Understanding E-Learning Technologies-In-Practice Through Philosophies-In-PracticeSummary of Key Points byAaron Carpenter and Sharon Shaffer

Our SummaryAs with any area were there are multiple

view points, the philosophies of E-Learning are varied with each holding the conviction that “their way is THE way”. We feel that the best philosophy is one where an educator “shops around” and picks and chooses the beliefs, theories and practices that best suit their own convictions and goals for using e-learning in their own situation.

Further, not examining and reflecting upon one’s philosophy for the use of e-learning does a serious disservice to the students with whom you work.

For those who think that the decision and contemplation of this topic is far off or not après pos for your situation, we offer this advice: E-learning and technology is not a thing of the future. It is very real and present NOW. It will become imperative for all educators to embrace technology and make choices as to how and what to use.

Students today are exposed to multiple levels of e-learning as society continues to adapt and adopt cell phones, I-pods, laptop computers and other personal devices that can send and receive vast volumes of information.

Every time the web is surfed, someone is learning something; insignificant to formal learning or not.

So, the importance of recognizing our own philosophical orientation makes it possible to make informed decisions about choosing and using e-learning technology.

“Thoughtful practitioners know not only what they do, but why they are to do it. Experience combined with reflection leads to purposeful and informed

action” (Darkenwalk & Merriam, 1982, p. 37).

Why have a Philosophy? • Philosophy inspires our activities and gives

direction to our practices.

“Knowing our personal philosophy helps us to understand why we act and think the way we do about using e-learning technologies, as well as why others think and act the way they do about e-learning technologies”

Kanauka, 2008

What is a philosophy of teach and technology? This can be defined as a conceptual

framework that embodies certain values from which we view the many aspects of education (Zinn, 1990), including the field of e-learning.

• Two separate belief systems. One believes that “Educators reshape education,

not technologies.”The other says, “The medium is the message.”

Philosophies of Technology Uses Determinism Technological Determinism Social Determinism

Uses Determinism

In its simplest sense, this position emphasizes technological uses and focuses on the ways in which we use technologies within learning and teaching transactions. In this approach, technologies are perceived as neutral tools and are simply devices that extend our capacities. Tools do not control the user.

Technological Determinism Within this orientation, technologies are

viewed as causal agents determining our uses and having a pivotal role in social change. Opposing views as it can be a force for furthering educational goals as well as eroding academic freedoms.

 

Social Determinism

In this perspective, educators are concerned with the integration of

technological artifacts within social systems and cultural contexts. This

perspective emphasizes the way our uses of technologies are affected by

the social structures and the social construction of technological artifacts.

Philosophies of Teaching

There are five main categories of determining how one views teaching and then technology usage.

Liberal/ Perennial Progressive Behaviorist Humanist Radical

Analytical

Liberal/ PerennialBeliefs:

The primary aims of educators holding this orientation are twofold:

(1) to search for truth (The person who “knows the truth” will also “do the truth.”)

(2) to develop good and moral people

As such, an educated person should possess these components: rational, intellectual, and evolving wisdom; moral values; a spiritual or religious dimension; and an aesthetic sense.

The learning process moves from information to knowledge to wisdom.

Role of Teacher

The lecture method is recognized as an efficient instructional strategy when well organized and followed with dialogue. (The sage on the stage)

Teachers are to aid in the facilitation of rigorous intellectual training that begins with knowledge of grammar and rhetoric; extends to the national sciences, history, and literature; and ends with a study of logic and philosophy.

Teaching focus is primarily on the content of

education with an emphasis on the art of investigation, criticism, and communication,.

The teacher has a prominent role in dissemination of the content.

Role of the Student

Students are encouraged to question all assumptions – which is in keeping with the search for truth.

Through dialogue, students clarify the real meaning of concepts and can thus build syntheses of knowledge. Intuition and inner contemplation are also encouraged.

Criticisms

This form of education does not lend itself much to statements, analyses, and evaluations

It has a class and elitist bias

It does not address vocational education

and life-related subjects.

