Research School Network: Digital Technology and Distance Learning This article explores the evidence around the use of digital technology for schools.

Rachel Atherton is Co-Director of Cumbria Associate Research School. In this article she explores the evidence around the use of digital technology for schools to consider in their ongoing planning for distance learning.

Rachel Atherton

Nearly all remote learning uses digital technology whether that is for setting tasks, submitting work or giving

feedback. It has therefore been vital in ensuring learning could continue following the closure of school sites.

Findings from the EEF’s Rapid evidence assessment: Distance Learning identified that a lack of technology poses a significant barrier to successful remote instruction. Obstacles might include limited internet access for pupils living in some of the more rural parts of our catchments, the availability of digital devices in homes and the functionality of working on a phone or tablet versus a computer. As a result, our initial focus in schools is likely to have been on identifying need and, where possible, ensuring that our most disadvantaged pupils have access to technology. In this article I will be considering how technology can be used in a purposeful way to support pupils’ learning at a distance.

The EEF’s Teaching and Learning Toolkit shows digital technology is associated with moderate learning gains of plus four months additional progress on average. With the prospect of facing an extended period of remote instruction we will have increased our reliance on any existing digital learning platforms, explored the wider utility of these and have also experienced a flood of promotional material and offers of extended free access to software from ed-tech companies. Whilst it might be tempting to snap up some of these approaches in good faith or start trying new ways of using our existing technology, there are several factors to consider.

There are two recommendations from the EEF’s guidance report Using Digital Technology to Improve Learning that are especially pertinent to distance learning.

Recommendation – Technology can be used to improve the quality of explanations and modelling

This is likely to be particularly relevant in situations where new ideas, knowledge and skills are being introduced or where students are being shown how to answer certain types of question. Both well-chosen technology and effective pedagogical principles are necessary for effective distance learning. For instance, introducing a new form of technology, such as Loom, will not necessarily lead to an improvement in learning if we fail to introduce material in logical steps, explicitly link new ideas to prior knowledge and offer concrete examples, just as we would in the classroom. Using a visualiser or alternative to pre-record a video might enable teachers to share a wider range of high-quality models or increase the precision with which worked examples are explained. Bespoke video clips also provide the opportunity for teachers to offer metacognitive prompts and promote self-regulation. 

If you would like to see some of these ideas in practice there are a number of great examples of pre-recorded videos demonstrating modelling, scaffolding, self-regulation and metacognition across a range of subjects from teachers at Durrington Research School in West Sussex. In particular, the series of short clips on using Hegarty Maths (an online platform that teaches, assesses and tracks learning in Maths) demonstrates the importance of instructing students both in the use of the technology and in developing their metacognitive skills.

https://researchschool.org.uk/…

Key takeaways:

Technology can be used in a variety of ways to enhance distance learning. For example, videos to introduce new content, visualiser (or similar) to share worked examples of models or for scaffolding, interactive simulations, virtual experiments and practical demonstrations.

Teachers need to understand how the technology will improve their teaching in order for them to be effective; pedagogy must be prioritised. Teachers are much more likely to use technology effectively if they receive training and ongoing pedagogical support, no matter how simple the technology is.

The Rapid Evidence Assessment notes that there is no clear difference between teaching in real time and using prerecorded clips in terms of successful learning.

Recommendation – Technology offers ways to improve the impact of pupil practice

Practice is an essential part of teaching and learning. Various studies show that learning improves when pupils are given the chance to apply and use new skills. Technology has the potential to increase the quality and quantity of practice that pupils undertake and therefore improve their fluency in the use of skills and retention of information. In the context of distance learning the most likely form of practice might involve a quizzing application. The EEF’s Home Learning Approaches: Planning Framework shows that quizzes can be used at various points in a learning sequence to consider prior learning (Activate), to check for understanding at hinge points (Reflect) and to revisit previous learning after a gap (Review). Some forms of technology enable teachers to adapt practice by adjusting the level of challenge and therefore personalise learning, but this is limited to Maths and reading at present. 

Attempting to resolve the exact reasons for learning gains when technology is used for practice is complex. Are digital tasks more engaging? Could it be the ease with which tasks are accessed and completed using mobile devices? Anecdotally, I have seen completion rates increased when pupils have been set a task on a quizzing app. However, we must be cautious in thinking that increased levels of motivation, through the use of technology, will lead to better learning.

Key takeaways:

Technology can be engaging and motivating for pupils. However, the relationship between technology, motivation and achievement is complex. 

Monitoring how technology is being used and checking that all learners have the skills they need to use it effectively will reduce the risk that technology becomes a tool that widens the gap between successful learners and their peers. Using technology to support retrieval practice and self-quizzing can increase retention of key ideas and knowledge. Connected devices, such as mobile phones, are a source of distraction and have a negative impact on learning.

Summary

There is much that digital technology can help us with in this period of distance learning. However, we must

continue to prioritise effective pedagogy over technology. The best evidence available shows that teaching quality is

more important than how lessons are delivered. The following six-point summary attempts to capture the main

issues for consideration in your ongoing planning.

• Evidence suggests that effective use of digital technology is driven by learning and teaching goals rather than aspecific technology: the technology is not an end in itself. Think about what is emerging as the main instructional/​learning need in your subject and then how any new technology might improve that.

• New technology does not automatically lead to increased attainment. Monitor the impact on learning of any new approach, as far as possible. 

• Pupils’ motivation to use technology does not always translate into more effective learning, particularly if the use of the technology and the desired learning outcomes are not closely aligned. For example, setting short auto-marked quizzes based around technical vocabulary may increase levels of engagement but not improve a potentially more significant need of a students’ ability to construct a coherent extended answer.

• Teachers need support and time to learn to use new technology effectively and understand why it works.

• Pupils need support and time to learn new technology effectively to reduce the risk of it becoming a tool that widens the gap between disadvantaged and their peers. Despite growing up in a world where digital technology is the norm, young people are no faster or adept when faced with learning new technologies.

• The evidence tells us that there is an optimum level of technology use that can support learning – too little and you do not see the benefit, too much and the gains decline. This hints at the need to blend online and offline learning to balance knowledge acquisition with deep thinking.