When one thinks of educational technology, it is forgivable if one’s thoughts are drawn to images of ipads, learning management systems, and interactive videos. Educational technology has been present for longer than Apple has been around, much to the surprise of my children. The first use of educational technology is thought to be cave drawings that can be dated as far back as 30,000 years BCE.
Establishing a definition of educational technology is not such an easy task. As I did my research, I found that the definition of educational technology is a product of its time. Is the definition focused on the process of learning, the learning theories or frameworks used, or even just on the technological tools themselves? As stated in the Edutech wiki “Educational technology, sometimes shortened to EduTech or EdTech, is a wide field. Therefore, one can find many definitions, some of which are conflicting”. For this blog entry, I am choosing to use the definition provided by Richey et al. as defined by the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT), “Educational technology is the study and ethical practice of facilitating learning and improving performance by creating, using, and managing appropriate technological processes and resources.”
Too often instructors focus on the technology and miss the point; technology is a tool used to help students learn. Of all the successful technological tools used throughout the centuries (Paper, chalkboards, pencils, calculators, smartboards to name a few), the ones that have been successful are the ones that thought about how they served the students. As Eric Simon said in his Ted talk there are three reasons to use technology in education:
1- To save time and effort
2- To provide accessibility
3- To provide pedagogical improvement
Throughout history, the technologies that have lasted and have made an impact would have addressed some or all of these questions. When we look at the future of the use of educational technology, we need to pause and ask ourselves the question, Is this Tech serving our students first?
References
Educational technology. (n.d.). In Edutech Wiki. Retrieved September 6, 2018, from http://edutechwiki.unige.ch/en/Educational_technology
Haran, M., (2015, May 29). A history of education technology. [blog post] Retrieved Sept 6, 2018, from http://institute-of-progressive-education-and-learning.org/a-history-of-education-technology/
Richey, R. C., Silber, K. H., & Ely, D. P. (2008). Reflections on the 2008 AECT Definitions of the Field. Retrieved September 5, 2018, from https://link-springer-com.ezproxy.royalroads.ca/content/pdf/10.1007%2Fs11528-008-0108-2.pdf
[Tedx Talks]., (2015, January 27). Instructional technologies — Changing teaching and learning | Eric Simon | TEDxNewEnglandCollege [Video File]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/E45A1UR1roE
September 9, 2018 at 7:21 am
Excellent comments, Chad.
Dave Merrill talks about e3 instruction: effective, efficient, and engaging. Instructional designers have largely focused on developing and using resources to achieve these three goals, but I often wonder if there are other goals that we should be striving toward. What if we sought to make education more equitable for example, and sacrificed “efficiency” in the process? What should we prioritize?
September 9, 2018 at 8:57 am
That is a great point, George. In the Ted talk that I discussed in the blog post Eric Simon discusses the priority of the three reasons to use technology. There was a time that the order he spoke of them would be the order of priority as well (time and effort, accessibility, and pedagogical improvement). He makes the point that Accessibility is becoming more and more of a priority due to the number of smartphone owners worldwide. The access that third world citizens have to information now through smartphones has risen dramatically. Perhaps those of us who design courses need to consider how we can adapt our teaching to M learning. There seems to be a strong push to make e-learning more responsive (as in designed to be viewed on a phone screen). Both Adobe Captivate and Articulate Storyline have updated their platforms to be more mobile responsive. I do believe that education needs to be accessible and equitable. Perhaps that is why OER resonates so strongly with me.
September 9, 2018 at 4:10 pm
Hello Chad,
Thanks for the excellent post and for emphasizing the importance of serving students! Interestingly enough, when doing my research for this week’s activity I came across a report from Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO) called Pitfalls and Potential: Lessons from HEQCO-Funded Research on Technology-Enhanced Instruction. The most recent report (2017) provides a graph summary of what types of technology post-secondary students in Ontario want faculty to use more or less. I tried to copy the results to my comment but was unable to do so. Here is the link to the report. I would be interested to hear your thoughts!
https://library.educause.edu/~/media/files/library/2017/10/studentitstudy2017.pdf
September 9, 2018 at 4:14 pm
Hello Chad,
Sorry, the HEQCO report referenced the EDUCAUSE Centre for Analysis and Research report which is the document I linked you to. Sorry for any confusion this may have caused!!
September 10, 2018 at 5:32 am
Ha, no problem at all. I just started digging into the Educause report. It is quite interesting. It sometimes amazes me how easy it is to forget that we are here for the students and that we need to consider their thoughts and concerns in their own education. As educators we often act as though we know best, perhaps the students know better than we do what they need and want.
September 13, 2018 at 7:13 am
Almost off topic: I had an interesting conversation about this with one of my part-time instructors. He feels the instructor needs to know everything and be better in everything than the students. I have a different opinion. Yes, we do have to keep up with the changes in our field and educate ourselves, but hopefully, the students are enthusiastic and passionate about their field (or some areas of the chosen field), that they will exceed our expectation and knowledge. We should not teach everything to them… we should give them the environment and support their journey. We have to be able to admit if we don’t know something… the learners will not look down on us but respect, and they will be open to admit if they do not know something as well.
September 13, 2018 at 8:47 am
Hey Beata
I could not agree with you more. In the past nine years, I would easily say that I have learned so much from my students. We are guides and we are to help them on their journey. In my opinion, you are cheating yourself and your students by thinking you need to know everything. Some of my most interactive and valuable lessons have been when I have made a mistake and they have caught on to it. In fact, on my first day, I give them a list of my three rules. I like my coffee black, I like sour cream glazed donuts and I am a liar. The last one means I will make mistakes and that I am human.
September 15, 2018 at 6:23 am
Hello Beata,
Great topic of conversation! I also work with faculty who have the same assumptions. These assumptions are grounded in history and their own experience around education. I am going to jump out on a limb and suggest that this faculty was not a young teacher and that their experience with education was not collaborative. Great example of why professional development is so important….but that is a whole other topic! : )
September 15, 2018 at 6:17 am
Hi Chad,
Agreed! In order for post-secondary institutions to remain sustainable in the future, it is imperative that we meet and exceed our students expectations. Not only in terms of the services we offer but also the teaching and learning experience we offer!