Gary Ackerman @garyackerman@qoto.org

A blog post on student autonomy now with audio:
https://hackscience.education/2023/07/31/on-student-autonomy/
#teaching #education #students

For students to have autonomy, they need both permission from teachers to make decisions and the capacity to accomplish what they want. Teachers build capacity and give students space to apply learning. #BuildingCapacity #EmpowerStudents

Recognize that teaching "the standards" can sometimes feel like teaching artificial limits. Educators must use care in setting the bounds of knowledge, balancing standards with potential restrictions on students. #EducationalStandards #CriticalThinking

While productive struggle is good, too much can lead to frustration which inhibits learning. Teachers need to observe, teach strategies for overcoming frustration, and intervene when necessary. #LearningStrategies #TeacherRole

Teachers must control curriculum when necessary to prevent accepting unscientific ideas in science class, like astrology. This ensures students interpret findings in terms of scientific theory.

Classrooms need a balance. Complete student control can lead to chaos, while complete teacher control can be stifling. The goal is finding the sweet spot where learning is nurtured. #Teaching #Learning #ClassroomManagement

Thinking about student autonomy in the classroom? It's not all or nothing! There's a continuum of student voice and choice, ranging from complete teacher control to complete student control. #Education #StudentVoice #StudentAutonomy

Media theorists observed a deep association between culture and information technology. It's hard to perceive the reciprocal effects between technology, cognition, and culture from within that system. #CultureAndTech #MediaTheory

Technologies originally for "information" were often quickly adopted for social interaction. Gossip, for instance, became a dominant, but unpredicted, use for systems like Minitel. #SocialTech

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Emergent properties are often very different from the properties of the system's individual parts. You can't predict them just by looking at the components.

The non-neutral effects of technology can be understood as emergent properties observed in complex systems. These properties appear when parts interact.

Edward Tenner coined the term "revenge effects". These are outcomes of technology that are contrary to the intended outcome, sometimes even making the original problem worse.

Unpredictability is a key characteristic that demonstrates technology is not neutral. We can't always know exactly how it will play out. #TechReality #NonNeutralTech

Educators often find it hard to see how technology affects student learning. Many perceive electronic and print information delivery as equally effective, reflecting the old "neutral" view. #EdTech

Ambivalence means technology inherently necessitates decisions. These choices are influenced by context & side-effects, and given the consequences, they are often political.

Philosopher Andrew Feenberg used the term "ambivalence" to capture the wide range of social uses and effects any technology can have. It highlights the complex nature of tech's impact.

Technology isn't neutral Information technology scholars are now revisiting the work of media theorists who showed tech's strong sociocultural influence.

An AI audio deep dive into a paper I wrote in 2016.
https://hackscience.education/2018/05/01/the-application-of-technology-acceptance-to-educational-design/

A challenge in integrating tech? Curriculum & instruction often continue unchanged despite tech availability. Leaders often note the exasperating amount of contradictory advice on what "works".

The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) incorporates factors influencing tech use. Key factors include: Effort Expectancy (ease of use), Performance Expectancy (usefulness), Social Influences, and Facilitating Conditions. #TechAcceptance #UTAUT