Educational technologies are advancing at an ever-increasing rate. This means that to avoid getting left behind, educators and administrators must be prepared to actively update their school’s technological infrastructure to meet new demands. This also means that each school must conduct regular, ongoing research on edtech tools to identify which of them might provide them with the highest return on investment and determine an effective procurement and integration strategy. The following three reasons explain why it is critical for schools to conduct an “EdTech Audit:”
1. Identify Your Current State
An EdTech Audit documents the current state of the school’s edtech program. This quantitative and qualitative analysis helps school administrators understand their current technological environment through the lens of all school stakeholders.
2. Target the Gap
An EdTech Audit lines up the school’s current state with industry standards and emerging technologies/practices. This alignment and comparison helps academic leaders better understand their own school’s needs to remain leaders and grow in their field.
3. Develop an Action Plan
An EdTech Audit documents the recommendations needed to move a school from the current to the identified target state specific to each organization. This may likely involve shifting resources, new training, updated job descriptions, and modernized equipment. School leaders can optimize their budget and technological efficiency in developing their edtech programs with this type of actionable plan.