ASSIGNMENT

How technology has changed the way we learn;

“The tools we use to think change the ways in which we think” (Turkle, 2004).

Technologies are being produced to cater for all types of human needs, in an educational context technologies are being produced to aid in tutoring. These educational technologies are being introduced to learners even at the earliest age in schools. Even the youngest of learners are using various tools such as email, word processing, and power point to name but a few. Without even realising it they are discovering new ways to acquire knowledge and understanding through the use of these technologies (Turkle, 2004).

To learn efficiently fundamental skills such as reading, writing and spelling are required. New technology in the context of reading aids learners with reading difficulties to gain reading skills. Talking books include additional features such as whole word pronunciation, highlighting words or phrases on screen as they are spoken, as well as the story being spoken out loud. (Hartley, 2007)

There are various programs that can aid with spelling. These programs include activities like matching pictures with spoken words, filling in missing letters,
 matching words to pictures and selecting a word by its sound. With the aid of these programs, spelling improvement has been achieved by younger learners and learners with reading difficulties. (Bishop, et al. 2005).

Handwriting is predominantly the method in which we process, organize, store and transmit information but as the years go by technology and the use of computers is becoming more of a popular choice to do so. These days most people write using a word processor, even the youngest of learners.

Does using new technology for writing change the way that people think?

Some think that the new technology relieves us of putting up with the issues linked to writing by hand like letter formation and that it promotes editing, rewriting and spelling. Without having to deal with these issues it is argued that it leaves more time to be creative and think about the content. Others contest this and think that the new technology makes writing a lot easier. (Hartley, et al., 2001)

As technology has been developing over the years so have theories based on cognition and learning, “Filling the bucket” may have once been a term used in relation to learning but now more commonly the term “social mind” is used.

This term alludes to the notion that learners enhance their understanding by collaborating with others. In pedagogical terms the collaboration of learners thoughts and ideas that supports learner’s cognitive development through the interaction of others is known as social constructivism (Bearison & Dorval, 2002).

Aspects of Social Constructivism include situated learning and cognitive apprenticeship. Situated learning can be described as learners engaging in tasks that are appropriate to the topic. And cognitive apprenticeship can be described as students learning through the use of scaffolding where expert behavior is demonstrated through group interaction. These strategies are important because they lead to deep learning (Brown et al., (1989).

For learners to acquire complex skills they need “social interactions in situated contexts, which allows them to see how the various parts of the process fit together” (Trent et al., 1998).

The internet along with it’s social networking technologies has proven to be a quality tool to aid Social Constructivism in the classroom because of the real time interaction with other learners (McMahon, 1997).

References

 Bearison, D., & Dorval, B. (2002). Constructive features of collaborative cognition. In, Collaborative Cognition: Children Negotiating Ways of Knowing. 117-121.

Bishop, D., Adams, C., Lehtonen, A. & Rosen, S. (2005). Effectiveness of computerised spelling training in children with language impairments: a comparison of modified and unmodified speech input. Journal of Research in Reading, 28, 2, 144–157.

Brown, J. S., Collins, A., & Duguid, P. (1989). Situated cognition and the culture of learning. Educational Researcher, 18(1), 32-41.

Hartley, J., Howe, M. J. A. & McKeachie, W. J. (2001). Writing through time: longitudinal studies of the effects of new technology on writing. British Journal of Educational Technology, 32, 2, 141–151.

Hartley, J. (2007). Teaching, learning and new technology: a review for teachers. British Journal of Educational Technology. 38, 1, 42-62.

McMahon, M. (1997). Social constructivism and the World Wide Web - A paradigm for learning. Perth, Australia.

Trent, S., Artiles, A., & Englert, C. (1998). Deficit thinking to social constructivism: A review of theory, research, and practice in special education. Review of Research in Education, 23, 277-307.

Turkle, S. (2004). How Computers Change The Way We Think. The chronicle of higher education. 50,21. P. B26.