Normally, when institutes move to online or blended programs six to nine months of preparation have gone into designing appropriate learning systems (Hodges et. al, 2020) and enabling teachers with technology-enhanced teaching skills. As a result of the COVID-19 crisis, most of us were thrown into online teaching overnight, and herein lies the danger that we select, and at present keep using, those tools we came across overnight. However, as teachers, we need to consider our context carefully before selecting what kind of technology to use online or in a blended, Face-to-face with some tech, context. One of the biggest challenges facing teachers today is how to integrate technology into our classes in a meaningful and principled way.
Remember it’s not the technology that makes learning happen; it’s key principles of effective practice that enhance learning and should drive our use of technology. So what questions can we ask ourselves to select appropriate tech? Let me introduce you to my KEYS:
Know your Learners – Get to know them, get to know about their home situation, their interests, their dreams, and their culture, this will lay the foundation for you to connect with your learners and create a learning community. Most importantly, get to know their context: what devices have they got access to and when? How much time do they have to use these devices and how digitally literate are they? Also, check which devices they can use for class, as not all Apps are as effective on mobile phones! Then your next step is of course to select an App all learners have access to and get learners to get to know each other, e.g. by posting an image of something precious for them on the LMS or in the class Whatsapp group.
Engage your Learners– When learners are emotionally engaged their academic performance improves which in itself can help to improve learner motivation. Getting to know more about your learners can help gain some insight into what might engage them. Engagement depends on learners’ interests, age, context as well as learning preferences. Use technology that they are familiar with and enjoy using but most importantly that provides opportunities for collaboration and interaction, such as Padlet, Google docs, and Jamboard. Also, consider the level of cognitive challenge of using technology for tasks, if the level is too low, they might get bored, which could easily hinder engagement: cognitively or linguistically over-demanding tasks/ topics can lead to learners getting frustrated or even overwhelmed! I’m not saying we should lower our expectations, but we should be realistic about what tech learners can cope with in particular if you expect them to complete tasks more independently at home.
Your Role- Whilst online learning is becoming more common, it is important to realise that mobile devices and technology we use to connect are also the ones that can make us feel isolated. Our role, in particular when learners are studying fully online is to make sure our learners feel connected within their learning community. Creating opportunities for collaboration, contributing and taking control over some of the learning content will enable them to feel empowered in a situation where many events are outside their control. Empower them by letting giving them a voice and a choice. Select tools or Apps that allow learners to select how to demonstrate their learning, eg in Padlet they can write, voice record or even video record themselves.
Setting them up for Success– There are so many factors that are key in enabling our learners to succeed, however, paramount is that our learners feel safe and feel a sense of belonging in your classroom, only then their brain can move into learning mode. Select tools or apps your learners already use in their daily life, e.g. Whatsapp, TikTok, Instagram and present new learning through these Apps. If you have introduces them to another tool eg. Google document or Screencast-o-matic, don’t hesitate to reuse it, being familiar with a tool lowers the cognitive load and is enabling them to consolidate these skills. Remember, if you select Apps that not only enhance the learning outcomes but also help them to acquire useful skills for beyond the classroom. In other words, well-considered tech choice and use of technology in the classroom might serve them a lifetime!