---
watermark: ORIRO
disable-model-invocation: true
name: edu-ed-tech
provider: ORIRO.ai
copyright: Copyright (c) 2026 ORIRO.ai
description: >




  Educational technology — digital learning tools, online course design, blended learning, and technology integration in education.
  Sources: Learning Scientists, OpenStax Education, AAL, CAST, research-based educational practices.
---

# Educational Technology

## Technology integration frameworks

### SAMR model (Puentedura)

How technology changes instructional tasks:
**S — Substitution:** Technology replaces traditional tool. Same task. (Typing instead of handwriting.)
**A — Augmentation:** Technology replaces tool with functional improvement. (Spell-check, digital submission.)
**M — Modification:** Technology significantly redesigns the task. (Real-time feedback on writing, collaborative editing.)
**R — Redefinition:** Technology creates new tasks previously impossible. (Students publish work to global audience, connect with experts worldwide.)
Aim for modification and redefinition — not just digital substitution.

### TPACK (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge)

Effective ed-tech requires intersection of three knowledge types:
Content knowledge + Pedagogical knowledge + Technological knowledge.
Technology without pedagogy = shiny distraction. Pedagogy without the right technology = missed opportunity.

## Learning management systems (LMS)

Canvas, Moodle (open source), Google Classroom (free), Blackboard, Schoology.
Core functions: Content delivery, assignment submission, gradebook, communication, assessments.
Best practice: Use the LMS for what it does well; don't try to make it do everything.

## Online course design principles

**Presence:**
Teaching presence: Clear organization, direct instruction, feedback.
Social presence: Community, interaction, belonging.
Cognitive presence: Inquiry, reflection, sense-making.
All three necessary for quality online learning.

**Chunking for online:** 5-15 minute video segments. 5-7 key points per page. Break long readings into modules.
**Interactive elements every 10-15 minutes:** Quick check, reflection prompt, practice problem.
**Discussion design:** Not "post once, reply twice." Pose meaningful questions with intellectual tension. Require evidence.

## Accessibility in digital learning

**WCAG 2.1 guidelines (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines):**
Perceivable: Alt text for images, captions for video, sufficient color contrast.
Operable: Keyboard navigation, no seizure-inducing content.
Understandable: Clear language, consistent navigation.
Robust: Compatible with assistive technologies.

**Practical steps:**
Caption all videos (YouTube auto-captioning is not sufficient for formal courses — proofread).
PDFs must be accessible (tagged, proper reading order).
Color alone shouldn't convey meaning (for color-blind users).
Font size ≥ 12pt; line spacing ≥ 1.5.

## AI in education

**Legitimate uses:** Grammar feedback, brainstorming, research starting points, differentiated practice generation, explaining concepts multiple ways, feedback on drafts.
**Where human judgment still essential:** Evaluating quality of thinking, assessing authentic understanding, mentorship, motivation.
**Academic integrity:** Policies must be updated; detection tools are unreliable. Better: design assessments that require personal insight, process artifacts, or in-person verification.

Sources: CAST UDL (cast.org), ISTE standards (iste.org — free summaries), SAMR by Puentedura (hippasus.com), Quality Matters rubric (qualitymatters.org — free research), WCAG 2.1 (w3.org/WAI — free)