Lockdown prompted a technological awakening in schools and many now seem eager to see that continue. But do we actually know what has worked and what hasn’t, and in what context, as we begin to decide on which new habits and routines to keep?

Unfortunately, research evidence often moves too slowly to keep up with technological developments. Usually, an innovative application is deployed by teachers, but before its effectiveness can be tested with robust trials, it has been updated or even superseded. Where does that leave us? We have to consider the evidence we do have.

If technology is to become a big part of our future, we first need to understand the level of students’ access to devices. Evidence suggests that access to technology is patchy. Recent research from the Sutton Trust highlighted the “digital divide”, with just “5 per cent of teachers in state schools reporting that all their students have a device, compared to 54 per cent at private schools”.

That said, this may have improved owing to the government laptop scheme, and in the future the issue may be less about access and more about the quality of the devices and what they can achieve.

Covid: Schools making the most of edtech

What about the things we do with these tools? There is plenty of evidence that technology can enhance home learning and remote teaching, so improvements to homework seem very likely.

Could technology also transform assessment? Claims for e-portfolios and online assessments harnessing artificial intelligence (as an alternative to traditional exams) are emerging on the back of cancelled national assessments. I would say the jury is out on this one.

And what about in the classroom? Without wishing to sound like a Cassandra, past trends such as the introduction of interactive whiteboards and one-to-one devices in schools have shown that we need to be cautious when we implement technological innovations. We should first consider which problems the technology is solving for us.

Do pupils need more high-quality teaching? There may be a place for recorded lessons from teachers, such as those provided by Oak Academy, to mediate partial school closures. Meanwhile, the National Tutoring Programme means technology can bring flexible access to tutors.

Do pupils need more practice of essential knowledge with instant feedback? Quizzing apps, assessment tools and instantaneous feedback could all be well supported by tech.

But a note of caution even on these examples: the tech will keep changing, and rapidly. By the next school year, platforms will be tweaked, apps will be replaced and laptops will be lagging.

Another key point is training: investment in hardware and software will need to be matched by even greater investment in teacher development if any of this is to be useful. Even with the best tech in the world, it’s only useful if the teacher is truly in control.

Alex Quigley is a former teacher who now works for an educational charity supporting schools and disadvantaged pupils, and is the author of Closing the Reading Gap

This article originally appeared in the 23 April 2021 issue under the headline “Technology can be great, but let’s be smart about using it”