To address the usage and impact of eLearning during COVID-19, CatchOn, an expansive data analytics and application monitoring tool for K-12 schools, released a report revealing how and when students and educators are engaging with applications and devices. The Power of Data Analytics for Remote Learning compares actual data usage from 500,000 users in school districts nationwide from the beginning of February, prior to school closings, through mid-April.
“CatchOn’s data aligns with trends I’m seeing in our own district. Students are engaging with online learning tools outside of the traditional classroom hours,” said Dr. Neal Weaver, the Director of Digital Learning at Santa Fe Public Schools. “We quickly realized that taking daily attendance in the traditional way didn’t make sense,” he explained. “Many students aren’t able to be at their computers during the day because they’re caretakers for siblings or other family members, so we are seeing an uptick in usage in the evening hours.”
Key findings from the report include:
- The number of students engaging with online learning tools dropped dramatically in mid-March as school systems closed down in most states, but as eLearning programs are implemented, the number of students engaging with online materials is on an upward trend.
- While the number of students using online tools is still lower than before COVID-19, those students who are able to access online learning tools are more engaged with the digital content than they were before the pandemic. The data shows a 22 percent increase in engagement per user.
- Students are waking up and learning. Engagement begins in the morning and spans a wide spectrum of the day, well into the evening hours. Data also shows increased engagement over the weekend.
- Though the overall number of users online has decreased, 241 applications that CatchOn tracks have experienced a 100% or greater increase in utilization since before the pandemic.
- Many collaboration, productivity, curriculum, and learning tools are experiencing dramatic growth in both utilization and engagement by students and educators. Core curriculum applications are being used widely, with science, foreign language, and arts tools showing significantly increased utilization during the COVID-19 school closures.
“We applaud the amazing work teachers, schools, and students are doing all over the nation to create new learning environments during these unprecedented times, and we’re committed to assisting district leaders with their eLearning efforts,” said Michael McKerley, CTO of CatchOn. “Our latest report aims to provide visibility into how students and teachers are using online educational resources and 1:1 devices and identify any additional support that’s needed.”
Click here to download The Power of Data Analytics report. To support school districts with eLearning efforts, CatchOn is offering a COVID-19 service package through June 30 at no cost. Learn more at https://www.catchon.com/covid-response/.
In addition, CatchOn is inviting school leaders to join the Empower Data Decision-Making edWeb community to collaborate with schools and districts nationally about innovative strategies and practices.
About CatchOn
CatchOn is an expansive data analytics tool that compiles real-time data on every device, enabling school districts to make data-informed decisions about the apps and online tools their educators and students are using.
