Digital Learning: Reimagining Learning with Data Driven Decision-Makingby Janice Mertes, Assistant Director, Content and Learning - Digital Learning and Chad Kliefoth, Digital Learning Consultant, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction As instructional and technology leaders in your districts, you rely on relevant, up-to-date data and information in order to make planning and programming decisions. You want access to data to analyze it, make decisions for your district that support, and move forward student learning. Nationwide data on instruction and technology in education tend to be easier to obtain than local, statewide data, so it is generally easier to use previous studies to fit local contexts. Understanding this, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) has conducted its second annual Digital Learning Survey of public districts statewide to support obtaining the data you need to make informed decisions for and about your districts. Digital Learning Survey DPI has compiled the survey responses of 420 Wisconsin school districts, which represent participation by over 94% of all Wisconsin school districts. The survey asked 50 questions covering all five gears of the Wisconsin Digital Learning Plan. The DPI Digital Learning website focuses on 14 of the 50 questions, which represent a cross-section of the overall data, are able to support data-driven instructional leadership and planning. The goal of the Digital Learning Survey is to create a collection of longitudinal, digital data to help inform key stakeholders, including individual school districts, Cooperative Educational Service Agencies (CESAs), professional organizations, the Wisconsin Legislature, and citizens of the state. Districts have the opportunity to leverage this data to support curricular, planning, and programming decisions that enhance the learning experience that are equitable for all students. As the collection process continues, the DPI will highlight trends across the state that districts can use to compare to their own visioning and progress. The data is voluntary and relies on the participation of public districts in Wisconsin. Continuing to participate in the submission of the survey from your districts allows the data to be robust and representative of the entire state. Most of the survey questions each year will remain untouched to ensure consistency, but the DPI will also update the survey each year to include questions about trends in educational technology and its support. The survey will always be organized and focused on the five gears of the Wisconsin Digital Learning Plan: Instruction, Professional Learning, Infrastructure, Data and Privacy, and Innovative Leadership. The Wisconsin Digital Learning Plan as a Roadmap for Districts The 2018-19 Wisconsin Digital Learning Survey is the second annual survey for our state to benchmark the progress of the Wisconsin Digital Learning Plan. The Wisconsin Digital Learning Plan (c2016) provides school districts with strategies for making learning more meaningful and relevant for students, more accessible for economically disadvantaged students, and more cost-effective upon implementation. The Plan focuses on learning environments that are equitable, personalized, applied, and engaging. The skillful and equitable use of technology can transform the way teaching and learning happen in classrooms across Wisconsin. Digital tools can enhance student learning as they connect efforts to identify what students should know and be able to do, as well as help students and educators assess progress toward achieving academic goals. To meet the needs of today's students and to ensure they are college and career ready, schools are encouraged to be innovative in providing student learning experiences and adopting technologies and instruction in ways that meaningfully engage the digital generation. Leveraging the Data from the Annual Digital Learning Survey When you navigate to the website, you will see the data has broken down in three ways for comparison --statewide results, results by CESA, and results by district size. Each section includes graphs for the given data and a brief interpretation of each. A PDF copy of the entire data set for each category is at the bottom of each page. You can also access data from years in the menu on the left. Some of the key findings from the 2018-19 Digital Learning Survey are as follows:
A Vision for Information and Technology LiteracyAs stated on the DPI Wisconsin Standards for Information and Technology Literacy resource page, “Today’s society is witnessing an unprecedented explosion of information and use of digital resources. In an environment where information is doubling at an incredible rate and digital resources are becoming an increased component of the classroom and the workplace, students face both difficult challenges and increased opportunities. The successful students, workers, and citizens of tomorrow will be self-directed agents of their own learning. Wisconsin defines Information and Technology Literacy as “the ability of an individual, working independently or with others, to use tools, resources, processes, and systems responsible to access and evaluate information in any medium, and to use that information to solve problems, communicate clearly, make informed decisions, and construct new knowledge, products, or systems.” The Wisconsin Academic Standards for Information and Technology Literacy are an important foundation to prepare students to be college and career ready.” As educators, we are preparing students for a future that we cannot yet imagine. Empowering students to become lifelong learners and providing them with the skills to face future challenges resourcefully and creatively is critical. Empowering students is not about using digital tools to support outdated education strategies and models; it is about tapping into technology’s potential to amplify human capacity for collaboration, creativity, and communication. The Information and Technology Literacy Standards are about leveling the playing field and providing young people worldwide with equitable access to powerful learning opportunities. These standards will be achieved with a strong district commitment to a technological infrastructure, including sufficient equipment and access, materials and staffing, appropriate technical support, and a comprehensive, ongoing program of teacher training and staff development. Focusing on Equity for Instructional Programming in the Digital Age Aligning your district’s vision to the state’s vision for equitable digital learning programming and operational supports is essential for continuous improvement and strategic planning. Defining equity in the digital age will require a continued dialogue between the state and districts to support districts in research, funding, practices, and policies to ensure that all student experiences are equitable, personalized, applied, and engaging. References Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction:Every Child A Graduate(2017). (2019, March 25) Retrieved from https://dpi.wi.gov/statesupt/every-child-graduate Wisconsin Digital Learning Plan(2016). (2019, March 25) Retrieved from https://dpi.wi.gov/digital-learning Wisconsin Digital Learning Survey Results(2019). (2019, March 25) Retrieved from https://dpi.wi.gov/imt/ed-tech-survey-results Wisconsin Standards for Information and Technology Literacy (2017). (2019, January 16). Retrieved from https://dpi.wi.gov/imt/it-literacy-standards Wisconsin Standards for Information and Technology Literacy: Empowered Learning Literature Review (2017). (2019, January 16). Retrieved from https://dpi.wi.gov/imt/it-literacy-standards
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