Learning Experience: What Is It and Why Does It Matter?

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If you are involved in the field of education or training, you may have heard of the term "learning experience". But what does it mean exactly, and why is it important for effective teaching and learning?

Learning experience is a broad concept that encompasses the design, delivery, and evaluation of learning activities that are aligned with the learners' needs, preferences, and goals. Learning experience is not just about the content or the method of instruction, but also about the context, the interaction, the feedback, and the emotions that are involved in the learning process.

Learning experience is based on the idea that learning is not a passive or linear process, but an active and dynamic one, where learners construct their own meaning and knowledge through engaging with various sources of information and experiences. Learning experience also recognizes that learners are diverse and have different backgrounds, motivations, interests, and learning styles, and that these factors affect how they learn and what they learn.

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• Learner Centred

  Learning experience is learner-centred. This means that the learners are at the centre of the learning process, and that their needs, preferences, and goals are taken into account when designing and delivering learning activities. Learner-centred learning experience empowers learners to take ownership of their learning, to make choices, to set goals, to monitor their progress, and to reflect on their learning outcomes.

• Collaborative

  Learning experience is collaborative. This means that learning is not an isolated or individual activity, but a social one, where learners interact with each other and with other sources of information and feedback. Collaborative learning experience fosters communication, cooperation, creativity, and critical thinking skills among learners, as well as a sense of community and belonging.

• Experiential

  Learning experience is experiential. This means that learning is not just about acquiring facts or theories, but about applying them to real-world situations and problems. Experiential learning experience engages learners in authentic and meaningful tasks that challenge them to use their prior knowledge and skills, to explore new ideas and perspectives, to experiment with different solutions, and to learn from their successes and failures.

• Personalized

  Learning experience is personalized. This means that learning is not a one-size-fits-all approach, but a customized one, where learners can choose their own pace, level, mode, and path of learning. Personalized learning experience allows learners to learn at their own speed and style, to access different types of content and resources, to follow different routes and sequences of learning activities, and to receive different types of feedback and support.

• Adaptive

  Learning experience is adaptive. This means that learning is not a fixed or static process, but a flexible and dynamic one, where learners can adjust their learning according to their changing needs, preferences, goals, and performance. Adaptive learning experience uses data and analytics to monitor learners' progress and behaviour, to provide timely and relevant feedback and guidance, and to modify the content and difficulty of learning activities accordingly.

If you want to create more effective and engaging learning experiences for your learners, you may need some help from a professional. A learning experience consultant is someone who has the expertise and skills to design, develop, implement, and evaluate learning experiences that are aligned with your learners' needs, preferences, goals, and outcomes. A learning experience consultant can help you:

• Conduct a learner analysis to understand your learners' characteristics, motivations, interests, expectations, challenges, and goals.

• Conduct a needs analysis to identify the gaps between your learners' current knowledge and skills and the desired ones.

• Define the applied learning outcomes that you want your learners to possess.

• Select the appropriate content and resources that will support your learners' learning objectives and outcomes.

• Select the appropriate methods and strategies that will facilitate your learners' learning process.

• Select the appropriate tools and technologies that will enhance your learners' learning experience.

• Design the structure and sequence of your learning activities that will guide your learners' learning journey.

• Develop the materials and resources that will deliver your learning content.

• Implement your learning experiences in a way that will engage your learners' attention, interest, motivation, and participation.

• Evaluate your learning activities in terms of their effectiveness, efficiency, satisfaction, and impact.

A learning experience consultant can help you create more effective and engaging learning experiences for your learners that will lead to better learning outcomes and performance. If you are interested in hiring a learning experience consultant for your organization, please contact us at hebronhailu@gmail.com or visit our website at www.vine2branch.com to learn more about our services and portfolio.

Philosophies of Education in EdTech

Think back to being a student in your elementary school. How did it look? How did it feel? Imagine your old classroom; what was on the walls? What did you believe as a learner? Practically everyone can recall their schooling experiences, sometimes in extreme detail. Some are positive memories and some are negative. Some were out-workings of beliefs of education held by the adults that ran your class, your school, your community.

These implicit experiences actually have a massive influence on how we as adults perceive and internally hold beliefs about education.

Have you ever wondered why some educators and EdTech developers choose certain tools and methods over others? How do they decide what is the best way to teach and learn with technology? The answer may lie in their philosophies of education, both implicitly gained through their own upbringing or those explicitly adopted. This reflection can help us understand our own beliefs, values, and assumptions about education and how they affect our choices and actions. In this blog post, we will explore some of the major philosophies of education and how they influence the design and implementation of EdTech solutions.

