4 Dealing with change in the technology sector

Change is an ever-present topic of conversation in education, and particularly with respect to technology.

Figure 9 Technology changes rapidly across all sectors, including education

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A tablet resting on a wooden surface. The screen shows a word cloud in which the most prominent word is Change, with Something, Different, Process and Become also prominent to a lesser degree.

Figure 9 Technology changes rapidly across all sectors, including education

The rapid and constant evolution of technology means that some of the tools you read about today will have disappeared in a year, while new ones will become available. Hopefully, however, the principles will remain and you will be able to view the changed landscape with the ability to select the tools that help you to achieve your objectives in online teaching.

Before making substantial use of a tool, or committing to purchasing it, you may want to consider aspects such as whether it has a substantial user base, or what the developer or supplier’s model for sustainability, support or improvement is.

The next section provides some guidance on how to make choices, even if the tools we have mentioned in this course are no longer available or suitable.