I was a little surprised at the recent Handheld Learning Conference that there were so many references to the old Pedagogy versus Technology debate. This was very much the debate we had back in the 1980s when we first started introducing technology into schools, so why is this debate still going. It could be argued, as some have, that we did not learn the lesson back thenand so still need to have the debate but I feel it is more than that.
I feel that many teachers are ‘uneasy’ about the technology in the classroom, possibly because they do not use it much themselves or do not feel in control of it. For such people, the pedagogy must come first and the technology should be used only where it supports or enhances the pedagogy. I have some sympathy with this view but I am concerned that this view would only strengthen current and past pedagogic practices and could become a barrier to modern, future or transformed learning.
There is also an underlying dichotomy in that technology changes rapidly whereas the world of education seems to change only slowly. For many even the slow change of education is too much to cope with; this is especially true where one change takes time to embed and become accepted practice just as the next change is announced. This cycle of educational change has dogged the education system in England for the last decade or two to such an extent that teachers find it hard to keep up with the changes and sometimes have no exposure or idea of the latest pedagogic practice. With all the occuring and reoccurring changes in pedagogy, how can we even expect teachers to incorporate technology into their practice?
The pedagogy versus technology argument seems to be emplyed mainly by those who advocate that the pedagogy should take precedence. They have a very powerful and persuasive case. It can also be used by those who are not willing to change their approach to pedagogy and use this as a block to technological innovation in learning. Even those of us who love and advocate the use and development of technology in learning, may often feel guilty if we stop and think that we are promoting the technology more than the pedagogy.
Looking back through the history of educational technology, there have always been times when technology has led the way and introduced new ideas and concepts into learning. In the 1980s, the biggest factor in the development of educational technology is that the overwhelming majority of schools had standardised on the BBC micro. We had a standard of technology that allowed for a robust market for teachers, enthusiasts and software companies to promote new ideas. Compare that to the 1990s when we had a split between Archimedes/Acorn and PC technologies; educational software innovation stagnated.
In some ways, I feel that those who advocate the importance of the pedagogy over the technology are overlooking the significance of the technology. What I’d like to say to any teacher is that if you find that a piece of technology (hardware or software) enables you to teach better, to reach pupils who may be hard to reach, to provide new and stimulating resources for learning, engage pupils better, etc., then do not feel guilty about it.
In short, perhaps the debate is not really pedagogy versus technology but is more an interaction of pedagogy and technology where each contributes and influences the other.
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Tags: Critical pedagogy, Education, Educational software, educational software innovation, Educational technology, interactive white board, Pedagogy, Technology/Internet
This debate also raged in Gran Canaria where I worked for 9 years, it left many teaching staff wondering whether my aspirations for embedding technology were justified pedagogically. It drove me up the wall and it also drove their classes to ask why they weren’t getting to use these tools when my class was.
This debate should as you say not be one against the other but how each can influence the other. If the technology fits, use it.
I think you are right that there is, or should be, an interaction between the two concepts. For me, the key question when adopting or retaining any technology or practice is: “So what?” ie What will the pupils learn if you adopt this new technology/retain your current practice/etc?
But I also think there should be more of an ethos of risk-taking in schools. How do you know how the technology might enhance or transform your teaching until you’ve tried it? And in deciding to try it, there is a risk that time might be “wasted” if, two weeks later, it’s agreed that it didn’t work out. In forward-looking companies, that sort of risk is encouraged, but in education, where only the results (and a narrowly-defined definition of “results” at that) are considered important, such risk-taking is deemed, if only by implication, to be unacceptable. We have to try to change that culture. Only then, in my opinion, will the apparent dichotomy between technology and pedagogy be resolved.
Whilst I agree with you, I think that there are still many teachers who see the technology and don’t stop to ask themselves why they should use it. This has two implications; first, technology is used when it perhaps shouldn’t be, and second teachers don’t get the best out of technology.
At a recent conference I attended in Brazil, there seemed to be a lot of presentations that basically went along the lines of ‘look at this cool website, app, tech’ with little or no mention of the pedagogical reasons for using it.
Surely we can have pedagogy AND technology?
During my dissertation research I found teachers using the Internet to give assignments that featured students looking up facts for the most part. The Internet brought a lot of information into the classroom that students wouldn’t have found in the classroom or library. It did force them to evaluate the quality of the information the found. It did not, however, promote more critical thinking, problem solving, or better communication skills. Nor did it change in any meaningful way the pedagogy of the teachers. Leaders need to realize that new technology won’t make the changes to pedagogy that they may be looking for. For an idea of what changes many are looking for, read the book summaries at http://bit.ly/ogLq0n.
[...] Pedagogy versus Technology – a recent post by Doug Woods. I have to agree with him. Did we have this debate when pencils replaced the slate and chalk, or when OHPs were invented? I think it’s often an argument used by people afraid of technology and see it as a threat in the classroom. I think this view is often linked to Number 5 in this List of Myths of Technology in Education, also by Doug. You can pick up a piece of hardware or an application and just use it, see how it works, then think about how it could be used in teaching – have a go with it first – what harm can it do just to try something out? The formal training can come later. Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:LikeBe the first to like this post. [...]