Why Tech is the Sensible Way to Address the Teacher Workload Crisis
Automation need no longer be a dirty word in education, says Sam Blyth…
- by Sam Blyth
Once again, teacher workload in the news. The issue has been at crisis point for some time, and its impact on retaining members of the profession has been profound.
Recent figures from the National Education Union survey say that more than four-fifths of teachers have considered quitting the profession over the last year because of unsustainable workload levels, and that the issue is destined to get worse.
The reality is, though, that teaching has always been a demanding profession where going ‘above and beyond’ is the norm. Many view teaching as a vocation which calls for dedication and passion, and one which is impossible to ‘switch off’ from at the end of the day.
However, if we look carefully at the root causes of the strain being put on teachers, it’s rarely this aspect of the job – the vocational demands – which causes the problems.
Instead, many cite admin as the primary cause of stress. To quote the joint general secretary of the NEU: “The continual long hours spent on unnecessary work such as data collection for arbitrary government targets is not only demoralising but is unsustainable mentally and physically.”
And, while one can debate which targets and data are ‘arbitrary’, teachers and unions have been saying the same thing for a long while now: admin is killing the joy of the job.
Towards a solution
With a new Secretary of State often come new promises. And when Education Secretary Damian Hinds gave his first address to the profession at Association of School and College Leaders’ (ASCL) annual conference in Birmingham, he too pledged to strip away workload that doesn’t add value in the classroom and give teachers the time to focus on teaching.
But, while the sentiment is laudable, what’s still lacking is concrete guidance on how this can be achieved – and, importantly, how schools can balance this need with a requirement to improve measurement and increase accountability; tasks which, simply, call for more work to be done.
We believe that the only way for Hinds to ‘have it both ways’ – improving measurement and accountability while managing workload and positively impacting teacher retention – is to invest in tech.
Mirroring the use of data in the commercial world, we now see more sophisticated adoption of analytics in education – with tech like virtual learning environments powering this move.
This type of technology can help save time by automating much of the the data capture and reporting process, powering a smoother path to teacher and student collaboration and supporting a less admin heavy approach to teaching and learning.
Of course, any degree of automation is never going to be wholeheartedly welcomed – with some fearing that it may remove control from teachers who have built a career by putting their personal stamp on the classroom environment.
But used in the correct way, we see the opposite is true. A tech driven, data-centric, approach to measurement actually frees up teaches’ time to do what they do best – teach.
Better measurement allows educators understand students’ learning behaviours, which courses are being consumed – and where students are excelling or struggling – allowing them to personalise learning journeys and demonstrate added value.
Why automation works
So, automation should no longer be a dirty word in education.
Indeed, just as students have to prepare for an increasingly automated workforce, and adapt their skills accordingly, teachers need to do the same – seeing tech as an opportunity to change how they teach and measure, as well as to tackle the untenable levels of admin.
For us, the ability to capture data on learners in a more sophisticated way has made also necessary to fundamentally re-evaluate the way that we measure progress.
Instead of standardised tests which measure the ability to absorb and regurgitate rote materials, ongoing assessment must appraise research skills, applied knowledge and practical ability – vital in paving the way for employment and beyond.
With automation comes opportunity, and it’s important that we recognise that.
So there is a future where workload issues can be managed whicle a more in-depth approach to measurement and learning gain is embraced. But for this to work, automation needs to be viewed differently – and education technology embraced – even by the most traditional of educators.
Sam Blyth is director of schools and further education at Canvas. Follow her on Twitter at @Samantha_Blyth.
