The Insider’s Guide to Meaningful Technology in Education

Meaningful Technology is Intentional

Meaningful technology is intentional technology. Educators that want to incorporate technology in their lessons must intentionally pick and choose tools that help meet the goals they wish to achieve. Picking the trendiest online tool does not necessarily encourage a deeper understanding of the topics being covered. A poorly designed tool could increase the cognitive load on the learner and have a negative impact.

Keep the following in mind the next time you want to introduce technology into your lessons.

It Has A Purpose

A tool that is going to be used by students must have a purpose. It must enhance the learning in some way that supports the facilitator to streamline information to the learner without overwhelming them. The learner should be able to easily access the information in the tool, being engaged in a way that promotes deeper learning. The tool must be able to stimulate the learner's interest in a way that is meaningful to them.

It Encourages Collaboration

A good tool is universally accessible by students on a variety of platforms. This allows students to increase their knowledge base and communicate with their peers free of geographic barriers. The also means that the tool should be accessible to different students and their needs.

Real Life Context

The content and the environment should have real-life examples. Providing meaningful context to the learner promotes interest in the topics being covered. By providing relevant examples through different contexts, a facilitator can help promote a deeper understanding of the material.

It is Adaptable

Learners have different needs; the tool should be able to adapt to their needs without increasing the burden on the learner. The learner must be able to engage in the content and create their own personalized learning path. Always keep technology issues and accessibility issues at the forefront as a student that is unable to access the tool or find it challenging to use will not have a positive experience.

References

Battaglino, K. (2018, November 26). 4 Keys to Incorporating Meaningful technology in the curriculum [web log]. Retrieved from https://nearpod.com/blog/4-keys-incorporating-meaningful-technology-classroom/

Carroll, N., Richardson, I., Moloney, M., & O’Reilly, P. (2018). Bridging healthcare education and technology solution development through experiential innovation. Health and Technology, 8(4), 255-261. doi:10.1007/s12553-017-0209-z

Chu, H.-C. (2014). Potential Negative Effects of Mobile Learning on Students’ Learning Achievement and Cognitive Load—A

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Keengwe, J., & Onchwari, G. (2011). Fostering Meaningful Student Learning Through Constructivist Pedagogy and Technology Integration. International Journal of Information and Communication Technology Education,7(4), 1-10. doi:10.4018/jicte.2011100101

Tapscott, D. (2009). The eight net gen norms. In Grown up digital (pp.75-96). Toronto, Ontario: McGraw-Hill.