New Survey: Students Report Tech Improves Independent Learning

More than 4,000 student opinions gathered about what works with personalized learning

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Nov 03, 2016, 09:15 ET

NEW YORK, Nov. 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Seven out of 10 students report that personalized learning has empowered them to improve as independent learners, according to a new survey released today. Students also report learning equally well when working independently on a computer with guided support (75 percent) or in a more traditional classroom setting with teacher-led instruction only (77 percent).

New Classrooms, an education nonprofit, surveyed more than 4,000 middle school students in the spring of 2016 to understand their attitudes about math and personalized learning. All of the students were using Teach to One: Math, a school-based learning model. This infographic highlights the findings.

"As more schools focus on personalizing learning, it is important to consider how a personalized learning environment changes the classroom experience for students," said New Classrooms CEO Joel Rose. "Students report appreciating the fact that they can learn the same skill in different ways -- from a teacher, from their peers, or independently. They also report valuing the relationships they have with their teachers. Understanding the student perspective helps us create personalized experiences that will better support learning."

The findings are part of a first-of-its-kind national survey of over 4,000 middle school math students released today by New York-based nonprofit New Classrooms. Opinions about math and personalized learning were collected in the spring of 2016 by students using Teach to One: Math (TTO), New Classrooms' first school-based learning model. The survey was conducted to better understand how personalized learning impacts the educational experience.

Six out of 10 students said they would benefit from learning math through multiple approaches. More than two-thirds of students reported benefiting from the opportunity to work with different students and teachers over the course of the year, highlighting the need for offering a variety of opportunities in which to learn.

Additional survey findings include:

80 percent of students report having multiple opportunities to solve the same problem helps them learn.
70 percent of students said a few quick questions at the end of class are a good way to help ensure they are learning.
Over two-thirds of students said they like math, and 61 percent are interested in pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, or math.

Students and teachers in TTO receive customized daily schedules that ensure each student is learning the right math lesson, at the right time, and in the right way that meets their strengths and needs. Each day, students and teachers in TTO are uniquely grouped together to increase teacher collaboration and provide students opportunities to engage with mathematical concepts through multiple instructional approaches.

About New Classrooms
Founded in 2011, New Classrooms is a national nonprofit on a mission to personalize education by redesigning how a classroom works – from the use of technology, time, and physical space to the instruction and content that engages each student. The founders of New Classrooms were the leaders of an initiative within NYC Public Schools called School of One, which TIME named as one of the Best Inventions of 2009. New Classrooms' first learning model, Teach to One: Math, ensures each student is learning the right math lesson, at the right time, and in the right way that best meets their strengths and needs. It is used in 40 schools, serving about 13,000 students, nationwide. To learn more about New Classrooms, visit www.newclassrooms.org.