David J. Staley
Educase Quarterly No.3 2004 pp20-26
http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/EQM0432.pdf
This post is a reflection on the above article.
In this article, Staley begins by pointing out that in the last couple of decades, technology has come to be used as a term for digital technology alone when it actually encompasses any tool that could be used in the classroom such as blackboards, paper, pencils, desks, etc. He then goes on to examine 10 questions about the appropriate use of technology in the classroom. He also has a short piece about information ecologies, stating that no one technology is a simple addition to the existing ecology, but in fact it creates a completely new ecology. Below is a snapshot of the answers to his 10 questions as well as my own thoughts.
1. What impact does the technology have on the ergonomics of the classroom space?
Staley: Classrooms are specifically set up to complement the teacher’s pedagogic practice. Does this technology have a positive or negative effect on this arrangement? Technologies should complement the teacher’s pedagogic practice and benefit the students’ learning.
I agree with his thoughts here. I have seen many classrooms that are too full of ‘things’ that impede the teaching and learning going on in the class. Some are abandoned initiatives and others are not being used in any beneficial way.
2. How does the technology expand the dimensions of the classroom space?
Staley: Learning can happen inside and outside the classroom. The classroom dimensions are understood to be both of these and the technology implemented should increase learning opportunities.
I also believe that learning happens wherever we are and that the classroom is but a catalyst for this. A technology should facilitate communication and offer deeper learning opportunities for the students to explore. An example of this might be a virtual field trip or a class blog.
3. Why is this technology here?
Staley: Technology should not be forced upon the users, but mutually agreed upon and understood. Asking teachers to implement a new tool because it is the newest idea may not encourage adoption.
How often have we been asked to implement different initiatives without prior discussion or consent? Boards, Administration, and Educators all need to know about the initiative as well as its benefits, challenges, and reasons for adoption. A common response I have heard from teachers is “I’m busy enough as it is. I don’t need more things to worry about.”
4. Does the technology add some demonstrable pedagogical value?
Staley: Upgrading technology because it is the newest version does not have any pedagogical merit on its own. The updated technology should add benefits in a measurable way.
In some cases, like computers, the technology has to be upgraded at specific intervals to be able to handle the needs of the programs and users. However, upgrading them to the newest system every year because of one new feature or speed increase would not be a sustainable option and would not measurably benefit the learning.
5. Does the technology encourage authentic pedagogy?
Staley: The use of technology should be authentic to its actual use in the field.
This could be using the Internet for research. Rather than just having the students ‘go and find’ information for their projects, encouraging them to look for scholarly, peer reviewed sources would be more like what researchers and university students do.
6. Does the technology promote “augmented” education?
Staley: Many users of technology use it to disconnect from the world around them. Educational technology should encourage a deeper connection with the world.
Augmented reality is mentioned in the article and this seems to be a sound emerging technology. In a way, this pre-empts the basic why questions by providing additional details and encourages deeper why questions.
7. Will professors use the technology to aid students in the acquisition of knowledge, not just information?
Staley: There is a difference between information and knowledge. The technology should encourage knowledge by putting the information to use.
One could make the argument for the necessity of teachers if the amount of information one had were considered to be knowledge. More and more in today’s schools, it is the job of the teacher to teach students how to use the wealth of information available through the Internet to deepen their knowledge through the understanding and implementation of this information.
8. Does the technology appeal to different learning styles, allowing students to produce (not just consume) knowledge and information?
Staley: Simply giving students a new technology to use does not benefit their learning unless they are using it to create rather than just view.
Using individual iPads to watch videos about course content in class offers little benefit over using a projector for the whole class to watch at once. Using them so that students can stop and take notes and quotes as part of a reflection on the video, on the other hand, allows students to produce something.
9. Does the technology promote play or merely entertainment?
Staley: Learning should be active, and the technology should encourage this. Viewing is typically passive, whereas representing is active.
The iPad example in #8 is similar to the example in the article. The word ‘Edutainment’ is brought up here in terms of using technology to make learning ‘fun’. I believe that learning should be fun, but in the engaging sense of the word and not purely the amusing sense.
10. Is it any good?
Staley: Does the technology work for its intended context. Each discipline has different criteria and needs.
I think that while this might be true for some technologies, many of our courses offer cross-curricular, integrated lessons. For example, we may not need the newest version of Word for an Art class to create art, but a student may want to use handwriting technology to create an artistic written version of their reflection. I think we need to examine all the possibilities for the technology including those outside, but related to, the intended discipline.
I enjoyed the content of this article and agree with many of the points. Although it was written over 10 years ago, it still holds true today.
