The ambition of the Stellar NoE is to unite the disjoint TEL scientific community, not only socially by supporting collaborations and networking, but scientifically at the level of the concepts and models, building relationships between theories and frameworks, facilitating a mutual understanding of methodologies from different disciplines and the consensus on methodologies we need to construct. The interested reader could get a view of this project by reading its presentation by its steering committee (Gillet, Scott and Sutherland 2009*).
Stellar has identified three Grand Challenges** to prioritize, where research in education, computer science and psychology (to mention a few of the disciplines likely to contribute) could join their efforts. They are: connecting learners, orchestrating learning, contextualising learning environment and instrumentalizing contexts.
The objective of this Scientific corner, created in the framework of the Stellar Scientific Portal, is to contribute to the collective effort by offering a place where a conversation could develop around key concepts, recently published papers, questions raised in workshops and seminars, or any scientific event which could be of interest to understand better the multidisciplinary nature of our domain. The policy will be to invite a researcher or stakeholder in the TEL area to write a short position paper, and then to open the discussion to the whole community.
Let us take a first example: at the core of the Grand Challenge "connecting learners there is the belief that web2.0 technology will enhance learning by creating successful new forms of collaboration open to learners at any point of their life of learning. Even if technology and education will share this statement, their view are rather different. From a technology point of view, by nature web2.0 technologies will be closer to the need of learners because they reflect the dynamic and social nature of learning, while for education they are an opportunity but their efficiency will depend on the presence of means to control the level of learning and gauge the degree to which the individual actively engages in and contribute to the shared activity (e.g. Trentin 2009 in the case of wikis). The issue which then emerges is the contradictory relation between openness and control, self-directed use and the desire to achieve learning goals.
Isn't it the case that this tension is the core of the tension between technology and education in the TEL research area?
posted by Marie Joubert on Monday 8th, February 2010 (11:51)
I think the tension you describe is a tension that permeates the Web 2.0 debate but I am not sure it is 'the core' of the tension between technology and education in the TEL research area. I suggest that this tension existed long before Web 2.0 arrived. MY comment would be that there probably isn't ONE core of the tension but many:
- Tension 1: Educators/teachers are presented with a new technology and it is suggested how they might use it in their classrooms or other teaching environments. The educators/teachers do not really want the new technology and making changes is difficult, and they are not convinced that it is worth the effort, so they don't bother.
- Tension 2: Assessment drives almost everything in formal education settings. It is difficult to see how the open and collaborative ways of working and learning promoted by Web 2.0 fit with the closed forms of assessment that dominate in our current climate.
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