Knowledge of past civilization and culture does not itself liberate persons

Role of TechnologyClosely aligned with technological determinism, the liberal

views on demanding intellectual training would not normally involve the use of technology.

The use of textual communication technologies would be in conflict with the spirit of the aims and objectives of this orientation, and with the focus on rigorous dialogic encounters.

Liberals believe that learning should not be convenient and students should not be viewed as clients or customers.

The belief is that students should submit themselves to the rigors of intellectual development and be stretched intellectually as far as they can go.

Progressive

Beliefs:

The aim of this orientation is personal growth, maintenance, and promotion of a better society.

The preferred methods of instruction include the experimental, problem-solving, and situation approaches to learning.

The focus of the learning activities is always toward movement of democratic cooperation and personal enlightenment.

Education aimed at what is good for society.

Role of the Teacher

The teacher is to organize, stimulate, instigate, and evaluate the highly complex process of education.

The teacher to be a helper, consultant, and/or encourager.

He or she is to provide a setting that is conductive to this form of learning so that the teacher also becomes a learner.

Role of the Student

To the student, learning is something that they do for themselves.

Education involves experience, which is reflected and acted upon by the student.

Learning also involves liberating the learner for the potential improvement of society and culture.

Learning is not enough; sooner or later, students must act as a consequence of their learning. (apply the learning)

Criticisms

One criticism is the tendency to place too much influence on the power of education to bring about social change and to replace fixing ideas with fixing problems.

The premise that the student should be placed at the center of the learning process, thus failing to give sufficient attention to the role of the teacher and to the importance of the subject matter.

Role of Technology

The Progressive view of technology is closely aligned with uses determinism

They view certain educational technologies as being well suited to the learning process.

If is felt that learning activities can effectively be designed as an interactive partnership between and among the teacher and students.

The ability of asynchronous communication technologies can give students equal opportunities to contribute learning environment; providing a democratic and learner-centered environment.

BehavioristBeliefs:

The ultimate goal of the behaviorist orientation is to bring about observable changes in behavior.

Methods of instruction begin with stated learning objectives, accompanied by the inclusion of rewards and punishments to elicit the desired behavioral objectives.

The focus of the learning is on the content, with a subject centered approach.

Behaviorists believe that the purpose of education is to change the behavior of people so they can work with each other to design and build a society that minimizes suffering and maximizes the chances of survival.

Role of the TeacherThe teacher is to design an environment that elicits

desired behavior toward meeting the goals and to extinguish behavior that is not desirable.

Their role is a that of a contingency manager or an environmental controller.

Role of the Student

The student is active rather than passive, and it is essential that students act, so that their behavior can be reinforced.

The responsibility of learning lies primarily with the student.

The student is to have learned something so that there is a change in behavior and so their response occurs again under similar circumstances.

The student is learning how to learn in order to adapt successfully to a changing environment.

CriticismsCriticism revolves around the stated behavioral

objectives that predetermine the end product of a learning experience.

There is criticism for not accounting for other kinds of learning, such as incidental learning and for dehumanizing students and their learning.

There is a lacking of concern for the student.

This philosophy inhibits creativity.

It is faulted for fragmenting the curriculum into bits and pieces while overlooking the whole.

Role of TechnologyThe Behaviorist view is most closely aligned with

technological determinism.

The use of course management systems can regulate teacher activities.

E-learning courses that focus on the content and are presented in a modularized format, with stated learning objectives and end-of-unit assessment tools to provide positive or negative feedback, are an effective and efficient way to teach students.

HumanistBeliefs:

The primary aim is to support individual growth and self-actualization.

Emphasized are freedom and autonomy, trust, active cooperation and participation, and self-directed learning.

Methods such as group dynamics, group relations training, group processes, sensitivity workshops, encounter groups, values clarification workshops, transactional analysis, human potential workshops, and self-directed learning are used to achieve their aims.

Role of the Teacher

The teacher’s role is that of facilitator, helper, and partner in the learning process.

He or she must create the conditions within which learning can take place.

