Tag Archives: digital education

Comment: Comment on On ‘what’s the matter with TEL?’ by mkiseloski

Very interesting read, Nick!

I agree that whenever a critical research is undertaken we need to stay aware of the underlying and often implicit ideological values of the author doing the critique (and critically engage with those as well). I too got the sense that Sian was favouring an anti-consumerist view of education in her critique – a view that I personally share.

However, as the critique does not put forward an explicit counter proposal, we have to try and focus on the critique at hand and not its implicit assumptions for we might fall into the trap of thinking within false dichotomies. Being against something does not automatically equate to favouring its opposite, even if it is likely. In politics, for example, criticising the Obama administration does not necessarily make one a Republican.

You are right that we need to think of the implications of alternative models, but such a discussion should in my opinion be made explicit. The value I see in Sian’s paper is that it simply draws to attention the problematic fact that the term TEL is implicitly promoting a certain ideology. Whether said ideology is problematic in itself can (and should) be debated in a more explicit form. What I am wondering is whether there can be such a thing as a neutral expression devoid of ideology or whether the terms we use will always be (ab-)used by ideologues pushing for a certain narrative.

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Video: This Will Revolutionize Education

I stumbled upon this highly informative opinion piece by one of the leading education channels on YouTube, Veritasium.

To me it resonates with Sian Bayne’s criticism of TEL in that technology does not enhance learning per se but is rather yet another medium used within education.

After thinking about a more appropriate term for our field I would suggest “Digitally Facilitated Education”. The term Facilitated  shifts the focus back to education instead of technology.  At the same time it incorporates the promise that technology can support the act of education by breaking down barriers that stood in the way in the pre-digital world.

If we look at the tech industry today we can reasonably deduce that it follows the mantra that technology works best when it removes itself from the equation and just works, allowing us to focus on the things we want to do. It strives to facilitate our lives. In our field, education remains our goal, technology just needs to get good enough to get out of the way and let us reap the benefits.