betterthinkers

The more I study about technology in education, it becomes more apparent to me that technology has shifted further learning from a behaviorist paradigm to a learner-centered socially constructivist paradigm. But that does not mean we should leave students to their own devices (pun intended). As much as we see the potential for technology to enhance the learning experience for students there can be drawbacks as well.

Positives of Technology and learning (Hickey, 2014) :

• Technology mediated interactions produce artifacts that can be stored, reused, transmitted, or modified
• Technology can analyze the state and sequence of interactions, and adapt to influence educational processes.
• Technology is available anywhere and anytime
• Technology can help reduce the barriers of time and distance between students and teachers
• Technology provides a richer variety of content available than traditional methods
• Technology offers a new means of assessment,
• Technology can save artifacts and interactions for later review by students.
• Internet technology is participatory and encourages contributions from users.
• Internet technology allows for knowledge to be manifested through shared cognitive processes.
• Internet technology allows expression by leaners include blogs, wikis, discussion forums, social networks, media sharing, micro-blogging, video conferencing, and more.
• Internet technology facilitates commenting and feedback, thus allowing participants to challenge ideas and negotiate meaning.
• Technology potentially spans continents and enables communities of practice, providing access to an incredible diversity of opinion and experience.
• Online environments become negotiating tables, repositories of learning products, museums of interactions, laboratories for teachers, and a media for ongoing discussion.

Drawbacks of Technology and learning (Hickey, 2014):

• Technology increases potential for distracting learners
• Schools may pour their budgets into the acquisition of technology rather than teacher training, which can be wasteful when the new technology is not fully utilized.
• The vast number of connections and resources on the internet are likely to expose learners to diverging, often contradictory points of view which can also be varied in quality and validity.
• It is not clear whether online interactions enhance learning to the same extent as more controlled, predictable classroom activities.

Given what we know about technology at this point, I suggest that the most important thing we can do as educators is to promote “meta-cognition” or “meta-technology usage” in our students. Provide them guidance on how they should focus and use technology. Be explicit with how technology helps or hinders our learning so they become aware of the same thing. Students who can demonstrate self-control and mindful focus when learning with technology will be more successful learners in the future.

Reference
Hickey, G. (2014). The importance of learning philosophies on technology selection in education. Journal Of Learning Design, 7(3), 16-22.