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Educational Technology What Kind of History?. EDC&I 510 30 Sept 2009. Definition?. “…the scientific study of the practical or industrial arts” (Here, “education” = a “practical art”?) Oxford English Dictionary, sense 1.a
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Educational TechnologyWhat Kind of History? EDC&I 510 30 Sept 2009
Definition? • “…the scientific study of the practical or industrial arts” (Here, “education” = a “practical art”?) • Oxford English Dictionary, sense 1.a • “the application of scientific knowledge to the practical aims of human life” • Encyclopedia Britannica
Possible Approaches-WHAT to Consider • Devices • Film projector, computer, chalkboard • Symbol systems • Writing, number systems, musical notation • Theoretically based methods • Skinnerian programmed instruction, Ausubel lecture method • Production systems • Textbook writing and editing
Possible Approaches-HOW to Consider It • Devices and their perfection over time • Heritage of ideas • Behaviorism • Cognitive psychology/learning sciences • Critical theory • Policy development and implementation • Social anthropology of classroom use
The “original technology” for education? Complexity and expensive production limited access “Discipline” of copying as a “moral good” Mediaeval scriptorium DEVICESBooks (manuscript and printed)
Early aid to basic literacy Horn layer = “student-proof technology” Reusable, simple production 17th century hornbook DEVICES The Hornbook
New England Primer (from mid-17th c.) Picture-verse combinations aid memory Common cultural experience Primer from 1784 DEVICESEarly Textbooks
Mid-19th century (Germany, Netherlands) Easy, large-class display Better printing technology allows easier production Kny’s botanical charts, ca. 1874 DEVICES Wall Charts and Maps
Most successful educational innovation of the 19th c.? (And maybe 20th?) Ease of use, reusable, user-friendly (Except for teacher-back-turned problem) DEVICESThe Chalkboard
Chautauqua Desk “Swiss Army Knife” of educational material Part of larger “movement” for self-improvement, home education Chautauqua desk, ca. 1916 DEVICES Clever Combinations
Really?!? But this thing is so simple… Yeah, but: It spread around US classrooms faster than any other “device” Why? DEVICESOverhead Projector
From 4000 BCE Codify knowledge Cultural continuity Systematize thought Papyrus with hieroglyphs SYMBOL SYSTEMSWriting systems
The Thousand Character Classic Ca. 520 CE, by Zhou Xingsi Explicit “instructional design” Meaning and sound represented Calligraphic version SYMBOL SYSTEMSInstructional text
“Symbol systems” for representing knowledge Encoding, operations, etc. Reisch, Margarita Philosophica, 1508; Arithmetica instructing an algorist and an abacist SYMBOL SYSTEMS Mathematical Representation
LABANOTATION Represent dance movements, including speed, direction, lights source, etc. Cf. musical scores Other similar systems for rhythm, etc. SYMBOL SYSTEMS Other Representation Forms
Orality vs. Literacy debate McLuhan’s theses Tufte on PowerPoint, etc. Walter Ong SYMBOL SYSTEMSSo Do They Have Cognitive Effects?
THEORETICALLY BASED METHODSSkinnerian Programmed Instruction Skinner’s behaviorist learning theory Wide popularity in late 1950s-1960s B o r i n g . . .
From simple book to industrial complex Production team model Systems for regular revision Competition: OER PRODUCTION SYSTEMSTextbook writing, editing, revision
Possible Approaches-HOW to Consider It • Devices and their perfection over time • Heritage of ideas • Behaviorism • Cognitive psychology/learning sciences • Critical theory • Policy development and implementation • Social anthropology of classroom use
Our Approach Here:View from the Past Devices Emergence of new symbol systems to capitalize on what those devices make possible Incorporation of those symbol systems into educational materials, products, experiences Research studies to determine if those materials (etc.) are effective
Our Approach Here:View from the Present • Research studies (done in the past) • More contemporary studies or reviews that address those or related themes • Understanding* of the contributions of past work • * Knowledge and appreciation • Extension of existing lines of work • Avoidance of pitfalls and blind alleys!
What Else? Comments, extensions, arguments? Thanks! Steve Kerr