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Thinking about how we should use technology in education is thinking about how we want to shape the future of education and, indeed, how we want to shape future humans. Theory is needed to illuminate the issues at stake, but there is only a very limited amount of existing theory specific to educational technology. Moreover, when theory is referred to this is almost invariably education theory without any influence from the theory of technology. This first chapter explains why we think a new...

In most histories of educational technology, technology is referred to as a way of supporting education. In this chapter, we explore what happens when this framing of the relationship is reversed and we think about education as a way of supporting technology. We begin with the story of some of the first schools 4000 years ago in Ancient Sumeria. These, we claim, were created to support what was then a relatively new information and communications technology, cuneiform literacy. We argue that...

The theory of affordances has been widely applied in studies of educational technology. In particular, it has been suggested that different education technologies ‘afford’ different kinds of teaching and learning. In this chapter, we look back to the origin of affordance theory in the work of perceptual psychologist James Gibson. We then offer a brief history of how affordance has been adapted and applied to educational technology. It has been suggested that the concept of affordances is too...

Designing educational technology implies ways of thinking about the role of technology in the educational process. This chapter looks at some of the most influential ways in which the role of digital technology in education has been imagined: technology as a ‘teaching machine’, as a ‘tool for thinking’ and as a ‘learning environment’.

In this chapter we look at three ‘grammars’ of educational technology, or ways of using and thinking about education technology, that are informed by the advent of the internet: online mediated communities of practice, educational online multi-user role-play games, and connectivism. Each of these grammars has different strengths and weaknesses. Our critique leads us towards a new way of understanding the role of educational technology which we call a ‘dialogic’ grammar or a dialogic foundation for the design of educational technology.

Heidegger’s discussion of the way that tools and technology enter into experience has had a profound impact on the philosophy of technology. In this chapter, we look at the implications for design that follow from his account. We interrogate Heidegger’s criticism of modern technology, which he argues ‘enframes’ us and cuts us off from a more authentic and nourishing relationship with ‘Being’. We find that while Heidegger described modern technology as a danger, he also recognised it as an...

This chapter explores the relationship between technology and human meaning making. We begin by challenging the common assumption that technology is a threat to human meaning and move on to explore why collaborations with technology can lead to a greater sense of meaning for learners. We argue that education for meaning requires the design of educational technology that helps learners to more deeply participate in systems that unite the biological, social and technological.

This chapter explores the concept of dialogic space in education and its relationship with technology. We begin by tracing the history of communications technology and its intersection with education, leading up to the emergence of AI chatbots as dialogue partners, arguing that technology has an important role in fostering dialogic spaces. We explore the modern concept of dialogic space, which is rooted in educational research and emphasises the importance of creating a space for open and...

This chapter explores the concept of ‘dialogic time’ and its potential to offer insights into the design and use of technology in education. Education, we argue, is centrally concerned with drawing students into participation in the longer-term dialogues of culture such as science and the arts. We suggest that the design of educational technology and associated pedagogy can bring different temporal contexts into a dialogic relation. Considering dialogic time as well as dialogic space can...

In this chapter, we explore the role of theory in educational technology research and ask what the role of theory should be. We begin with a brief history of education and educational technology research. This history suggests these fields have been dominated by ideas about research that are rooted in the affordances of print technology, in a way that does not fit the needs and affordances of digital technology. We also establish how there has been an unproductive alternation between what we...

This chapter summarises our investigation into the theory of education technology and outlines a dialogic theory which we hope will prove useful as a foundation for educational technology design. To better understand education and how to improve it, we need to take technology seriously and listen to its ‘voice’. Our proposed dialogic theory focuses on how to design educational technology to support the opening, widening and deepening of dialogic spaces. It is about designing pedagogy with...

This publication is one part of a series of rapid evidence reviews that has been produced by the EdTech Hub. The purpose of the rapid evidence reviews is to provide education decision-makers with accessible evidence-based summaries of good practice in specific areas of EdTech. They are focused on topics which are particularly relevant in the context of widespread global challenges to formal schooling as a result of COVID-19. All the rapid evidence reviews are available at edtechhub.org.

Tablet use in schools: a critical review of the evidence for learning outcomes

Haßler, B., Major, L., & Hennessy, S. - 2016 - Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 32(2), 139–156

The increased popularity of tablets in general has led to uptake in education. We critically review the literature reporting use of tablets by primary and secondary school children across the curriculum, with a particular emphasis on learning outcomes. The systematic review methodology was used, and our literature search resulted in 33 relevant studies meeting the inclusion criteria. A total of 23 met the minimum quality criteria and were examined in detail (16 reporting positive learning...

Digital technology offers the potential to address educational challenges in resource-poor settings. This meta-analysis examines the impact of students' use of technology that personalises and adapts to learning level in low- and middle-income countries. Following a systematic search for research between 2007 and 2020, 16 randomised controlled trials were identified in five countries. Studies involved 53,029 learners aged 6–15 years. Coding examined learning domain (mathematics and...