Looking beyond learning: Notes towards the critical study of educational technology

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Abstract

This paper makes a case for academic research and writing that looks beyond the learning potential of technology and, instead, seeks to develop social scientific accounts of the often compromised and constrained realities of education technology use on the ground . The paper discusses how this critical approach differs from the ways that educational technology scholarship has tended to be pursued to date. These differences include viewing technology as being socially constructed and negotiated rather than imbued with pre-determined characteristics; developing objective and realistic accounts of technology use in situ; and producing context rich analyses of the social conflicts and politics that underpin the use of technology in educational settings. The paper concludes by encouraging academic researchers and writers to show greater interest in the issues of democracy and social justice that surround educational technology.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)65 - 73
Number of pages9
JournalJournal of Computer Assisted Learning
Volume26
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2010
Externally publishedYes

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