Giving Educators a Voice on EdTech: The Development of an EdTech Evaluation Rubric for Educators
Abstract: Educational technology (edtech) is ubiquitous Further, edtech is often touted as a key factor for improving key educational outcomes for students at every level However, there has been a dearth of evidence on edtech usage and impact, which has left educators and administrators without data to inform important edtech decisions One stakeholder who has a critical voice is the educator Although educators are informally evaluating whether edtech products improve outcomes for their students on a daily basis, there has not been a formal means for collecting and disseminating this information A grading protocol and rubric are needed that allow educators to systematically evaluate the edtech products they use, and then share that information with peers, their organizations, and their networks Thus, we engaged in the psychometric development and validation of a rubric that allows educators to evaluate educational technologies The rubric enables both qualitative and quantitative insights about the eight core criteria educators use when they try, buy, and use digital learning tools Additionally, the rubric captures information about how educators are using the edtech product, which enables the grades to be viewed in context The rubric and accompanying grading protocol is housed on a software platform that contains a library of over 5,000 products, enabling a dissemination mechanism that equips educators and administrators with the evidence they need to make informed decisions
Presider: Alison Egan, Marino Institute of Education