We will look at essentialism, progressivism, constructivism, and critical pedagogy as four different perspectives on education and EdTech. By the end of this post, you will have a better understanding of how philosophies of education can help you create and use EdTech solutions that match your educational goals and needs.

Essentialism is a teacher-centred philosophy that emphasizes teaching basic skills and academic knowledge through a core curriculum of traditional subjects. Essentialists believe that students should learn the essentials of academic disciplines, such as reading, writing, math, science, history, and foreign languages. They also value hard work, mental discipline, and moral standards in education. Essentialists aim to train the mind, promote reasoning, and ensure a common culture for all students.

Essentialism shows up in edtech solutions when companies design products that support the core curriculum and the teacher's role as the leader of the classroom. For example, an edtech solution that provides digital textbooks, assignments, homework, tests, and feedback for students in different subjects could be aligned with essentialism. Another example could be an edtech solution that helps teachers organize their lessons, monitor student progress, and maintain order and discipline in the classroom. Edtech solutions that follow essentialism often focus on transmitting factual knowledge and skills rather than exploring diverse perspectives or fostering creativity.

Progressivism is a student-centred philosophy that emphasizes learning by doing and by seeking answers to questions. Progressivists believe that students should learn how to think critically, solve problems creatively, and make decisions based on evidence. They also value the empirical method of education, which involves testing theories by experimentation. Progressivists aim to create a democratic and cooperative learning environment that reflects the real world and prepares students for life.

Progressivism shows up in edtech solutions when companies design products that support the student's interests, needs, and abilities. For example, an edtech solution that provides project-based learning activities, interdisciplinary studies, collaborative learning tools, and feedback for students in different subjects could be aligned with progressivism. Another example could be an edtech solution that helps students explore their own questions, hypotheses, and solutions using various sources of information and technology. Edtech solutions that follow progressivism should focus on facilitating inquiry-based learning and fostering creativity rather than transmitting factual knowledge and skills.

Constructivism is a learner-centred philosophy that emphasizes learning by constructing new knowledge and understanding based on prior knowledge and experiences. Constructivists believe that learners are active agents who create their own meaning through interaction with the world and with others. They also value the social and cultural context of learning, which influences how learners interpret and apply information. Constructivists aim to create a supportive and collaborative learning environment that fosters inquiry, reflection, and self-regulation.

Constructivism shows up in edtech solutions when companies design products that support the learner's exploration, discovery, and creation of knowledge. For example, an edtech solution that provides simulations, games, multimedia, or virtual reality for learners to engage in authentic and meaningful tasks could be aligned with constructivism. Another example could be an edtech solution that helps learners communicate, collaborate, and share their ideas and products with peers and experts using various tools and platforms. Edtech solutions that follow constructivism should focus on facilitating learner-centred and social learning rather than delivering teacher-centred and standardized instruction.

Critical pedagogy is a philosophy of education that applies concepts from critical theory and related traditions to the field of education and the study of culture. Critical pedagogy views teaching and learning as political acts that challenge the status quo and promote social justice and democracy. Critical pedagogy aims to empower learners to critically examine the power structures and patterns of inequality that shape their lives and society. Critical pedagogy also values the diversity, agency, and voice of learners and teachers as co-creators of knowledge.

Critical pedagogy can be applied in edtech solutions by designing products that support the learner's critical thinking, problem-solving, and action-taking skills. For example, an edtech solution that provides opportunities for learners to engage in social issues, analyze multiple perspectives, and participate in civic activities could be aligned with critical pedagogy. Another example could be an edtech solution that helps learners communicate, collaborate, and share their stories and experiences with diverse audiences using various media and formats. Edtech solutions that follow critical pedagogy should focus on facilitating transformative learning and social change rather than reproducing dominant knowledge and ideology.

When we reflect on the tools we tend to use more often than others and the tools that are more and more ubiquitous with edtech, we realize the philosophies we adhere to and those we promote as designers and creators of edtech solutions. What do you believe in, what is your philosophy for education and how are you promoting what you believe in what you design? Thanks for reading this post, feel free to share your thoughts below.

References:

(1) Philosophy of education in a new key: Future of philosophy of education .... https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00131857.2021.1946792 Accessed 2023-05-08.

