In this module
Cambridge Veritas · Original TESOL self-study resources
Module overview
Technology choices should follow the learning opportunity they are meant to improve. Check learner access, usability and the practical cost of setup before adopting a tool. Plan how responses and feedback will be used, and keep a fallback that serves the same objective. After the lesson, evaluate the output and learner experience rather than assume that logging in, completing a game or generating a score demonstrates meaningful progress.
Use the guides below to connect the core ideas with practical teaching decisions. Each guide contains a classroom example, an application task and a sample response. Work through the whole module, or choose a topic for a lesson you are preparing.
Explore the topics
Start with learners and learning benefits
Choose a tool because it improves a learning opportunity: feedback, access, interaction or independent practice. Novelty alone is not a learning objective. Compare the proposed digital task with a simpler alternative before committing class time.
Read the guide & try the taskSynchronous and asynchronous learning
Synchronous work happens at an agreed time; asynchronous work can happen at different times. Each has different demands for feedback, instructions and participation. A recorded lecture is not automatically a complete asynchronous learning task.
Read the guide & try the taskUsability, compatibility and cost
Check how learners will enter the task, what devices they use and which features require payment. Test the actual activity, not only the tool’s promotional page. Setup instructions need to be understandable at the learners’ language level.
Read the guide & try the taskAccessibility, privacy and learner information
Digital participation can be affected by small text, inaccessible navigation or unnecessary data collection. Minimise personal information and use institutional guidance for accounts, recordings and children’s participation. Plan an equivalent route for learners who cannot use the tool.
Read the guide & try the taskAutonomy, content creation and critical judgement
A tool can support independent practice when learners know what to do, how to interpret feedback and when to seek help. Ready-made content and automated suggestions still require checking. Teachers should make the learning goal and review process explicit.
Read the guide & try the taskEvaluating impact and planning a fallback
After using a tool, review the evidence: what learners produced, what improved and which access problems arose. A fallback should preserve the objective, not merely fill time. Keep the activity’s information and prompts available outside the tool.
Read the guide & try the taskPutting the module into practice
- 01
Name the learner benefit and compare a digital approach with a simpler alternative.
- 02
Test access, instructions, display and the essential task on relevant devices.
- 03
Explain the learning purpose and response or feedback process, with an equivalent fallback.
- 04
Review what learners produced and whether the tool improved the opportunity originally identified.
Support and extension
Provide concise steps, a small demonstration and an alternative low-data or non-digital route.
Ask learners to evaluate feedback or tool suggestions and justify a decision rather than accept them automatically.
Check your understanding
Plan a teaching task
Choose one guide from this module. Use its classroom scenario or adapt the task for a group you know.
- Learners and purpose: Describe the context and what learners need to do.
- Success criterion: State one observable outcome.
- Procedure: Plan the setup, model, learner task and feedback.
- Support and extension: Include a way into the task and an extra challenge.
- Evidence and reflection: Decide what to observe and what would make you change the plan.
Module questions
Where should I begin with this module?
Name the learner benefit and compare a digital approach with a simpler alternative.
How can I make the work accessible?
Provide concise steps, a small demonstration and an alternative low-data or non-digital route.
How can I go beyond the first attempt?
Ask learners to evaluate feedback or tool suggestions and justify a decision rather than accept them automatically.
Sources and authorship
This module maps to the supplied syllabus PDF, Using educational technology (3 pages). The study notes, examples, application tasks and self-checks on these pages are original Cambridge Veritas resources.
View the supplied PDF ↗ · Publication reference: source chapter
Written by Cambridge Veritas. Updated .
Use these resources for preparation and reflection. Browser self-check results are for personal study and do not award a qualification or replace observed teaching practice.