CosN Hurdle 3 - The gap between technology and pedagogy

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It was only until the twenty-first century when application and software developers started to release the digital ICT tools that have gained widespread popularity. Some of these ICT tools include Kahoot!, Popplet, Book Creator and Explain Everything. With these new ICT tools, teachers now have a plethora of options for shifting their teaching and learning approaches. However, to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to incorporate these ICT tools effectively, teachers need to attend additional professional development (PD) workshops. These PD workshops require teachers to book tickets in advance and may vary in its practical usefulness. For this reason, teachers may continue to see technology as a tool that improves efficiency, rather than a tool that enriches and engages the student in the learning process (Wellington, 2005). This issue is an example of pedagogy not meeting technology, as teachers are not getting enough quality instruction on how to integrate the newest digital technologies into the curriculum.

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In past decade, there has been a strong initiative in developing ICT (Information and communication technology) tools for educational purposes. In my experience, teachers would start to incorporate digital technologies such as PowerPoints, video clips and online access to class resources. These are all examples of ‘substitution’ which refers to the use of technology to directly substitute a previous component of the process without any functional change (Puentedura, 2009). However, as technology becomes more advanced and digital apps become more accessible, teachers have more flexibility to be creative in the teaching and learning process. Currently, there has been an increase in digital technologies surrounding augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality. This is because the modern PC found in many households now have the specifications and hardware necessary to support VR headsets. As these VR headsets become more accessible to consumers, there is a potential for more learning engagement outside of school hours. AR is readily available for school use in the form of a mobile-app called “HP Reveal”. Students can download this app and engage in activities that make use of the exploring nature of the app.

 

Now, if we couple this with the changing nature of teaching pedagogies, things start to become even more complicated. It was only until 2014, when Tomlinson modernised the idea and practice of differentiation. Tomlinson also modelled the differentiation of instruction for practical use and this has had a large impact on pedagogical knowledge. The previous generations of teachers would need to revise their pedagogical knowledge through PD workshops or keep up to date with current and relevant literature. Pair this with PD workshops on digital technologies and it becomes increasingly difficult to bridge the gap between pedagogy and technology. One of the recent models by Mishra and Koehler (2006) known as “TPACK” (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge) demonstrates the potential for bridging the gap between technological and pedagogical knowledge. Even if teachers have updated technological and pedagogical knowledge, the gap between the two is still present without the proper skills of integrating the two areas. Hence, this gap represents a major hurdle for schools to overcome.

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References:

Wellington, J. (2005). Has ICT come of age? Recurring debates on the role of ICT in education. Research In Science & Technological Education, 23(1), 25-39.

 

Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. J. (2006). Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge: A framework for teacher knowledge. Teachers College Record, 108(6), 1017-1054. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9620.2006.00684.x.

 

Ruben, R. P. (2010). SAMR and TPCK: Intro to Advanced Practice. Retrieved from http://hippasus.com/resources/sweden2010/SAMR_TPCK_IntroToAdvancedPractice.pdf