Tag: Learning

  • Digital learning is different

    Digital learning is different

    Key points:

    In the animated film Up, the character Dug is a talking dog with an interesting mannerism. Each time he sees a movement off to the side, he stops whatever he is doing, stares off in that direction and shouts, “Squirrel!” I feel that this is a perfect representation of how schools often deal with new and emerging technologies. They can be working hard to provide the best instruction for their students but become immediately distracted anytime a new technology is introduced.

    From the internet and computers to cell phones and artificial intelligence, schools continue to invest a lot of time and money into figuring out how best to use these new technologies. Overall, schools have done a good job adapting to the numerous digital tools introduced in classrooms and offices–and often, these tools are introduced as standalone initiatives. Why do school districts feel the need to ‘reinvent the wheel’ every time a new technology is released? Instead of looking at each new technology as a tool that must be integrated in the curriculum, why not determine what is missing from current instruction and identify what prevents integration from occurring naturally?

    Schools need to recognize that it is not just learning how to use these new digital tools that is important. They must learn how to interpret and use the incredible variety of resources that accompany these tools–resources that provide perspectives that students would never have access to when using physical resources.

    Digital is different

    For centuries, learning material has come from a variety of physical resources. These include human-made items (i.e. textbooks, documents, paintings, audio recordings, and movies) as well as one of the most commonly used physical resources: teachers. In traditional instruction, teachers spend a great deal of class time teaching students information from these physical resources. But the physical nature of these resources limits their availability to students. To ensure that students have long-term access to the information provided by these physical resources, most traditional instruction emphasizes memorization, summarizing, and note taking. 

    With digital resources, students can access information at any time from anywhere, which means learning how to retain information is less important than learning how to effectively find credible information. The authenticity of the information is important because the same tools that are used to access digital resources can just as easily be used to create new digital resources. This means there is a lot of misinformation available online, often consisting of nothing more than personal opinions. Students need to not only be able to search for information online, but they also need to be able to verify the authenticity of online information. The ability to identify misleading or false information is a skill that will benefit them in their personal and academic lives.

    Learning

    While it is fairly easy to find information online, especially with the inclusion of AI in search engines, there are some search techniques that will reduce the amount of misinformation found in simple search requests. By teaching students how to refine their searches and discussing the impact of these search skills, students will be more discerning when it comes to reviewing search results. They need to be aware that the most helpful sites do not always appear at the top of the search list. Some sites are sponsored and thus automatically placed at the beginning of the search list. Other sites will tweak their web search parameters to ensure a higher priority in the search list.  A better understanding of how online searching works will result in more effective searches. 

    Once information is found, the authenticity of the resource and the information itself needs to be established. Fortunately, there are standard practices that can be utilized to teach verification. In the early 2000’s, a popular checklist method called CRAAP (Currency [timeliness], Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, Purpose) emerged. While this method was effective in evaluating the authenticity of the website, it did not ensure the accuracy of the information on the website. In 2019, the SIFT (Stop, Investigate, Find confirming resources, and Trace claims) methodology was introduced.  This methodology focuses on determining if online content is credible. These are not the only tools available to teachers. Librarians and media specialists are a good place to start when determining age-appropriate lessons and material to teach verification.

    Students need to have access to some high-quality digital resources starting in elementary school. Teaching website verification at an early age will help students understand, from the beginning, that there is a lot of misinformation available online. At the same time, schools need to ensure that they provide access to digital resources that are age appropriate. Today’s network technology provides many ways for schools to monitor and control what information or sites are available to students at different grade levels. While these network tools are effective, they should be used in conjunction with well-trained teachers who understand how to safely navigate digital resources and students who are expected to practice responsible internet behavior. Introducing a select number of digital resources in elementary classes is the first step toward creating discerning researchers who will gain the ability to effectively judge a website’s appropriateness and usefulness.

    Teaching

    In order to create opportunities for students to experience learning with digital resources, instructional practices need to be less reliant on teacher-directed instruction. The use of physical resources requires the teacher to be the primary distributor of the information. Typically, this is done through lecture or whole-class presentations. With digital resources, students have direct access to the information, so whole-class distribution is not necessary. Instead, instructional practices need to provide lessons that emphasize finding and verifying information, which can be done by shifting to a learner-centered instructional model. In a learner-centered lesson, the onus falls on the student to determine what information is needed, and if the found information is credible for a given task. The class time that previously would have been spent on lecture becomes time for students to practice finding and authenticating online information. Initially, these learning experiences would be designed as guided practice for finding specific information. As students become more proficient with their search skills, the lesson can shift toward project-based lessons.

