Cottom (2019) challenges us to think about some of the issues facing EdTech and provides hopeful aspirations for how we might move forward to create better outcomes and opportunities for students.
In my context of corporate learning and development, I feel that we too should be thinking more about how we are and will continue to approach the use of EdTech. I resonate with Cottom’s statement that just because we can do something with EdTech doesn’t mean we should. Over the past 15 years, I have seen the shiny new tools come and go and while many positive affordances have been experienced, it feels timely that we begin to reframe the discussion as Cottom suggests. I think we need to shift the focus from the organization’s needs and begin to more carefully consider our people needs when making decisions about EdTech. When using technologies in the past, we have made assumptions about skill levels required, accessibility, and willingness to engage with technology and this has created a gap where some employees are advantaged over others to succeed. If we take the time to closely examine how and why we use technology, then we can begin to take the steps necessary to use EdTech in an inclusive way.
The issue of disciplinary siloes that Cottom describes is a real challenge in our corporate setting as well. We have the corporate learning and development team making decisions about learning design and delivery and then the content matter experts who are also closest to the learners/employees have little involvement in the decision-making process. In my opinion, a corporate-level training development team should be considered too distanced from the content and subject matter experts to be the entity making all the decisions. This is a process that needs improvement. Perhaps taking Cottom’s advice and viewing EdTech as a “…a set of practices that further the greater good” (p. 10) may help guide us forward. In our context, perhaps we can define the greater good or our goal as, well-trained and informed employees developing through learning programs that acknowledge social and cultural aspects of learning and provide fair and equitable learning experiences for all. In our increasingly diverse, multigenerational, global workforces of the 21st century, the discussions that are happening in educational settings surrounding EdTech need to be happening in our corporate learning environments as well.
Reference
Cottom,T. (2019, August 16) Rethinking the Context of Edtec. Educause. https://er.educause.edu/articles/2019/8/rethinking-the-context-of-edtech
Hi Melissa,
I can relate to your post from my organizational learning and development (L&D) experience, especially with the new intriguing and cool L&D tool that are tempting, but often do not meet the needs of the organization or is simply short-lived. There is an angle though worth exploring as L&D professionals. Soon, younger generations who are already adept with emerging technologies, will join organization with digital skills, but necessary the critical skills to assume knowledge-work responsibilities. According to Moore’s (2016) study, there are seven skills that will equip younger generations entering the workforce to face the demands of work in “today’s knowledge-based, technology-driven, globalized environment” (p. 234). These real-world skills are: “collaboration, knowledge construction, skilled communication, global awareness, self-regulation, problem-solving, and technology used in learning” (p. 234). This may involve organizations to create work opportunities for these early-career individuals to develop these skills. In that case, L&D professionals may have to consider the cool technologies to motivate and engage the younger workforce to learn and practice these critical skills.
Moore, C. (2016). The future of work: What Google shows us about the present and future of online collaboration. TechTrends, 60(3), 233-244. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11528-016-0044-5