In order to compete in a digital world, our students have to be immersed in a modern-day classroom and adapt. Emma Woods addresses modern-day classrooms and how we must change our teaching and learning methods and use technology as we see fit. The SAMR model is designed to personalize learning experiences and thus increase students’ achievement and improve their learning processes and experiences.

Get Ready to Redesign Your Teachers’ Lesson: Modification

Modification looks at how technology can significantly reshape and redesigning tasks. Teachers are given the freedom to change and transform common tasks to transform the classroom. An example of Modification would be students participating in group-based projects. This idea can be modified by creating a Google Document, so students can be anywhere at any time collaborating on asynchronously. Instead of actually meeting face to face, co-writing a document, and turning in a paper with both names of each student on it. This allows for teachers to re-create assignments and students the freedom to expand their collaborative working times. The teacher plays a huge role in student collaboration, making suggestions in the margins, and helping support student collaboration along the way or opening student content to a public audience to provide feedback. This not only limits the barriers but provides alternative solutions for heightened student experience.

What are Some Challenges to SAMR’s Modifications

Erica Hamilton challenges the SAMR model and more specifically the Modification section of the model. She speaks about how the modification of task designs may lead to confusion. Although teachers and students may be allowed a higher level of communication outside of classroom time, it may still cause issues of confusion. The confusion lies with access, for example, access to tech is still limited and thus some students may be able to access remote modifications than others, which may result in different levels of achievement.

Should We Question the Effectiveness of the Modification Phase in the SAMR Model?

There is also an argument surrounding the fact that the Modification section of the SAMR model has not yet been peer-reviewed, which in the world of academia limits its credibility and reliability as a trusted source. Due to this, it should be questioned as to the effectiveness of the Modification of educational tasks. However, in use, many schools report benefits of redesigning tasks to fit with technological developments, as they state it has improved student experience as well as had a positive impact on their educational attainment.

References

• The SAMR Model as a Framework for Evaluating mLearning https://www.learntechlib.org/p/183753/

• The SAMR Model 6 Exemplars: http://www.hippasus.com/rrpweblog/archives/2012/08/14/SAMR_SixExemplars.pdf

• SAMR Model Practical Guide to Tech Integration https://www.schoology.com/blog/samr-model-practical-guide-edtech-integration

• The Substitution Augmentation Modification Redefinition (SAMR) Model: a Critical Review and Suggestions for its Use http://com.appolearning.files.s3.amazonaws.com/production/uploads/uploaded_file/449a37b9-489a-4fb4-9dde-c60ccc02acb2/SAMR_Model.pdf

• Ipad Pedegogy for 21st Century Skills https://www.scoop.it/topic/ipad-pedagogy-for-21st-century-skills/p/4037795101/2015/02/22/a-guide-for-bringing-the-samr-model-to-ipads-edsurge-news