    Project-based lessons will help students learn how to apply the information they find, as well as determine what unknown information they need to complete the work. Unlike lesson design for practicing information searching and verification, project-based lessons provide opportunities for students to decide what information is needed and how best to use it. Instead of directing the student’s information-gathering, the teacher provides guidance to ensure they are accessing information that will allow the students to complete the project.

    This shift in instruction does not necessarily mean there will be a significant curricular change. The curricular content will remain the same, but the resources could be different. Because students control what resources they use, it is possible that they could find resources different from the ones specified in the curriculum. Teachers will need to be aware of the resources students are using and may have to spend time checking the credibility of the resource. Given the varying formats (text, audio, video, graphic) available with digital resources, students will be able to determine which format(s) best supports their learning style. Because most digital tools utilize the same digital resources and formats, teaching students how to learn with digital resources will prepare them for adapting to the next new digital tool. It is simply a matter of learning how to use the tool–after all, they already know how to use the resource.

    When creating units of study, teachers should consider the type of resources students will be using. To simplify matters, some units should be designed to utilize digital resources only and include lessons that teach students how to find and verify information. Students still need to develop skills to work with physical resources as well. It may be helpful to start off with units that utilize only physical or digital resources. That way teachers can focus on the specific skills needed for each type of resource. As students gain proficiency with these skills, they will learn to use the appropriate skills for the given resources.

    The amount of information available to the public today is staggering. Unfortunately, too much of it is unverified and even purposely misleading. Trying to stop misinformation from being created and distributed is not realistic. But teaching students how to validate online information can make the distribution of and exposure to misinformation much less impactful. The open nature of the internet allows for many divergent opinions and perspectives. We need to ensure that when students graduate, they have the skills necessary to determine the authenticity of online information and to be able to determine its merit.

    Teaching and learning with digital resources is different, and traditional instruction does not meet the learning needs of today’s students. Giving students the opportunity to master learning with digital resources will prepare them for the next technology “squirrel” and will enable them to determine how best to use it on their own.

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  • Centralized IT governance helps improve learning outcomes

    Centralized IT governance helps improve learning outcomes

    Key points:

    As school districts continue to seek new ways to enhance learning outcomes, Madison County School District represents an outstanding case study of the next-level success that may be attained by centralizing IT governance and formalizing procedures.

    When Isaac Goyette joined MCSD approximately seven years ago, he saw an opportunity to use his role as Coordinator of Information Technology to make a positive impact on the most important mission of any district: student learning. The district, located in northern Florida and serving approximately 2,700 students, had made strides towards achieving a 1:1 device ratio, but there was a need for centralized IT governance to fully realize its vision.

    Goyette’s arrival is noted for marking the beginning of a new era, bringing innovation, uniformity, and central control to the district’s technology infrastructure.  His team aimed to ensure that every school was using the same systems and processes, thereby advancing the students’ access to technology.

    Every step of the way, Goyette counted on the support of district leadership, who recognized the need for optimizing IT governance. Major projects were funded through E-rate, grants, and COVID relief funds, enabling the district to replace outdated systems without burdening the general fund.  MCSD’s principals and staff have embraced the IT team’s efforts to standardize technology across the district, leading to a successful implementation. Auto rostering and single sign-on have made processes easier for everyone, and the benefits of a cohesive, cross-department approach are now widely recognized.

    To successfully support and enable centralization efforts, Goyette recognized the need to build a strong underlying infrastructure. One of the key milestones in MCSD’s technology journey was the complete overhaul of its network infrastructure. The existing network was unreliable and fragmented in design. Goyette and his team rebuilt the network from the ground up, addressing connectivity issues, upgrading equipment, and logically redoing district systems and processes, such as the district’s IP network addressing scheme. This transformation has had a positive impact on student learning and engagement. With reliable connectivity, students no longer face disruptions.

