TPACK / SAMR

 

TPACK stands for Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge. It is a theory that was developed to explain the set of knowledge that teachers need to teach their students a subject, teach effectively, and use technology.

TPACK is a technology integration framework that identifies three types of knowledge instructors need to combine for successful edtech integration—technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge

the point of TPACK is to understand how to use technology to teach concepts in a way that enhances student learning experiences. 

But TPACK shows us that there’s a relationship between technology, content, and pedagogy, and the purposeful blending of them is key.

the TPACK framework is based on three primary forms of knowledge. So your first step should be to understand your primary forms of knowledge in the context of this lesson.

• Content Knowledge (CK)—what are you teaching and what is your own knowledge of the subject? For this lesson, you’ll need a solid understanding of cell anatomy and processes.
• Pedagogical Knowledge (PK)—how do your students learn best and what instructional strategies do you need to meet their needs and the requirements of the lesson plan? In this case, you’ll need to understand best practices for teaching middle school science and small group collaboration.
• Technological Knowledge (TK)—what digital tools are available to you, which do you know well enough to use, and which would be most appropriate for the lesson at hand? For this lesson, students will need to label a diagram and present, so the ability to fill in blanks with an answer key, find images from the internet, create slides, etc. are important

While the ultimate goal is to be viewing your lesson and strategy through the lens of TPACK, or the center of the model where all primary forms of knowledge blend together, taking a moment to consider the individual relationships can be helpful.

• Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK)—understanding the best practices for teaching specific content to your specific students.
• Technological Content Knowledge (TCK)—knowing how the digital tools available to you can enhance or transform the content, how it’s delivered to students, and how your students can interact with it.
• Technological Pedagogical Knowledge (TPK)—understanding how to use your digital tools as a vehicle to the learning outcomes and experiences you want.

The SAMR Model is designed to provide a high-level gauge of the degree of technology use, but some consider it overly simple and somewhat confusing. The TPACK framework, on the other hand, provides more of a map for understanding how to integrate technology into the classroom effectively. 

The SAMR Model is a framework created by Dr. Ruben Puentedura that categorizes four different degrees of classroom technology integration.

The SAMR model consists of four steps: Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition. Substitution and Augmentation are considered “Enhancement” steps, while Modification and Redefinition are “Transformation” steps. Think of the difference between seasoning an old family recipe (Enhancement) and creating an entirely new, original dish (Transformation).

The SAMR model was created to share a common language across disciplines as teachers strive to personalize learning and help students visualize complex concepts. The SAMR Model can be especially powerful during remote and blended learning when integrated classroom technology makes teaching and learning a more seamless experience for educators and students.

SUBSTITUTION

At this stage, technology is directly substituted for a more traditional teaching tool or method. It is a simple, bare-bones, direct replacement. For example, if you are teaching a government lesson on the Constitution, you might use an electronic or web-based version of the document instead of a hard copy. Students might also answer questions about the Constitution by typing them in Microsoft Word instead of filling out a worksheet with a pencil.

Substitution might also include a student using Flipgrid, Keynote, PowerPoint, Prezi, Slides, or a similar program to present information about an article or amendment to the class.

In this step, ask yourself what students stand to gain by replacing traditional tools with technology. Invariably, some situations will be better served by pen and paper.

AUGMENTATION

The technology is again directly substituted for a traditional tool or method, but with significant enhancements to the student experience. Ask yourself if the technology increases or augments a student’s productivity and potential in some way.

Returning to the Constitution example, a student might use classroom technology to augment a presentation on the 14th Amendment with a video clip of how equal protection under the law was enforced during school desegregation. It could also include interactive links to relevant supreme court decisions, such as Plessy v. Ferguson or Brown v. Topeka Board of Education.

MODIFICATION

In this stage, you are beginning to move from enhancement to transformation using the SAMR Model. Instead of replacement or enhancement, this is an actual change to the lesson’s design and its learning outcome. The critical question here is, “Does the technology significantly alter the learning task?”

To continue our example, a student presenting research on the 14th Amendment might create their own unique graphic organizer for the class that includes the usual multimedia resources and represents a new product or synthesis of existing material. As another example, a group of students might collaborate in the learning management system to propose a modern definition of equal protection under the law and solicit feedback from classmates’ proposals in the discussion section.

REDEFINITION

The last stage of the SAMR model represents the pinnacle of how integrated classroom technology can transform a student’s experience. In this case, you ask yourself if the technology tools allow educators to redefine a traditional learning task in a way that would not be possible without the tech, creating a novel experience.

For example, after completing their group work and soliciting feedback from classmates (both tasks that could be completed “offline” although arguably not with the same experience as in the modified format), students could use technology to network with students in another state to see how regional differences impact how others think about the Constitution. Taking it a step further, students could interact in real time with citizens in another country to examine key differences in constitutional philosophy and law.