We live in a world that relies on digital tools and technologies to access and share ideas. Engaging our students in skillfully using digital tools for these purposes requires us to organize learning in ways to maximize the exchange of expertise. It is also important to reflect on the social practices that support the use of digital tools. In “Instruction With Multimodal, Multiple Texts,” I describe three ways to organize student learning to take advantage of the different skills, strategies, and experiences students bring with them from their navigation of the digital world. Drawing on these resources will enhance student engagement and maximize learning potential.

Design instructional practices that require collaboration

Any situation where students can be given a problem and then have opportunities to work together and teach one another something new enhances collaboration. As learners discuss new ideas, they contribute to their collective knowledge. Collaboration can be fostered by encouraging students to turn to each other as resources to help themselves, and each other, figure out how to use digital tools to accomplish their goals, according to the International Literacy Association E-ssentials series, Literacy Practices That Adolescents Deserve. It’s important to recognize students often have a vision for how they’d like to use the technologies available to them to express their understanding. By following students’ lead, and providing opportunities for them to work together, learners listen, watch, and ultimately learn from one another.

Build in time for experimentation

Step-by-step instruction from a teacher is not necessary before students use new digital tools or apps. In fact, taking time to explain the available features within an app or digital tool may curtail students’ emerging digital competence and, in fact, detract from the collaborative and discovery nature of their work. I’ve observed students who are much more eager to actively figure out how to use digital tools rather than passively listening to a teacher explain how to use each of the tool’s features. While our instincts always tell us to model for students, experimentation with digital tools and technologies can spark a feeling of self-discovery that enhances engagement and investment in learning. When students use technology, a new role for the teacher is created— an instructional guide. We need to become more comfortable setting an assignment’s goal, and then giving students time to explore and problem-solve ways of meeting that goal. As I illustrated in Digital Concept Mapping, circulating around the classroom to prompt higher order thinking, sharing examples, or drawing out students’ expertise paves the way for active learning and experimentation. In doing so, rich learning experiences unfold.

Use strategic grouping to encourage shared expertise

While it is important to assess students’ individual knowledge, grouping learners strategically can lead to productive collaboration and collective expertise. My blog post on Creating Digital Products With iPads suggested that students benefit from the types of peer support that naturally unfold through informal conversation and trial-and-error investigation. Notably, smaller groups are often best. Students in large groups tend to wait for other group members to give direction; as a result, few students are able to recognize in a timely manner what their productive role should be. Pairs often afford an ideal balance of planning, talking, and doing. In addition, strategic groupings can help students take advantage of their varied levels of technology expertise. Peer interaction, in particular, helps students co-construct knowledge and generate purposeful dialogue about the topic being explored.

Skillfully using technology, and learning how to learn, will play a central role in our students’ success in a digital information age. Utilizing these three suggestions for organizing learning will help guide your students toward skillful use of digital tools and technologies.

Jill Castek is a research assistant professor at Portland State University in Oregon, where she leads the Literacy, Language, and Technology Research Group. She also contributes to the blog, Literacy Beat. This article is part of a series from the Technology in Literacy Education Special Interest Group.