When COVID pushed us into emergency remote teaching, many of us in special education and speech‑language pathology became accidental ed‑tech power users. We learned new platforms overnight, digitized materials, and found creative ways to keep students engaged through screens. That rapid growth was impressive—and exhausting. But now that we’re back in classrooms, a new question is emerging: Are we using technology because it truly supports learning, or because it became our default during the pandemic?

This is where the Triple E Framework offers such a refreshing, practical lens. Developed by Dr. Liz Kolb at the University of Michigan, the framework helps educators evaluate whether technology engages, enhances, and extends learning, not just entertains or fills time. It’s especially powerful in special education settings where every instructional minute needs to be intentional and accessible. Technology levels the playing field for so many of our students, yet it’s worth pausing to ask whether every digital tool we use is truly helping—or if we’re using it simply because it’s there.

Engage: Is Technology Supporting Attention, Not Distracting From It?

In special education, engagement isn’t about flashing lights or cute animations. It’s about meaningful cognitive engagement—students thinking, processing, and participating. The Triple E Framework reminds us that technology should reduce distractions, not add them.

For example, a digital matching game might look engaging, but if a student spends more time tapping animations than practicing vocabulary, the tech is working against the goal. On the other hand, a simple shared Google Slide with picture choices can increase joint attention, support AAC modeling, and keep the focus on communication. Engagement is about focus, not flash.

Enhance: Does Technology Make Learning Easier, Clearer, or More Accessible?

Enhancement is where special education shines. Technology can remove barriers that previously limited participation:

• Alternative pencils (e.g., alphabet eye gaze board) for students who are unable to hold a traditional pencil
• Visual timers for students who need predictability
• Digital graphic organizers for students with executive functioning challenges
• AAC systems that provide robust, consistent language access

But enhancement isn’t automatic. A tool enhances learning only if it helps students do something they couldn’t do without it. For instance, using a tablet to watch a video of a story doesn’t enhance learning if the same story could be read aloud with equal or better comprehension. But using the tablet to provide symbol‑supported text or interactive vocabulary practice does. Enhancement is about removing barriers, not adding bells and whistles.

Extend: Does Technology Connect Learning to Real Life?

Extension is the heart of functional special education. Technology should help students apply skills beyond the lesson—into home routines, community settings, and future independence. Examples include:

• Using AAC to order food during a community‑based instruction outing
• Practicing self‑advocacy scripts through video modeling
• Using a digital schedule to navigate transitions independently
• Recording a short video to share learning with families

When technology extends learning, it becomes a bridge—not a barrier—between school and the real world. Extension is about relevance, not novelty.

So… Are We Overusing Technology? Sometimes, yes. The pandemic normalized tech-heavy instruction, and it’s easy to keep using tools simply because they’re familiar. But the Triple E Framework gives us a way to pause and ask:

• Does this tool help my student stay focused?
• Does it make learning more accessible?
• Does it connect to real‑life skills?

If the answer is no, it’s okay—healthy, even—to set the device aside and return to hands‑on materials, face‑to‑face interaction, and human connection.

Special educators and SLPs have always been experts in intentionality. The Triple E Framework simply gives us language and structure to articulate what we already believe: technology should serve learning, not the other way around.

As we continue refining our post‑COVID practice, this framework helps us strike the balance our students deserve—leveraging technology when it truly supports engagement, enhancement, and extension, and confidently stepping away from it when it doesn’t.

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References:

Triple E Framework - Home

Alternative Pencils | Center for Literacy and Disability Studies

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