4 Acknowledge the Challenge
Learning a new technology immediately increases the cognitive load of any activity you ask students to do. Explicitly acknowledge that added difficulty, even as you remind them of your reasons for selecting that particular platform or tool. And provide opportunities for students to be a part of the process. Invite them to propose additional uses for the tool and encourage them to share honest feedback throughout the course. Their in-process reflections will be incredibly valuable to you as you evaluate the success of the technology at the end of the term (see “Reflecting”) and providing consistent opportunities for students to feel heard and engaged in the process will create a more receptive and positive environment around your technology usage.
Consider offering a small amount of course credit for an activity that helps students to learn the tool or consider building in additional time on the first assignment or activity that uses it. You want students to be focused on what they are learning for the course rather than the pain points of the technology and reducing the stress of their introduction to the tool can help significantly.