    The implementation of an enterprise-grade managed WAN solution has further transformed the educational experience for MCSD’s students and educators, serving as the backbone for all other technologies. Goyette’s innovative co-management approach, coupled with his deep understanding of network topology, has enabled him to optimize the resources of an experienced K-12 service provider while retaining control and visibility over the district’s network.

    New School Safety Resources

    Another significant milestone MCSD has achieved is the successful deployment of the district’s voice system. This reliable phone system is crucial for ensuring that MCSD’s schools, staff, and parents remain seamlessly connected, enhancing communication and safety across the district.

    Goyette’s innovative leadership extends to his strategies for integrating technology in the district. He and his team work closely with the district’s curriculum team to ensure that technology initiatives align with educational goals. By acting as facilitators for educational technology, his team prevents app sprawl and ensures that new tools are truly needed and effective.

    “Having ongoing conversations with our principals and curriculum team regarding digital learning tools has been critical for us, ensuring we all remain aligned and on the same page,” said Goyette. “There are so many new apps available, and many of them are great. However, we must ask ourselves: If we already have two apps that accomplish the same goal or objective, why do we need a third? Asking those questions and fostering that interdepartmental dialogue ensures everyone has a voice, while preventing the headaches and consequences of everyone doing their own thing.”   

    MCSD’s IT transformation has had a profound impact on student learning and engagement. With reliable connectivity and ample bandwidth, students no longer face disruptions, and processes like single sign-on and auto account provisioning have streamlined their access to educational resources. The district’s centralization efforts have not only improved the educational experience for students and educators but have also positioned Madison County School District as a model of success and innovation.

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  • K12 Earns High Marks for Excellence in Online Public Education

    K12 Earns High Marks for Excellence in Online Public Education

    RESTON, Va.(GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — K12, a portfolio brand of Stride, Inc. has been recognized for its steadfast commitment to quality education. In a recent review by Cognia, a global nonprofit that accredits schools, K12 earned an impressive Index of Education Quality (IEQ) score of 327, well above the global average of 296. Cognia praised K12 for creating supportive environments where students are encouraged to learn and grow in ways that work best for them. 

    For over 25 years, K12 has been a pioneer in online public education, delivering flexible, high-quality learning experiences to families across the country. Having served more than 3 million students, K12 has helped shape the future of personalized learning. This long-standing presence in the field reflects a deep understanding of what families need from a modern education partner. The recent Cognia review further validates K12’s role as a trusted provider, recognizing the strength of its learning environments and its commitment to serving all students. 

    “What stood out in this review is how clearly our learning environments are working for students,” said Niyoka McCoy, Chief Learning Officer at Stride, Inc. “From personalized graduation plans to real-time feedback tools and expanded course options, the Cognia team saw what we see every day, which is students being supported in ways that help them grow, stay engaged, and take ownership of their learning.” 

    K12’s impact extends well beyond the virtual classroom. In 2025, the organization was honored with two Gold Stevie® Awards for Innovation in Education and recognized at the Digital Education Awards for its excellence in digital learning. These awards highlight K12’s continued leadership in delivering meaningful, future-focused education. What sets K12-powered online public schools apart is a curriculum that goes beyond the basics, offering students access to STEM, Advanced Placement, dual-credit, industry certifications, and gamified learning experiences. K12’s program is designed to spark curiosity, build confidence, and help students thrive in college, careers, and life. 

    Through student-centered instruction and personalized support, K12 is leading the way in modern education. As the learning landscape evolves, K12 adapts alongside it, meeting the needs of today’s students while shaping the future of education. 

    To learn more about K12 and its accredited programs, visit k12.com.

    About Stride, Inc.  

    Stride Inc. (LRN) is redefining lifelong learning with innovative, high-quality education solutions. Serving learners in primary, secondary, and postsecondary settings, Stride provides a wide range of services including K-12 education, career learning, professional skills training, and talent development. Stride reaches learners in all 50 states and over 100 countries. Learn more at Stridelearning.com.

    eSchool News Staff
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  • Transforming higher education learning, assessment and engagement in the AI revolution: the how

    Transforming higher education learning, assessment and engagement in the AI revolution: the how

    • By Derfel Owen, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and Janice Kay, Higher Futures.