Educase Quarterly No.3 2004 pp20-26
http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/EQM0432.pdf
This post is a reflection on the above article.
In this article, Staley begins by pointing out that in the last couple of decades, technology has come to be used as a term for digital technology alone when it actually encompasses any tool that could be used in the classroom such as blackboards, paper, pencils, desks, etc. He then goes on to examine 10 questions about the appropriate use of technology in the classroom. He also has a short piece about information ecologies, stating that no one technology is a simple addition to the existing ecology, but in fact it creates a completely new ecology. Below is a snapshot of the answers to his 10 questions as well as my own thoughts.
1. What impact does the technology have on the ergonomics of the classroom space?
Staley: Classrooms are specifically set up to complement the teacher’s pedagogic practice. Does this technology have a positive or negative effect on this arrangement? Technologies should complement the teacher’s pedagogic practice and benefit the students’ learning.
I agree with his thoughts here. I have seen many classrooms that are too full of ‘things’ that impede the teaching and learning going on in the class. Some are abandoned initiatives and others are not being used in any beneficial way.
2. How does the technology expand the dimensions of the classroom space?
Staley: Learning can happen inside and outside the classroom. The classroom dimensions are understood to be both of these and the technology implemented should increase learning opportunities.
I also believe that learning happens wherever we are and that the classroom is but a catalyst for this. A technology should facilitate communication and offer deeper learning opportunities for the students to explore. An example of this might be a virtual field trip or a class blog.
3. Why is this technology here?
Staley: Technology should not be forced upon the users, but mutually agreed upon and understood. Asking teachers to implement a new tool because it is the newest idea may not encourage adoption.
How often have we been asked to implement different initiatives without prior discussion or consent? Boards, Administration, and Educators all need to know about the initiative as well as its benefits, challenges, and reasons for adoption. A common response I have heard from teachers is “I’m busy enough as it is. I don’t need more things to worry about.”
4. Does the technology add some demonstrable pedagogical value?
Staley: Upgrading technology because it is the newest version does not have any pedagogical merit on its own. The updated technology should add benefits in a measurable way.
In some cases, like computers, the technology has to be upgraded at specific intervals to be able to handle the needs of the programs and users. However, upgrading them to the newest system every year because of one new feature or speed increase would not be a sustainable option and would not measurably benefit the learning.
5. Does the technology encourage authentic pedagogy?
Staley: The use of technology should be authentic to its actual use in the field.
This could be using the Internet for research. Rather than just having the students ‘go and find’ information for their projects, encouraging them to look for scholarly, peer reviewed sources would be more like what researchers and university students do.
6. Does the technology promote “augmented” education?
Staley: Many users of technology use it to disconnect from the world around them. Educational technology should encourage a deeper connection with the world.
Augmented reality is mentioned in the article and this seems to be a sound emerging technology. In a way, this pre-empts the basic why questions by providing additional details and encourages deeper why questions.
7. Will professors use the technology to aid students in the acquisition of knowledge, not just information?
Staley: There is a difference between information and knowledge. The technology should encourage knowledge by putting the information to use.
One could make the argument for the necessity of teachers if the amount of information one had were considered to be knowledge. More and more in today’s schools, it is the job of the teacher to teach students how to use the wealth of information available through the Internet to deepen their knowledge through the understanding and implementation of this information.
8. Does the technology appeal to different learning styles, allowing students to produce (not just consume) knowledge and information?
Staley: Simply giving students a new technology to use does not benefit their learning unless they are using it to create rather than just view.
Using individual iPads to watch videos about course content in class offers little benefit over using a projector for the whole class to watch at once. Using them so that students can stop and take notes and quotes as part of a reflection on the video, on the other hand, allows students to produce something.
9. Does the technology promote play or merely entertainment?
Staley: Learning should be active, and the technology should encourage this. Viewing is typically passive, whereas representing is active.
The iPad example in #8 is similar to the example in the article. The word ‘Edutainment’ is brought up here in terms of using technology to make learning ‘fun’. I believe that learning should be fun, but in the engaging sense of the word and not purely the amusing sense.
10. Is it any good?
Staley: Does the technology work for its intended context. Each discipline has different criteria and needs.
I think that while this might be true for some technologies, many of our courses offer cross-curricular, integrated lessons. For example, we may not need the newest version of Word for an Art class to create art, but a student may want to use handwriting technology to create an artistic written version of their reflection. I think we need to examine all the possibilities for the technology including those outside, but related to, the intended discipline.
I enjoyed the content of this article and agree with many of the points. Although it was written over 10 years ago, it still holds true today.