The Future of School Reports? by @TeacherToolkit

On my travels to schools worldwide, over the last five years, I've started to change my approach to how schools generate and share their reports.

https://www.teachertoolkit.co.uk/2022...

These thoughts have been particularly inspired by two factors.  

Firstly, the online analytical world allows individuals and organisations to track data, clicks, traction, dropout and/or bounce rates.

Second, teachers working in the independent and international sector, often have significant reporting pressure because of the nature of the school in which they work.

If a parent is paying over £50,000 a year for their child's education, we seem to spend endless time, energy and costs producing detailed - and very pretty - reports for parents to read.  

However, more than anything, most schools (not all) don't actually KNOW if parents actually read the report.

Before the pandemic, I was advocating an alternative for all schools to consider. In this online era, there is no excuse for any school not to consider switching to something more efficient, and cost-effective, and addresses the final point made above.

Here are some general insights I've learned from the world of edtech (education) over the last 15 years:

1. Online reading behaviour averages 70 seconds
2. YouTube video engagement drops off after 30 seconds
3. One-page summaries which require little decoding work really well
4. Dual coded (images and words) encourage high engagement
5. If the information is shared as a hyperlink, you can track who, when, where and how!

Therefore, here is an alternative for your school to consider.

Imagine if, rather than ask Teachers to fill in detailed reports or templates, why couldn't they record a 60-second voiceover?

For teachers that are happy to share their online face, why not a 60-second video alongside a script or caption cue? These links would be private and only accessible to a specific email domain.

Sharing these short videos and voiceovers enables - when uploaded securely - the school to circulate the video via their management information system, then send the 'reports' to parents by email, text alert or with a QR code in a paper letter or other.

The difference?

Parents could click the link and watch/hear the recording.

Immediately, the school software gathers the data to determine who opened the reports? How long did they watch or listen to the report? How did you do it: on a mobile phone or on a desktop? Which demographics are engaged with the report, enabling the school to take action with families.

THIS video is an example - and if you click to watch this - I know a little bit more about you.

I appreciate there may be safeguarding concerns and privacy for teachers to consider, but I'm equally confident that there are some technological solutions around protecting content, data and privacy.