A global study from the Canvas team at Instructure has revealed that the majority of educators are both nervous about the distraction that technology brings and optimistic in its ability to improve learning outcomes.

" The study, which polled more than 650 U.S. educators and more than 2,000 total around the globe in December 2015, found that the majority of teachers in the United States are more anxious about technology's potential to distract their students than about privacy and security. However, they are optimistic about its capability to improve learning outcomes, increase access to education and make its delivery more efficient for teachers and students,” according to a statement from Instructure.

Most U.S. educators, according to the study, are optimistic that technology as a distraction will decrease as it matures over the next five years, but that privacy and security will be a major issue thereafter.

Perhaps this is why US. educators are more likely to let their students have personal technology in class.

"U.S. teachers have a higher tolerance for personal devices in the classroom than do British and Australian teachers. In fact, the study shows that 48 percent of U.S. educators say students can bring technology to class for educational purposes, and one in seven U.S. educators allows any electronic device as long as it doesn't distract other students,” the study found.

After all, the study found that 94 percent of U.S. teachers believe that technology has had a positive impact on education; 84 percent believe it has made them a more effective teacher.

"The results suggest that U.S. educators believe the Digital Age improves students' ability to learn, increases access to education and makes it more effective and efficient for all involved.”

Read more about the study here.

Article by Nicole Gorman, Education World Contributor

1/27/2016