For decades, school leaders have discussed “the need” to integrate technology. The problem with these conversations has been a lack of focus on the why and how technology can support a learning transformation.

The greatest technology in the world will not garner hypothesized improvement if a concerted effort to change pedagogy isn’t the foundation. As evidenced in various OECD reports on the topic, the problem isn’t the technology itself per se but the lack of high-quality pedagogy, which often stems from a lack of high-quality professional learning to support educators with effective implementation.

There is a need not only to better prepare teachers and administrators with the skills and mindset to usher in needed change but also to study and showcase powerful examples of success. Showing teachers what “high-quality” actually looks like is key.

The good news here is that high-quality digital transformation can and has succeeded in many schools around the world. For such transformation to occur, there needs to be an emphasis on instructional design, digital pedagogical techniques, and the development of better assessments aligned to higher standards.

Read the full article on return on instruction by Eric C. Sheninger, Thomas C. Murray at The Learning Accelerator