elearning-reviews continues to provide a first-rate service with this review of Pierre Dillenbourg's Integrating technologies into educational ecosystems. Here is an excerpt from the Chrysi Rapanta's review:
"The article is divided in four basic sections called respectively: ‘Faded Myths’, ‘Convergences’, ‘Examples of Integrated Learning Environments’ and ‘Orchestration’. Starting from the first one, Dillenbourg addresses four basic myths, referring to overstatements about learning technologies that are currently losing their previously high status.
The first myth is about the overestimated effect of the use of media in education, stressing the fact that media itself do not bring pedagogical innovation, in the same way that teachers do not necessarily provoke good learning outcomes.
The second myth is about the futuristic approach regarding the upcoming ‘success’ of e-learning applications. According to Dillenbourg, teachers’ current technological skills are fairly well developed so that lacking skills do no longer count as an excuse for the poor development of TEL practices.
The third myth consists of the assumption that a technological application yields the best results when it is as similar to traditional practices as possible. Recent research in the educational field has shown that this is not the case. In addition, the author suggests that designing TEL environments in a way that imitates traditional campuses or institutions does not help teachers exploit the whole range of possibilities that new technologies offer.
Dillenbourg finishes with the fourth myth considering the teachers’ role. The teacher today is neither a ‘sage on the stage’ nor a ‘guide on the side’. To provide all the meta-knowledge ‘hidden’ in the learning contents he has to be in the middle of the scene, whatever the means of teaching are."
Note to self. Find out if Pierre Dillenbourg wants to speak in the UK.The first myth is about the overestimated effect of the use of media in education, stressing the fact that media itself do not bring pedagogical innovation, in the same way that teachers do not necessarily provoke good learning outcomes.
The second myth is about the futuristic approach regarding the upcoming ‘success’ of e-learning applications. According to Dillenbourg, teachers’ current technological skills are fairly well developed so that lacking skills do no longer count as an excuse for the poor development of TEL practices.
The third myth consists of the assumption that a technological application yields the best results when it is as similar to traditional practices as possible. Recent research in the educational field has shown that this is not the case. In addition, the author suggests that designing TEL environments in a way that imitates traditional campuses or institutions does not help teachers exploit the whole range of possibilities that new technologies offer.
Dillenbourg finishes with the fourth myth considering the teachers’ role. The teacher today is neither a ‘sage on the stage’ nor a ‘guide on the side’. To provide all the meta-knowledge ‘hidden’ in the learning contents he has to be in the middle of the scene, whatever the means of teaching are."
Comments