Technology: Neither Culprit nor Savior


By: Allison Hunt

On the heels of the last article (Effective Online Teaching -Best Practices), we explore the question: how can I use technology to address my pedagogical challenges?

 

Technology is primarily a utility for teaching and learning.  When faculty state they want to learn more about technology to use in their courses, what they are really saying is they want to learn more about pedagogy and the integration of technology to meet particular instructional challenges. The first task is to identify the particular instructional/pedagogical challenge and work with an expert to decide

  1. Should you use technology in addressing this issue, and
  2. What technology would best suit your particular need.

Good pedagogy, good teaching is not won or lost in the selection of technology.

 

WHAT DOES THE RESEARCH SUGGEST?

How should faculty approach technology? “One of the most consistent findings when the educational technology research literature is carefully reviewed is that there are few if any improvements in learning outcomes specifically attributable to the technology alone…. What instructional technology research does show is that learning is influenced primarily by good instructional methods that take advantage of what technologies have to offer.” (Bruning, 2011). -This means that technology is neither the culprit nor the savior. But this means that technology can be helpful with the right application. An article posted in the Chronicle of Higher Education talks about how technology can be helpful and outlines “Technology’s Law of Amplification”.

 

“While technology helps education where it’s already doing well, technology does little for mediocre educational systems; and in dysfunctional schools, it can cause outright harm. The Law of Amplification provides one such framework: At heart, it affirms that technology is a tool, which means that any positive effects depend on well-intentioned, capable people. But this also means that good outcomes are never guaranteed. Technology by itself doesn’t necessarily cause more learning (or better quality learning).”

 

So, if technology is not the answer, and it is a mere tool, how can you and your students apply it?

 

HOW CAN STUDENTS USE TECHNOLOGIES?

Students practically have a chip embedded into their bodies already, but students need to be introduced to educational technologies and how to use them. They are already well practiced at retrieving information (thank you, Google), but they need to know how to organize and present information. In addition, learners can participate in authentic learning environments by communicating and collaborating with others. Lastly, students can explore simulated environments.

 

IMPLICATIONS FOR INSTRUCTION

Instructors can use technology to provide practice and feedback on assignments. In this way, the delay of feedback is minimized and assignments are streamlined. Metacognitive and reflective activities can be issued to supplement in-class activities, which, research has shown, is an effective method to increase student comprehension and understanding. In the same vein, technologies can be used to help students extract personal meaning and relevance, which research also shows is an effective learning strategy. Technology can also be used to foster and broaden the learning community outside of class time. And finally, students with disabilities can access content through the use of assistive technologies.

 

If you want to explore particular technologies to accomplish an identified goal in online learning, read the previous blog article, Effective Online Teaching -Best Practices, located to the left of this article. If you wish to begin the exploration of particular instructional challenges and the integration of technologies in your F2F (face to face), blended, and online courses, set up a time to meet with an expert.

 

BENEFITS OF WORKING WITH AN EXPERT

Those that consult with experts are like surgeons who meticulously lay out every tool prior to the operation, predicting the likely outcome: a successful surgery. Think about it: an expert has the conditional/contextual knowledge to help answer nuanced questions. Otherwise you might find yourself spending countless hours researching technologies to see some potentially disappointing outcomes with your students.

 

Let’s schedule a time to visit.

Contact me: allison.hunt@valpo.edu

 

Resource:

Cognitive Psychology and Instruction (5th Edition)

by Roger H. Bruning, Gregory J. Schraw, Monica M. Norby (2011)