![\"What](\"https:\/\/nearpod.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/SAMR-Model-Power-School-info.jpeg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nWhat Is the SAMR Model?<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe SAMR model is a four-level framework that describes how technology can change a learning task. Instead of asking \u201cAre we using technology?\u201d, SAMR asks a more useful question: \u201cWhat is technology allowing students to do that they couldn\u2019t do before?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u2019s a reflection tool that helps teachers choose the right level for each learning goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Who developed SAMR?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nDr. 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTechnology allows for significant task redesign.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n\u2014 Dr. Ruben Puentedura, creator of the SAMR model<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Enhancement vs. Transformation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThe four levels of the SAMR framework are grouped into two categories:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Enhancement (Substitution and Augmentation):<\/strong> Technology improves an existing task. Students do the same work, sometimes with added features like instant feedback or spell check.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Transformation (Modification and Redefinition):<\/strong> Technology changes the task. Students collaborate, create, and explore in ways that would be difficult or impossible without digital tools.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What Are the 4 Levels of the SAMR Model?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nHere\u2019s a closer look at each level, with a classroom example and a Nearpod example for each one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Substitution<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nDefinition:<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\nClassroom example:<\/strong> 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\u2019t changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\nNearpod example:<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n![\"Upload](\"https:\/\/nearpod.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Upload-PDF-on-Nearpod-1024x517.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n![\"PDF](\"https:\/\/nearpod.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/PDF-Viewer-Boston-Tea-Party-1024x577.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n2. Augmentation<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nDefinition:<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\nClassroom example:<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\nNearpod example:<\/strong> 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<\/a>, teachers can spot misconceptions during the lesson and adjust instruction before moving on, instead of waiting to grade papers after class.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n![\"Time](\"https:\/\/nearpod.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Time-to-Climb-student-view-1024x650.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n![\"Time](\"https:\/\/nearpod.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Time-to-climb-teacher-view-1024x706.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n3. Modification<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nDefinition:<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\nClassroom example:<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\nNearpod example:<\/strong> With Collaborate Board, every student can post text, images, videos, or GIFs to a shared space and respond to classmates\u2019 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 \u201cDescribe the school year in 3 words\u201d prompt turns into a class-wide conversation where every voice is visible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Collaborate](\"https:\/\/nearpod.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/3-Word-End-of-Year-Summary-Collab-Board.png\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n4. Redefinition<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nDefinition:<\/strong> At the Redefinition level, technology allows for the creation of new tasks that were previously inconceivable. Students do something that simply wasn\u2019t possible without digital tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\nClassroom example:<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\nNearpod example:<\/strong> Nearpod\u2019s VR Field Trips and 3D models let students explore places and objects they couldn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"VR](\"https:\/\/nearpod.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Virtual-Reality-in-science-2.gif\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nSAMR Model Examples in the Classroom<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nUse this quick-reference table to compare how the same kind of lesson can look at each level of the SAMR model.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTechnology allows for significant task redesign.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 Dr. Ruben Puentedura, creator of the SAMR model<\/p>\n\n\n\n The four levels of the SAMR framework are grouped into two categories:<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s a closer look at each level, with a classroom example and a Nearpod example for each one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Definition:<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Classroom example:<\/strong> 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\u2019t changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nearpod example:<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Definition:<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Classroom example:<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nearpod example:<\/strong> 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<\/a>, teachers can spot misconceptions during the lesson and adjust instruction before moving on, instead of waiting to grade papers after class.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Definition:<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Classroom example:<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nearpod example:<\/strong> With Collaborate Board, every student can post text, images, videos, or GIFs to a shared space and respond to classmates\u2019 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 \u201cDescribe the school year in 3 words\u201d prompt turns into a class-wide conversation where every voice is visible.<\/p>\n\n\n Definition:<\/strong> At the Redefinition level, technology allows for the creation of new tasks that were previously inconceivable. Students do something that simply wasn\u2019t possible without digital tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Classroom example:<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nearpod example:<\/strong> Nearpod\u2019s VR Field Trips and 3D models let students explore places and objects they couldn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n\n\n Use this quick-reference table to compare how the same kind of lesson can look at each level of the SAMR model.Enhancement vs. Transformation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
What Are the 4 Levels of the SAMR Model?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Substitution<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n2. Augmentation<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n3. Modification<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n4. Redefinition<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nSAMR Model Examples in the Classroom<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n