Resource 2: Technological solutions to common challenges

The sort of challenges that teachers usually highlight include the following:

• ‘I have a very big class.’
• ‘I struggle to finish the syllabus.’
• ‘The students are not motivated.’
• ‘The students find the work very difficult.’
• ‘I don’t have enough resources.’
• ‘I am not confident teaching some of the subjects in the curriculum.’
• ‘The students are badly behaved.’
• ‘I try to use participatory approaches, but students are reluctant to talk or to ask questions.’
• ‘Attendance is very poor, so students miss work and then find it difficult to understand.’
• ‘The syllabus is not relevant to the lives of my students.’
• ‘I am told to use participatory approaches, but it’s not possible because of the size of the class and the syllabus.’

Technology can tackle many of these challenges. By using a single laptop that can be periodically connected to the internet in order to download materials, and a projector, teachers can:

• provide stimulating and interesting introductions to new topics
• use simulations to explain complex ideas
• make links between curriculum topics and the real wold.

By presenting both sides of the argument on a controversial topic, teachers can stimulate discussion and debate among students. Educational applications loaded onto a tablet can be used by students and teachers to develop understanding and are highly engaging. Using a computer to conduct research and to present information gives students the opportunity to take responsibility for their own learning.