Educational Technology

Educational TechnologyImplicit Bias

Planning Instruction & Learning Activities (read full series)

What is it?What is it?

One definition of educational technology includes practical elements of the discipline, such as “the study and ethical practice of facilitating learning and improving performance by creating, using, and managing appropriate technological processes and resources” (Reid, 2018). A critical aspect of educational technology (ed tech) are the technological tools which course designers, instructors, and instructional designers draw from to enhance their teaching and to support students’ learning. 

ResearchResearch

Student success is largely linked to the integration of technology for teaching and learning purposes. Research suggests that technology use in the classroom can help boost student engagement and academic success (Schlosser et al., 2022). McClean and Crowe (2017) showed an increase in overall student engagement and an improvement with student learning outcomes through facilitating interactive activities throughout a lecture-based course. Research also shows that when implemented effectively, technological tools can also positively impact students’ cognitive abilities and higher order thinking (Schlosser, 2022).

DataData

  • 90% of surveyed university administrators agreed that more time will be devoted to using educational technology in future classrooms (Coffey, 2024).

Teaching Strategies

  • Ed tech tools can be integrated for a variety of purposes:
  • Active learning. Incorporate anonymous polling and Q&A, and foster interactive large classes with platforms such as PollEverywhere, Mentimeter, and Slido. 
  • Effective feedback. Use Canvas or Aggie Video to create brief recorded video feedback. Canvas also supports embedding videos from AggieVideo or YouTube. 
  • Grading and assessment. Embed rubrics directly into Canvas assignments to provide clarity to students regarding expectations, as well as to make for more efficient and transparent grading. 
  • Inclusive teaching. Anonymously survey your students so you can learn what your students might need to be successful in your course (e.g., Canvas, Google Forms, or Qualtrics). 
  • Reflection and metacognition.Ask students to complete quick Exit Tickets via Canvas or Google Forms at the end of class or at the end of the week (e.g., Minute Paper or Muddiest Point).

  • Knowledge organization. Use concept map platforms, such as Miro, MindMeister, Jamboard, and Padlet.

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Students say ...Students Say

  • “In one class, the instructor used google forms, mentimeter, and polls to break up the lecture. This made the class more interesting.”
  • “The professor set up google doc folders for each group. This really helped with organization and communication. She also used them to leave us feedback, which really helped us improve our project."

ReflectionReflection

  • Consider the situational context of your course. Format of your class (i.e., blended, hybrid, or fully remote)? Teaching in a flipped classroom? Student level? Physical setup of the classroom? Characteristics of the students? How many students? Length and frequency of class meetings?
  • For effective tool integration, how do you answer the following: What teaching challenge are you trying to solve? What tools can support this? How can you best implement the tool?