Title of Study:  Creating Our Future:  Students Speak Up about their Vision for 21st Century Learning

Author(s): Project Tomorrow

Summary:
This report from the seventh annual Speak Up online survey summarizes responses from students in grades K-12, teachers, parents and administrators.  Questions in the 2009 survey covered technology use, 21st Century skills; schools of the future; emerging technologies such as mobile devices, online learning and digital content; math instruction, and challenges faced by teachers and administrators.

Sponsoring entity(s): Project Tomorrow

Date conducted: 2009

Location of the study: This study can be accessed through the Project Tomorrow website.

Setting(s) addressed:

• Classroom
• School

Targeted population(s):

• K-12 students
• Teachers
• Parents
• Administrators

Primary sources of evidence used in the study or report:

• Survey of students, parents, teachers, pre-service teachers, administrators

Primary Technology Application(s) Addressed:

• Web 2.0 tools and digital content
• Mobile devices

Major education topic(s) addressed:

• Educational technology
• Online learning
• Math

Major findings/conclusions:

• Students want to leverage emerging communications and collaboration tools for social-based learning and to create personal networks of experts to inform their education.  51% of students already use communication and collaboration tools for schoolwork, and 72% use these resources outside of school.
• Students envision un-tethered learning that is not limited by school resources, traditional funding or teacher knowledge and skills.  They see the Internet as a giant learning sandbox.  They view mobile devices as ways to enhance personal productivity, and want to use their own devices in school for academic purposes.  More than 50% of students have either taken an online class or are interested in taking an online class.
• Students want digitally rich learning, and see digital tools, content and resources as a key for learning productivity, not just as tools to engage students.  79% currently use digital resources for writing assignments, 66% to create slide shows, videos or web pages and 34% take tests online.
• Students would like to see online textbooks that are interactive, foster collaborative learning and personalize learning.  They want digital textbooks that include games to explore ideas, online tutors, animations and simulations and links to real-time data and websites.

Practical implications of the findings:

• Many students already view themselves as “Free Agent Learners” who use a wide range of resources outside the classroom to create a personalized learning experience.  The self-directed learning uses a variety of technology resources.

Reviewer Comments:
The report is based on self-reported information from self-selected online respondents, including almost 300,005 K-12 students, almost 40,000 teachers, 26,000 parents and 4,000 administrators.  Respondents represented 5,757schools and 1,215 districts.

Survey questions and data from all seven years of the study are available at the Tomorrow.org website.