Evaluating Technology Tools
When designing lesson plans and choosing instructional strategies, I often ask myself:
- Will the students be engaged in the material?
- Will the students be able to generalize the skills/content they are learning?
- What tools, games, and activities can I use to enhance this lesson?
I supplement most lessons with tools on the interactive SMART board, iPad apps, and Dell computers in the classroom. There are several frameworks that can measure the appropriateness and effectiveness of these technology tools- and I am going to focus on the Triple E Framework.
The Triple E Framework
Engage, Enhance, and Extend
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| Image from TripleEFramework.com |
The Triple E Framework was developed in 2011 by Liz Kolb at the University of Michigan. This framework, unlike other technology frameworks, evaluates which tools are best as determined by the learning goals of a lesson. I love that this framework emphasizes learning goals over the specific technology tools themselves! As a wise woman Dr. Miriam Cutler once said, "Good teaching can happen with a piece of paper and a pencil."
The Triple E Framework has a series of rubrics that measure if a technology tool is supporting student engagement, content enhancement, and students' extension of the content during lesson design and after a lesson has been taught. It also provides rubrics for evaluating apps and websites (the two major technology tools I use daily).
Engagement
Admittedly, I often assume that students will automatically be engaged in activities on the SMART board and iPad. These tools are familiar, visually stimulating, and fun to use for most students. The Triple E Framework breaks down engagement into: time spent on task, motivation to learn, and active learning (social use over isolated learning).
Enhancement
Technology is meant to enhance learning. Sometimes, technology can be used to teach skills more easily and quickly to students than the traditional paper and pencil method. The Triple E Framework measures enhancement by asking if the technology "aides, assists, and scaffolds" in ways traditional methods cannot. An example of this could be a student demonstrating reading comprehension on a touchscreen if they have fine motor difficulties.
Extension
Skills learned in a classroom are useless if the students are unable to extend these same skills to their everyday lives. When designing lessons, I try to activate students' background knowledge and to connect the content to other experiences/environments. The Triple E Framework measures if the technological tool allows students to generalize the skills they are learning in the classroom.
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| Image from TripleEFramework.com
The Triple E Framework is one of many frameworks that I will use to evaluate technology tools in the classroom. I want to ensure that students are learning to their maximum potential and that I am picking resources that support this!
For more detailed information please visit their website: Triple E
For other frameworks that evaluate technology tools please visit:
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Sarah,
ReplyDeleteI think Triple E is a great way to get educators thinking about how to integrate meaningful technology activities to content standards. Like you mention, I have often been guilty of putting an Ipad in front of a student and 'assuming' that it will engage them. By looking at the framework for Triple E, we can take a closer look at aligning something technology based to an objective. To be honest, I did not realize frameworks such as Triple E existed until a few days ago but they make complete sense. We would not blindly give a student a class activity without making sure it was engaging, enhancing, and furthering their learning, so why should technology be any different? I cannot wait to start implementing technology in a meaningful, engaging, enhancing way.
Hi Sarah,
ReplyDeleteI also chose to focus on the Triple E Framework, which I had not heard of before. I agree with you that I like how it focuses on the connection between the technology tool and the learning goal(s). I will also admit that I’m sometimes guilty of choosing a tool simply because I think it will be engaging for students without really evaluating the purpose of the tool besides that. I like how this framework is broken down into a simple rubric and can actually be scored. While I don’t think any one evaluation tool is perfect, I do think this one is a good one to continue to use as I plan lessons with the goal of incorporating more technology.
Which rating do you think your technology tools typically fall under currently? I feel like my tech tools probably average out to a low-to-mid strong connection at the moment. I want to spend more time really thinking about how to build stronger connections, but it can be difficult to find the time to play with and compare multiple tools to find the best one during the school year. Having time to sit down and focus on that during the summer will be helpful.
Thanks for sharing!
- Allison
Hi Sarah,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your creativity in designing the artwork for your blog. You discuss the Triple E Framework with it's three parts of extend, enhance and engage. I'm learning more about how technology is enhancing the education system. You commented about how a touch screen can be beneficial to someone with fine motor skills difficulties. This brings to mind how long technology has been around and improved. I worked at a pediatric hospital for many years. One of the areas that I provided services for was the disability clinic. There was a baby born without a mandible. Therefore, we designed tube feedings for his nourishment. Over the years, I watched this baby grow into an intelligent young man with unlimited possibilities. In the beginning ,as a young boy, his family would communicate for him doing sign language. As he matured, he was provided with a touch screen that verbalize his thoughts. This allowed him much independence. He attended a regular high school. It was very gratifying when he returned for a clinic visit to show us his prom pictures. Thank you for sharing and reminding me about the benefits of technology for children in education and life.
Hi Linda,
DeleteThank you for sharing that uplifting story! It's so great that different technologies can help students communicate their ideas if they struggle with writing or verbally communicating. It helps them feel independent and successful, and it makes it easier for them in an academic setting. Your story reminds me that these skills extend past the classroom.
You've got a nice explanation of Triple E and mention the technology used in your classroom. Thinking about a lesson you have taught (or have observed), where did that lesson fall when scored against the rubric?
ReplyDeleteEach week the social worker teaches a social skills lesson, and the students practice their social skills in the "play center" and on the Teachtown app on the iPad. The Teachtown app scores at the lower end of exceptional or upper end of average- 13/18 points. The app provides a way to scaffold the activity, it minimizes distractions, and it provides an opportunity for students to extend their learning outside of the classroom. However, it doesn't provide much opportunity for social use unless we had used it as a group activity. That is something to keep in mind when I design my own lessons- instead of the students completing the games and activities individually, I could use the app on the Smartboard with all of the students.
DeleteThe group lesson technology tools like Starfall and SplashMath score about the same (12-13 points), because they promote social use but there is less scaffolding in group lessons.