    Generative AI and other new technologies create unprecedented challenges to some of the deepest and longest-held assumptions about how we educate and support students. We start from a position that rejects a defensive stance, attempting to protect current practice from the perceived threat of AI. Bans, restrictions and policies to limit AI use have emerged in an effort to uphold existing norms. Such approaches risk isolating and alienating students who are using AI anyway and will fail to address its broader implications. The point is that AI forces us to reconsider and recapitulate current ways of how we teach, how we help students to learn, how we assess and how we engage and support.  Four areas of how we educate require a greater focus:

    • Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving: Teaching students to evaluate, analyse, and synthesise information while questioning AI-generated outputs.
    • Creativity and Innovation: Focusing on nurturing original ideas, divergent thinking, and the ability to combine concepts in novel ways.
    • Emotional Intelligence: Prioritising skills like empathy, communication, and collaboration,  essential for leadership, teamwork, and human connection.
    • Ethical Reasoning: Training students to navigate ethical dilemmas and critically evaluate the ethical implications of AI use in society.

    Here we set out some practical steps that can be taken to shift us in that direction.

    1. Emphasise Lifelong Learning and Entrepreneurialism

    Education should equip students with the ability to adapt throughout their lives to rapidly evolving technologies, professions and industries. Fostering the ability to learn, unlearn, and relearn quickly in response to changing demands is essential. A well-rounded education will combine new and established knowledge across subjects and disciplines, building in an assumption that progress is made through interdisciplinary connections and creating space to explore the unknown, what we might not know yet and how we go about finding it.

    The transformation of traditional work through AI and automation necessitates that students are fully equipped to thrive in flexible and diverse job markets. Entrepreneurial thinking should be nurtured by teaching students to identify problems, design innovative solutions, and create value in ways that AI can support but not replicate. Leadership development should focus on fostering decision-making, adaptability, and team-building skills, emphasising the inherently human aspects of leadership.

    We should be aware that jobs and job skills in an AI world are evolving faster than our curricula. As McKinsey estimates, AI will transform or replace up to 800 million jobs globally, and the stakes are too high for incremental change.

    2. Promote Originality and Rigour though Collaboration

    AI’s strength lies in the processing speed and the sheer breadth of existing data and knowledge that it can access. It can tell you at exceptional pace what might have taken hours, days or weeks to discover. This should be viewed as a way to augment human capabilities and not as a crutch. Incorporating project-based, collaborative learning with AI will empower students to collaborate to create, solve problems, and innovate while reinforcing their roles as innovators and decision-makers. Working together should be a means of fostering communication skills, but can also be strengthened to encourage, promote and reward creativity and divergent thinking that goes further than conventional knowledge. Students should be encouraged to pursue discovery through critical thinking and verification, exploring unique, self-designed research questions or projects that demand deep thought and personal engagement. These steps will build digital confidence, ensuring students can use AI with confidence and assuredness, are able to test and understand its limitations and can leverage it as a tool to accelerate and underpin their innovation. Examples include generating content for campaigns or portfolio outputs, using AI to synthesise original data, demonstrating Socratic dialogue with AI and its outputs, challenging and critiquing prompts.

    3. Redesign Assessments

    Traditional assessments, such as essays and multiple-choice tests, are increasingly vulnerable to AI interference, and the value they add is increasingly questionable. To counter this, education should focus on performance-based assessments, such as presentations, debates, and real-time problem-solving, which showcase students’ ability to think critically and adapt quickly. Educators have moved away from such assessment methods in recent years because evidence suggests that biases creep into oral examinations. This needs reevaluating to judge the balance of risk in light of AI advancements. Stereotyping and halo biases can be mitigated and can increase student engagement with the assessment and subject matter. What is the greater risk? Biases in oral assessment? Or generating cohorts of graduates with skills to complete unseen, closed-book exams that are likely to be of limited value in a world in which deep and complex information and instruction can be accessed in a fraction of the time through AI? We must revisit these norms and assumptions.

    Collaborative assessments should also be prioritised, using group projects that emphasise teamwork, negotiation, and interpersonal skills. Furthermore, process-oriented evaluation methods should be implemented to assess the learning process itself, including drafts, reflections, and iterative improvements, rather than solely the final outputs. Authenticity in learning outputs can be assured through reflective practices such as journals, portfolios, and presentations that require self-expression and cannot be easily replicated by AI, especially when accompanied by opportunities for students to explain their journey and how their knowledge and approach to a topic have evolved as they learn.

