WestEd works at the intersection of education and technology to improve outcomes for all learners. This Spotlight presents research and resources to inform education leaders’ decision-making around using technology as a tool for enhanced teaching and learning.

Be sure to visit our Learning & Technology Area of Work page to learn about a range of edtech projects and capacities.

Check out our recent Learning & Technology E-Bulletin for more resources.

Student in classPromising Outcomes for a Digital Learning Program

As digital learning programs continue to rise in popularity to address students’ learning recovery and narrow math achievement gaps, it is crucial for educators to understand the long-term efficacy of such programs through evidence-based research.

A recent WestEd study examined the impacts of a widely used formative assessment platform, ASSISTments, which aids middle school students’ learning in math.

“The long-term results suggest that edtech programs that support teachers in using data to drive instruction and support students’ independent practice can help generate effective loops of instructional practices that can prepare students better for future learning,” says Dr. Mingyu Feng, Principal Investigator and Research Director for Learning and Technology at WestEd.

Read the full blog post.

Educators Leveraging Technology to Support Student Learning 

REL Northwest is leading the Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Program working group on Leveraging Technology to Support Student Learning. In collaboration with the nine other RELs, REL Northwest is producing a framework to help district leaders as they adopt, use, and monitor the effectiveness of technology in their schools.

The following REL Northwest blog posts offer useful, evidence-based guidance:

The Need for and Development of the Value Add of Technology on Teaching FrameworkDeveloping the Value Add of Technology on Teaching Framework

For more than a decade, researchers have been calling for a shift from focusing on the adoption of technological tools in the classroom to focusing on how to leverage technology in teaching in order to advance student learning, a concept referred to as “technology-enabled instruction.” Yet there are few materials serving K–12 educators that are explicitly aimed at facilitating technology-enabled instruction. Typically, materials focus either on instruction or on technology integration rather than on both.

This paper documents the development of one resource that aims to fill this gap—the Value Add of Technology on Teaching (VATT) Framework. Written primarily for school and district leaders, the paper details the reasons why the VATT Framework was developed, the process through which the VATT Framework was conceived and conceptualized, and how various interest holders were engaged in different elements of this process.

Download The Need for and Development of the “Value Add of Technology on Teaching Framework.”

Subscribe to the E-Bulletin

Stay informed about WestEd’s research, resources, services, events, and career opportunities by subscribing to our E-Bulletin. Our January 2024, Volume 1, issue explores WestEd’s work at the intersection of learning and technology.

The issue features resources about the following:

  • WestEd Experts Weigh In on Data Privacy
  • Three Questions Districts Must Ask for Effective Technology Use
  • Improving Education Technology Through Research and Evaluation
  • Adult Education and Strategic Technology Integration
  • Supporting Teachers in Technology-Enabled Instruction
  • Using Technology for Meeting Instructional Goals
  • What Stops Teachers From Embracing EdTech?
  • Learning & Technology at WestEd

View the January 2024, Volume 1, E-Bulletin.

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