Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
being a collaborative critic and authentic evaluator. As Sims (2006) “Rather the
teacher, like the learner, needs to develop a skill set and ethos that allows him/her to
become a participant in the one connected environment, where his/her experience
and knowledge are a critical part of the learning environment, but not necessarily its
foundation” (p. 262).
Another aspect of the design challenge is the need to scaffold and coach students
(Sherin, Reiser, & Edelson, 2004). This includes the supports that may be in the
form of reminders and help that the learner requires to carry out the task and gain the
necessary skills. Stone (1998) suggested that the support provided is assumed to be
temporary and withdrawn gradually, to transfer the responsibility in an appropriate
manner, and Guzdial (1994) considered this withdraw to be akin to fading. The
challenge of course is not to provide too many supports, but to also build on the
“wisdom of the crowd” (Surowiecki, 2004), whose research suggested that when
enough amateurs pool their knowledge they may come up with better answers than
individuals.
Focus 2: Students' Learning with Media and Technology
We are well aware that each tool is not the same; it has certain affordances and
constraints, plus, the ways in which it is used impact its value and helpfulness.
The Each tool also has the possibility to change the interaction and as a result also
“infects” conditions for learning and learning processes.
We know from Pink (2005) that one challenge is not just the ability to work in
high-technology environments, but to utilize “high concept/high touch” abilities to
make and remake our personal and professional environments in ways that serve
both functional and aesthetic needs simultaneously. Kennewell and Beauchamp
(2007) created a taxonomy of features that are inherent in digital media by describ-
ing two distinct types. They ascribed some things as intrinsic to the digital media
itself, and those that are constructed by the hardware and software developers, and
also those created by the teachers who are preparing resources for learning.
These pedagogical features include the teacher (if present), other students, tools and
resources, subject culture and classroom ethos. The features of the setting provide affor-
dances which students may perceive as potential for action. At the same time, the features
provide constraints which may structure the students' actions. The situation is not static,
however, and the teacher's role is to orchestrate the features of the setting, using their knowl-
edge of students' characteristics, in order that the goal may be achieved with some cognitive
effort but without excessive frustration. Students, too, will orchestrate the features of the
setting to support their pursuit of the goal (Kennewell & Beauchamp, 2007, p. 228)
Additionally, Kennewell and Beauchamp (2007) found that teachers did recog-
nize the importance of their providing a variety of representations, particularly for
complex ideas, and for offering a number of activities in which the same skills and
concepts were involved. In other words, it is not enough to present complex ideas,
or new ways of thinking in one or two opportunities or ways, but rather they con-
cluded, “ICT activities were felt to add to the teacher's repertoire, even if they were
