21st-Century Classroom Report:
Preparing Students for the Future or the Past?
The 21st-century classroom leverages technology to engage and empower teachers and students. To understand how close we are to that goal, CDW-G surveyed more than 1,000 high school students, high school faculty and district IT staff members from around the country – representing rural, suburban and urban schools of all sizes – about how technology is used in their schools.
Click to Tweet: Look, But Don't Touch: Student Access to Classroom Technology Limited, According to #CDW-G http://bit.ly/aZgxoL
To view an in-depth analysis of the CDW-G 21st-Century Classroom Report, please complete the information form at the link below.
- High school students say technology is vital to their education and their future, but schools are not meeting their needs
- Faculty members use technology to teach, but many students lack opportunities to use technology in class
- To improve, districts should focus on developing 21st-century skills and bringing technology to class
- Students use technology extensively as a learning tool and expect to use technology in college and the workforce
| 84% say technology is important* to their ability to study/work on class assignments in high school |
and | 94% anticipate using technology to complete assignments in college |
*Very important or important
Students Want Hands-On Experience- While 60% of students say that faculty members regularly use technology to teach, only 26% of students say they are encouraged to use technology throughout the day
- One-half (53%) of faculty say they do not hold any of their classes in a 21st-century classroom
- While nearly all students use technology at home to complete assignments, the technologies they use in their personal lives are largely absent from the classroom
- Students lead their teachers in using next-generation technology for educational use
| Students | Faculty | |||
| Personal Use | Educational Use | Personal Use | Educational Use | |
| iPods, MP3 players | 78% | 29% | 62% | 13% |
| Smartphones | 38% | 18% | 30% | 6% |
| Online text, video chat | 58% | 18% | 43% | 12% |
| Blogs | 30% | 16% | 26% | 12% |
| Digital Content | 26% | 33% | 35% | 42% |
| Podcasts | 23% | 6% | 21% | 12% |
Call to Action
- Survey students to understand their technology expectations. Consider using the 21st-Century Classroom survey tool, or your own survey, to get an accurate picture of what students and teachers want and need
- Bring together faculty and IT to discuss must-have resources. Use that discussion to create or augment your district's technology plan
- Leverage 21st-century tools to achieve educational goals. Focus on professional development to ensure faculty understand and use technology
CDW-G hired O'Keeffe & Company to conduct an online survey of college students, faculty and IT staff in May 2010.
Sample Size and Margin of Error:
Sample Size and Margin of Error:
- 1,004 Full Sample: ± 3.0% margin of error at a 95% confidence level
- 400 Students: ± 4.9% margin of error at a 95% confidence level
- 302 Faculty: ± 5.6% margin of error at a 95% confidence level
- 302 IT Staff: ± 5.6% margin of error at 95% confidence level
