The Opportunity Cost of Research
For EdTech companies to reach their full, helpful potential, the data problem must be solved — and solved quickly
Writing an article for EdSurge, Mary Jo Madda illuminates one of the principle problems plaguing the education technology landscape — the problem of data and research.
While the need for high-quality EdTech products has become almost universally recognized among educators and innovators alike, the data problem presents a significant hurdle, which, to this point, has effectively hindered the effectiveness of the industry as a whole.
The issue first manifests itself at the school level, where teachers are bombarded with opportunities to try new EdTech products. Unfortunately, as all teachers surely know, a teacher’s schedule does not typically afford him or her with ample time to test multiple new products in order to determine which works best. As a result, teachers are often left with a product that does not adequately fulfill the needs of his or her students.
Unfortunately, the uniquely paradoxical nature of this research problem makes it extremely difficult to solve. Because teachers don’t have the time or the formal training to conduct research that places an emphasis on data, companies either feel like they can get away with less concrete evidence, or they just take what they can get. Without the means to improve the products, the industry fails to progress, and teachers, noticing this lack of advancement, resign to purchasing the products used by the teachers in neighboring school districts as opposed to seeking products specifically equipped for their needs.
Ultimately, this unfortunate cycle fails to provide for all sides. The teachers and students are left without effective products, and the EdTech companies are left without adequate data.
As a result, data cannot reasonably be considered a priority for the companies. Madda expands, saying, “When EdTech entrepreneurs design and develop their products, high-quality research is not always at the top of their minds.”
Obviously Madda’s statement reflects an egregious issue. Conducting thorough and accurate research has become so difficult for these EdTech companies that the opportunity cost of that research has reached a point where sed research can no longer be prioritized. Operating in the ever-fluctuating world of education technology, time is of a premium, and currently, research and time stand at odds.
In order for the EdTech world to fulfill its purpose of improving education through technology, the data procurement and circulation problems must be addressed.
One company seeking to tackle these issues is the New York-based Technology for Education Consortium. TEC is a non-profit organization working to improve the “purchasing processes and student outcomes” associated with education technology. Understanding completely the cyclical issue it must combat, TEC asserts that “school districts have been making purchasing decisions without reliable information about whether those products lead to desired educational outcomes. Products are often misused or underused, breaking the feedback loop necessary for improvements.”
TEC looks to address three specific subsets of the problem: transparency, efficiency, and collaboration. First, school districts must be provided with appropriate information. Next, new procurement processes must be established so as to allow for the existence of cutting-edge products on the market. Finally, school districts must be encouraged to share their EdTech experiences in order to ensure that every school receives a fair price and an effective product for their students.
Although TEC appears to be on the right track in its quest to alleviate the data problem that has haunted EdTech companies and teachers to this point, one organization cannot tackle the issue alone.
This past May, every stakeholder in education technology met at the EdTech Efficacy Symposium to move forward in tackling this crucial problem (read a recap here).
Our team was privileged enough to be invited to the conference and to participate in the discussion. A tremendous amount of momentum is in place for the collaborative, systemic change required- which you’ll definitely see play out in the next few months.
