What's holding back the digital curriculum? A lot of things: too few classroom computers, poorly conceived professional development, and a lack of time to research and plan--to name three big factors, according to a new report from the nonprofit Education Development Center (EDC).

The study, "Effective Access: Teachers' Use of Digital Resources in STEM Teaching," examines how high school teachers use digital libraries and other electronic resources to support "science, technology, engineering, and mathematics" (STEM) exploration and instruction.

Despite the recent progress touted by some policy makers--progress some are using to justify cuts in ed-tech spending--EDC researchers found that schools still lack the appropriate infrastructure to integrate the full-scale use of digital materials into the classroom, and teachers do not receive the proper training to make full use of available classroom technologies. "Effective Access" also says most teachers don't have the time to properly research and plan the use of digital curricula.

The study asserts that STEM teachers want web-based materials that save time and energy, such as easy-to-use search engines; the ability to easily determine the validity of digital resources; web sites that are easier to navigate; interoperability of digital resources in the multiple-platform environment of most schools; and materials that illustrate real-world applications of STEM concepts.

Katherine Hansen, director of the project, said she and the report's co-author, Bethany Carlson, first started looking into the issue of how digital materials were used for STEM instruction when they were developing online courses.

"We were intrigued by this disconnect between the assumptions of those who are developing digital resources --including ourselves--and the end users," Hansen said. "It seemed to us that there didn't appear to be an integration between the canon and the pedagogy on the development side [and the curricular needs of those] on the education side."

The study was based on the surveys of 236 teachers across the United States. Participants were drawn from a roughly equal division of rural, urban, and suburban areas. All of the respondents either were approached or found out about the study electronically.

While not a full-scale, representative investigation of the use of digital curricula by American high school STEM teachers, "Effective Access" nevertheless deepens the discussion of how such resources are perceived, gathered, and used.

"This is a small study," Hansen said. "We don't want to say it applies to everyone."

Still, the findings reflect many of the concerns and frustrations expressed by educators across the curriculum: Teachers need better technological infrastructure and the time and professional development to integrate it into the classroom.

Availability of technology