This week I read four articles about educational technology research by Salomon & Perkins (2005), Barron (2006), Clark (1994), and Kozma (1994). The first, by Salomon & Perkins, focused on whether or not technology necessarily makes us “smarter” and stood out in its effects of, with, and through technology. The second, by Barron, focused on learning technology from an ecological perspective, which I found interesting. The third, by Clark, stood in contrast to the fourth, by Kozma, as each depicted the need for/against media and method in technology’s use.
The first article I read, about whether or not technology makes us “smarter,” was written by Salomon & Perkins (2005). The authors wrote of a defined partnership between the effects “of, with, and through” technology: the “of” being using technology leaves a residual way of thinking on its participants, the “with” being how technology enhances intellectual performance, and the “through” being how technology does not only enhance performance but reorganizes it. The authors found that, with technology, yes, we preform smarter. Of technology, yes, we react smarter (as seen with video gamers and their reaction time to real-life events). And through technology, well, that’s not yet apparent. Their comparison of the of / with / and through of technology yielded that “of” had a modest magnitude but was slow to emerge, “with” had a quick pace, and “through” was fully transformative and first. They also spoke of effects through metaphors, which they called hybrid, transformative, generative, and flexible.
The second article, by Barron, focused on learning technology from an ecological perspective, as stated. The author looked at three environments (school to home and community, informal learning with friends into school classes, and home leading to out-of-school classes in the community then school) where students could excel. The author further looked at five self-initiated types of knowledge-building strategies, namely: text-based information, interactive activities, exploration of media, seeking of structured learning, and building of knowledge networks. Barron used interviews with students who learned well, one in each of the three environments, to test his theories. In the future Barron is interested in learning how interest develops. I found the interactions of human-human and human-environment most interesting.
The third article, by Clark, contrasted the fourth article, by Kozma, so I will write of the two together. Clark juxtaposes method and media, pitting them against one another. He also views media as economic and used to develop technology’s instructional method. Kozma views technology as the physical, mechanical, or electric capabilities of a medium. Symbol systems are sets of expressions by which information is communicated about a field of reference. And processing capabilities are a medium’s ability to operate on symbol systems. Kozma therefore believes media and method to (together) inform results. These articles were very different to read because they stood in stark contrast. Every time Clark made a point, Kozma had already anticipated it. I tend to side with Kozma’s view that technology is part of the medium. I think of a computer in a classroom: it’s not the end it’s the means.
Readings this week gave me a new view of educational research theory. I hope to continue learning more in the near future.
References
Barron, B. (2006). Interest and self-sustained learning as catalysts of development: A learning ecologies perspective. Human Development, 49, 193-224.
Clark, R. E. (1994). Media will never influence learning. Educational Technology Research and Development, 42(2), 21-29.
Kozma, R. B. (1991). Learning with media. Review of Educational Research, 61(2), 179.
Salomon, G., & Perkins, D. (2005). Do technologies make us smarter? Intellectual amplification with, of and through technology. In R. J. Sternberg, & D. D. Preiss (Eds). Intelligence and technology: The impact of tools on the nature and development of human abilities (pp. 71-86). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
annotation Azevedo-et-al Barron Berliner Bransford CIM Clark Cobb Collins Halverson constructivism Driscoll ecology ed research EDU800 EDU 800 education research Gutierrez-Penuel HAL Hoepfl hypertext instructionism interview Jacobson Kellie's Blog Kozma Kuiper-et-al Labaree literature review Plengkham qualitative Ross Salomon Perkins Sawyer SFT Shapiro-Neiderhauser Shulman Spiro DeSchryver SRL Stough-Lee technology week1 Week2 Week3 Week4 week5