    Achieving such radical change will require a dramatic scaling back of the arms race in assessment, dramatic reductions in multiple, modularised snapshot assessments. Shifting the assessment workload for staff and students is required, toward formative and more authentic assessments with in-built points of reflection. Mitigating more labour-intensive assessments, programme-wide assessment should be considered.

    4. Encourage understanding of the impact of AI on society, resilience and adaptability

    AI will accentuate the societal impact of and concerns about issues such as bias, privacy, and accountability. Utilising AI in teaching and assessment must build an expectation that students and graduates have an enquiring and sceptical mindsets, ready to seek further validation and assurance about facts as they are presented and how they were reached, what data was accessed and how; students need to be prepared and ready to unlearn and rebuild. This will require resilience and the ability to cope with failure, uncertainty, and ambiguity. A growth mindset, valuing continuous learning over static achievement, will help by enhancing their ability to adapt to evolving circumstances. Simulated scenario planning for real-world application of learning will help equip students with the skills to navigate AI-disrupted workplaces and industries successfully.

    The new kid on the block, DeepSeek, has the important feature that it is an open-source reasoning model, low cost (appearing to beat OpenAI o1 that is neither open-source nor free) with the benefit that it sets out its ‘thinking’ step-by-step, helpful for learning and demonstrating learning. It is not, however, able to access external reports critical of the Chinese state, de facto showing that Gen AI models are wholly dependent on the large language data on which they are trained. Students need fully to understand this and its implications.

    Navigating these wide-ranging challenges demands robust support for those shaping the student experience—educators, mentors, and assessors. They remain the heart of higher learning, guiding students through an era of unprecedented change. Yet, bridging the gap between established and emerging practices requires more than just adaptation; it calls for a transformation in how we approach learning itself. To thrive in an AI-integrated future, educators must not only enhance their own AI literacy but also foster open, critical dialogues about its ethical and practical dimensions. In this evolving landscape, everyone—students and educators alike—must embrace a shared journey of learning. The traditional role of the academic as the sole expert must give way to a more collaborative, inquiry-driven model. Only by reimagining the way we teach and learn can we ensure that AI serves as a tool for empowerment rather than a force for division.

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  • Artificial Intelligence and Critical Thinking in Higher Education: Fostering a Transformative Learning Experience for Students – Faculty Focus

    Artificial Intelligence and Critical Thinking in Higher Education: Fostering a Transformative Learning Experience for Students – Faculty Focus

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  • Artificial Intelligence and Critical Thinking in Higher Education: Fostering a Transformative Learning Experience for Students – Faculty Focus

    Artificial Intelligence and Critical Thinking in Higher Education: Fostering a Transformative Learning Experience for Students – Faculty Focus

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  • Expanded AI Makes Active, Personalized Learning More Accessible

    Expanded AI Makes Active, Personalized Learning More Accessible

    Top Hat’s AI-powered assistant, Ace, just got even better. Two new features—example generation and personalized practice—make it easier than ever for educators to personalize learning and give students the support they need to stay on track.

    Ace was designed to take the heavy lifting out of creating assessments and provide students with help when they need it. Now, it’s enabling educators to make learning more relevant by connecting course content to student interests and career goals and by offering targeted practice based on where students are struggling most.

    “Each of these features reflects our belief that great teaching and learning happens when technology helps people do what they do best,” said Maggie Leen, CEO of Top Hat. “With Ace, we’re building an experience that empowers busy educators and motivates students to connect, explore, practice, and succeed.”

    Since its introduction in 2023, Ace has become a trusted partner for instructors seeking to deepen engagement and boost learning outcomes. The new enhancements make it simple for educators to implement teaching practices shown to improve learning, and enhance student success through on-demand, personalized study support.

    Example Generation: Make Content More Relevant and Engaging

    One of the biggest challenges in teaching is helping students see why what they’re learning actually matters. With Ace’s new example generation feature, educators can highlight any part of their course material and ask Ace to create a scenario that ties the concept to something students might encounter in their future careers—or even in everyday life. For instance, an educator teaching anatomy to nursing students might ask Ace to show how muscle function affects patient mobility. When content is connected to students’ goals or lived experiences, it becomes more relevant and meaningful.

