LAKE MARY, Florida, 13 December 2017 — IMS Global Learning Consortium (IMS Global/IMS), the world leader in edtech interoperability and innovation, announced today the availability of the 2017 Learning Impact Report.

 

This annual report is a compilation and analysis of the 38 evidence-based technology projects that advanced to the final round of competition for the 2017 Learning Impact Awards, which recognize outstanding, innovative applications of educational technology. Each project summarized in the report is linked to the IMS Learning Impact Framework, an insightful categorization of how new technologies are being leveraged to advance access, affordability, and quality of education.

 

“The value of the Learning Impact Awards program is that it brings to light applications of the latest technologies that have an educational impact,” said Dr. Rob Abel, chief executive officer, IMS Global Learning Consortium. “The trends and ideas offered by the Learning Impact Report help guide the work of IMS, which in turn sets the direction for the broader edtech community to get to the future faster.”

 

The submission period for the 2018 Learning Impact Awards begins January 8 and ends February 28, 2018. Award winners will be announced at the annual Learning Impact Leadership Institute, May 21-24, 2018, in Baltimore, Maryland.

 

 

2017 bronze medalist itsLearning and Houston Independent School District (PowerUp HUB) and two additional finalists—Colorado Technical University (CTU Mobile) and Saint Leo University—illustrated that Interoperable Digital Ecosystems Represent the Next Phase of EdTech Adoption Path with projects that enabled disparate tools and systems to work together to enhance learning while improving user experiences and leading to better outcomes for student success.

 

As digital content use grows, so do the complexities around their selection and use. Platinum medal winner University of Central Florida Center for Distributed Learning (UDOIT), gold medal recipient Trinity Education Group and Texas Education Agency (Texas Gateway), and silver medalists McGraw-Hill Education (Connect2), as well as five finalists— Florida Virtual School (FLVS Playbook), Follett Higher Education Group (Follett Discover), McGraw-Hill Education (Access Manager), PCG Education and Houston Independent School District (OpenSALT), and University of Phoenix (Dynamic LTI Handler)—showed that EdTech Continues to Alleviate Digital Content Creation, Curation, and Management Complexities.

 

The Technology Rich Learning Environments Produces Innovative Course and Tool Solutions to Address Specific Academic Needs theme explores edtech’s impact across the education spectrum. 2017 silver medalist W.W.Norton & Company and State College of Florida (InQuizitive) and five finalists—Echo360 and University of Cincinnati, eSyncTraining and Pasco eSchool (Adobe Connect Virtual Classroom Platform), Ingram Micro (LIVE), NetLearning (KANTAN Easy Series), and Northwestern University (Nebula)—enhanced the class experience through gamification, facilitated discussion board use, and video. Four finalists—Hawkes Learning and the University of Louisville, Infocomm Media Development Authority of Singapore and Republic Polytechnic of Singapore (MyInternshipBuddy@WORK), Kumsung Publishing (English Buddy), and Pearson and Berkeley County School District (Realize)—showcased edtech solutions that resolved accessibility, course completion, and other learning issues. Finally, bronze medal winner Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) of Singapore (PlayMaker Programme) and three other IMDA-sponsored technology exploration programs— Lab on Wheels, ScienceScope pilot on IoT@Schools, and Robots for Early Childhood Education with Nanyang Technological University Robotics Research Centre and SoftBank Telecom Singapore—introduced preschool and school-age children to today’s tech-infused world.

 

Aligning with the EdTech Assessment Solutions Strengthen the Instructor/Student Connection theme are three Learning Impact Awards entries. Bronze medalist eXplorance (Bluepulse 2) and finalists Turnitin and Newport-Mesa Unified School District (Revision Assistant), and Learnosity demonstrate timely performance evaluation and improvement interventions solutions with edtech-based personal feedback, interactive questioning, and written assessment tools.

 

An exciting development in the 2017 Learning Impact Awards competition was the numerous adult learning and professional development entries representative of the theme, Digital Credentials and Competency-Based Programs Focused on Mapping Learners’ Educational Plans and Demonstrating Mastery Gain Momentum. Platinum medal winner IBM (Open Badges Program powered by Acclaim) and four projects—HigherEd.org and Lord Fairfax Community College, Learning Objects and the University of Texas at Austin (Texas OnCourse), Pennsylvania State University Libraries (Penn State Digital Badging Platform), and Southern New Hampshire University (College for America)—utilized digital badging, competency-based education, as well as online programs and resources to help workers develop relevant skills and credentials for today’s workplace.

 

The use of data and analytics in education continues to expand as technology reporting capabilities improve making the final theme that emerged from the 2017 Learning Impact Awards program EdTech Decision and Learning Analytics Solutions Continue to Thrive in Today’s Data-Informed Educational Environment. Entries from gold medalist Houston Independent School District (Analytics for Education) and four other finalists— Kaltura and Blackboard, Kyushu University (M2B System), Purdue University (SCOPE), and University of Maryland Baltimore County (Check My Activity)—demonstrate this range, from dynamic, in-class feedback solutions to data-driven longer-term planning tools.

 

The 2017 Learning Impact Awards project summaries and videos from all medal winners and honorable mentions are available to the public for viewing.