Technical Difficulties
Mastering any new technology can be difficult and time-consuming. Learning and teaching others how to use new technology requires a significant investment of time. It is necessary to weigh the time required for startup with the learning outcomes and potential for time to be saved later. To overcome these challenges, Kolb (2011) integrates technologies that already a part of students' daily lives, including cell phones, in order to overcome some of the challenges related to training students to use new technologies.
Unreliable or disappearing technologies may also complicate their use. My research on the history of digital and social annotation tools revealed that few remained in use after a few years. As such, I recommend a greater focus on the underlying skills and ways of thinking, rather than instruction focused on how to use any particular tool.