Choosing Tech

“How do I choose the right technology?” is a common question in education, and in online program development in particular, where it is usually asked in the context of building an online course or other virtual learning experience. After all, the subject matter expert and instructional designer are hoping to create an experience for students that is both meaningful and valuable. Knowing how to orchestrate content and pedagogy is already hard enough, but add in the fact that there are thousands of technology options, and the task can feel even more daunting.

To get beyond this dilemma, here are some guiding concepts to help others choose better technologies and perhaps increase adoption, beginning with a list of truisms about the use of technology that remain good rules of thumb:

• We have more technology than we need.
• Even if a technology solves a problem, it doesn’t mean people will use it.
• If people have to learn a new technology before they experience the value, it is unlikely they will use it.
• People tend to dislike multiple, separate logins.
• Don’t ask people what they want from a technology.
• Users like to customize, personalize, and otherwise make a technology their own, rather than being required to use it “out of the box.”
• “All in one place” is always better than “go fish.”
• People expect to be able to search everything.
• People like technologies that teach them about themselves.

Hopefully, this information will help you enter into conversations about choosing new technologies and offer some guidance on how to integrate technology into your online teaching. For example, if you are going to create another login experience for a user, you should expect the user to be frustrated. Likewise, if you spread useful information out across multiple locations instead of consolidating it, you can expect users to be discouraged.

Here are a few key questions to ask as you integrate new technologies that will help you predict the outcomes of a technology choice.

We do not recommend any technology that makes it more difficult to achieve something. Often, a technology will have value, but the way the technology functions creates an obstacle in the form of extra steps, data being in the wrong form, etc. This can lead to frustration despite having a “new” technology.

Some can relate to the experience of being asked to move to a new system only to find out that the new system is redundant or doesn’t add anything new. This will always raise the question in users: “Why are we using this again?”

If a technology makes someone happy, it tends to be in one of three ways:

• The technology is inherently enjoyable. Engaging multimedia elements and an aesthetically pleasing design, for example, can promote enjoyment.
• The technology creates or facilitates an experience that the user already enjoys. A synchronous meeting tool, for example, could enable more opportunities and options for chatting with friends.
• The technology promotes or celebrates user achievements and successes.

In the field of education, it is imperative to preserve human connections in digital environments. To that end, a new technology should ideally create space for connections. For example, some quizzing apps have the ability to automate feedback. You might choose this for a specific learning experience, but you could also seek out feedback structures that require dialogue and contact between the student and instructor.

Part of the challenge in choosing tech is maintaining a focus on these guiding concepts and key questions as you go about decision-making. It is often too easy to enter “autopilot” and use technologies out of convenience or novelty. Being thoughtful about your tech choices will yield better experiences.