EXTAFR100/EXTAFR106/Design Thinking/Evaluating a technology tool

“	If we marry educational technology with quality, enriching content, that's a win.	”
—Levar Burton

Using the SECTIONS model to evaluate a tool

Now that you have selected the technology that you will integrate into your teaching and learning, it is good practice to assess its fit beyond your learner challenge definition, to include other factors around support requirements. A helpful framework to guide this assessment is the SECTIONS model, developed by Tony Bates. It is one of many frameworks that can help you make effective decisions about the choice and use of technology (and media) for learning and teaching.

It is important to note that, while the design thinking around technology integration is learner-focused, it is also important to ensure that the tool you have selected is a good fit for your course, programme, and institution, and the SECTIONS model can help with this.

Chapter 8 of the open textbook Teaching in a Digital Age, by the SECTIONS developer and author Dr. Tony Bates, provides a full description of the model.

Here is a SECTIONS planning framework out of the University of British Columbia, which may help provide additional details and guidance on its use.

After you have read a bit about the model, try your hand at this quizlet by matching the criteria to their definition and scope. (You can do this anonymously if you prefer not to create a quizlet account)