    This new capability builds on Ace’s popular question generation tool used by faculty to create formative assessments from their content with just a few clicks. With example generation, educators have another fast and flexible way to personalize course material and make learning more engaging.

    Personalized Practice: Turn Mistakes Into Learning Opportunities

    Many students want more chances to practice but often don’t know what to review or where to start. Ace’s new personalized practice feature gives them just that. As students work through assigned readings and questions, Ace pinpoints where they’re struggling and creates targeted practice sets based on those areas. Feedback is instant, helping students stay on track and build confidence before high-stakes tests.

    More than 100,000 students have used Ace for on-demand study help—from chat-based explanations to unlimited practice questions tied directly to their course content. The new personalized practice feature builds on these tools by offering even more tailored support. It’s a smarter, more continuous way to learn, to build confidence, and deepen understanding over time.

    “Ace shows what’s possible when AI is used thoughtfully to empower instructors, reflect students’ interests, and elevate the learning experience,” said Hong Bui, Chief Product Officer at Top Hat. “As Ace continues to evolve, we’ll add new capabilities to help educators teach more efficiently and create more impactful, engaging experiences for their students.”

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  • 8 under-the-radar digital learning resources

    8 under-the-radar digital learning resources

    Key points:

    Digital learning resources are transforming classrooms, and educators are always on the lookout for tools that go beyond the standard platforms. There are numerous lesser-known digital platforms that offer unique, high-quality learning experiences tailored to students’ and teachers’ needs.

    Here are ten standout resources that can enhance instruction, boost engagement, and support deeper learning.

    1. CurrikiStudio

    Subject areas: All subjects
    Best for: Interactive learning content creation

    CurrikiStudio is a free, open-source platform that allows teachers to design interactive learning experiences without needing coding skills. Educators can create multimedia lessons, games, and assessments tailored to their curriculum. It’s ideal for flipped classrooms, project-based learning, or blended learning environments.

    2. InqITS (Inquiry Intelligent Tutoring System)

    Subject areas: Science
    Best for: Developing scientific inquiry skills

    InqITS offers virtual science labs where students can conduct experiments, analyze results, and receive real-time feedback. The platform uses AI to assess student performance and provide just-in-time support, making it a great tool for teaching scientific practices and critical thinking aligned with NGSS.

    3. Parlay

    Subject areas: ELA, Social Studies, Science
    Best for: Structured online and in-class discussions

    Parlay enables educators to facilitate student discussions in a more inclusive and data-informed way. With written and live discussion formats, students can express their ideas while teachers track participation, collaboration, and the quality of responses. It’s an excellent tool for fostering critical thinking, debate, and reflective dialogue.

    4. Geoguessr EDU

    Subject areas: Geography, History, Global Studies
    Best for: Geospatial learning and global awareness

    Geoguessr EDU is an educational version of the popular game that drops players into a random location via Google Street View. Students use context clues to determine where they are, building skills in geography, culture, and critical observation. The EDU version allows teachers to control content and track student progress.

    5. Mosa Mack Science

    Subject areas: Science
    Best for: Middle school science with an inquiry-based approach

    Mosa Mack offers animated science mysteries that prompt students to explore real-world problems through investigation and collaboration. With built-in differentiation, hands-on labs, and assessments, it’s a rich resource for schools seeking engaging science content that supports NGSS-aligned inquiry and critical thinking.

    6. Listenwise

    Subject areas: ELA, Social Studies, Science
    Best for: Listening comprehension and current events

    Listenwise curates high-quality audio stories from public radio and other reputable sources, paired with interactive transcripts and comprehension questions. It helps students build listening skills while learning about current events, science topics, and historical moments. It’s especially helpful for English learners and auditory learners.

    7. Mind Over Media

    Subject areas: Media Literacy, Social Studies
    Best for: Analyzing propaganda and media messages

    Created by media literacy expert Renee Hobbs, Mind Over Media teaches students to critically analyze modern propaganda in advertising, news, social media, and political content. Through guided analysis and opportunities to submit their own examples, students build essential digital citizenship and media literacy skills.

