10 Thoughts on Designing Technology for Learning

Hannah Jones, the-learning-crowd

1. Understand the Vision

This is a summary of a longer document created by Hannah Jones from the-learning-crowd,  which is a collection of thoughts on how schools can go some way to ensure that technology enhances teaching and learning whilst achieving value for money. You can find the full document here.

1. Understand the Vision

Schools are aware that when developing a strategy and approach to embedding ICT that the main focus is not on specific tools or equipment, but on what the technology will do to support the successful delivery of its vision for learning.

"Where school leaders are enthusiastic and visionary about ICT, it can yield significant workload reductions whilst securing undoubted advances, in addition to direct curriculum benefits." - Price Waterhouse Cooper

2. Involve Stakeholders

2. Involve Stakeholders

A key stakeholder in any discussion about learning is of course the students themselves.

At Shelfield Academy students are actively involved in vision and delivery of ICT. Students are regularly consulted on ICT for learning and the academy has a team of student digital champions – the 'Genius' team.

Students set up the Genius Bar at lunch times and break times in the main dining hall/communal area. Teachers and students come to the Genius Bar to get advice and support with technology. Dean Lloyd Jones who led the project says:

"Now the onus is on everyone to be part of the learning experience so it is not a one-way conversation." - Dean Lloyd Jones. 

3. Plan for Behind the Scenes

3. Plan for Behind the Scenes

To maximise the investment in ICT and enhance the quality and effectiveness of learning and teaching, a school must have a reliable ICT infrastructure. Involving department leaders and staff from all curriculum areas in the design and technology for any learning space is key but this is essential for key curriculum areas that have a heavy reliance on ICT.

These would include curriculum areas such as science, design technology, art and music where staff will want to be involved in discussions about what their ICT needs are, how the rooms should be set out and what the power and data needs are in these curriculum areas.

In addition to a robust infrastructure that will meet the demands of the school now and in the future, schools also need to consider what technical support will be needed to deliver their vision, what the professional development needs of their staff will be.

4. Create Spaces

4. Create Spaces

Cluttered classrooms with too much or over sized furniture don't allow for staff and students to easily move around and collaborate with their peers.

Furniture and settings that allow the sharing of screens and collaboration using technology can add to the learning for many?

Mobile devices allow for this ease of movement and good Wi-Fi is essential to ensure that the learning is always accessible.

Any breakout spaces outside the classrooms – inside or outside- should also have sufficient power and Wi-Fi to ensure that students can work as they would in the classroom.


"Students learn best when they use ICT in pairs, and working alone with ICT is less effective than sharing a computer with a larger group of peers. This does not mean that schools who have a clear vision for the ways in which 1:1 provision will support teaching and learning should not pursue that route. It does, however, mean that restricting students to individual use of a tablet or laptop and not planning for collaborative work is unlikely to result in the best possible learning gains" - Steve Moss, Making the Most of ICT – What The Research Tells Us.

5. Think Special

5. Think Special

ICT can provide access, and the means, for all pupils regardless of special educational needs (SEN) to engage with learning.

Many pupils with SEN have difficulty establishing relationships and so may find it easier to work with a computer than with another person - or at least work with another person through a computer interface or from behind a camera.

6. Encourage movement


6. Encourage movement

"Students forced to remain still in a physically static environment become more uncomfortable, more tired, and less productive." - Dr. Dieter Breithecker, Bodies in Motion – Brains in Motion

Pool Hayes Academy in Walsall is already finding the benefits of allowing students to move more - even when seated. This has come about from their involvement in a small scale research project, Agile Learning Spaces, that aims to build on existing research on movement and learning by Dr. Dieter Breithecker.

The questions the research is aiming to address during this research are below and of course we are using technology to capture, analyse and share findings from this research. To keep up to date with the project please visit Agile Learning Spaces

1. How and why does remodeling and installing furniture change the behaviour of students and staff?

2. What are the changes in behaviour?

3. What impact could, or do, these changes have upon students learning and wellbeing?

7. Go Large

7. Go Large

Staff and students at Pheasey Park Farm Primary School, Birmingham are constantly seeking to improve teaching and learning through the use of technology.

They are currently collaborating on various curriculum projects and sharing their work for others to engage in via a 'living display' providing literally wall to wall learning.

This living display is located in an open learning zone where three corridors converge ensuring that it is regularly seen and used.

Interactive the living display allows staff and students to edit and refine ideas from the wall itself whilst major changes and other work can be done from classrooms and other learning areas.

8. Be Research Led

8. Be Research Led

Cadoxton Primary School is a community school in Barry, South Wales, with an ambitious vision for the future of learning. Collaboration and innovation for staff, students, families and the wider community work together in powerful and exciting ways.

In addition to exploring technology for learning, leadership and staff have considered the wider learning environment – specifically the furniture in classrooms and areas for collaborating and presenting.

At Cadoxton the leadership, staff and students are continually trialing out new technologies and considering the spaces and organisation of learning best suits working with these technologies.

9. Show it Off

9. Show it Off

Schools are increasingly and successfully using digital media to communicate to staff and students through screens location around the school and/or in an online area to be viewed on devices.

Screens located in places where students gather to gather to socialise or learn such as dining halls and library/studio learning spaces allow the school to communicate in an exciting and dynamic manner.

10. An Eye on Innovation

10. An Eye on Innovation

Many schools are using technology in exciting and innovative ways and there are many ways to stay up to date with best practice. These include the Digital Learning Community and the National Digital Learning Forum are supported by Scottish Government and Education Scotland.

Digital technology is already embedded within Scottish education. Digital Learning and Teaching aims to take full advantage of the opportunities offered by digital technology in order to raise attainment, ambition and opportunities for all.

"If we are to achieve 'excellent teaching with ICT' more systemically than is currently the case then professional learning – both pre- and in-service – should provide opportunities for teachers to understand what it is about ICT that can help them teach more effectively; which resources best embody these features; and how they can organise/manage ICT use with their students to achieve the best possible results. They should then be supported in applying this learning". - Steve Moss, Learning Technology Strategist and Consultant from the article Making the Most of ICT – What The Research Tells Us

This 10 thoughts is a summary of an article created by Hannah Jones of the-learning-crowd. The full document is available to download here. 

All header images from unsplash.com