Using technology for technology’s sake is rarely a path to deeper learning. It’s pedagogical practices that drive student engagement and student learning outcomes; edtech is successful when it complements best teaching practices. In fact, the most effective edtech tools are the ones that put a 21st-century spin on principles that have been the bedrock of education for centuries—or even longer. The Socratic method, for instance, is a 3,000-year-old teaching strategy that involves carefully questioning students until they discover answers on their own. A professor might ask, “How did you arrive at that answer?” Or “What could we assume instead?” Ideally, the questions prompt students to explore their own thought processes while they’re coming up with the answers.
