Classroom-Based Use of Two Educational Technologies: A Sociocultural Perspective

This paper describes the fit between educational technologies and teacher views and pedagogies in light of two recently completed research projects. These studies focused on observed pedagogies associated with the classroom-based use of two learning technologies: digital video (student-generated), and interactive whiteboards. The paper considers the use of these two technologies from a sociocultural perspective, recognizing that the nature of tools and the nature of societal use of these tools are mutually dependent. Questions are raised about how the inherent nature of different technologies might shape different learning experiences and outcomes and whether certain technologies fit better with some pedagogical approaches than others. The potential of e-learning is highly debated. The ways teachers use educational technology and integrate it into their teaching has been the subject of numerous studies over the last decade. Some authors suggest that information and communication technologies (ICT) have been used largely to replicate dominant paradigms of teaching (Hedberg, 2006; Vrasidas & Glass, 2005), albeit with more efficient distribution to learners. Other authors have extolled the virtues of ICT for transforming teaching and learning (Bonk & Graham, 2006; Papert, 1993). This paper discusses whether use of particular technologies is underpinned by particular pedagogies and whether the inherent nature of the technology promotes replication or transformation. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 8(4) 395 In the two studies discussed in this paper a sociocultural standpoint is adopted, which supports the view that effective use of any technology is not merely about understanding how to use it from a technical standpoint, but more importantly, how it impacts society and understanding of how it can develop higher order thinking (Rychen, 2002). The twoway relationship between tools and their users is recognized, as well. A tool or technology may be modified according to the ways it is used, and in turn, its design will influence how people may use it (Glassman, 2001; Salomon & Perkins, 1998). Sociocultural theories emphasize the historical, cultural, and societal experience, the tools available for use, and the impact of these tools on society.