Category: LRNT 523

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Infinite Scroll Curriculum: Education in 2030

LRNT523 Activity 7

I’m captivated by science fiction, often dreaming of the remarkable technologies imagined in my favorite books, movies, and TV shows. Star Trek introduced us to the universal translator and food replicators, while Dune gifted us personal shields for enhanced safety. H.G. Wells and Back to the Future opened the door to time travel, creating endless possibilities for exploration.

Among my favorite future worlds is in local BC author William Gibson’s Neuromancer, a dazzling dive into cyberspace around the year 2040 where technology blurs the line between reality and virtual existence. In the digital labyrinth of Neuromancer, characters navigate what has become an overwhelming data landscape. Our students, like Case, may find themselves lost in a sea of memes and quizzes instead of engaging with fundamental concepts. In their 2020 paper, Macgilchrist et al. describe a parallel social science future of “smooth users” (p. 77) and “digital nomads” (pp. 80-82) with technology inextricably embedded into their lives and education.

Fast forward to 2030, where I envision a classroom shaped by these technological dichotomies. I picture students glued to their screens, swiping through an Infinite Scroll Curriculum, absorbing everything from “Mad Math Memes” to “Historical Life Hacks.” Selwyn (2024) warns that excessive reliance on technology can turn students into information zombies, leading to superficial experiences. Who needs critical thinking when “Socks 101” is trending in your feed? Here, in the 2030 classroom, meaningful learning takes a backseat to viral knowledge bites.

As we digitally march forward, I see a future that’s a blend of hope and caution. EdTech has the potential to democratize access to knowledge, but our challenge will be to harness it wisely. If we’re not careful, we might find 2030 classrooms filled with endless TikTok tutorials on “How to Look Busy While Doing Nothing!”

References

Gibson, W. (1984). Neuromancer. Ace Books.

Ideogram.ai. (2024). Cartoon image for blog post: Infinite Scroll Curriculum: Education in 2030. https://ideogram.ai/g/EuRVBKohSOKDBSozrYhFGg/1

Macgilchrist, F., Allert, H. & Bruch, A. (2020) Students and society in the 2020s. Three future ‘histories’ of education and technology, Learning, Media and Technology, 45:1, 76-89, https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2019.1656235

Selwyn, N., Pangrazio, L., Nemorin, S., & Perrotta, C. (2020). What might the school of 2030 be like? An exercise in social science fiction. Learning, Media and Technology, 45(1), 90-106. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2020.1694944

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Yoda vs. Elon Musk: Does EdTech really teach, or just deliver?

LRNT523: Activity 5
Written by Kirsten & Kym

The media debate between Richard Clark (Yoda) and Robert Kozma (Elon Musk) is as hot as ever in today’s EdTech-saturated world. Clark famously argues that media is just a tool for delivery, like receiving from DoorDash—it doesn’t influence how we learn. Kozma fires back, claiming that the media does much more, actually transforming the learning experience.

Aligned with this debate is a recent conversation between one of ed-tech’s darlings MagicTech and Adam Spencer of AbleDocs (now GrackleDocs) on pandemic-driven tech in education. During the lockdown, accessibility tools like AI captions and digital learning platforms were hailed as breakthroughs, particularly for students with disabilities. But did these innovations actually improve learning, or just change the way it’s delivered? Clark would say that while these tools improved access, they didn’t improve the learning process itself—good instruction could happen with or without them. Kozma, on the other hand, would argue that such tools expand how students can interact with content, creating genuinely new educational experiences.

In “Technology Gives K–12 Teachers the Power to Teach from Anywhere” (EdTech Magazine, 2023) the author explores how advancements in educational technology allow teachers to adapt lessons and instruct from various locations, making the teaching process more flexible and inclusive. Cloud platforms, virtual learning environments, and collaboration tools like Google Classroom and Microsoft Teams are central to this transformation allowing real-time communication, remote lesson planning, and assessment. Kozma would argue these tools reshape traditional teaching approaches, promoting accessibility and equity in education. Clark would contend that interactive learning experiences can be achieved just as effectively without technology.

