began systematically studying the relationships between literacy and technology
in 1999. At that time, only 63% of instructional classrooms in the United States had
Internet access.
However, by 2006, nearly 100% of classrooms were equipped with a range of
technologies and connectivity, according to the National Center for Education
Statistics. Furthermore, more than 13 million iPads have now been sold to schools
worldwide and more than 80,000 apps are identified as education-related in Apple’s
App Store.
Although access is becoming less of a barrier in developed countries, there are
some challenges that still impede curricular integration, such as technical assistance
and time. Perhaps the one I hear about most is how to use the plethora of tools
available to support student learning.
For instance, I collaborate with a local middle school in Delaware that is engaged
in a one-to-one iPad initiative and is fully equipped with SMART Boards, digital
cameras, and other technology tools. When we meet as a team, we often discuss the
critical role of lesson design. We agree that the educational apps themselves do not
benefit student learning. Instead, our meetings focus on ways teachers can design
instruction that leverages what apps have to offer.
What can apps do?
Before apps can be integrated into lesson plans, teachers must understand their
affordances. In other words, what exactly are they capable of doing to support
instruction?
First, educational apps are multimodal. They incorporate written and oral
language, moving and still images, audio, and haptic touch—the ability to move
objects around the screen. Second, many apps enable users to collaborate. Students
can connect their iPads to the same app and work in real time or asynchronously to
design collective work.
Interactivity is a third affordance. If leveraged effectively, it can increase
audience awareness by providing a wide readership. In turn, students invite critique
in ways that extend beyond classroom walls.
Types of apps
One way to make sense of apps is by examining the ways they foster interactions among
the learner, content, and technology. There are several frameworks that can be used as a
guide. The following are four categories I identified in my analyses of 50 apps used in the
school I referred to earlier.
1. Content. The purpose of these apps is to help students consume content.
Skills are typically assessed as levels of difficulty are completed. Many have
game-like interfaces requiring users to beat the clock, play against opponents,
or earn points. Additionally, some publishers create these as supplemental
resources. Khan Academy is an example of a content app. It is designed for
users to progress through sequences of instruction with teacher-led videos,
By Rachel Karchmer-Klein
The critical role of lesson design in app-integrated
instruction
Rachel Karchmer-Klein,
(karchmer@udel.edu), an
ILA member since 1998 and
a current member of the
ILA Board of Directors, is
an associate professor of
literacy education at the
University of Delaware.
Karchmer-Klein is the 2016
recipient of the Computers
in Reading Research
Award, awarded by ILA’s
Technology in Literacy
Education Special Interest
Group.
OUR VIEW
TECHNOLOGY-SUPPORTED
LEARNING
8
November/December 2016 | LITERACY TODAY