Research School Network: 3 Questions to Ask When Considering Technology in Schools With so much technology available to teachers, how do we ensure we make the best choices?


3 Questions to Ask When Considering Technology in Schools

With so much technology available to teachers, how do we ensure we make the best choices?

by Bradford Research School
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With an array of options when it comes to the use of technology, and the fear of being left behind when the latest innovations are coming out, schools can jump on technology to solve their problems. But schools have been burnt before, and mistakes around the use of technology cost money. So, how can you ensure that you when it comes to technology in schools, you choose VHS and not Betamax? Here are three big questions and a few more for good measure:

What problem is this solving?

If technology is the solution, then it must solve a particular problem or address a perceived need in a school. Otherwise there can be a lot of cost for negligible gain. And remember that the cost isn’t just financial. You are going to have to train staff and spend time on the implementation. If it is just technology for the sake of it, then it’s not always worth the opportunity cost. So, identify the areas that you need to look at and explore all options, including technology. Don’t start with the technology and then try and see where it might be useful.

That is not to say that some innovative solutions are worth it. The EEF, in their Using Digital Technology to Improve Learning guidance report, share a number of questions worth asking to clarify whether technology will provide the solution you want:

1. How tightly does it link to the problem that you have identified? For example, does the reading programme you are considering focus on the aspect of reading (decoding, fluency, comprehension) that your pupils are struggling with most?
2. How will it change teaching? For example, will teachers find it easier to explain, model, assess progress or provide feedback?
3. How will it improve learning? For example, will pupils work more efficiently, more effectively, with more time on task? Will the technology help them to learn for longer in more depth, more productively?

How do we know that this is effective?

When choosing specific interventions, whether for technology, literacy or anything else, we must approach it with the idea that the notion of what works’ is complicated. We see in many evaluations of the effectiveness of technology that there is variation between different approaches and the same approach can have differing results in different contexts. But there are pointers to ensure we are trying to get things right.

Is there an evaluation of this particular approach? Increasingly, companies are evaluating the use of digital technology, so you can look for this. Be careful to critique any evaluations, particularly those provided by companies themselves.

There are a number of evaluations on the EEF website.
You can find other evaluations at Evidence 4 Impact: https://www.evidence4impact.org.uk/
From the US, the What Works Clearinghouse is a useful source of evidence too.

Not all technological innovations will have been evaluated, but this should not rule them out. By the very nature of technology, many approaches are new and have not been established and not enough time has passed for any robust evidence of its effectiveness. In this case, you can compare to other effective evaluations, identifying similarities with the new approach. Try to identify the active ingredient: the key feature which, if implemented effectively, should lead to the gains you intend. You should always look to see if an approach is aligned with other evidence, and you can read more about this in the EEF’s guidance report.

How can we ensure this is implemented effectively?

Once the idea is chosen, we come to implementation. The EEF recommend asking the following questions:

  • Is the right equipment available?
  • When should the programme be implemented, and what will the pupils miss? 
  • What training is required for teachers and teaching assistants? 
  • What initial support will be required to introduce pupils to the technology being used? 
  • Will some pupils need additional ongoing support to use it effectively? 
  • Is there appropriate space within or outside the classroom for pupils to use the technology? 
  • Should an adult be on hand to offer support, or will pupils be able to use the technology independently? 
  • How will delivery of the approach be monitored to ensure that it is used as intended?
  • Is there an initial and ongoing financial cost? Is this affordable and justifiable?

    When implementing, there are obviously demands on the training of staff. Often, this training only focuses on how to use the technology, but training must also look at the pedagogical use too.

    The last word comes from The Impact of Digital Technology on Learning: A Summary for the Education Endowment Foundation (Higgins, Xiao and Katsipatakiin, 2012):

    Taken together, the correlational and experimental evidence does not offer a convincing case for the general impact of digital technology on learning outcomes. This is not to say that it is not worth investing in using technology to improve learning. But it should encourage us to be cautious in the face of technological solutions to educational challenges. Careful thought is needed to use technology to best effect.

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