By revisiting this debate, it reminds us to always critically examine the EdTech industry’s bold claims. Clark encourages us to question Kozma’s optimism and ask whether these technologies are truly enhancing student learning. So, when researching new tech in education, the question we need to ask is: should we meet Yoda in the swamp or fly to Mars with Elon?

References

Buck, T. E. (2024, January 18). Technology Gives K–12 Teachers the Power to Teach from Anywhere. Technology Solutions That Drive Education. https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2023/11/technology-gives-k-12-teachers-power-teach-anywhere

Clark, R. E. (1983). Reconsidering research on learning from media. Review of Educational Research, 53(4), 445-459. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543053004445

Ideogram.ai. (2024). Photographic image for blog post: Yoda vs. Elon Musk: Does EdTech really teach, or just deliver. https://ideogram.ai/explore

Kozma, R. B. (1991). Learning with media. Review of Educational Research, 61(2), 179-211. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543061002179

Magic EdTech. (2024, June 12). Preparing Learners with Disabilities for the Workforce of Tomorrow [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfdhmL5qcuw

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Cassandra or Chicken Little?

LRNT523: Assignment 1

Decoding Audrey Watters role in Ed Tech

Audrey Watters is a renowned writer, educator and speaker, known for her biting critiques of Ed Tech. Being considered one of the OGs wasn’t what drew me to her for this assignment. It was instead her reputation as a troublemaker and rabble rouser, dubbing herself “Ed Tech’s Cassandra” (Watters, 2023). Anyone comparing herself to a mythological prophet was someone I wanted to know more about.

Fascinated by the woman, I dug into her legendary critiques. It felt like my first rocky attempts at watching Game of Thrones: hard to get through but oddly compelling. As a card-carrying technology enthusiast, hearing Watters lambaste my beloved tech was tough. Watters had raised alarm bells, but I couldn’t help thinking, was she more Chicken Little than Cassandra?

Cassandra, cursed to utter true prophecies that no one believed, foresaw Troy’s fall but couldn’t sway her people, leading to their ruin. Chicken Little, on the other hand, freaked out over an acorn thinking the sky was falling, sparking unfounded and unnecessary panic.

Truth: I was hoping for a Chicken Little win to let my tech community off the hook.

But I’ve struggled to feather Watters. I couldn’t dismiss her as merely an alarmist. Watters backs her critiques with robust research and many of her warnings, like the exaggerated hype of MOOCs replacing traditional education, have proven prescient (McMillan Cottom, 2017; Selwyn 2021). And rather than an acorn-hazed forecaster of doom, her insights offer a thoughtful guide on how tech can integrate with education without ethical compromise.

Watters shouldn’t be portrayed as the fated Cassandra either, dismissed by overly optimistic tech evangelists. Watters is neither a prophet of tragedy nor a misguided alarmist. She has emerged as a vital voice – a grounded skeptic, ensuring Ed Tech doesn’t lose its way in the dazzle of innovation.

References

Audrey Watters. (2023). Audrey Watters. https://audreywatters.com/

McMillan Cottom, T. (2017). Lower ed: The troubling rise of for-profit colleges in the new economy. The New Press.

Selwyn, N. (2021). Education and technology: Key issues and debates (2nd ed.). Bloomsbury Academic.

Links

Hack Education – Audrey Watters Ed Tech blog with the best list of definitions for the word “hack”

Future Trends Forum 1: Audrey Watters (youtube.com) – Conversation with Bryan Alexander on all things Watters (while demonstrating Shindig conference software)

Teaching Machines with Audrey Watters (youtube.com) – Watters reading an excerpt from her book “Teaching Machines” for UTS Learner’s Experience Lab

Just for fun

Chicken Little (2005) Trailer – YouTube – would you tell anyone?

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From Control to Curate: The Decentralized Learning Revolution

LRNT523: Activity 3

As a management consultant guiding organizations through AI adoption, one thing is clear: how people share and acquire knowledge is changing as fast as the technology they’re trying to adopt. Weller’s insights (2020) from 2002-2011 still ring true, offering lessons that are more relevant than ever. Let’s jump into two that stood out to me.

