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The
following is my discussion
of the relationship between technology and pedagogic theory and practice,
drawing on my own teaching/learning context and experience.
Some have come to see the relationship between technology and pedagogic theory as a chicken versus egg paradox. Personally, I don’t see it. For me, the only issue is what to teach and the method - the pedagogy, which ideally can be aided by technology. The only non-disposable aspect of teaching is what we know to be the traditional methods - word of mouth, physical instruction some guidance and facilitation and signing, which can all be aided by the printed word - the most basic technology, which is nevertheless close to 2000 years old.
As Weller suggests (2011), and I agree, the chicken and egg conundrum exists only in our minds and it can arise from our being too techno-centric. On the other hand, technology and pedagogy drive each other and can be equally dominant in turn or co-constructive of each other. In other words, just like the University of Queensland and NÉEL Institute quantum physicists who concluded that the chicken and the egg can both come first, pedagogy and technology can also both come first. It’s just that, when it comes to choosing, it needs to be pedagogy every time. Drawing on my own context and experience, however, I must point out how an inexperienced or untrained teacher will use technology as a prop – this is where it becomes technological determinism. That has to be seen on a continuum, however. We might become a tech determinist to try out something, but an experienced practitioner will not continue to let tech guide his/her behaviour regardless. They will be able to weigh up properly its pedagogical benefits (or lack of).
I regard pedagogy as more significant than technology because for me it makes sense that effective learning is about adopting the right approach, notwithstanding of the tools you have at your disposal.
In terms of how technology and pedagogy influence each other, I am in complete agreement with our own course documentation (drafted by Weller) ‘Technology opens up new possibilities and is used in ways that its designers never intended, which in turn drives theoretic development which feeds back into technology development, and so on.’ (The Open University 2020) and of course this is in line with Weller’s (2011) belief in Chapter 1 of The Digital Scholar: ‘In this book it is the complex co-construction of technology and associated practice that is intended, with an iterative dialogue between the technology and the practices that it can be used for’
I think I am guilty every day of giving technology more weight than pedagogy because there is a temptation to use technology because its there, because its fashionable and because I think it engages learners ((in the short term and often superficially) and makes me look digitally literate, which is sometimes equated with competence. When I reflect on the lesson though, I am usually willing to replace technology with traditional or non-traditional approaches that do not reply on technology, because my aim is effective learning and task fulfillment.
References
Weller, M. (2011) The Digital Scholar: How Technology is Transforming Academic Practice [Online], London, Bloomsbury Academic. Available at https://www.bloomsburycollections.com/ book/ the-digital-scholar-how-technology-is-transforming-scholarly-practice/ (Accessed 21 October 2019).
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