Designing Effective Activities Integrating Technology

Author: Rick Phelan
Published: 10.04.13

Most activities with technology are project-based endeavors. Project-based activities can be uncomfortable for some teachers. Student activity can appear to be chaotic: students may be out of their seats, small groups may be discussing different ideas, experiments of one kind or another may be under way and, in the middle of it all, there might be technology of some sort that students are using to collect, analyze, or sort information.

As lesson designers, we combine different instructional strategies to establish effective student learning environments. Instructional strategies are selected based on the content being delivered, students’ prior knowledge, student learning modalities, and the time that’s available.

Powerful learning experiences result when teachers choose strategies that match student needs. Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow researcher David Dwyer found that, “the greatest advances (in student learning) occurred in classes where teachers were beginning to achieve a balance between the appropriate use of direct instruction strategies and collaborative, inquiry-driven knowledge-construction strategies.” Teachers learned to blend direct instruction and hands-on activities in effective ways.

The development of project-based activities involves student action. A sampling of student actions from project-based lessons are listed below:

• Screen | select | separate | sift
• Sort | arrange | catalog | categorize | classify | cluster | compare | contrast | group | list | match | order | organize | place | prioritize | rank
• Analyze | clarify | deduce | infer | interpret | probe | surmise
• Synthesize | blend | conceive | fabricate | imagine | integrate | visualize

Teachers frame tasks and actions that promote desired student learning outcomes. Researchers have found that skilled activity designers incorporate two or more of the following activity strands in their tasks:

• Use raw data and primary sources
• Encourage manipulation and interaction with physical materials
• Construct experiences that might lead to contradictions, discussion, questioning
• Encourage dialog among students and with the instructor
• Allow student responses to drive instruction, instructional strategies, content
• Encourage inquiry with thoughtful, open-ended questions
• Encourage/accept autonomy/initiative
• Help students develop understanding of concepts and share out with others
• Give students time to construct relationships and create metaphors
• Encourage self-evaluation, continuous improvement

Matching Technology Tools with Tasks

Tool selection is an important part of lesson design with technology. Lesson designers need to think about the unique attributes of technology tools and how those attributes can enhance learning experiences. Here’s a list of attributes that a class recently brainstormed for digital cameras, the Internet, graphing calculators, word processors, and iPod/MP3 players.

Digital Camera	Portable Images offer a personal perspective of what’s being photographed Immediate viewing of photograph possible Simple to use
Internet	No space or time boundaries; it’s possible to communicate with people all over the world Access to text, pictures, audio, movies Virtual libraries and museums
Graphing Calculator	Organizational space for data and numbers Quick calculations Excellent for “what if” situations Graphing and charting capabilities
Word Processor	Ability to change fonts, text colors, layout Built-in dictionary and thesaurus Ability to add clip art, drawings, photographs Easy to edit text with Some have features that allow written words to be spoken
iPod/MP3 Player	Small, portable and inexpensive Most commonly used for music playback 1000s of unabridged books are currently available in audio format Can store at least 40 hours of spoken text (the play time for a book of 200 pages is approximately 10 hours)

An understanding of technological tools is essential to effective classroom use. By giving thought to the unique attributes of technological tools, a lesson designer can weave effective uses of technology into learning experiences.

Lesson Design Techniques with Technology

Lesson designers can take the general ideas shared above and craft activities using any number of different techniques. A sampling of strategies are shared below. These strategies may be helpful in guiding development of class curriculum activities.

Adoption Strategy – The lesson designer adopts a lesson found on the Internet or in a book. In this situation, activities are adapted and modified to suit student needs and/or what is available in the school setting. This may involve adjustments for student needs in relation to time, degree of difficulty, and/or context of the lessons. Other adaptations may be made because of differences in technology. The lesson designer may add or take away technological items because of what is available at their school.

“Icing” Strategy – The lesson designer takes an existing activity/lesson that is successful and adds a technology component to improve or enhance it. Technology is used to “leverage” learning outcomes.

Backwards Design Strategy – The lesson designer thinks first about the desired results for a unit or lesson, then determines what will be acceptable evidence of this outcome. Experiences and activities are planned. Technology is matched with task(s) to guide student goal attainment.

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Blog: Technology for Learners