Curate, Don’t Create

Remember when everyone was obsessed with creating content? Blogging, vlogging, and yes, a bit of oversharing. But then came a revelation: why create when you can curate? Tools like RSS feeds and wikis taught us that the real power lies in gathering and curating content from existing sources. For organizations, this is a goldmine—stop writing long, outdated manuals and start curating the best resources from across the web. It’s faster, stays fresher, and it’s a whole lot less painful.

Connectivism vs. Corporate Control

Now here’s a challenge we still face: connectivism. This theory suggests that learning happens through networks—connections between people, resources, and information. Sounds great, right? Enter corporate control. Most organizations are still clinging to rigid, top-down learning models while touting learning frameworks like the 70-20-10 model (70% on-the-job, 20% social learning, 10% formal training). But in reality, it’s all formal training! Employees need space to explore, innovate, and connect freely—or else, they’re learning at a 1990s pace in a 5G world.

Takeaway: The future of learning is decentralized. Stop controlling—start curating and connecting.

References

Jasper Art. (2024). Photographic image for blog post: From Control to Curate: The Decentralized Learning Revolution. https://app.jasper.ai/art

Weller, M. (2020). 25 years of ed tech. Athabasca University Press. https://read.aupress.ca/read/25-years-of-ed-tech/section/e69021f2-91b6-4ca4-9d0b-81d3e9748707

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Over the Fence

LRNT523: Activity 1

Hi everyone! I’m thrilled to be diving back into academia after a long and exciting detour in the tech world. I originally earned my BA in English and Linguistics way back in 1996 with dreams of continuing my studies, but life had other plans. Fast forward 27 years, and I’ve spent most of that time in technology, where I’ve held executive roles like CTIO at Vancity and Managing Director at SAP Labs Canada. But now, I’m finally taking the plunge to pursue that elusive Masters degree I’ve always wanted.

I’m a lifelong learner with a passion for asking questions and challenging the status quo. My journey has been anything but linear—I’ve explored everything from private investigator to being a certified chef. This eclectic background is what drew me to the Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies. 

Yes – that’s me in the photo

My story is that I have always been curious. Willing to talk to anyone. Anytime. Anywhere. Ask my family. I embarrass them daily. I’ll chat with people at the checkout, in an elevator, on stage, during meetings, in multiple languages. I’ve always had a curiosity for people, culture and different perspectives.

I fit best into any situation that is diverse, chaotic and creative in a role that is people-centered, with a variety of tasks and responsibilities where I can try out my latest wild ideas.

MAIS is the perfect program and LRNT523 is going to be tons of fun! 

I look forward to learning with all of you and contributing to our collective exploration of how technology can and has transformed education. 

Kirsten

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Give it a Think: Lessons from Ed Tech and Mobile Development

LRNT523: Activity 2

In the early days of moving in-person instruction online, there was a sense of excitement—much like the shift from desktop to mobile devices. Both transitions promised new horizons but encountered similar obstacles. As Weller (2020) notes, early e-learning efforts assumed that moving in-person instruction online would be as simple as digitizing lectures and hitting “upload.” Spoiler alert: it’s not.

This underestimation of complexity is a key parallel between the two fields. Early mobile app developers thought, “Just shrink it down. What could go wrong?” The result? Apps that required a magnifying glass to read the text and the dexterity of a surgeon to click the buttons. Sadly, both ignored the unique affordances and limitations of their new medium.

At SAP, I led an engineering team that developed a collaboration tool integrated into SuccessFactor’s LMS. Weller (2020) discusses the struggle for interoperability in e-learning (pp. 58-61). This mirrored our experience integrating search capabilities across our LMS and collaboration platforms. Similarly, as we moved our product from desktop to mobile, the dream was a universal app that worked perfectly across all devices and operating systems. In reality, it’s like trying to get your old VHS tapes to play on a shiny new Blu-ray player—there’s a lot of frustration, and eventually, you just give up and switch to Netflix.

While surely frustrating at the time, Weller (2020) highlights how broadband challenges and resistance from educators inspired innovation in ed tech beyond simply replicating in-class experiences. These obstacles forced them to rethink core aspects of education and focus on what the internet could uniquely provide for communication and interaction online (p. 25).

Whether we’re talking about online learning or mobile apps, the lesson here is clear: Don’t just shrink it—rethink it.

Reference

Weller, M. (2020). 25 Years of Ed Tech. Athabasca University Press.