Technology Malfunctions
When equipment fails—whether it’s a projector, an experiment, or an online tool—staying calm and focusing on learning objectives is important. A little preparation can go a long way in helping you stay calm, cool, and collected while you figure out alternative ways to deliver content and mitigate disruptions. Following UDL principles by offering multiple ways to engage with material can also improve resilience to technological failures.
If technology malfunctions during class, take a breath and remind yourself of the session objectives, what content needs to be prioritized, and your next best option for how to present it. Keep track of how your adjustments play out; it could be that this malfunction makes for more productive learning, or at least you have a better idea for how to prepare the next time something like this happens.
Technology for Session Materials
If you’re using technology to share session learning content (Powerpoint, Canva, Google Slides, YouTube), have alternatives such as printed handouts or a whiteboard sketch ready to go; these can be helpful for students who learn better by taking physical notes on paper. Preparing alternative frameworks for visualizing and working through content is another principle of UDL you can apply in your classroom.
If technology fails:
- Borrow a student’s device.
- Have students access materials on their own devices and share if needed.
- Draw visuals on a chalkboard or whiteboard.
- Shift to a formal lecture or an active learning activity like think-pair-share.
Active Learning Technology
If technology for active learning fails, have a low-tech alternative in mind. For example, if you were planning to use one of the following tools, consider doing these alternatives instead:
- Polleverywhere: use hand-raising, anonymous paper slips, or verbal brainstorming.
- Google Suite: use shared note-taking on the board or poster paper.
- Perusall: conduct in-class reading discussions.
Experiments and Demonstrations
Whether your materials arrive non-functional (sample shipment delayed or arrives in unusable condition), they stop working mid-class (batteries die, lightbulb goes out, etc.), or the experimental data is not coming out as expected, as with the previous malfunctions, keep your learning objectives in mind. To prepare:
- Test the demo or experiment from start to finish.
- Have a recording of a working demo ready to go.
- Have a scan, picture, or recording of the art, object, or manuscript museum piece being displayed.
- Keep backup samples or data ready.
If technology fails mid-class, you can take the following steps:
- Frame it as a learning opportunity. Discuss what went wrong and why.
- Crowdsource troubleshooting—what variables could have led to this outcome?
- If relevant, discuss accessibility to scientific resources and who gets to conduct experiments.
Summary
Adjusting class pacing and plans mid-session is a skill that improves with experience. Even with extensive preparation, things may still go awry. Your primary role is to guide students’ learning while staying adaptable. The more you practice, the more confident you will become in making real-time adjustments. For further strategies, explore the resources below on how experienced instructors integrate flexibility into their teaching.