My son is in high school now, but I remember years ago when his entire kindergarten class failed their first of the year comprehensive testing. I remember thinking, “A whole class of kindergarteners failed? In what world is that even possible?” My son had been hitting all his usual milestones in terms of learning his numbers, letters, and the basics of science. He knew the material, and his classmates did, too.
And then it clicked: something must have gone awry with the testing administration itself. That had to be where the disconnect was occurring.
Sure enough, I came to find that they had conducted the testing on traditional desktop computers. These kids, having been born in the era of the smartphone, had never seen a traditional desktop computer, much less been expected to know how to use one. Of course they failed the tests, because their preferences and behaviors as 4- and-5-year-old users had never been taken into account.
The crazy thing is, even 10 years on, educational software still runs into these sorts of issues. There are a few core issues that continue to create challenges in the world of educational software.
Issue one: Overemphasis on theory over practical testing
One of the biggest issues I see in the development of educational software is the disproportionate focus on theoretical design, often (usually!) at the expense of practical testing. Developers and designers will invest a huge amount of time and effort into creating interfaces based on the best educational theories and pedagogical principles without putting an equal amount of time and effort into actually testing those theories and principles on real users. Naturally, this leads to a disconnect between the product and the students, educators, and parents who are going to be using it. This issue is encouraged thanks to a prevalent myth that testing educational software with children is impractical. “Kids can’t provide valuable feedback,” they’ll say. Nothing could be further from the truth. Children can offer extremely candid and valuable feedback. While it might look different than it would when testing with adult users, it’s on the researchers to know where to look for crucial insights and how to ask the right questions depending on their test group, regardless of age and ability. Not only do children provide feedback, but they can also be brutally honest, which is invaluable for refining the software. You can have the most sophisticated theories and principles guiding a design but at the end of the day, if they don’t translate into the way human behavior actually works, you won’t have a good product.
The solution here is to integrate iterative testing phases throughout the design and development process, and involve actual users—students, teachers, and parents—early and often. This is the only way product teams can identify usability issues and make necessary adjustments such that the final product is not only theoretically sound but also practically effective and user-friendly.
Issue two: incomplete consideration of user roles/ perspectives
Another issue that impacts the design of educational technology is a lack of consideration for all relevant user roles. You’ll often find educational software that’s supposedly meant to make life easier for everyone who’s involved in the educational process, but more often than not software is developed either with a singular focus on the student or the parent, neglecting the interconnected roles of teachers and the broader educational ecosystem. This results in tools that fail to support collaboration between users and lead to a lopsided dynamic that can be more frustrating than helpful.
For example, many educational platforms are designed as though the student operates in isolation. Some of the educational software being used in my son’s school doesn't provide an easy way for me to monitor his progress without accessing his account directly. This lack of a parent-specific interface makes it challenging for parents to stay informed in a way that doesn’t feel intrusive.
A better approach to design would involve creating platforms that cater to all users involved: students, parents, and teachers. ClassDojo is a program that does this fairly well. It allows parents to monitor and engage with their child's learning without needing too much assistance from the teachers (who already have enough on their plates). Product teams should take note of these sorts of features and get creative about how their products can facilitate communication and transparency amongst all users. This might include automatic notifications for parents about their child's performance, screen-time controls, and communication channels between teachers and parents.
Issue three: systemic challenges, scheduling conflicts, and budget constraints
The development of genuinely helpful educational software is also complicated by broader systemic issues, such as budget constraints and cultural attitudes toward education. Public schools often lack the funding necessary to invest in high-quality technology tools. This underfunding results in software that’s barely functional rather than tools that really enhance learning experiences.
On an extremely practical level, there’s also a disconnect between the realities of parental schedules and the design of educational engagement opportunities. For example, scheduling PTA meetings at 4:30 PM fails to take into account the busy schedules of working parents, which limits their ability to be directly involved in the types of discussions that could impact the development of educational software.
This is a piece of the puzzle that can feel overwhelming because of its systemic nature, but there are improvements that can be made on a more localized level. Policymakers and educational leaders can advocate for increased funding and resources dedicated to educational technology. Product teams should work closely with schools to understand the logistical and cultural barriers that impact the effective use of their products. Schools can offer PTA meetings at multiple times, including evenings and weekends, to accommodate varying schedules (surveys can also be an efficient way to gather input from parents on preferred meeting times and formats). All of this can contribute to creating a more collaborative environment. Parents, teachers, and students need to act as a collective to push for excellence in the educational tools being used to further the development and education of kids and teens.
The future of educational software is bright if we want it to be
Technology in the classroom is becoming increasingly common. In a 2023 survey from ZipDo, 89% of K-12 instructors use educational technology in their classrooms, and that’s just going to increase in the coming years. This has the potential to be a great thing, but only if educational software is developed and implemented in a way that the needs and preferences of everyone who’s going to be using it into account, and only if it’s given adequate funding such that the right depth of research and development can take place before it’s launched.