In my search to understand the history of educational technology, I was amazed by the different starting points of this history. Some sources started as far back as cave paintings in 30,000 BCE, while many pointed to Gutenberg’s creation of the printing press between 1440 and 1450 AD as the starting point of educational technology. Other sources started from the 1920s with the role that radio broadcasts fulfilled in the name of education, while others saw the battle in the 1980s between IBM and Apple for the personal computing market as revolutionary in democratizing access to educational technology (Corcoran, 2013). Certainly, the internet becoming mainstream in the 1990s created an enormous paradigm shift in educational technology. Mark Weller (2018) published his reflections on Twenty Years of Edtech, starting with Wikis in 1998, and finishing up in 2018 with questions about the darker side of educational technology in the form of social media (p. 46).
The definitions of educational technology are as numerous as the ‘starting points of its history’; however, a common theme pointed to various educational technologies’ goals as ways to share information more effectively, to educate through the sharing of ideas, and increasingly over time, to make information available to as many people as possible. Themes of equity and flexibility have become more a part of educational technology over the last 100 years, exceedingly so in the last 20 years (Corcoran, 2013; Kimmons, 2019; Weller, 2018). The creation of Google in 1998, social media platforms such as Twitter in 2006, and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) in 2012 are notable components in many versions of the history of educational technology.
My personal definition of educational technology has been drastically expanded by looking at the competing histories of educational technology. There is a commonality surrounding the goals of the myriad educational technologies, theories, and concepts as being a focus on sharing ideas. In this simplistic sense, the goals of educational technology have indeed been attained. What we are left with in 2019 are growing needs to manage the cognitive overload produced by the ideas, sources, accuracy, and sometimes incivility of the content shared through forms of technology that come to be used as educational technology.
***I came across several interesting resources in my search to better understand the history of educational technology. I am including two highlights of my research. The first is a collection of critical blog posts, curated by Royce Kimmins (2019) on the history of edtech, available through a Creative Commons BY Licence. The second highlight is the link to the Superbowl advertisement announcing the release of the Macintosh computer in 1984.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axSnW-ygU5g
References
Corcoran, B. (2013). A Brief History of (Edtech) Time. In Texas Education Review, 1(1), pp.147-153. Retrieved from https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=history+of+ edtech&inst=8545375229648679180
Kimmons, R. (2019). Educational Technology in the Wild: critical blog posts. Retrieved from https://edtechbooks.org/wild
Weller, M. (2018). Twenty Years of Edtech. Educause Review Online, 53(4), pp. 34-48. Retrieved from http://oro.open.ac.uk/55708/
Attribution
Photo by Leigh McCarthy
September 7, 2019 at 4:45 pm
As always, you’re making me think, Leigh. Nice!
I too found that there really isn’t a ‘start’ date, rather the convergence of technology and education throughout our human experience. And, and as you note, that there is increasing pressure to moderate how we use our technologies to interact with each other, through them.
September 8, 2019 at 12:06 pm
We make each other think! A great system. 🙂
Yes, it was an interesting assignment! I thought that I knew a fair bit about edtech, but my definition of edtech was altered and expanded in this process. Isn’t that always the case, the more we learn, the less we realize that we know?
September 8, 2019 at 5:41 pm
The more we learn the less we know. Indeed! And, how fun 🙂
September 8, 2019 at 1:13 pm
First off, great pic – to me it represents knowledge, history and travel, it’s all very appropriate. I found the same thing – there are so many starting points to educational tech, and it’s not really clear if there is an agreed date or path that the field took. I really appreciate your rounded view.
September 9, 2019 at 3:32 pm
Glad you liked the pic, Earl! I took it in Bahrain. I try to use my own photos – which isn’t always easy when trying to make connections to our assignments – BUT this photo stood out to me, too, as really appropriate to speak to the history of edtech! Yes, SO many starting points! Always appreciate your feedback.
September 8, 2019 at 8:39 pm
Hi Leigh,
thanks for sharing these resources!
I really enjoyed reading EdTech in the Wild blog posts!
I can relate with your observation about the need for managing cognitive overload as we continue to evolve in educational technology. This exercise definitely made me think about the current and future circumstances around EdTech and its impact on education in general. I think students now learn differently because of technology (there is definitely less deep reading and more power browsing and horizontal scan of sources from my observation of the literature, my students, and other educators). I wonder how this will impact education in the future, and if it’s even possible to manage. Marta
September 9, 2019 at 3:39 pm
Hi Marta,
So glad you appreciated the resources! Yes, I really enjoyed EdTech in the Wild – and I have really JUST started to explore all that there is there! Such diverse perspectives, from some really interesting and knowledgeable people, on many topics… Gold!
Yes, as you, I wonder how EdTech will impact education in the future. There are SO many possibilities, but some social issues (amongst others) that really need some attention as we continue to move ahead at full speed! And to manage it? I wonder… I find it interesting that the Ontario government has moved to ban cell phones in schools (November, 2019). This seems like a futile effort to “manage” some of where the challenges of technology have taken us; however, many students use cell phones as a learning tool (access to EdTech), and I know many teachers who work to embrace such monumental challenges as ways “to teach responsible use of tech and self-regulation.” All easier said than done.
Thanks, Marta.
Leigh
September 9, 2019 at 2:45 pm
This is a great summary with thoughtful ideas, Leigh!
To build on your thoughts, I think another shift we’ve seen in recent years is a greater rift between EdTech as a market (e.g., vendors making billions from pushing never-ending shiny gadgets on students) and EdTech as a vehicle for social change (e.g., academics and advocates who use these tools to promote equity, access, and improved learning). I don’t know that the two always have to be at cross-purposes with one another, and I think you can find historical precedents for synergy (such as the printing press giving rise to the amateur scholar), but it’s a tension that people working in this space are having to grapple with on a daily basis.
September 9, 2019 at 3:55 pm
WOW! Dr. Kimmons! I am rather star-struck. Thanks for sharing more of your great insights and thoughts! I know we are all connected, but what led you to my blog? Was it your name scattered throughout my last post, with a link for my colleagues to the awesome resource of “EdTech in the Wild” that you shared via CC BY Licence?
I am very interested in the shift that you have pointed out in the growing rift between EdTech as a market and EdTech as a vehicle for social change. As you shared, there are historical precedents for synergy between the two, and I am really hoping that we start to see more efforts to engage in more synergy moving forward. This tension that you have identified is indeed one that I, too, struggle with as an educator in K-12 environments. The digital divide and participation gap in access to EdTech, and how and by whom the EdTech is created, are growing issues in my professional — and now student — mind. I will continue to look to research and sharing from people like yourself as I try to navigate these tensions, and hopefully, make some sense of as the focus of my Master’s thesis.
Thank you for your feedback, Dr. Kimmons!
Best regards,
Leigh