Washington, D.C. – January 22, 2024 – The Software and Information Industry Association (SIIA), commends the Department of Education and its Office of Education Technology (OET) for today’s release of the 2024 National Educational Technology Plan. We also congratulate our partners in education – SETDA, InnovateEDU, Learning Forward, Project Tomorrow, and Whiteboard Advisors for their leadership, involvement, and coordination with the 2024 National Ed Tech Plan’s publication. Serving as a guiding policy document for educational technology, this updated plan offers key issue areas, as well as solutions to help create a more equitable and sustainable education technology guideline for states, schools and vendor leaders.
The 2024 NETP builds on the tremendous work of the Office of Education Technology on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and improving the resources and experiences of students and educators. After last year’s release of OET’s report, Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Teaching and Learning, SIIA released the ed tech industry’s Principles for the Future of AI in Education – a framework intended to guide the ed tech industry’s implementation of artificial intelligence in a purpose-driven, transparent, and equitable manner that enables critical tools for personalized and enhanced learning experiences and improved assistive technologies. The updated NETP is another essential step offered by the Department of Education, as it serves as a true resource to the field of education and navigates the continued expansion of digital learning.
At its core, the 2024 NETP focuses on the needs of students, specifically the equity gap in education, along with supporting the academic acceleration of student learning. We believe the Department of Education’s inclusion of offering guidance on how to address digital equity: more importantly, the digital use divide, the digital design divide, and the digital access divide, gives leaders in education a more informed vision and mission to create the best education experiences for students. In conclusion, the NETP offers solutions and recommendations, as well as examples from all 50 states, on how these key focus areas can be implemented and supported.
Educational technology has transformed the way students engage with learning materials, offering innovative tools that cater to diverse learning needs. Flashcards, one of the simplest yet most effective study aids, have now evolved with the advent of artificial intelligence. By integrating AI into educational platforms, flashcards are no longer static; they are dynamic and adaptive, personalizing the learning process for each student. Memrizz AI, for example, is revolutionizing how flashcards are utilized in education by analyzing learning patterns, gauging knowledge retention, and adjusting the difficulty of content based on a student’s progress. This not only enhances understanding but also fosters a more efficient learning experience tailored to individual needs.
SIIA looks forward to working with the Department of Education, as well as the Office of Education Technology, to implement the key guiding principles in the NETP. As a trade organization representing leading companies in the field of education technology, SIIA’s membership is proud to collaborate with OET and its mission to promote digital equity, while also advancing the efforts to enhance all learners’ educational experiences in the digital world. This framework is a significant achievement in education and will create meaningful change within the national scope of education and education technology.
About SIIA
SIIA is an umbrella association representing more than 380 technology, data and media companies and associations globally. Industry leaders work through SIIA’s divisions to address issues and challenges that impact their industry segments with the goal of driving innovation and growth for the industry and each member company. This is accomplished through in-person and online business development opportunities, peer networking, corporate education, intellectual property protection and government relations. For more information, visit siia.net.