    8. Brilliant

    Subject areas: Math, Science, Computer Science
    Best for: Problem-solving and conceptual learning

    Brilliant.org offers interactive lessons and puzzles that teach students how to think logically and apply concepts rather than simply memorize formulas. With content tailored for advanced middle schoolers and high school students, it’s ideal for enrichment, gifted learners, or students seeking challenge and depth in STEM topics.

    Each of these digital learning tools brings something unique to the table–whether it’s fostering deeper discussion, building scientific inquiry skills, or promoting digital literacy.

    As schools look to personalize learning and prepare students for a complex, fast-evolving world, these lesser-known platforms provide meaningful ways to deepen engagement and understanding across subjects.

    By incorporating these tools into your classroom, you not only diversify your digital toolkit but also give students access to a wider range of learning modalities and real-world applications. Whether you’re looking for curriculum support, project-based tools, or enrichment resources, there’s a good chance one of these platforms can help meet your goals.

    Laura Ascione
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  • How Gimkit engages my students

    How Gimkit engages my students

    Key points:

    During the height of the COVID-19 outbreak, teachers needed to become resourceful in how they delivered content to students. During this time, students experienced significant change and evolved into a more technologically-dependent group.

    This sparked a period when online learning and digital resources gained substantial popularity, and one tool that helps students learn–while also feeling like a game instead of a lesson–is Gimkit.

    I am an 8th-grade science teacher in a fairly large district, and I recognize the importance of these engaging and interactive resources to help students build knowledge and continue learning.

    What is Gimkit?

    To begin with, what is Gimkit? According to a tutorial, “Gimkit is an excellent game-based learning platform that combines fun and education, making it a highly engaging tool for both teachers and students. It works like a mashup of Kahoot and flash card platforms, but with several unique features that set it apart.

    “Unlike other platforms, Gimkit allows students to earn virtual currency for every correct answer, which they can use to purchase power-ups, adding a competitive edge that keeps students motivated.”

    Gimkit offers so much more than just a game-based learning experience for students–it can be used as an introduction to a lesson, as assigned homework, or as a tool for reviewing.

    Building a Gimkit

    From the teacher’s side of Gimkit, the platform makes it extremely easy to build lessons for the students to use. When you go to create a lesson, you are given many different options to help with the construction.

    Jamie Keet explains: “After establishing your basic Kit information, you will then move onto the fun part–adding your questions! You will be given the option of adding a question, creating your Kit with Flashcards, continuing with KitCollab, adding from Gimkit’s Question Bank, or importing from Spreadsheet.”

    Adding your questions is a great way to make sure your students are getting the exact information they have been provided in class, but some of the other options can help with a teacher’s time, which always seems to be scarce.

    The option to add questions from the question bank allows teachers to view other created kits similar to their topic. With a few simple clicks, a teacher can add questions that meet the needs of their lesson.

    Gimkit as data collection

    Gimkit isn’t just a tool for students to gain knowledge and play games; it is also an excellent way for teachers to collect data on their students. As Amelia Bree observes:

    “Gimkit reports explained show you both big pictures and small details. The look might change sometimes. But you will usually see:

    • Overall Class Performance: This shows the average right answers. It tells you the total questions answered. It also shows how long the game took. It’s a good first look at how everyone understood.
    • Individual Student Results: Click on each student’s name here. You see their personal game path. Their accuracy. Which questions did they get right or wrong? Sometimes, even how fast they answered.
    • Question Breakdown: This part is very powerful. It shows how everyone did on each question you asked. You see how many got it right. How many missed it? Sometimes, it shows common wrong answers for multiple-choice questions.”

    Being able to see this data can help ensure that your students are not just completing the required steps to finish the task, but are also working towards mastering the materials within your class.

    When examining the data, if you identify trends related to specific questions or concepts that students are struggling with, you have the opportunity to revisit and reteach these areas.

    Conclusion

    As you can see, Gimkit isn’t just a tool for students to play games and have fun in class; it is also an opportunity for students to gain knowledge in your lessons while potentially having some fun in the process. Teachers can make creating content for their classes much easier by utilizing some of the built-in features Gimkit provides.

    They can collect the meaningful data needed to ensure students are making progress in the areas where they want them to.