(2) How to Develop a Philosophy of Edtech - The Edvocate. https://www.theedadvocate.org/develop-philosophy-edtech/ Accessed 2023-05-08.

(3) Philosophy of Educational Technology – The Reflective Educator. https://davidwees.com/content/philosophy-educational-technology/ Accessed 2023-05-08.

(3) Philosophies of Education: 2 Types of Teacher-Centered Philosophies. https://www.theedadvocate.org/philosophies-education-2-types-teacher-centered-philosophies/ Accessed 2023-05-08.

(4) Chapter 8: Essentialism – Social Foundations of K-12 Education. https://kstatelibraries.pressbooks.pub/dellaperezproject/chapter/chapter-7-essentialism/ Accessed 2023-05-08.

(5) Educational essentialism - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Educational_essentialism Accessed 2023-05-08.

(6) Definition Of Essentialism Philosophy Of Education & Examples. https://biznewske.com/definition-of-essentialism-philosophy-of-education/ Accessed 2023-05-08.

(6) Progressivism Philosophy of Education | Progressivism Definition. https://biznewske.com/progressivism-philosophy-of-education/ Accessed 2023-05-08.

(7) An Overview of Progressivism Philosophy of Education - Study.com. https://study.com/academy/lesson/progressivism-overview-practical-teaching-examples.html Accessed 2023-05-08.

(8) Progressivism in Education - JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/1489846.pdf Accessed 2023-05-08.

(9) Chapter 6: Progressivism – Social Foundations of K-12 Education. https://kstatelibraries.pressbooks.pub/dellaperezproject/chapter/chapter-5-progressivism/ Accessed 2023-05-08.

(10) Constructivism (philosophy of education) - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constructivism_%28philosophy_of_education%29 Accessed 2023-05-08.

(12) Constructivism Learning Theory & Educational Philosophy - Simply Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/constructivism.html Accessed 2023-05-08.

(13) Constructivism (Philosophy Of Education) - The Spiritual Life. https://slife.org/constructivism/ Accessed 2023-05-08.

(14) Critical pedagogy - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_pedagogy Accessed 2023-05-08.

(15) Critical Pedagogy - Critical Theory Pedagogies Guide - Research Guides .... https://guides.library.charlotte.edu/c.php?g=1162254&p=8484887 Accessed 2023-05-08.

(16) Critical Pedagogy - Evolving Education. https://evolvingeducation.org/en/critical-pedagogy/ Accessed 2023-05-08.

(17) Critical Pedagogy - What is it? - Emile Education. https://emile-education.com/critical-pedagogy-what-is-it/ Accessed 2023-05-08.

How to Design EdTech Solutions

EdTech is a booming industry that promises to revolutionize the field of education. However, not all EdTech solutions are created equal. Some may fail to address the real challenges and opportunities that educators and students face in the classroom. Others may lack the pedagogical soundness and usability that are essential for effective learning.

How can EdTech companies design solutions that meet the needs of their target audience? How can they ensure that their products are not only innovative, but also impactful and user-friendly? How can they stand out from the competition and gain the trust and loyalty of their customers?

At Vine to Branch Consulting, we have the answers to these questions. We are an EdTech consulting firm that specializes in supporting EdTech startups and companies ideate, design, prototype, and test solutions for the education market. We have a team of seasoned leaders who are active in the teaching profession, with expertise in instructional methods, pedagogical best practices, curriculum development, and UX design.

We help our clients create EdTech solutions that are:

• Based on research and evidence: We use data-driven approaches to identify the needs and preferences of educators and students, as well as the gaps and opportunities in the current educational landscape. We also conduct rigorous testing and evaluation of our solutions to ensure that they are effective, reliable, and scalable.

• Aligned with educational standards and goals: We ensure that our solutions are aligned with the curriculum expectations and learning outcomes of various educational systems and levels. We also consider how our solutions can support the development of 21st century skills, such as critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication.

• Designed with cognitive contextual principles: We apply cognitive contextual principles to our solutions, which means that we consider how the content, context, and cognition of learners interact to facilitate learning. We use concrete representations, visual aids, scaffolding techniques, feedback mechanisms, and adaptive features to enhance learning outcomes and engagement.

• User-friendly and accessible: We assess the UX design of our solutions from an educational perspective, ensuring that they are intuitive, easy to use, and appealing to both educators and students. We also ensure that our solutions are accessible to diverse learners, including those with special needs or different learning styles.

