Teachers want more game-based tech and virtual reality in the classroom

A quarter of teachers want more game-based technology in the classroom above any other type of ed-tech, such as laptops or tablets, according to research.
9th March 2016, 3:35pm

Share

Teachers want more game-based tech and virtual reality in the classroom

https://www.tes.com/magazine/archive/teachers-want-more-game-based-tech-and-virtual-reality-classroom
Thumbnail

Want to keep up with the latest education news and opinion? Follow TES USA on Twitter and like TES US on Facebook.

Teachers also want virtual and augmented reality headsets to be made available to their students, the study shows.

According to the survey of more than 1,000 teachers, technology is playing an ever greater role in teaching and learning in schools across the US, with fewer educators complaining about the lack of hardware and connectivity compared with previous years.

The second annual Teachers and Technology Survey published by TES Global, the digital education company and parent company of TES US, revealed that teachers want more, not less, technology in their classrooms.

In particular, one in four teachers (25 per cent) want game-based technology more than any other tech, while one in 10 want access to virtual reality in class.    

The survey comes as teachers and educators converge in Austin, Texas for the SXSWedu conference. 

And in a sign of the changing times, more than two-thirds (70 per cent) of teachers said they use technology to communicate with parents, using tools such as ClassDojo and Remind.

The proportion of teachers complaining about a lack of proper connectivity to the internet has also halved in the past year, with just 16 per cent saying it was a barrier to learning, compared with 35 per cent in 2015.

Just over a quarter (27 per cent) indicated that they lacked enough computers and tablets for their students.

“We are thrilled to see improvements around access to technology and high-quality open resources,” said Rob Grimshaw, chief executive officer of TES Global. “Arming teachers with the tools they need to succeed is the right way to ensure that innovative technologies can impact student performance.”

Want to keep reading for free?

Register with Tes and you can read two free articles every month plus you'll have access to our range of award-winning newsletters.

Keep reading for just £1 per month

You've reached your limit of free articles this month. Subscribe for £1 per month for three months and get:

  • Unlimited access to all Tes magazine content
  • Exclusive subscriber-only stories
  • Award-winning email newsletters
Recent
Most read
Most shared