LinkedIn, recently purchased by Microsoft, has launched Career Coach with a branded message under Higher Education Reimagined. The company claimed that its AI-based career app with embedded Microsoft technology features and links to Linkedin learning content will guide millions of higher education students and “digital natives” (Prensky, 2001) into an individualized career planning experience.
Clark (1994) may assert from his vantage point that the Teams career app is sufficient (surface) but not a necessary (structural) tool to plan a career, stating that “media attributes are surface features of learning systems” (para. 14). We believe that this digitized career solution “may be surface features of treatments concerned with the economics” (Clark,1994, para. 14) and not as effective as being coached by a paid career professional who can guide an early career individual from a designed approach (structural).
Furthermore, this technological innovation may be experienced like a “mere vehicle that delivers instructions” (Clark, 1994, para. 2) without truly getting to a vocational destination. Clark’s (1994) “replaceability test” (para. 3) would most likely challenge Microsoft by arguably stating that this nicely packaged technology can be replaced by another treatment such as resources offered at a university career centre, free online aptitude assessment and online learning.
As for Kozma (1994), he may acknowledge that this new technology possesses some characteristics suitable to create a learning experience. However, only using the app by itself will not produce the desired outcome for young job seekers. Complementing the app with other learning tasks will create learning opportunities such as networking, presentation, and organizational skills. Kozma’s (1994) question, “in what ways can we use the capabilities of media to influence learning for particular students, tasks, and situations?” (p. 23) is key to ensure that this technological innovation is not a “mere vehicle for instructions” (Clark, 1994, para. 2) but an opportunity to develop skills and aptitudes through engaging instructional design. Essentially, Kozma (1994) would reinforce his point that it is not the technology that influences a learning outcome, but how the technology is used that impacts the outcome.
Unfortunately, we think Microsoft’s coaching app will create false hopes for students, fooling them into an app without true learning revealing Kozma’s (1994) point of the necessity of a relationship between technology and learning. And the same would apply for any type of learning app that does not require literacy and numeracy skills as described in Corie’s blog.
References:
Clark, R. E. (1994). Media will never influence learning. Educational Technology Research and Development, 42(2), 21-29.
Kozma, R. B. (1994). Will media influence learning: Reframing the debate. Educational Technology Research and Development, 42(2), 7-19.
Prensky, M. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. MCB University Press, 9(5). https://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf
September 26, 2021 at 9:20 pm
Great post, thank you for sharing this article. I see a lot of professional apps link to LinkedIn and other professional platforms. I wonder if that is part of the appeal? to step up on the platforms people are already using or familiar with?
October 4, 2021 at 10:47 am
Hi Emma, thanks for your comment. Yes, I wonder the same thing. It feels like they are create synergies to build credibility in their products but when you look further, it doesn’t always lead to the perfect outcome for learners and users alike.
Stephanie