If you are an EdTech company looking for a partner who can help you create solutions that meet the needs of educators and students, look no further than Vine to Branch Consulting. We have the experience, expertise, and passion to help you build your vision.

Contact us today to find out how we can work together to make a difference in education.

Okay, let’s talk about AI

If you are interested in the latest developments of AI in education and how it can transform the way we teach and learn, you might want to read this blog post. I will summarize some of the trends and tools that use adaptive learning systems for elementary school settings, and how AI can make them better.

Adaptive learning is a form of personalized learning that adjusts the content, pace and difficulty of instruction to match each student's needs and preferences. Adaptive learning systems use data and algorithms to monitor students' progress, identify their strengths and weaknesses, and provide them with feedback and guidance. Adaptive learning can help students learn at their own pace, improve their engagement and motivation, and close the achievement gap. In short, they allow educators to differentiate instruction and experiences for students better so that their learning and success are optimized. 

There are many Edtech tools that use adaptive learning systems for elementary school settings such as Century, Amplify, Moby Max, and Dreambox. All of these tools or platforms use Big data analytics to drive decisions around what the student should experience next and how. These tools can be a great helper for the educator to orchestrate learning opportunities for each student that is better tailored to each student's needs. 

However, as a teacher who has seen and heard the defeated moans of students on Dreambox many times. Big data and analytics are still quite limited in their ability to continue to adapt to the emotional and cognitive states of each student along with their very varied lived experiences and personalities. Eventually, the machine fails to help them grow by either bombarding them with challenges that are discouraging or boring them to death (as many students have very vividly expressed to me).

Here’s where AI can enhance these tools and make them more effective and efficient:

• AI can provide more accurate and timely feedback to students and teachers, based on real-time data analysis and natural language processing. Imagine a natural coach in a Math puzzle helping a student talk out their ideas or even cracking a joke to help them calm down. 

• AI can generate even more diverse and engaging content for students, such as interactive simulations, videos, quizzes and games. The data analytical processing quality can increase to a point of providing highly tailored experiences for each student. Even tailored to incorporate non-curricular interests and experiences to explain concepts. 

• AI can create even more personalized and flexible learning paths for students, based on their goals, preferences, emotions and learning styles. The order of magnitude of pathways can continue to grow and expand as AI learns more about the student. 

AI has the potential to revolutionize education by making it more accessible, personalized and engaging for all learners. However, there are also challenges and risks involved in using AI in education, such as ethical issues, privacy concerns, bias and inequality. Therefore, it is important to ensure that AI is used in a responsible and human-centred way, guided by ethical principles and standards.

I hope you enjoyed this blog post and learned something new about AI in education. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to share them below. Thank you for reading!

EdTech Misuse

Technology has become an integral part of education, offering many benefits for students and teachers alike. Technology can enhance learning outcomes, foster collaboration, increase engagement, and prepare students for future careers. However, technology can also have negative impacts if it is misused or overused in the classroom. In this blog post, we will explore some of the common ways that technology misuse/overuse can harm learning and teaching, and suggest some strategies to change patterns of use to promote good pedagogical practice.

What is Technology Misuse?

Technology misuse for our reference speaks to any intentional or unintentional use of technology that interferes with learning, teaching, or development of students. Misuse happens most often in small, implicit, incremental ways in the classroom.

Over the last three years, I’ve had the privilege of visiting and working in numerous classrooms. I’ve had a strange sense of dissonance at a recurring experience. I walk into a classroom, it’s quiet, very quiet. It’s a room full of twenty to thirty children (sometimes as young as six years old) and no chatter, no hum of discussion, just silence. Learning is supposedly happening according to the grown ups in the room. Students seem to be working through something on their screen. I walk by quietly watching. The adults seem glad, almost relieved to have some silence. But it’s strangely quiet. 

Each child is glued to a screen about 5 inches from their face with headphones on. I wonder how long they’ve been like this and how much longer it will be. Class after class this scene repeats itself. Don’t get me wrong I’m a tech junky. I’ve been one since I tried to make an electric rollerblade in the fifth grade in Ms. Richardson’s class. But with all my experience and knowledge of good teaching practice and of what’s best for these children’s brains, something wasn’t sitting right. This seemed to hit more like “1984” technology rather than the feel good “Back to the Future” technology.

