What Is the SAMR Model? 4 Levels and Classroom Examples

The SAMR model is a framework developed by Dr. Ruben Puentedura to help educators evaluate how technology is used in teaching and learning. SAMR stands for Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition. The first two levels focus on enhancing existing learning tasks, while the last two focus on transforming them through significant redesign or new learning experiences.

In this guide, you’ll learn what each level of the SAMR framework looks like, see SAMR model examples you can use in your own classroom, and find out how SAMR compares to TPACK. You’ll also see how teachers use Nearpod interactive lessons to move from simple substitution to redefinition.

What Is the SAMR Model?

The SAMR model is a four-level framework that describes how technology can change a learning task. Instead of asking “Are we using technology?”, SAMR asks a more useful question: “What is technology allowing students to do that they couldn’t do before?”

Each level represents a different degree of change. At the lower levels, technology makes an existing task faster or easier. At the higher levels, technology changes the task itself. The SAMR model in education is not a ladder that every lesson has to climb. It’s a reflection tool that helps teachers choose the right level for each learning goal.

Who developed SAMR?

Dr. Ruben Puentedura, founder of the education consulting firm Hippasus, introduced the SAMR model in the mid-2000s. He created it to give educators a shared language for describing technology integration and to encourage lessons that use technology to redesign learning, not just digitize it.

“Technology allows for significant task redesign.”

— Dr. Ruben Puentedura, creator of the SAMR model

Enhancement vs. Transformation

The four levels of the SAMR framework are grouped into two categories:

• Enhancement (Substitution and Augmentation): Technology improves an existing task. Students do the same work, sometimes with added features like instant feedback or spell check.
• Transformation (Modification and Redefinition): Technology changes the task. Students collaborate, create, and explore in ways that would be difficult or impossible without digital tools.

Both categories have value. A quick digital exit ticket (enhancement) can be exactly what a lesson needs. The goal is to be intentional about when to enhance and when to transform.

What Are the 4 Levels of the SAMR Model?

Here’s a closer look at each level, with a classroom example and a Nearpod example for each one.

1. Substitution

Definition: At the Substitution level, technology acts as a direct substitute for a traditional tool, with no functional change. The task stays the same; only the medium changes.

Classroom example: Students type a writing assignment in a word processor instead of handwriting it. The task is easier to edit and submit, but the writing assignment itself hasn’t changed.

Nearpod example: Teachers upload an existing PDF, worksheet, or reading passage into a Nearpod lesson so students can access it on their devices. For example, a social studies teacher can share a primary source reading on the Boston Tea Party digitally instead of printing copies. This saves time and paper while keeping materials easy to find.

2. Augmentation

Definition: At the Augmentation level, technology still replaces a traditional tool, but it adds functional improvements. The task is the same, and the technology makes it work better.

Classroom example: Students write an essay using a word processor with built-in spelling and grammar checks, so they get immediate feedback while they write. Or, instead of a paper quiz graded days later, students take a digital quiz that shows results right away.

Nearpod example: Teachers embed Polls, Quizzes, and Time to Climb directly into a lesson. Students respond from their own devices, and teachers see every answer in real time. With built-in formative assessment, teachers can spot misconceptions during the lesson and adjust instruction before moving on, instead of waiting to grade papers after class.

3. Modification

Definition: At the Modification level, technology allows for significant task redesign. This is where learning shifts from enhancement to transformation. The task changes in ways that depend on technology.

Classroom example: Instead of writing an individual research paper, students co-author a shared document, conduct online interviews, and add images, video, and links to support their findings. The research process becomes collaborative and multimedia-rich.

Nearpod example: With Collaborate Board, every student can post text, images, videos, or GIFs to a shared space and respond to classmates’ ideas in real time. Activities like Draw It let students sketch and annotate their thinking so teachers can see how they reason, not just their final answers. A single “Describe the school year in 3 words” prompt turns into a class-wide conversation where every voice is visible.

4. Redefinition

Definition: At the Redefinition level, technology allows for the creation of new tasks that were previously inconceivable. Students do something that simply wasn’t possible without digital tools.

Classroom example: Instead of writing a report on another country, students connect with a classroom abroad, interview peers, and publish a multimedia presentation with audio, video, and interactive elements for an audience beyond their school.

Nearpod example: Nearpod’s VR Field Trips and 3D models let students explore places and objects they couldn’t otherwise reach, from ancient ruins to the inside of a human cell. Students can then build their own interactive presentations with videos, audio recordings, quizzes, and VR Field Trips to share what they learned with peers and teachers. Features like Immersive Reader also help every student access the same content, whatever their reading level.

SAMR Model Examples in the Classroom

Use this quick-reference table to compare how the same kind of lesson can look at each level of the SAMR model.

SAMR Level	What It Means	Classroom Example
Substitution	Technology replaces a traditional tool with no functional change.	Students read a digital copy of a primary source instead of a printed handout.
Augmentation	Technology replaces a tool and adds functional improvements.	Students answer an embedded quiz during a lesson and get instant feedback on each answer.
Modification	Technology allows for significant task redesign.	Students post ideas, images, and videos to a shared board, then build on classmates’ responses in real time.
Redefinition	Technology allows for the creation of new tasks that were previously inconceivable.	Students take a virtual field trip to the Great Barrier Reef, then record a narrated presentation for an audience beyond the classroom.

Notice that the higher levels aren’t automatically “better.” A strong unit often includes activities at several levels. Start with the learning goal, then choose the level of technology use that supports it best.

SAMR vs. TPACK: What’s the Difference?

SAMR and TPACK are both popular edtech frameworks, but they answer different questions.

• SAMR focuses on the task. It asks how much technology changes a learning activity, from substitution to redefinition.
• TPACK (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge), developed by Punya Mishra and Matthew Koehler, focuses on the teacher. It describes the knowledge educators need to combine technology, teaching methods, and subject content effectively.

Many teachers use both together: TPACK to plan a lesson that fits the content and the students, and SAMR to reflect on how technology is shaping the activity. To go deeper, read our guide to the TPACK framework.

How to Use the SAMR Model With Nearpod

Nearpod gives teachers tools for every level of the SAMR framework in one place. Here’s a simple way to get started:

1. Start with your learning goal. Decide what students need to know or do before choosing a tool or SAMR level.
2. Substitute to save time. Upload the slides, PDFs, and readings you already use into Nearpod interactive lessons.
3. Augment with instant feedback. Add Polls, Quizzes, or Time to Climb to check understanding with formative assessment as the lesson happens.
4. Modify with collaboration. Use Collaborate Board or Draw It so students build on each other’s ideas in real time.
5. Redefine with new experiences. Bring in VR Field Trips and 3D models, or browse ready-to-teach lessons in the Nearpod Lesson Library.

Teachers can sign up for free to start building interactive lessons today. School and district leaders can compare plans on the Nearpod pricing page.

Frequently Asked Questions About the SAMR Model