It is expected that the teacher facilitate the process of the students to be self-directed.

They are to serve as a resource person.

Teachers are to encourage students to set their own goals.

Role of the Student

The responsibility for learning rests with the student.

Students are free to learn what and how they want.

The act of learning is a personal activity that involves intrinsic motivation, self-concept, perception, and self-evaluation.

For the student, self-evaluation is the only meaningful test of whether learning has taken place.

CriticismsOne criticism is that at times, self-directed learning

can be impossible or undesirable.

It can be difficult to conduct discussion groups due to time constraints, organizational expectations, and group size composed of many diverse learning environments.

Humanist philosophy lacks administrative accountability in terms of what is going to be taught, what is actually taught, and what has been learned.

Role of TechnologyThe Humanist view is most closely aligned with uses

determinism.

Technology can play a critical role in providing flexible and open access to the growing needs of individual students.

Online classrooms make it difficult, if not impossible, for the role of the teacher to be anything but a facilitator, or a guide on the side.

New group communication tools can play an important role in facilitating access for students to participate in group discussions.

Online discussions can be effective, perhaps even more so than face-to-face discussions, due to their ability to meet the diversity of student needs.

RadicalBeliefs:

The aim is to invoke change in the political, economic, and social order in society via the intersection of education and political action.

Preferred instructional methods are dialogues

that include problem posing and problem identification, based on respect, communication, and solidarity that lead to practice.

Traditional lecturing is viewed as offending the freedom and autonomy of the student.

Role of the TeacherThe teacher’s role is raise students’ consciousness

of the social and political contradictions in their culture.

The teacher is also a learner with equal status, but the teacher will have expert knowledge.

The teacher is to impart information in a dialogic manner (conversational).

Role of the Student

The student must be free to create the curriculum along with the teacher.

Students are viewed as unfinished and, as such, are free and autonomous learners.

Students must develop insight into the state of their oppression, achieved only through critical reflection to become enablers of radical social change.

CriticismsA criticisms of the Radical view is that the methods

used to achieve perspective transformation are not doable in most educational environments

Another is that knowledge is viewed as power, and power is seen as something political.

The premise, then, that education can be neutral and non value-laden with a knowledgeable teacher, becomes a paradox.

Role of TechnologyRadicals align themselves most closely with social

determinism.

The fact that most educational institutions use technologies that are owned by large corporations contradicts the idea of a risk-free and trusting environment since corporate technologies may have surveillance features. (The Man is watching)

However, open-source technologies would not be problematic for most radical educators.

AnalyticalBeliefs:

The primary aim of the Analytical orientation is the development of rationality, which is assisted by the fearless transmission of educationally worthwhile knowledge. For example, a truth that is morally, socially, and politically neutral.

Education is never complete and lifelong education is a necessity for full human development.

Learners are subordinate to the teachers.

Society and education should not be linked to each other.

Role of the TeacherTeachers are to guide and direct dialogue through

class discussion.

They should focus on content that is worthwhile, while emphasizing the need for clarifying concepts, arguments, and policy statements.

Teachers should introduce learners to knowledge beyond themselves.

Role of the Student

Students need to temporarily give up their freedom and subject themselves to being guided, criticized, and tested according to the standards of a discipline.

It is necessary that they become life long learners.

CriticismsThere is a question of whether any programmatic

decision can be neutral or value free.

Taking a neutral position on social questions, for example, is itself a contradiction.

Role of Technology

The Analytic orientation is most closely aligned with uses determinism.

Analytical educators view e-learning technologies as serving the learning process well, under certain circumstances.

For example, lectures can be downloaded to web pages, and follow-up dialogue can be facilitated, effectively moderated, and directed by the teacher, using group communication tools.

Discussion Starter

1) After reading and reflecting on your own ideas concerning e-learning, how would you define your own personal philosophical orientation, and how doe it effect your e-learning? Is it a “purist” acceptance of one of the philosophies outlined in the reading or is it a conglomeration of several?

2) What latest trends in e-learning or social networking do you think are more damaging to e-learning in the long run, if any?