Patterns in Teachers' Instructional Design When Integrating Apps in Middle School Content-Area Teaching

The purpose of this study was to examine patterns evident in the ways middle school teachers, who value technology integration, design instruction that leverages educational applications (app) affordances. Using the pedagogy of multiliteracies (Cope & Kalantzis, 2015) and app affordances of multimodality, collaboration, and interactivity as guides, 17 instructional chains designed by nine teachers were analyzed for patterns. Findings revealed teachers launched iPad-integrated instruction by using content apps to engage students in experiencing information at the beginning of each lesson or by using a flipped classroom model. Additionally, all instruction incorporated multiple apps and multiple knowledge processes, although some sequences were all-digital and others combined digital and nondigital activities.