In contrast to the directness of Substitution and Augmentation, two forms of incorporating technology into pedagogy that are considered ‘enhancement’, Modification involves going beyond what is generally considered traditional teaching practices and thinking of ways to significantly alter the task in ways not possible before. For example, a teacher may redesign an assignment normally given in the form of an essay to instead have students create a video exploring the same ideas. This opens up a great number of options for the teacher or students to style their response as they please, allowing straight-forward presentations akin to a speech or documentary formats for a more advanced task. Moreover, this task gives a more genuine sense of real-world applicability, as students will be able to see how the skills developed may be reflective of professional work.
Modification can also be used in more routine education processes as well. Software such as OneNote and similar programs contain functionality to embed photos, videos and audio recordings into notes. This gives students the potential to record experiences in more useful forms, opening the possibility of including activities such as explorative investigation, online videos, or interviews with experts as part of standard learning. A specific example for English classes may include students interviewing a stage actor involved in a production of the Shakespearean play studied in class in order to learn how the actor approaches and understands the role. This activity moves learning beyond retention of information given by the teacher and into the realm of exploration.
Below is a lesson plan in which students create a podcast, as well as a podcast discussing the flipped classroom.
The SAMR Model 