The misuse I’m concerned about isn’t necessarily about students cheating through online sources, or using devices non-academically. What concerns me is that the modality of learning is being shifted by technology overuse and misuse. Children are being deprived of developmentally essential experiences in the real world. This is a snowball that has been rolling down the mountainside and we are beginning to see what avalanches may result.

How Does Technology Misuse Affect Learning and Teaching?

So let’s get factual here. Technology misuse can have serious consequences for both students and teachers.

Studies have shown that multitasking with devices during class reduces students' ability to focus, process information, take notes, and recall what they learned (e.g., Glass and Kang 2019; Kuznekoff and Titsworth 2013; Rosen et al 2011). This leads to inability to have a depth of understanding of concepts. Of course not being used to going deep and focusing on something can impact many facets of learning.

Technology misuse can also distract other students and disrupt the flow of instruction. For example, a study by Bjornsen and Archer (2015) found that students who used their phones during class were more likely to be off-task themselves and cause off-task behaviour in their peers. There’s nothing new about off-task behaviour in the classroom, its par for the course and often is what makes the space feel like a real community. What is different this time though, is the addictive and constant nature of the distraction. This can create a negative classroom climate and affect teacher-student relationships.

Forget the students, adults today can’t sit in a 30 minute meeting without having to pull out a device and answer emails while “listening” to you. And the idea that people can perfectly multitask is a misnomer. No one can multitask without losing efficiency. No one. It’s a mathematical thing. If you’re fully focused on a conversation with all your senses you are much more able to give your full faculties to the ideas and nuances, and be of greater use than if you gave 50%. No matter how amazing you are at multitasking you would do even better if you gave 100% to that one task. Having technology misused this way, creates a lack of stamina in students for focus. They become addicted to unnecessary multitasking at best, or at worst, addicted to being distracted. Ever found yourself watching a show or a movie and, for no reason, you reach for your phone. Yes, that! That is not good and we’re adults who likely grew up with minimal access to mobile internet technology. How much more does this affect students whose brains are literally being mapped through their experiences today.

Beyond the cognitive developmental impacts, there are also impacts on the learning community socially. Technology misuse can diminish students' interest in learning, participation in class activities, feedback from teachers, and sense of belonging in the classroom community (e.g., Lee et al 2017; Rosen et al 2011; Kuznekoff and Titsworth 2013). It can cause students to feel overwhelmed by information overload, pressured by peer influence, or fearful by cyber bullying (e.g., Ribble and Bailey 2004; Tindell and Bohlander 2011; McCoy 2016). It can erode trust, respect, and communication between students and teachers, as well as among students themselves (e.g., Bok Center Harvard University).

How Can We Change Patterns of Use to Promote Good Teaching Practice?

Technology misuse is not inevitable nor irreversible. There are many ways that teachers and Edtech developers can prevent or reduce technology misuse in their classrooms by adopting some of the following strategies:

Establish clear expectations: Teachers should communicate clearly with their students about what constitutes appropriate and inappropriate use of technology in the classroom. They should also explain the rationale behind these expectations and how they relate to learning objectives and students’ own development as healthy human beings. Teachers should enforce these expectations consistently and fairly, using positive reinforcement.

In conjunction with teacher action, EdTech developers need to consider how their solution impacts student well being; developmentally, socially, and cognitively. Designing solutions to maximize student health and development should be the driving force behind all ventures.

Model good digital citizenship: Teachers should also model good digital citizenship by using technology responsibly and ethically themselves. They should demonstrate how to use technology for academic purposes by intentionally choosing when and how we integrate tech into our lessons. Teachers should design engaging lessons that incorporate technology as a tool for learning, not as a distraction from it. They should also offer opportunities for students to interact with each other face-to-face, and provide feedback that is timely, specific, and constructive. They should also teach students how to critically evaluate online sources critically, cite them properly, and respect intellectual property rights. Becoming more aware, as educators, of the traps and attractions to overuse or misuse of technology in the classroom to make things “easier” is a crucial first step.

Edtech solutions ought to support teachers in this effort. Solutions that help teachers model good lesson design practices and encourage face-to-face interaction and collaboration are an essential first step.

Monitor student device usage: Teachers should also monitor student device usage during class time, using various methods such as observation, surveys, or software tools. They should check whether students are using devices for genuine learning purposes or not, and intervene if necessary. Systems of education should also collect data on device usage patterns and analyze them for trends or issues.

Conclusion

Technology is a powerful tool for education, but it can also be a source of problems if it is misused in the classroom. Teachers and Edtech developers alike need to be aware of the potential negative impacts of technology misuse on learning and teaching, and take proactive steps to prevent or reduce them.

