Cornerstone Communications surveys teachers, parents and curriculum leaders to uncover necessary changes for app management.
A new research report, App Overload: How A Fragmented Digital Landscape Is Failing K-12 Education, sheds light on the growing complexities of digital integration in education. With a universe of educational applications available, the study highlights how the proliferation of individual, poorly integrated digital tools in many districts is impacting students, parents, teachers, and district leaders.
Cornerstone Communications, LTD., in partnership with K-12 learning platform vendor Edsby, conducted a survey of over 100 teachers, 125 parents, and 50 district and private school curriculum leaders, and uncovered a stark contrast between administrative optimism and the realities faced by educators and families when using multiple ad hoc or even officially-sanctioned edtech applications. While district leaders express confidence in the benefits of their selected suite of digital tools, teachers report moderate dissatisfaction due to increased administrative tasks, while parents describe significant frustration with managing multiple applications.
“In many K-12 organizations, a patchwork of apps have become an integral part of our educational system,” said Brooke Greenwald, President, Cornerstone Communications, LTD. “The challenges with this approach depend on which type of user you are. We’ve learned from our lengthy discussions and research that for schools to truly partner with parents, something has to change in many organizations’ approaches to K-12 apps.”
Key Findings:
- Excessive App Usage: In districts that have not selected a single, integrated system, most schools utilize between 10 and 15 educational apps with some student and parent component, creating a fragmented digital experience for their students and families.
- Parental Frustration: 42% of parents rated their satisfaction when forced to use multiple apps at 5 out of 10 or lower, citing difficulties in navigating multiple platforms.
- Teacher Burden: Educators spend an average of 2–4 hours per week using multiple educational apps, with additional administrative time detracting from instructional duties.
- Administrative Optimism vs. Classroom Reality: While district leaders largely believe the current system of apps they’ve officially selected, or grown organically, is effective, teachers and parents crave more streamlined and integrated access.
The report recommends consolidating digital platforms, providing enhanced training for teachers and parents, and implementing policy adjustments based on direct feedback from stakeholders. The findings emphasize the need for unified portals and simplified user experiences to enhance efficiency and engagement in K–12 education.
“While digital tools offer incredible opportunities for improving student outcomes, being asked to navigate 15 official apps is overwhelming educators and families,” said Greenwald. “This report underscores the urgent need for streamlined, integrated solutions that prioritize usability and effectiveness.”
“Districts and private schools that assembled their own edtech suites from piece parts, particularly during the pandemic, are now realizing the downsides of the approach,” said John Myers, CEO of the Edsby learning platform for K-12. “Organizations should evaluate unified, purpose-built platforms like Edsby that were explicitly designed to simplify K-12 teaching and learning, break down silos and enable app consolidation to improve users’ experiences.”
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