Giving Compass' Take:

· As technology becomes normalized in the classroom, Saro Mohammed at The Learning Accelerator explains that teaching is the only way to effectively convey lessons. Although technology can be used as an effective tool, communication between students and teachers is key for success. 

· How does technology affect the way educators teach? How does it affect the way students learn? What are some concerns when adopting technology in the classroom? 

· Read more about effective learning systems. 

As millions of students head back to school, families are probably wondering if those shiny new devices, apps, and even games that are becoming a typical part of the school day are good for learning. As an education researcher focused on blended learning, I am often asked if education technology “works.” The underlying question here for all of us, myself included, is: “Based on the current evidence, do I want my child’s educational experience to include ed tech?”

The answer to this question is often some variation of “it depends.” You’ve probably heard that the research base on ed tech is young, or that evidence is mixed, or perhaps you’ve read that asking if it “works” is not the right question to begin with. I recognize how frustrating and unhelpful these answers are to families and educators, and I have been noticing a trend that I think is quite stable and relevant to those of us working to provide effective learning experiences to all students.

Generally, the evidence base on ed tech supports existing evidence about in-person learning. In other words, teaching practices are the key to effective instruction and matter more than the presence or absence of specific tools (e.g., textbooks, blackboards, devices) in the learning environment. Therefore, ed tech is effective to the extent that it can support teachers in delivering, scaling, and sustaining effective teaching practices. This is unsurprising when you consider that the most effective teaching practices are those which require the most nuanced and sophisticated human expertise.

Read the full article about effective learning by Saro Mohammed at The Learning Accelerator.