References:

1. Glass AL & Kang M (2019). Dividing attention in the classroom reduces exam performance.Educational Psychology 39(3):395–408.

2. https://bokcenter.harvard.edu/technology-and-student-distraction

3. https://scholarworks.calstate.edu/downloads/q237hs40f

Why concrete?

The Concrete Representational Abstract (CRA) approach is a system of learning that uses physical and visual aids to build a child’s understanding of abstract topics. Students are introduced to a new concept through the use of concrete resources (e.g. base ten blocks, fruit, fraction bars, natural objects etc)¹. The CRA approach combines effective components of both behaviourist (direct instruction) and constructivist (discovery-learning) practices³. It is an evidence-based practice in pedagogy for all students including those with Learning Disabilities (LD)³.

The CRA approach consists of three main ideas: Concrete, Representational, and Abstract¹. The Concrete stage is the first stage of the CRA approach. It is known as the “doing” stage and involves physically manipulating objects to solve a problem, engage with a puzzle, or build an object. The Concrete stage helps students to understand abstract concepts better by providing them with a physical, touchable, movable object of the concept. This is where the concept of an “object lesson” comes from. Educators often engage the concrete stage when they represent mathematical concepts through concrete objects such as pattern blocks, base ten blocks, or relational rods. In other subjects such as the sciences or language arts students may explore objects related to their study such as pine cones, leaves, plants, or props related to a story. This is where the over-emphasis of two-dimensional “screened” representations of concepts too early in a child’s development is not only not beneficial but can become harmful. Almost all Edtech solutions are working within this realm, with the exception of a few (i.e. apps engaging students in the use of objects the move on a table to code characters on in iPad screen). We do a major disservice to the development of our students when we limit our technology to what’s convenient for companies to sell through a “screened” medium. We have to think beyond.

The Representational stage is the second stage of the CRA approach. It is known as the “seeing” stage and involves using visual aids to represent the concrete objects used in the first stage. The Representational stage helps students transfer the concrete explorations and exposure they have experienced into a visual (2D representation) of the concept. Students may draw a base ten block representation of number or draw a diagram to represent a scientific process.

The Abstract stage is the third and final stage of the CRA approach. It is known as the “symbolic” stage and involves using abstract symbols to represent the visual aids used in the second stage. Students here would represent mathematical ideas through only symbolic abstract numbers and symbols such as an equation.

Depending on the specific concept, students are often, throughout any developmental phase, moving through concrete, representational, and abstract stages.

Edtech companies must always consider how solutions are moving (or supporting the movement) of students through these stages as conceptual understanding grows.

Here are five key recommendations for Edtech companies in designing solutions that help children learn conceptually by engaging the CRA approach:

1. Use concrete materials to teach abstract concepts.

2. Use visual aids to help students understand abstract concepts.

3. Encourage pattern recognition in students.

4. Use appropriate concrete objects to teach particular math concepts/skills.

5. Foster deeper understanding of how manipulatives facilitate student learning of math concepts by emphasizing the connection between concrete and abstract⁵⁶.

There are a number of Edtech applications of existing technologies that engage the CRA approach and allow solutions to be successful. Amongst many, the area of augmented reality is a current up and coming form that has many applications.

Augmented reality technology can help with these key recommendations in several ways. For example, it can be used to create interactive and engaging learning experiences for students. Augmented reality can also be used to provide students with visual aids that help them understand abstract concepts better⁴. Here are some ways in which augmented reality technology can help with implementing the key recommendations:

1. Use augmented reality to create interactive and engaging learning experiences for students.

2. Use augmented reality to provide students with visual aids that help them understand abstract concepts better.

3. Use augmented reality to provide students with appropriate concrete objects to teach particular math concepts/skills⁴.
   

Sources:

(1) What Is The Concrete Representational Abstract (CRA) Approach And How to Use It. https://thirdspacelearning.com/us/blog/concrete-representational-abstract-math-cpa/ Accessed 3/15/2023.

(2) The CRA Approach - LD@school. https://www.ldatschool.ca/learning-modules/cra-strategies/the-cra-strategy/ Accessed 3/15/2023.

(3) How to Teach Math Effectively Using the Concrete Representational .... https://shelleygrayteaching.com/concrete-representational-abstract-model/ Accessed 3/15/2023.

