004 the Department of Education announced it would spend £25 million on rolling out interactive whiteboards. Schools were told that this game-changing innovation would modernise teaching and improve standards.
But the project turned out to be an expensive miscalculation. The whiteboards were underused and led to little or no measurable improvement in outcomes. The rollout didn’t have the full backing of teachers, who received no proper training in how to use them.
The problem wasn’t that the technology didn’t work properly.
It was that the challenge schools faced wasn’t fundamentally one of equipment or infrastructure.
The requirement then, as it is now, is for high-quality educational content that can drive attainment and enhance pupils’ learning experience.
Edtech that will impact learning
Twenty years on, there are encouraging signs from this Labour government in areas such as early years. But on technology, it runs the risk of repeating history.
The Department for Education’s recent announcement of £45 million to improve internet connectivity in schools is welcome, but - once again - upgrading the hardware is not enough.
The consumer tech revolution means that the education system has no choice but to embrace the advancement in digital tools and products, such as apps and video games that we know have the potential to support pupils’ learning, save schools money and reduce teachers’ workload.
Improving education through technology is about more than cables and routers, it’s about making use of well-designed apps and interactive learning tools and platforms that meet high standards and are proven to boost learning outcomes.
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Research from the Education Endowment Foundation highlights the power of apps as learning tools: those that are interactive, aligned with the curriculum and integrated well into school systems. Examples include Times Tables Rock Stars, which makes maths competitive and engaging, or our own Narrative Journey programme at Mrs Wordsmith, which the National Literacy Trust found increased pupils’ knowledge of vocabulary by 50 per cent.
Schools need guidance
But without proper guidance, schools waste hours trialling software or navigating the vast range of digital tools on the market, many of which are substandard or ineffective. This is time that teachers could be spending in the classroom.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the government piloted a programme to rigorously test educational apps and assess which could best support learning at home. This scheme was a move in the right direction in acknowledging the transformative potential of these tools for schoolchildren.
Labour should bring back the programme, but go one step further and establish clear standards for educational content. Combining the scheme with a new DfE “seal of approval” would signify to teachers those that are the highest quality tools and give schools confidence in where to invest.
Knowing which apps have been tested and accredited will save school leaders valuable time determining which tools to choose for their pupils.
Integration with schools’ own management information systems and clear benchmarks for performance will ensure that apps meet the high standards that parents expect, ease the burden of choice on teachers and lower the risk to schools when adopting these new technologies.
Closing the digital divide
Digital content cannot be treated as an afterthought. An infrastructure-first approach is like building libraries with no books. We need an ecosystem where great digital tools can deliver a richer learning experience that tackles the digital divide in education and drives up standards in schools.
The government is absolutely right to give schools faster internet - that is essential to close the connectivity gap. But teachers and school leaders also need the guidance and the confidence to use this access in a way that unlocks the potential of every child.
Pierre Lagrange is an economist, technology investor and CEO of Mrs Wordsmith
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