Textbooks to tablets - Canadians expect digital education to transform traditional classrooms: PwC report Français

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PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers)

Jun 25, 2014, 11:34 ET

Study finds Canadians see digital education as a positive force for change

TORONTO, June 25, 2014 /CNW/ - Nearly three quarters of Canadians believe digital education offers powerful tools for improving the current system, according to PwC's third citizen engagement study – The Connected Classroom: How Canadians see the evolution of education.

The Canadian study asked about 1900 teachers, students and parents about their thoughts on the current state of the education system and what they expect the future will look like.

Current performance and priorities for the Canadian education sector

  • Nearly 60% of Canadians gave the education system a grade of good or very good at preparing them for what they're doing today or will do in the future.
  • More than 40% of Canadians think the education system could improve the delivery of more personalized learning.
  • Canadians believe the education system could be doing more to prepare students for the work world (82%); make education more engaging (79%); and accommodate different learning styles (69%).

The report indicates that Canadians see digital education as a way to build on their satisfaction with the system and address areas for improvement.

Perceived impact of digital education in Canada

  • The top reason Canadians want digital education is to improve personalized learning for students (50%).
  • Canadians believe digital education will have a positive impact on access to education (82%); customized learning (81%); and learners' understanding of technology (79%).
  • More than 70% of Canadians want education institutions and government to create more opportunities for digital education.

Quote on The Connected Classroom's findings:

 "Canadians are generally satisfied with today's education system, but they've told us they see a number of ways digital transformation can improve student outcomes. They identified personalization, flexibility and access to course content as areas where digital tools could have a significant impact. As institutions begin their journey of connecting their classrooms, how are they addressing the infrastructure and training needs and how are they measuring that they're getting it right? There's tremendous promise in these new learning approaches and we believe institutions at all levels need to act now to respond to Canadians' changing needs." – Domenic Belmonte, National Education Leader at PwC

Additional digital education resources from PwC

Follow PwC on Twitter at @PwC_Canada_LLP and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pwccanada. Connect with us through our Careers in Canada networks on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PwCCareersCanada or Twitter at www.twitter.com/PwC_ca_campus.

Study Methodology

The research for The connected classroom: How Canadians see the evolution of education was conducted through our research tool – the Choicebook, which takes respondents through an interactive experience. Over a three week period, 1910 Canadians participated to address the central question – what does the future of education look like in Canada?

Participants learned about digital education, explored important questions related to the issues and thought through what services they would be interested in after being presented with some of the advantages, disadvantages and trade-offs involved. The findings focus on the qualitative and quantitative results stemming from the Choicebook, and help identify how emerging channels of delivery can be developed to address what Canadians need and want.

About PwC Canada
PwC Canada helps organizations and individuals create the value they're looking for. More than 5,700 partners and staff in offices across the country are committed to delivering quality in assurance, tax, consulting and deals services. PwC Canada is a member of the PwC network of firms with more than 184,000 people in 157 countries. Find out more by visiting us at www.pwc.com/ca.

© 2014 PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an Ontario limited liability partnership. All rights reserved.

PwC refers to the Canadian member firm, and may sometimes refer to the PwC network. Each member firm is a separate legal entity. Please see www.pwc.com/structure for further details.

PDF available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/media/2014/06/25/20140625_C1008_PDF_EN_3903.pdf

SOURCE: PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers)

Alicia Fowlie, T: 416 941 8383 ext. 14413, Email: [email protected]; Emily Abrahams, T: 416 814 5734, Email: [email protected]

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