Tech That Talks Back: Engagement Gains Through Tech Integration

Does technology integration really matter? Does it make a measurable difference in student learning and engagement? Should we return to traditional paper-and-pencil lessons? In a world deeply immersed in technology, these are questions frequently asked by teachers, school leaders, parents, and stakeholders.

While working with my principal, we set out to explore the impact of technology on student engagement. We wanted to know: does it truly make a positive difference? After collaborating with several Apple Learning Specialists, I was introduced to Apple Education’s Research for Educators—a resource that helped guide our inquiry and shape our approach.

I found an action-based research study that we adapted to fit our needs and then conducted the research at our school to explore the impact of technology integration on student engagement. The study involved observing a teacher deliver two lessons covering the same academic standards—one using traditional paper-based methods and the other incorporating the AR Makr app. The focus was on five students representing a range of academic and attendance risk levels, from low to high.

Each student was observed across multiple engagement indicators, including enthusiasm, confidence, interest, concentration, and interaction. These behaviors were rated on a scale from 0 to 5, and both engaged and disengaged behaviors were tracked.

Key Findings:

• Overall Engagement Increased with Technology: Across all students, the tech-enhanced lesson yielded significantly higher average scores in enthusiasm (3.8 vs. 1.7), confidence (3.8 vs. 1.7), and interest in tasks (4.0 vs. 2.0). Students were more likely to ask questions (3.3 vs. 0.2) and concentrate better (3.3 vs. 1.8) during the tech lesson.

• Disengagement Decreased: Disengaged behaviors such as passive listening and loss of interest were notably lower during the tech lesson. The average score for “loses interest” dropped from 4.0 in the paper lesson to 1.5 in the tech lesson, and “sits and listens without participating” dropped from 3.3 to 1.0.  
  

  Disengaged Behaviors
• Impact on High-Risk Students: Students identified as high-risk showed the most dramatic improvement. For example, Student 1’s total engagement score increased from 37 in the paper lesson to 48 in the tech lesson. Student 5 improved from 36 to 45. These gains suggest that immersive technology may be particularly effective in re-engaging students who typically struggle with motivation and focus.

• Consistency Across Risk Levels: Even students with lower risk profiles showed increased engagement with the AR lesson. Student 6, for instance, improved from a score of 45 to 54, indicating that the benefits of tech integration are not limited to high-risk populations.

Conclusion:

This research supports the hypothesis that integrating technology into instruction can significantly enhance student engagement, particularly for those at higher academic and behavioral risk. The immersive and interactive nature of AR appears to foster greater enthusiasm, curiosity, and sustained attention, while reducing passive and disengaged behaviors. These findings suggest that strategic use of educational technology can be a powerful tool in promoting equity and improving learning outcomes.

Attached are our full results and blank templates of charts and forms I used to conduct the research.