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Slow Teaching with Low Tech Approaches
Originally published March 13, 2026
March has brought a welcome shift towards warmer, sunnier days and with it an invitation to step away from our screens and reconnect with the outdoors.
Teaching and learning scholarship also invites us to slow down our learning environment, even for brief moments, in order to reinforce that learning—particularly deep learning—takes time and can benefit from low-tech moments (Mihai 2026; Abadal 2025). In response to the growing prevalence of tech use and tech dependence in our learning environments, there is an increasing interest in slowing down, in ‘slow learning,’ ‘slow teaching,’ and ‘slow thinking’ with low or no tech teaching approaches to combat ‘cognitive fatigue’ and re-engage students in the learning process (Kell 2024; McMurtrie 2025; Scully 2025). While slow teaching tends to move towards no or low-tech approaches, as Shaw, Cole & Russell argue (2013), it’s less about the technology being used, and more about ensuring that the technology being used by instructors is intentionally integrated through clear pedagogical purposes to amplify student learning.
Overall, then, this slow pedagogy framework encourages us to consider how we can support both instructor and student well-being by slowing down our teaching to focus on process over product while retaining a rigorous learning environment that promotes critical thinking, inquiry and reflection (Shaw, Cole & Russell 2013; Fournier 2024; Duong in Stachowiak 2026). Incorporating slow learning opportunities to provide learners with more time to reflect and connect with course content can support joy, wellness, and deep learning with your students.
The following are low-tech approaches for both slowing down learning to increase engagement as well as for considering how to support intentional technology use for purposes of education, recognizing that technology-enhanced learning is necessary for equitable and inclusive learning opportunities (Silverman 2026).
Get your students (and yourself!) outside
Fresh air and connecting disciplinary learning to what the outdoors can offer helps to re-stimulate student engagement with their learning (Bilodeau 2021).
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Whether teaching virtually or in-person, consider giving students an entire class or 10-15 minutes at the start or end of class to get outside and report back “on what they did, how they felt and how it will help them succeed the rest of the quarter” (Listen on the Teaching in Higher Ed Podcast).
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Support inquiry, personal growth and reflection with denoted class time for sit spots where, instead of a one-time ‘get outside’ activity, students hold themselves accountable to returning to the same spot over time. Sit spots can be an effective teaching tool, especially when students are encouraged to share their thoughts, questions and experiences that arise while being in their spot (Strich 2012; Siegel and Blom 2025, p.1414). Their sharing can take the form of classroom discussions or regularly recording and sharing through written or digital tools, such as audio-recordings.
Create opportunities for reflection
Jonathan Finn from Communication Studies shared at our February Faculty Learning Community how he carves out dedicated device-free time each class for students to reflect on course content in physical journals. This activity supports deeper thinking and provides more joy for both students and instructors in the writing and grading process.
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Invite students to put away their devices for ten minutes at the end of an upcoming class to reflect on the connections between course materials and their lives. Students could be provided with guided prompts and given the option to record their reflections either during this period through analog tools or after the allotted time through digital tools and submitted on MyLS. This reflection can be collected and used as either formative feedback to assess where students are at with their learning or as part of a participation or student engagement grade.
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Teaching virtually? Challenge students to only keep their Zoom screen open and put away their phones for 5-10 minutes as they work on a reflection prompt or activity; the same can be asked of in-person students too. When time runs out, consider asking students how long they managed to keep away from another tab or device to show them how easily we can get distracted and the impact this might have on our ability to focus on the task at hand (Mihai 2026).
Provide mindful or movement breaks
Both in-person and virtual students’ academic achievement is positively improved from movement breaks. A guided stretch or short exercise that can be done either seated or standing, and even five minutes of an unstructured break to get students away from the task at hand before resuming class, supports both physical and mental health that is correlated to stronger focus and improved learning (Ferrer and Laughlin 2017; Fenesi et. al. 2018).
Looking for more ideas?
Dig deeper into Access Friction and the complex role of technology in today’s teaching and learning environment in Sarah Silverman’s The Analog Teaching and Learning Trend, Disability, and Access Friction (2026). Find strategies for addressing digital distractions in the classroom in our Guide to Teaching, Learning and Assessment, and reach out to an Educational Developer to brainstorm ideas specific to your teaching.