    Works Cited

    Breisacher, J. (2024, October 7). How Teachers Can Use Gimkit in the Classroom (a tutorial). Student-Centered World. https://www.studentcenteredworld.com/gimkit/

    Keet, J. (2021, July 9). How to Use Gimkit- Step By Step Guide. Teachers.Tech.
    https://teachers.tech/how-to-use-gimkit/

    Bree, E. (2025, June 6). Unlock Data-Driven Teaching: Using Gimkit for Meaningful
    Assessment Insights. GIMKIT JOIN.
    https://gimkitjoin.net/gimkit-for-meaningful-assessment-insights/

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  • Middle and high school students need education, career guidance

    Middle and high school students need education, career guidance

    Key points:

    Students need more support around education paths and career options, including hands-on experiences, according to a new nationwide survey from the nonprofit American Student Assistance.

    The survey of more than of 3,000 students in grades 7-12 offers insights into teens’ plans after high school. The research, Next Steps: An Analysis of Teens’ Post-High School Plans, uncovers evolving trends in teenagers’ attitudes, perceptions, and decision-making about their post-high school plans.

    “This analysis of teens’ post high school plans reveals shifts in students’ thinking and planning. We need to change the way we help young people navigate the complex and evolving landscape of education and career options,” said Julie Lammers, Executive Vice President of ASA. “Starting in middle school, our young people need early access to opportunities that empowers them to explore careers that match their interests and strengths; hands-on, skills-based experiences in high school; and information and resources to navigate their path to postsecondary education and career. All of this will enable them to graduate informed, confident, and empowered about what they want to do with their futures.” 

    The survey offers notable findings regarding parental influence on teens’ planning, perceptions of nondegree pathways like trade or technical school, apprenticeships, and certificate programs, and a continued drop-off in kids’ plans to go to college immediately after high school graduation.

    Key findings include:

    Teens’ interest in college is down while nondegree paths are on the rise. Nearly half of all students said they aren’t interested in going to college, with just 45 percent saying two- or four-year college was their most likely next step. Meanwhile 38 percent of teens said they were considering trade or technical schools, apprenticeships, and technical bootcamp programs, although only 14 percent say that such a path is their most likely next step.

    Parents are one of teens’ biggest influencers—and they’re skeptical of nondegree options. A vast majority (82 percent) of teens said their parents agree with their plans to go to four-year college, while only 66 percent said parents supported plans to pursue a nondegree route. In fact, teens reported parents were actually more supportive (70 percent) of foregoing education altogether right after high school vs. pursuing a nondegree program.    

    A concerning number of young people don’t have plans for further education or training. Nearly one quarter (23 percent) said they have no immediate plans to continue formal education or training upon graduation. Teens not planning to continue education after high school indicated they were thinking of beginning full-time work, entering a family business, starting their own business, or joining the military.

    Teens, and especially middle schoolers, are feeling better prepared to plan their futures. In recent years policymakers, educators, employers, and other stakeholders have pushed to make career-connected learning a more prominent feature of our education to workforce system. Survey results say it’s paying off. Agreement with the statement “my school provides me with the right resources to plan for my next steps after high school” grew from just 59 percent in 2018, to 63 percent in 2021, to 82 percent in 2024. Notably, the largest increase occurred at the middle school level, where confidence in in-school planning resources jumped from 60 percent in 2018 to 90 percent in 2024.

    Girls are much more likely to plan to attend college than boys. Boys and girls are equally interested in college when they’re in middle school, but by high school, more than half (53 percent) of girls say they’re likely to attend college compared to just 39 percent of boys. The gender gap is smaller when it comes to nondegree pathways: 15 percent of high school boys say they will likely attend vocational/trade school, participate in an apprenticeship, or take a certificate program, compared to 10 percent of high school girls.

    City kids aren’t as “into” college. Urban teens were least likely (39 percent) to say they plan to go to college. Suburban teens are much more likely to plan to attend a college program (64 percent) while 46 percent of rural students planned on college.

    Students of color are college bound. More than half (54 percent) of Black teens and 51 percent of Hispanic youth are planning to go to college, compared to 42 percent of White teens.  

    This press release originally appeared online.

    eSchool News Staff
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