SAMR: Beyond the Ladder

Learn Substitution, Augmentation, Modification and Redefinition, then use SAMR critically as a lens for task change rather than a race to the top.

• What SAMR describes — Separate the degree of technology-enabled task change from the quality of the learning.
• Enhancement: Substitution and Augmentation — Distinguish direct replacement from functional improvement and recognise when enhancement is enough.
• Transformation: Modification and Redefinition — Notice when technology changes the structure of the learning task or makes a genuinely new task possible.
• Beyond the ladder — Avoid treating SAMR as a hierarchy of teacher quality or a required sequence through four levels.
• Use SAMR alongside other lenses — Combine task-change analysis with PIC-RAT and learning evidence to make a more complete technology judgement.