A critical view: the importance of questioning the ‘hype’ around technology and learning

For this assignment, we were asked to write a collaborative blog post with one of our colleagues in the Master of Arts in Learning Technology program. The post was to be based on two pieces of published materials that demonstrated characteristics of techno-deterministic thinking. Published pieces could be from mass-media articles or media releases by technology companies. We chose an article from Forbes magazine, and another from the Microsoft Canada website. 

Photo by Marvin Meyer on Unsplash. 2018, February 23.

We were to summarize the claims in each piece, then comment on how we believed Richard Clark and Robert Kozma would respond to each piece. Clark and Kozma are respected researchers in Education Technology (EdTech,) and hold opposing views on technology’s ability to influence learning. 

Forbes, a well-known publisher and magazine, claims that technology in education can lead to better results in their article “Twelve ways technology can yield better educational outcomes”. This statement goes against Clark’s claims that media and technology do not result in any learning benefits (Clark, 1994). Clark’s position is that attributes of technology and media are replaceable by other means and, therefore, not influential to learning (Clark, 1994). The Forbes Technology Council counters Clark’s assertion by claiming that technology allows students to apply their knowledge and improve outcomes by employing self-assessment measures, creating personalized learning, and connecting with teachers and peers (Forbes Technology Council, 2021). Many of Forbes’ claims to improve educational experiences from technology focus on student engagement; Clark would take issue with this as he consistently claims that it is not the technology or media responsible for learning but rather the instructional method that is employed (Clark, 1994). Clark would argue that one could reproduce student engagement without technology, illustrating that technology is not influential in learning.

On the other hand, Kozma would side with Forbes’ claims that technology impacts learning because of the student’s cognitive and social interaction with the technology (Kozma, 1994). Forbes states that technology improves student engagement, connection, and collaboration by offering interactive learning opportunities like augmented reality, the creation of real-world simulations, and a game-play approach to learning (Forbes Technology Council, 2021). Essentially, Forbes is illustrating students’ interactivity and engagement with technology. This connects to Kozma’s position on technology and learning. Kozma would argue that because students are actively engaging and interacting with technology cognitively and socially, their learning is indeed being positively affected (Kozma, 1994). Kozma also states that to understand the connection between learning and technology better, one must look at how students use the capabilities of technology to aid in their learning (Kozma, 1994). Forbes’ provides multiple (although cursory) examples of this, including e-sports to foster connections, using augmented reality to simulate real-world interactions, and using subtitles on videos for differentiated learning (Forbes Technology Council, 2021). Kozma (1994) believes in the potential of technology in learning, which is echoed in the article, “The key to using technology for improvement is to focus on what can be done rather than replicating what has been done” (Osinick, 2021, as cited in Forbes Technology Council, 2021). 

Forbes’ article about the benefits of technology can be viewed in two different ways, as evidenced by Kozma’s and Clark’s assertions that either support or counter the benefits of technology. This illustrates a need to continue assessing and questioning technology use in our learning environments. 

In the blog post published on the Microsoft Canada website and titled “Unimaginable Circumstances, Teachers are Using Technology to Help Reach Students” and attributed to the president of Microsoft Canada, we are told how the company’s products such as OneNote, Teams, and Flipgrid met and exceeded K-12 needs in the early days of the Covid 19 pandemic, and how the Microsoft products continued to be used when in-class instruction resumed in the fall of 2020. 

Photo by Jeremy Bezanger on Unsplash. 2021, November 1

Using a Catholic private elementary school in Ontario as a case study, we learn as well through a video testimonial by one of the school’s teachers, who is also a credentialized Microsoft Innovative Educator (MIE), how technology played a role in helping students keep up with their coursework, and to generally thrive in the online learning environment.

The article’s author tells us that when in-class instruction resumed, the Microsoft products continued to be used, and continued to be a catalyst toward students’ engagement with their coursework. We are also told that technology can provide all students with equitable learning environments.

In her testimonial, teacher Kaylyn Dorland says, “When we’re able to use technology in the classroom, it helps to level the playing field. And when students feel they have the confidence and the support in the tools that they are using, it changes the game for everybody.” Which could lead the reader to conclude, as Dorland does in her conclusion, “When you use technology, it not only increases student engagement, but it also increases the amount of fun the students are having, but I also think it increases the fun that I get to have as a teacher.”

This post and testimonial align with Kozma’s assertion that media does influence learning and can thereby lead to innumerable educational benefits such as increased student confidence, engagement, which in tandem can lead to student success. On the other hand, the Microsoft post runs counter to Clark’s assertion that media and its attributes do not have learning benefits simply on their own, and instead require assistance to have any effect. 


References

Clark, R. E. (1994). Media will never influence learning. Educational Technology Research and Development, 42(2), 21-29. http://www.ucs.mun.ca/~bmann/0_ARTICLES/Media_Clark.html 

Forbes Technology Council (2021, January 26). 12 ways technology can yield better educational outcomes. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2021/01/26/12-ways-technology-can-yield-better-educational-outcomes/?sh=59855ae2157a 

Kozma, R. B. (1994). Will media influence learning: Reframing the debate. Educational Technology Research and Development, 42(2), 7-19. http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.167.4904 

Peesker, K. (2020, Dec. 10). In Unimaginable Circumstances, Teachers are Using Technology to Help Reach Students. Microsoft News Centre Canada. https://news.microsoft.com/en-ca/2020/12/10/in-unimaginable-circumstances-teachers-are-using-technology-to-help-reach-students/

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