1. Delivering on the Promise: Equity and Quality of Educational Opportunities in Digital Learning
Carolyn J. Heinrich
Professor of Public Policy, Education and Economics
Vanderbilt University
Digital Media and Developing Minds National Congress
October 15-18, 2018

2. Rapid ed-tech expansion in public schools
Growing use of digital/online platforms in K-12 education
>75% of school districts are using digital/online tools
Fed. govt. provides resources for ed-tech purchases and requires states to set aside funds for procuring ed-tech
Potential to enhance learning and student achievement
Opportunities for customizing content and individualizing instruction
Offers opportunities for customizing content and individualizing instruction
Students requiring additional support or individualized modifications to overcome barriers to learning could benefit from blended learning models that integrate live, personalized instruction (Picciano & Seaman, ; Archambault et al., 2010)
Provides real-time data feedback that teachers can use to ensure consistent access to technology and support student learning (Brush & Hew, 2006; Halverson et al, 2015)
Transforms the role of the teacher with technology-driven instruction
Instructors need knowledge of content and technology, as well as training on pedagogical methods for integrating ed-tech, to enhance student learning (Ertmer & Ottenbreit- Leftwich, 2010)
Provide real-time data feedback to teachers to support learning
Transform role of teacher with technology-driven instruction

3. With at-risk students and low-resource contexts often targeted for use of digital/online instructional tools, differential access to quality learning experiences between digital and traditional forms of instruction could have profound implications for equality.

4. Theory underlying concerns for inequities in ed-tech integration: instructional access and quality
Neuroscience confirms that brain regions responsible for higher cognitive functioning continue to mature through adolescence (Noble et al., 2015)
Points to importance of “conversational turns” (dyadic signaling) between adults and children for stronger connections between developing brain regions critical for language, independent of parental income and education (Romeo et al, 2018)
Success of online learning models predicated on blended learning models— combining online and face-to-face instruction (Cavanaugh, 2013)
Engaging students with a wider array of learning experiences, with innovative, personalized learning facilitated by teachers
Requires teacher knowledge of technology and its applications, shared vision of technology use and “data-driven” culture, ongoing professional development, environmental supports
Rachel R. Romeo, Joshua Segaran, Julia A. Leonard, Sydney T. Robinson, Martin R. West, Allyson P. Mackey, Anastasia Yendiki, Meredith L. Rowe, John D. E. Gabrieli. Language Exposure Relates to Structural Neural Connectivity in Childhood. The Journal of Neuroscience, 2018; DOI:  /JNEUROSCI
Cavanaugh, C. (2013). Student achievement in elementary and high school. In M. G. Moore (Ed.), Handbook of distance education
(3rd. ed.) (170–184). New York: Routledge.

5. Research Questions https://my.vanderbilt.edu/digitaled/
How is ed-tech being implemented in practice to reduce inequity in access to quality learning?
What associations do we observe, quantitative and qualitative, between implementation and student outcomes?
What policies and strategies hold the most promise for increasing ed-tech effectiveness?
Research Questions

6. > 1 million student school records
>10 million technology vendor records
>500 classroom observations
>50 district staff & instructor interviews
Data collection since 2015, Dallas Independent School District (DISD) and Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS)

7. The “Good”: Reading achievement gains increased with tablet use for elementary school students in DISD, and bilingual classrooms saw greater gains with increasing use

8. The “Bad”: Technology problems take valuable time away from learning, with negative achievement implications

9. The “Ugly”: Some Students are Set Back in their Academic Progress

10. Research-based recommendations
Invest heavily in initial and ongoing professional development and provide tiered training opportunities (meet teachers where they’re at)
Provide onsite, readily accessible tech support to prevent and address technical issues that bring learning to a standstill
Ensure that digital tools and programs meet the individual needs of students directed to use them
Adequate resources/accommodations for students’ special educational needs
Support increased use of blended learning with improved instructional and environmental capacities
Consider: if ed-tech integration can’t be done well, should it be done at all?