In authors or contributors

Moving beyond the predictable failure of Ed-Tech initiatives

Resource type
Journal Article
Authors/contributors
Title
Moving beyond the predictable failure of Ed-Tech initiatives
Abstract
The development of Information and Communication Technology has created waves of excitement about its power to fix educational problems and improve learning results, prompting a succession of policy efforts to integrate digital technology into education. Educators, schools and corporations are increasingly driving these initiatives. This article makes the argument that a narrow vision of digital technology, which both ignores the complexity of education and wastes valuable public resources, is becoming an obstacle to significant improvement and transformation in education. Utilising our research and experience in the field of educational technology, this paper problematises the common elision of ‘technology’ and ‘digital technology’. From this basis, we then critically reflect on various common approaches to introducing digital technology in education under the guise of promoting equality and digital inclusion. These include national government-led programmes, more recent trends for local school-led initiatives, and the role of non-formal education initiatives led by corporations/foundations. Amidst the varying surface-level ‘failure’ and/or ‘success’ of these approaches, we point to limited underpinning ‘information and knowledge society’ logics in framing the application of digital technology to education. As such we conclude by considering the educational challenges for future Ed-Tech initiatives.
Publication
Learning, Media and Technology
Volume
45
Issue
1
Pages
1-15
Date
September 17, 2019
ISSN
1743-9884
Accessed
23/01/2020, 10:13
Library Catalogue
Taylor and Francis+NEJM
Extra
shortDOI: 10/ggcdkp
Citation
Sancho-Gil, J. M., Rivera-Vargas, P., & Miño-Puigcercós, R. (2019). Moving beyond the predictable failure of Ed-Tech initiatives. Learning, Media and Technology, 45(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2019.1666873