Unfamiliar Technology and the Architect of Learning
Date
2013-04-22
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Abstract
Technology is an element of human life worthy of reflection, from the apparent proliferation of technological use in society to the rapid changes in the way we connect and relate to each other through technology. Contemporary ways of thinking about knowledge and work suggest that teachers have been challenged to entertain new and emerging technology in their classrooms. The primary intent of this descriptive case study was to develop an experiential understanding of how teachers might make sense of new and emerging (unfamiliar) technology as a process.
The study explored two main questions: 1) How do teachers make sense of new and emerging technology to enhance teaching and learning? 2) How might these teachers’ insights inform strategies to support the implementation of a new technology in teaching and learning? A framework of enablers was constructed to make sense of the complexity of teacher experience with unfamiliar technology to support the process of meaningful learning.
Key findings provide practical knowledge and suggestions to support teachers with the implementation of unfamiliar technology in teaching and learning. Teachers must be willing to learn with technology and their capacity to grapple with or even entertain the unfamiliar will benefit from a collection of external affordances. If society wants teachers to grapple with new and emerging technology, teachers need some sort of supportive system with opportunities to better understand and address technological constraints. The lesson learned is that one size will not fit all when looking to bolster teacher capacity. Teachers will benefit from participating in building personal pathways for sense making of new and emerging technology.
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Education--Technology
Citation
Stuewe, N. (2013). Unfamiliar Technology and the Architect of Learning (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/28581