By Sonny Magana
Editor’s note: This is part one of a four-part series.
In 1961, President John F. Kennedy declared that America would go to the moon. At the time, that bold proclamation seemed almost unimaginable—too audacious and too risky. Yet Kennedy’s words—”We will go to the moon; we will go to the moon, and do other things, not because it is easy, but because it is hard”—galvanized a nation. It inspired people to look past partisan or petty differences and to focus on shared, transcendent goals. The Moonshot created a generation of ambitious thinkers—scientists, engineers, artists, writers, and teachers—who reached for new frontiers. Eight years later, Neil Armstrong’s first steps on the lunar surface were watched with wonder by millions.
As a wide-eyed eight-year-old, I was mesmerized by that moment. Sitting in front of our family’s black-and-white television, I felt a surge of awe and possibility. I had always wanted to be a scientist, but witnessing the Moon landing awakened in me a hunger to explore and to leave footprints in places no one had tread. In 1984 I became an AP Biology teacher in public school, driven to inspire students and to contribute lasting value to the education profession. That same year I began researching how educational technology affects student achievement.
Brave New World
Nearly two decades into the 21st century, it’s clear that the ability to adapt quickly to change is a defining marker of success. We have moved from an era when digital games like “The Oregon Trail” felt cutting-edge to a VUCA world—one defined by Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity. The pressing question is whether our instructional methods have evolved to match these new realities.
Over the past 35 years I have published research, articles, and books on disruptive innovation in education. My work has been driven by a single goal: help students and teachers harness the power of educational technology to achieve transcendent learning. By transcendent learning, I mean going far beyond the limitations of the traditional “Tell and Practice” model. That industrial-era approach has teachers deliver facts for students to memorize and reproduce on tests. It produces minimal proficiency and surface-level understanding, and it fosters dependence—students look to teachers to dictate what to learn, how to learn, and how to judge their own progress. This reliance is the very opposite of what young people need to thrive in a VUCA world.
We urgently need an Educational Moonshot: a radical pedagogical breakthrough that dramatically raises student learning and ensures readiness for an unpredictable future.
Research Matters
Research in education matters, especially now that schools are flooded with unverified claims about technology’s benefits. Have our investments in educational technology produced meaningful returns? The weight of evidence suggests they have not. In a major meta-analysis, Professor John Hattie reported an average effect size for educational technologies of just 0.34—below the commonly cited average impact threshold of 0.40. In short, many classrooms are digitally rich but impact poor.
Still, there is reason for optimism. In my book Disruptive Classroom Technologies I synthesized four decades of research into a practical pathway I call the T3 Framework for Innovation. The T3 Framework elevates digital tool use across three levels: Translational (T1), Transformational (T2), and Transcendent (T3). When implemented with fidelity, the strategies in the T3 Framework produce an effect size around ES = 1.6—an impact comparable to quadrupling student achievement and, by some measures, equivalent to doubling academic outcomes in realistic practice.
After a global peer-review process, the T3 Framework was accepted into Oxford University’s Research Encyclopedia for Education. Having this work published in such a respected venue is deeply humbling. It reflects the insights I’ve gained from my students and mentors, and it underscores the power of imagination. Solving the problem of low-impact technology use has been a long journey of experimentation and failure, and it began with imagining a world where student achievement could be doubled. We will double student achievement, and we will strive for other ambitious goals—not because it is easy, but because it is hard. That is what makes it worth pursuing.
Take the T3 Challenge to double student achievement. Learn more at maganaeducation.com.
About the author
Dr. Sonny Magana is an award-winning teacher, best-selling author, and pioneering researcher in educational technology. His book Disruptive Classroom Technologies has received international acclaim, praised as a visionary and insightful contribution to the field. An avid musician, yoga practitioner, climber, and beekeeper, Sonny has been honored with the Milken Family Foundation Educator Award and the Washington Governor’s Commendation for Educational Excellence.
Look for part two of the series, “The Translational Impact of Digital Tools in the Classroom,” coming soon.
This article was originally published by The Learning Counsel, a research institute and news media organization focused on the transition to digital curriculum in education.