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The Dance of Technology and
Pedagogy in Self-Paced Distance
          Education
  Terry Anderson, Canada Research
     Chair in Distance Education
• Why do distance educators continue to argue
  that pedagogical issues alone must define
  their instructional designs?”
• “Pedagogy is seen to be trailing behind
  technology in the sense that pedagogy is
  shaped by the existing technological tools
  instead of it dictating how technological
  advances have to support teaching and
  learning” Madiba&Mwamza-Simwami 2008
• Technology affords the interactions that
  create learning opportunities
• Pedagogies define the way that technologies
  are best used


                             Technology


                  Pedagogy
Dance Metaphors
              • the
                technology
                sets the
                beat and
                the timing.
              • The
                pedagogy
                defines the
                moves.
First generation of DE
           • Dancing alone

           • Students are free to interpret
             the design and the content as
             they wished,
           • the dance did not meet the
             need
              – of epistemologies based upon
                community creation of
                knowledge,
              – pedagogies based on
                collaborative, cooperative or
                connected interaction, nor
              – the learning needs of
                individuals with low levels of
                personal autonomy
             Postal Technology
2nd generation of distance education
           • Big Band Era
           • Broadcast, production values,
             exposure
           • passive observations, rather
             than active engagement




                                      Broadcast
                                      technologies
3rd Generation: Conferencing
                • Synchronized cohorts
                • collaborative and
                  cooperative distance
                  learning pedagogies




                 Conferencing technologies
Now Generation
       Self-paced,Connectivistlearning.
• Networked coordination and collaboration using social
  software,
• Global distribution and participation
• Opportunities for individuals to:
   –   find each other,
   –   study and work together,
   –   support and challenge each other and
   –   yet still retain the fundamental freedoms of pacing and
       start and completion dates.

• This emerging generation of distance dance allows
  learners to create their own social and individual
  moves that meet not only their educational, but also
  their social, emotional and economic needs as they
  engage in the lifelong learning dance.
Self Paced Programming
• Continuous enrollment
• Maximizes learner freedom
• Most effectively meets demanding lifestyles of
  mobile students
• Challenged by collaborative pedagogies
• Paulsen’s theory of Collaborative Freedom
  (Paulsen, 2007)
• Social Software as ‘Killer App’ (Anderson, 2004)
Connectivist Pedagogy

• Learning and knowledge rest in diversity of opinions
• Learning is a process of connecting and coherently
  organizing human and information sources
• Capacity to know is more critical than what is currently
  known
• Nurturing and maintaining connections is needed to
  facilitate continual learning
• Ability to make connections between fields, ideas, and
  concepts is a core skill.
• Currency (accurate, up-to-date knowledge) is a key
  component of quality (from Siemens, 2005)
Connectivist Technologies




           From Siemens and Tittenberger, 2009
Connectivist Dance
• Learning can be enhanced thought the
  connection of many networks and this
  “amplification of learning, knowledge and
  understanding through the extension of a
  personal network is the epitome of connectivismquot;
  (Siemens, 2004)
• Connectivism builds human capital:
  – “People who live in the intersection of social worlds
    are at higher risk of having good ideas” R. Burt, 2005,
    p. 90
Conclusion
• Individual freedom and choice is critical to the
  connectivist dance
• Choice in even self-paced learning distance
  learning, involves choice to meet and ‘dance’
  with others
• Social software and network technology
  allows and supports these connections.
• Slides available on Slideshare at
  http://www.slideshare.net/terrya/the-dance-
  of-technology-and-pedagogy-icde-2009

                              Terry Anderson
                      terrya@athabascau.ca
  http://cde.athabascau.ca/faculty/terrya.php
                    Blog: terrya.edublogs.org

More Related Content

The Dance of Technology and Pedagogy ICDE 2009

  • 1. The Dance of Technology and Pedagogy in Self-Paced Distance Education Terry Anderson, Canada Research Chair in Distance Education
  • 2. • Why do distance educators continue to argue that pedagogical issues alone must define their instructional designs?” • “Pedagogy is seen to be trailing behind technology in the sense that pedagogy is shaped by the existing technological tools instead of it dictating how technological advances have to support teaching and learning” Madiba&Mwamza-Simwami 2008
  • 3. • Technology affords the interactions that create learning opportunities • Pedagogies define the way that technologies are best used Technology Pedagogy
  • 4. Dance Metaphors • the technology sets the beat and the timing. • The pedagogy defines the moves.
  • 5. First generation of DE • Dancing alone • Students are free to interpret the design and the content as they wished, • the dance did not meet the need – of epistemologies based upon community creation of knowledge, – pedagogies based on collaborative, cooperative or connected interaction, nor – the learning needs of individuals with low levels of personal autonomy Postal Technology
  • 6. 2nd generation of distance education • Big Band Era • Broadcast, production values, exposure • passive observations, rather than active engagement Broadcast technologies
  • 7. 3rd Generation: Conferencing • Synchronized cohorts • collaborative and cooperative distance learning pedagogies Conferencing technologies
  • 8. Now Generation Self-paced,Connectivistlearning. • Networked coordination and collaboration using social software, • Global distribution and participation • Opportunities for individuals to: – find each other, – study and work together, – support and challenge each other and – yet still retain the fundamental freedoms of pacing and start and completion dates. • This emerging generation of distance dance allows learners to create their own social and individual moves that meet not only their educational, but also their social, emotional and economic needs as they engage in the lifelong learning dance.
  • 9. Self Paced Programming • Continuous enrollment • Maximizes learner freedom • Most effectively meets demanding lifestyles of mobile students • Challenged by collaborative pedagogies • Paulsen’s theory of Collaborative Freedom (Paulsen, 2007) • Social Software as ‘Killer App’ (Anderson, 2004)
  • 10. Connectivist Pedagogy • Learning and knowledge rest in diversity of opinions • Learning is a process of connecting and coherently organizing human and information sources • Capacity to know is more critical than what is currently known • Nurturing and maintaining connections is needed to facilitate continual learning • Ability to make connections between fields, ideas, and concepts is a core skill. • Currency (accurate, up-to-date knowledge) is a key component of quality (from Siemens, 2005)
  • 11. Connectivist Technologies From Siemens and Tittenberger, 2009
  • 12. Connectivist Dance • Learning can be enhanced thought the connection of many networks and this “amplification of learning, knowledge and understanding through the extension of a personal network is the epitome of connectivismquot; (Siemens, 2004) • Connectivism builds human capital: – “People who live in the intersection of social worlds are at higher risk of having good ideas” R. Burt, 2005, p. 90
  • 13. Conclusion • Individual freedom and choice is critical to the connectivist dance • Choice in even self-paced learning distance learning, involves choice to meet and ‘dance’ with others • Social software and network technology allows and supports these connections.
  • 14. • Slides available on Slideshare at http://www.slideshare.net/terrya/the-dance- of-technology-and-pedagogy-icde-2009 Terry Anderson terrya@athabascau.ca http://cde.athabascau.ca/faculty/terrya.php Blog: terrya.edublogs.org