TCEA TECH TAKE Do better: evidence-based learning with technology

We must find a way

forward that pairs

strategies that work

with effective

digital tools.

Do better: evidence-based learning with technology

By Miguel Guhlin

Astartling research finding challenges every technology buy you’ve made. That finding is that the more technology use there is, the lower the student performance. The Reboot Foundation’s data asserts a fascinating point that schools “may not use technology in a way that prompts richer forms of learning.” In this article, we’ll explore what you can do to make every buy a win for teachers and learners. Our guiding question is as follows:

How can coaching, high-effect size instructional strategies and ed tech impact student growth?

If instructional strategies don’t speed up student growth, skip them. Avoid pairing technology use with strategies that do not speed classroom learning.

“This contemporary research is sometimes contradictory to present-day practices and beliefs about what works in schools and classrooms.” (Cathy Lassiter, “Everyday Courage for School Leaders”)

The research

“Many old assumptions about what works best in education have been disproven,” says Lassiter. New scientific research has provided critical insights into how learning happens. These insights sweep aside what we thought we knew.

“Millennials in the U.S. workforce … are now among the least well-educated,” cites Marc Tucker. He shares the facts in his book, “Leading High-Performance School Systems.” Tucker reminds us that we can do better with what we’re spending on education. That’s because other countries have been outperforming the United States. Worse, they have spent less on education than we have. See my notes at go.mgpd.org/leadhigh.

The implications force us to reassess how we approach teaching, learning and technology — less drama, more clear-eyed thinking about what we must do differently. Let’s explore that below.

The revelation of visible learning

“How many of you know about John Hattie’s work?”

I asked the question of a packed room of more than 80 educators. Only a smattering of hands went up. My own experience with John Hattie’s work dates to 2018, an astonishing revelation at the time.

While some dismiss his work, strategies that work come with supporting research. See the research for each strategy via Corwin’s Visible Learning Meta X database. It uses effect size to rank the strategies. Strategies with effect size of .40 or higher are more effective than lesser ones. Discover what works best at visiblelearningmetax.com.

What accelerates student growth

The work of John Hattie, Nancy Frey, Douglas Fisher (“Visible Learning for Literacy and Visible Learning for Math”) challenges our old assumptions. As educators, we must use evidence-based instructional strategies when appropriate. This select group of strategies can accelerate student growth in one school year. Other strategies we may be comfortable with might be less effective. A list is available at a link further below.

A strategy’s effect size, when greater than .40 and used at the appropriate time, makes a difference. That difference can result in more than a year’s growth in learning for students. For educators comfortable with a wide array of strategies, one question rises to the top: “How do you know if what you’re doing in the classroom is effective?” (“Reading Scores on National Exam Decline in Half the States” — The New York Times, Dec. 5, 2019.)

Knowing when and which strategies to use requires training and experience. We must give careful thought to which strategies enhance surface learning. Others support deep or transfer learning.

Surface learning: Use these strategies to introduce students to concepts, skills and/or strategies. These assist students gain requisite knowledge needed to move forward to deep learning.

Deep learning: Employ strategies and assist students in gaining a deeper conceptual understanding.

Transfer learning: Strategies that aid students to apply what they know to new scenarios and contexts.

Find sample strategies for each at go.mgpd.org/hest.

Given the low scores on international assessments, teachers need to use proven strategies. That may be the only way we will see improvements in reading and math. This puts what, when and how we use effective strategies in the driver’s seat. “Technology is not the driver, it’s the accelerator,” says Michael Fullan. For those who eschew technology as ineffective, remember Fullan’s assertion. Research shows technology use as ineffective on its own. Giving a child a device seldom improves academic content processing. We must stop pairing technology with ineffective strategies.

Let me be clear. We must stop using devices to accelerate ineffective instructional strategies. That does not mean we stop using technology in schools. We must find a way forward that pairs strategies that work with effective digital tools. We can be selective, and we can be strategic. How do we do that?

Strategic technology integration

Weston Kieschnick (@wes_kieschnick), author of “BOLD Schools,” offers a five-step road map. A quick paraphrase of those steps appears below. I’ve modified his steps to include pre-assessment and post-assessment of student learning. Those assessment components complement another critical area. That critical area, which we will explore in a bit, is coaching. For now, here is a quick overview of Kieschnick’s steps:

1. Develop and pre-assess learning outcomes

2. Select your high-effect size instructional strategy

3. Decide on the digital tool(s)

4. Craft your lesson procedure

5. Post-assess student learning and reflect

Find a detailed exploration of his work online in the “Coaching for Results” blog series at blog.tcea.org. Our goal remains selecting and deploying the most effective strategy and digital tool. This gets done through the use of evidence-based instructional strategies with technology.

Kieschnick suggests you use one high-effect size instructional strategy with one digital tool. To that, we must add Fisher, Frey and Hattie’s reminders. That is, to keep surface, deep, transfer learning in mind when selecting strategies.

To support your thinking, find a breakdown of high-effect size instructional strategies. Organized in a simple table, they put strategies in the appropriate box. That is, which strategies work may best support surface, deep or transfer learning. These strategies link to the Visible Learning Meta X

The goal of this document is to speed the selection of strategies and technologies. It is not an expectation to use all strategies and technologies listed. The teacher must decide when and which strategies and digital tools work. View the document at go.mgpd.org/hest.

Coaching for strategic technology integration

Even if teachers have effective strategies and great technology, tasks remain undone. Coaching for results has a profound impact on student achievement. We must shift our focus from improving teachers through coaching. Instead, our aim must be on assessing and improving student learning experiences.

As Diane Sweeney (@SweeneyDiane) points out, we must go about doing this in a different way. Instead of tracking what adults do, we must focus on the children. She suggests that we collect data that “measures the impact of coaching on students.” Like the evidence-based strategies mentioned, coaching for results is a must. The reason for this is that research compels us (Joyce and Showers, 1995). Consider that with studentcentered coaching programs in place:

95% of teachers’ knowledge level will increase

95% of teachers’ ability to show skill in instructional practices

99% of teachers will put in place instructional practices in their classrooms

Contrast those percentages with the results of theory, demonstration and practice:

60% knowledge level

60% skill attainment

5% transfer to practice When we coach, we make sure teachers use high-effect size instructional strategies. We ensure that the strategies usage impacts student growth as the research defines, and that digital tools enhance the effect of those strategies. We also:

Assist teachers in crafting instruction that works

Develop tech-enhanced, evidence-based learning experiences that are relevant and rigorous

Scaffold accelerated students’ growth

Conduct pre/post-assessments that align to higheffect size instructional strategies in use

A deeper exploration of how to achieve this is available online. Begin your journey with the TCEA blog series “Coaching for Results.”

Parting thoughts

We must change the way we teach and use technology. We waste time, effort and money when we use ineffective instructional strategies. We must streamline our use of digital tools. Our efforts must situate select digital tools in evidencebased instructional strategies.

Only then can we avoid costly mistakes that filled our landfills and avoid an expensive past that left children feeling they had failed at learning. We have the tools, the technology and the coaches. Now, we know better. Let’s do better. n

Miguel A. Guhin (@mguhlin/mguhlin@tcea.org) is director of professional development at TCEA.

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