Activity 21: The chicken and egg conundrum – technology and pedagogy inter-relate

What is your own experience and view? 

When I started teaching the focus was all on the technology. Teachers were being given macbook and iPads, classes were being fitted out with new computers there was no real budget if you justified a need for it you got it. As previously mentioned however people asked for all kinds of tech that was never used simply because the skills were not there to put them to use. We ended up with an eLearning platform which four years on is only used by the original team who created it, the same with devices. We have lots of fancy stuff that is now quickly becoming out of date. We are now backtracking and trying to do it right this time but it makes me wonder what use is technology without pedagogy.

Do you regard either pedagogy or technology as more significant than the other?

I regard them as somewhat equally important but while pedagogy can exist on it’s own technology isn’t really much good without pedagogy.

How do technology and pedagogy influence each other?

Technology makes pedagogy better but requires pedagogy to be beneficial otherwise the value is lost.

Do you have experience where either technology or pedagogy has been given more weight than the other?

As discussed above i was in a situation where tech was seen as the answer to all problems but actually ended up causing more in the short term.

While some of that may sound negative I am grateful for VLEs, ePortfolios and online assessment. Technology has meant by classroom has been 100% paperless for the past 3 years. Students have devices (majority are now BYOD) and I have found that the use of tech over pen/paper has lead to an increase in grades and decrease in drop out rates. Personally I feel technology is important but needs to used correctly.