NTLSN · Crash Course · Technology

Teaching with technology — a crash course

New tools arrive every semester; good teaching principles don't change. Four short lessons on using technology well — then a self-check.

The one thing to remember: pick the tool for the task, not the task for the tool. Technology should serve the learning — pedagogy first, always.
4 lessons~10 min read1 self-checkGrounded in TPACK, SAMR & edtech good practice

The lessons

1
Pedagogy firstTPACK & SAMR
›

The question is never ‘should I use this tool?’ but ‘what learning problem does it solve?’ Frameworks like TPACK and SAMR keep pedagogy in front of technology.

  • Start from the learning outcome and the task, then choose the tool.
  • Ask whether the tech substitutes, augments, or genuinely transforms (SAMR).
  • Balance content, pedagogy and technology knowledge (TPACK).
Grounded in
  • TPACK (Mishra & Koehler)
  • SAMR (Puentedura)
2
Your LMS as a learning spaceStructure beats features
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The LMS is where most students actually meet your subject. A clear, predictable space matters more than using every feature.

  • Make it findable: consistent structure, clear next steps.
  • Use it for interaction and feedback, not just file storage.
  • Cut clutter — fewer, well-used tools beat many half-used ones.
3
Tools for engagement & feedbackA few that earn their place
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A small, reliable toolkit — polling, short video, automated quizzes, annotation — does more than chasing every new app.

  • Use polling and retrieval tools to make big classes active.
  • Use audio/video and annotation to make feedback personal at scale.
  • Standardise on a few tools so students aren't relearning each week.
4
Accessible & sustainableTech that doesn't leave people behind
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Edtech can widen access or narrow it. Choose tools that are accessible, privacy-respecting and sustainable for you to maintain.

  • Check accessibility and that it works on a phone and low bandwidth.
  • Mind student data, privacy and cost (free for students).
  • Pick tools you can sustain — not a new one every semester.
◇ Bring it together — from the NTLSN commons
Browse “Online learning”Teaching Online courseAccessibility preflight tool369 sector videos

Before you add a new tool — a quick self-check

✓
I started from the learning task, then chose the tool.
✓
The tech transforms or augments learning, not just substitutes.
✓
My LMS space is clear, predictable and used for interaction.
✓
My toolkit is small, reliable and consistent for students.
✓
The tools are accessible and work on a phone / low bandwidth.
✓
I can sustain these tools — and they respect student data and cost.
Source & attribution. Curated from technology-integration frameworks (TPACK; SAMR) and edtech good practice indexed by the NTLSN commons. Practitioner synthesis, not original research.
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