Using Pearson digital resources to achieve teaching and learning goals
When introducing a new digital resource to support students on your module, the implementation of the resource is the most crucial factor for success.
From a 2020 review paper of several educator studies, we found that the most successful implementation strategy was to integrate the resource fully into your assessment approach and your module structure so that it can enable the student learning experiences you’re aiming for. In summer 2021, we ran a survey along with some in-depth interviews to further test those review paper findings,and here we share what we learned.
Our goal was to test our earlier findings on which implementation strategies are most likely to lead to the achievement of teaching and learning goals. We wanted to capture and explore the experiences of a wide range of educators who had used the resource for one or two years. We hoped to better understand what factors influenced the successful use our digital resources from the outset.
The study found that:
• The most popular goals for using a Pearson digital resource relate to improving engagement, access, confidence, and to providing assessment.
• Of those who fully achieved or more their initial goals, 80% had created assignments for credit.
• There are challenges and limitations to approaching your first year of usage as a ‘trial’ year.
The three most common implementation strategies for the first year of use were:
• Create assessments for credit
• Closely integrate into teaching structure
• Regularly communicate expectations to students
In the second year of resource usage, two different implementation strategies appear in the top 3:
• Explore ways to use the resource to progressively build on student knowledge or skills
• Used the grade book to feedback and support students with their learning
To get the most out of a digital resource and have the best chance of achieving your teaching and learning goals you need to have clarity on those goals and to spend time implementing it as effectively as possible. If you don’t feel that you have enough time, we still strongly advocate using your time well in Year 1, so you don’t have to do it all over again in Year 2. Make sure you’re seeking out the training that’s on offer and don’t forget that our Training Consultants can help you every step of the way, from goal setting and implementation to reporting and assessing the impact.
Our top tips:
• Consider your goals
• Set your assessment structure
• Fully explore the resource, the questions and the features available
• Use the three guiding principles – Credit, Integrate, Communicate