(4)Augmented Reality in Education: Use Cases, Benefits & Examples. https://program-ace.com/blog/augmented-reality-in-education/ Accessed 3/15/2023.

(5) What Is Visual-Spatial Learning? (With Characteristics). https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/what-is-visual-spatial-learning Accessed 3/15/2023.

(6) Why spatial is special in education, learning, and everyday activities .... https://cognitiveresearchjournal.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s41235-021-00274-5 Accessed 3/15/2023.

(7) Augmented Reality in Education: Interactive Classrooms. https://online.maryville.edu/blog/augmented-reality-in-education/ Accessed 3/15/2023.

(8) 10 Best Examples Of VR And AR In Education - Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2021/07/23/10-best-examples-of-vr-and-ar-in-education/ Accessed 3/15/2023.

(9) Use of Augmented Reality in Education: tools, apps and tips - 2023. https://thinkmobiles.com/blog/augmented-reality-education/ Accessed 3/15/2023.

(10) Augmented Reality In Education - eLearning Industry. https://elearningindustry.com/augmented-reality-in-education-staggering-insight-into-future Accessed 3/15/2023.

Cognitive Design

Cognitive contextual software design is a strategy that aims to improve the user’s perception of elements of the design. This is done by creating a context with selected conditions, and enhancing cognitive coherence¹.

Cognitive contextual software design can be applied to designing software for learning for elementary school children by considering the student’s cognitive development stage, their learning goals, their interests and motivations, their prior knowledge and experiences, and their social and cultural environment.²³⁴⁵

As creators jump into ideations and design it is imperative that some thought is given to some of topics.

What cognitive developmental stage are you targeting your solution(s) for? How might that impact your design tools, your UI, and your overall purpose? What learning goals are you interested in implementing and why? How can you tap into the diverse interests and motivations of students and educators? What prior experiences and knowledge are you building on? What about the students or educators that don’t have those experiences. How do you help educators nurture the social and cultural environment of their classrooms?

So what can you do as a designer or software developer in EdTech to help? Here are the top 5 tips:

1. Give clear and specific instructions by stating the goal of a game or task and how to achieve it³. Clear instructions make the learning obvious for the student, and the teacher who is looking for specific learning criteria to engage with their students. Where is the thinking going to happen? How does your design engage the learner to think and not just be entertained. As Peter Liljedahl says, “Engagement without thinking is just entertainment.”

2. Provide feedback and scaffolding by giving timely responses to children's actions, offering hints or clues when they are stuck, and gradually reducing support as they master a skill³. Your design should encourage an assessment and feedback model that places the educator as a coach; guiding and walking alongside the experiences and learning of the student. True learning and understanding cannot happen with this dynamic.

3. Use multimodal representations by incorporating different types of media such as text, images, sounds, animations etc. that can appeal to different learning styles and enhance comprehension²⁵. You can even go further and think outside the box of how your solution may encourage and engage students in using their bodies and the outdoors (nature) to engage.

4. Adapt to children's individual differences by allowing them to choose their own level of difficulty, pace, theme etc. that suit their needs, preferences and abilities²⁴. Differentiation is the key to reaching ALL students. Educators are constantly identifying UDL strategies to help them differentiate to the needs and thematic bents of their students. Likewise, EdTech solutions should support this rather than inhibit it.

5. Foster social interaction by enabling children to collaborate with peers or adults online or offline who can provide guidance or feedback²⁵. Furthermore build in explicit and implicit avenues of social interaction amongst students and educators in real life. True social interaction has to be nurtured in the classroom through all tools and solutions, and EdTech is no exception.

(1) (PDF) The environment of cognitive-contextual software design: from .... https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338899768_The_environment_of_cognitive-contextual_software_design_from_concept_to_implementation Accessed 2023-03-05.

(2) Researching cognitive development in primary schools: methods and .... https://my.chartered.college/impact_article/researching-cognitive-development-in-primary-schools-methods-and-practical-considerations/ Accessed 2023-03-05.

(3) Designing for Kids: Cognitive Considerations - Nielsen Norman Group. https://www.nngroup.com/articles/kids-cognition/ Accessed 2023-03-05.

(4) Cognitive processing features of elementary school children with .... https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022096522001424 Accessed 2023-03-05.

(5) Digital Screen Media and Cognitive Development - Pediatrics. https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/140/Supplement_2/S57/34173/Digital-Screen-Media-and-Cognitive-Development Accessed 2023-03-05.

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