Do we need teachers as designers of technology enhanced learning?

Abstract

In this special issue, five teams of researchers discuss different aspects of the teacher as designer of technology enhanced learning situations. This final contribution critically discusses if and how teachers as designers of technology enhanced learning might (not) be feasible or even desirable. The premise underlying this critical view is that technology enhanced learning should not be seen as 'special' in comparison to other forms of learning in the teacher's arsenal. Both practicing professionals and institutions for teacher education must understand and embrace the role of design in professional competencies if technology enhanced learning is ever to be fully integrated into teaching and learning processes.Keywords Competencies Á Technology enhanced learning Á Teachers Á DesignThe stated purpose of this special issue is to contribute to the discussion of the teacher as a design professional and to ''provide[s] clear and timely considerations for those aiming to investigate and/or facilitate teachers as designers of technology enhanced learning'' (Kali & McKenney 2012). In line with this, I will try to make a critical yet constructive contribution to this discussion. First, I will place a few critical notes on the theme itself, namely teachers as designers of technology enhanced learning with respect to teacher competences and the ecology of education as a whole. Having done this, I will place a few critical remarks on the papers themselves. After a short discussion on what is needed for good learning, not only technology enhanced learning, I will conclude with recommendations for future work on this area, based on implications of my various considerations.

Best-practice model for technology enhanced learning in the creative arts

“…Expertise in the school would increase in terms of VLE user design and best practices could be shared across courses and modules through the design technologist who would work across courses. The framework is based on Kemmis and McTaggart's (1988) action research model, which involves participants' continuous collective self-reflective inquiry in a social situation to improve the rationality of educational practices.…”

“…Some fairly recent studies have been focussing on the role of teachers as designers of TEL (Kali and McKenney 2012;McKenney et al 2015;Svihla et al 2015). Kirschner (2015) argues that designing is considered integral to the teaching and learning process; however, our data revealed that academics may not always have the technical skills or aptitude of materialising them using multimedia designs within the VLE to enhance learning (Shank 2005).Some of the key barriers ascertained from the study particularly relate to the navigation and aesthetics of the user interface along with the clunky and clumsy user experience. Yet with the right know-how, VLE areas can be engineered to improve both of these key features.…”

“…Expertise in the school would increase in terms of VLE user design and best practices could be shared across courses and modules through the design technologist who would work across courses. The framework is based on Kemmis and McTaggart's (1988) action research model, which involves participants' continuous collective self-reflective inquiry in a social situation to improve the rationality of educational practices.The intervention that we planned into this action research project was the appointment of an intern who will be the technology expert (an intern who graduated with web technology skills) to support staff in enhancing their VLE modules to improve students' experience. The aim was to improve navigation, consistency and visibility of modules within VLE.…”

“…The framework is based on Kemmis and McTaggart's (1988) action research model, which involves participants' continuous collective self-reflective inquiry in a social situation to improve the rationality of educational practices.…”

Creating STEAM with Design Thinking: Beyond STEM and Arts Integration

“…Recently, there has been heightening discussion about design thinking and its potential for teaching and learning (Norton & Hathaway, 2015). Scholars and practitioners stress the need for applications of design in learning (Kirschner, 2015). But this discussion has remained vague, with little specifics or clarity about how design and education connect in teaching-I suggest one key way they connect, is in STEAM.…”