Five Questions Schools Should Ask Before Using Any EdTech Tool

Schools have spent years adding more technology to classrooms.

Now the U.S. Department of Education is suggesting a simpler approach:

Before adopting a tool, ask what problem it actually solves.

New guidance released on August 20 encourages schools and districts to judge educational technology by its instructional value rather than simply whether it appears on a screen.

The guidance also says schools should be willing to stop using technology when the evidence suggests it isn't improving learning.

Five surprisingly simple questions

The Department says every education technology product should be able to answer five questions:

1. What learning problem does it solve?
2. When should it be used?
3. For whom should it be used?
4. For how long should it be used?
5. What evidence demonstrates that it improves student learning?

None of these questions is particularly complicated.

That may be exactly why they're useful.

They shift the conversation away from features, novelty and engagement toward the actual learning activity.

Not all screen time is the same

The guidance comes at a time when schools are increasingly concerned about phones, social media and excessive screen use.

But the Department argues that instructional technology shouldn't automatically be treated the same way as recreational screen time.

A digital tool might help a student access an advanced course, receive accessibility support or practice a difficult skill.

Another tool might simply add more time in front of a screen without improving the lesson.

The important question is not:

Is this digital?

It is:

Does this make the learning better?

Schools should be willing to remove tools too

One part of the guidance is particularly notable.

Schools are encouraged to review whether technology continues to work after it has been adopted.

If evidence shows that a tool isn't improving learning, the guidance says schools should change course. If problems persist, they should consider removing it altogether.

That sounds obvious.

In practice, technology can become part of school routines simply because licenses have already been purchased, teachers have been trained and everyone is used to having it around.

Regularly asking whether a tool still deserves its place may be just as important as evaluating it before purchase.

A useful test for teachers too

The five questions were written for schools, districts and technology providers, but they work just as well at classroom level.

Before introducing another app, platform or AI feature, a teacher could ask:

What problem am I trying to solve?

If there isn't a clear answer, perhaps the technology isn't necessary.

The best educational technology may not be the tool with the longest feature list.

It may simply be the one that makes a worthwhile learning activity work better.

Source

U.S. Department of Education: Guidance on Responsible Use of Education Technology in the Classroom