“Are High-Tech Classroom Always More Engaging?”: An Exploratory Study on the Role of Low-Tech vs. High-Tech Classroom Design on Students’ Engagement

The landscape of research on learning in low-tech environments

“…These studies demonstrate that low-tech learning environments can be as effective, or sometimes more effective, as high-tech learning environments in supporting learning (Soneral and Wyse, 2017;Knudson and Wallace, 2019). Furthermore, based on Nicol et al (2018) and Mendini and Peter's (2018) findings, it appears that low-tech environments can provide better environments for social interactions and group work. These findings are significant given the necessity of low-tech learning environments for places that do not have the infrastructure or financial means to create and support high-tech learning environments.…”

“…Research has also investigated a connection between classroom design and student engagement. Mendini and Peter (2018) compared two courses taught by the same instructor in a low-tech environment (traditional class) versus a high-tech environment. They found, somewhat counterintuitively, that students felt more engaged in the low-tech, traditional classroom setting.…”

“…While no-tech, low-tech and high-tech strategies are just the outermost layer of the environment, the findings from some of the studies appear to suggest that low-tech can be a compromise between no-tech and high-tech in creating learning environments that are learner-centered, knowledge-centered, assessment-centered and community-centered (Bransford et al, 2000;Masters and Grogan, 2015;Mendini and Peter, 2018;Nedungadi et al, 2018;Nicol et al, 2018). While no-tech and low-tech learning environments share many characteristics, the incorporation of low-tech methods offers additional benefits by providing the ability to extend beyond the information offered in the immediate environment, through the addition of limited digital technologies to the active learning strategies (Masters and Grogan, 2015;Nedungadi et al, 2018).…”