EdTech is booming. But is it any good?

The Australian Network for Quality Digital Education (ANQDE) has brought together leaders in education, government, industry, social purpose, research and philanthropy to provide clarity and evidence-based guidance to integrating edtech into classrooms.

Edtech is increasingly a mediating layer, an interpretive tool and actor in our education settings. 

– Professor Leslie Loble AM, Chair, ANQDE

Quality edtech has great potential to uplift student success. But how do we decide what is good quality, and how do we encourage its production?

In March, the Network interrogated what standards of quality could be applied to edtech. They found five key areas of consideration:

Access: Students’ access to reliable devices and internet connectivity is unequal across Australia. Addressing these barriers is the first step to ensure that every student benefits from technological advances.

[During COVID], many of our students' access and disadvantage were actually deepened. Therefore we, as a profession, want to make sure that AI does not only avoid these issues but enhances their opportunities and levels the playing field. Better that we use the technology to address those intersectional disadvantages and not deepen the inequality.

– Amber Flohm, Deputy President, NSW Teachers Federation

Design: The commitment to inclusivity was a resonant theme. Edtech must be designed to serve a diverse student population, reducing the need for extensive teacher adaptation, and avoiding embedded biases. This inclusive approach will ensure that technology becomes a leveller rather than a divider in educational opportunities.

Teachers: Teachers’ expertise must be front and centre in integrating edtech in the classroom. Teachers must be empowered through technology, with tools complementing teaching methods and supporting data-informed practices. Automating non-pedagogical tasks through AI could also reduce teachers' workload burdens.

The greatest successes with edtech occur when it serves as a tool that allows teachers to focus on teaching. This enables them to do more of the good work that is fundamental to being a teacher.

– Adam Inder, Australian Education Research Organisation  

Measuring impact: Evaluating the impact of edtech products requires a rigorous approach. To do this, we need a process that transparently measures tool effectiveness and design quality, ensuring that only the most reliable products make it into classrooms.

Privacy: Addressing data privacy in the digital classroom is not just a priority; it’s a necessity.

As we integrate more digital tools into education, it’s imperative that we implement stringent security measures to protect student data from emerging threats. This will ensure a safe and secure learning environment for all students.

We think about the evidence that the children who are most vulnerable offline are the same children who are most vulnerable online.

– Sarah Davies AM, CEO, Alannah & Madeline Foundation

The Network sees the great benefits that edtech can bring to learning. By enhancing the educational process, edtech can help improve student outcomes significantly – but its efficacy is contingent upon its quality and effective use under the instructional leadership of appropriately supported teachers.

The Network will continue interrogating what we must pay attention to in edtech. The next meeting, taking place in June, will investigate what good use of edtech looks like in the classroom, particularly for students experiencing disadvantage.

Get involved

The Network invites public engagement and input, which is crucial for shaping education policies and practices that reflect the diverse needs of Australia’s students.

For more information, contact us using the details below.

Contact the Network

Email: edtechnetwork@uts.edu.au
Updates: Join our mailing list 
LinkedIn: Follow us