SimpleLearn
All articles
Teaching and learning

Paper and screen can work in the same lesson

A printed task and an interactive activity can support different parts of the same learning goal.

Choose a realistic place for the activity in the lesson. A short opening can recall earlier material; a middle section can practise one skill; a closing question can guide the next lesson. Explain the purpose before play begins and stop when that purpose has been met. Leave time for discussion afterwards. The game is a learning tool, so a longer session is useful only when it adds meaningful practice.

A practical lesson plan

Describe shapes on paper, compare answers in pairs, then use a short digital activity to revisit uncertain cases.

Try the activity

Check whether the activity works for different ways of reading, hearing and using a device. Instructions should be short, text easy to read, and meaning visible without relying only on colour or sound. Give an alternative to timed play and a transcript for spoken material. Try the activity on a small screen before using it with a class. An accessible route to the same task helps learners focus on the content.

Use pairs or small groups when discussion is part of the goal. Ask one learner to answer and another to explain or question the reasoning, then swap roles. Give everyone a moment to think before a confident speaker takes over. A shared answer should include a reason, not just agreement. End with a brief individual question so that the teacher can see what each learner understood.

Remembering an answer and recognising it in a list are different tasks. Begin with a short question that the learner answers without looking at the solution. Give enough thinking time before offering choices. Afterwards, compare the answer with the expected meaning, discuss the difference, and return to the same idea in a new example. A correct click alone does not show how the learner reached the answer.

Finish with a small reflection rather than only a score. Ask what became easier, what remains confusing, and which next step the learner can try without help. Write one specific observation, such as a question to repeat or an explanation to revisit. At the next session, check that observation with a new example. This turns a completed activity into a useful starting point for the next piece of learning.