In ETEC 511, I have learned about and discussed the foundations of ET and how it influences and affects learning.  Interestingly, Januszewski’s (2001) article in which I could read a definition of ET produced by AECT in 1994 did not propose any new concepts but in fact was consistent with the terminology of ET.  In the article, it is said that  “instructional technology is the theory and practice of design, development, utilization, management, and evaluation of processes and resources for learning” (p. 103).  Januszewski (2001) insisted that the “changing educational environment” and “the growth of educational technology” in teaching and learning had opened new avenues in which diverse tools are enhancing the “educational environment” (p. p68).  Even though this definition of ET fits well in the modern environment and is empowering teachers and students in unexpected ways, it is clear that it will evolve as our relationship with objects and artifacts changes (Turkle, 2004).

In ETEC 511, we formed a cohort of two groups — over 45 very engaged MET students who provided 7,202 discussion threads during the semester.  In addition, at the time I took this course, I started a new job as a full time online teacher.  Hence, I spent much of my day online, from early morning to very late at night.  It was challenging to catch up with the discussion forum’s numerous threads and the course material readings; trying to perform in both was quite overwhelming.  Moreover, I also had to take care of my own students’ discussion forums in five different courses (over 70 students).  Indeed, this context has inspired me to create this cartoon for educational technology I called Technology Dependency (see below).

Technology Dependency

In order to complete this assignment, I was directed to a wiki site where I was exposed to various cartoon eTools from which I chose toondoo.com.  I continue using it in my own teaching and the lady’s character in my toon is the one I am using occasionally to provide messages to my online students.  It has become my online teacher’s avatar.

This assignment made me reflect on how it can become easy to spend a great deal of time on a discussion forum, how we can depend on technology and how we can almost be embodied by it.

Chosen Artifact

My chosen artifact is an essay review I wrote on Perceived Impact of Video Games on Boys’ Critical Thinking Skills.  In this essay, one of the ideas I discussed is how educators should pay attention to the media they are choosing to develop their students’ learning and critical thinking skills.  The essay takes a look at the effects of playing video games on literacy skills, attention skills and critical thinking skills and how playing video games can shape the 21st century culture.

Artifact: Perceived Impact of Video Games on Boys’ Critical Thinking Skills

Context

Being the mother of a boy with physical and learning challenges, I am interested in video games as an ET because I know how much my son is learning by playing with this technology.  The experience it gives him is beyond what both the real world and the school can offer.  Indeed, learning has become a game in which multiple skills are involved.

Reason

My choice of artifact is based on some observations I made concerning video games being a great ET that can improve a boy’s learning and critical thinking skills.  For that reason I think that further research should take place in this area, a thought I shared with Dr. Daphne Bavelier in a February 2011 conference I had the pleasure to assist on at the Learning & the Brain Conference in San Francisco called iGeneration: How the Digital Age is Altering Student Brains, Learning & Teaching.

Discussion

ET is more than just using any kind of educational tool to fulfil a lesson plan.  A good ET program, as we have discussed in ETEC 511, is one that allows both educators and learners to meet in the learning process.  It is the opposite of what was traditionally done in education, learning in a unidirectional way (Hawkridge, 1981).

Further, ET helps design materials for every student’s needs (e.g. special needs, physical disability).  It provides students opportunities to share thoughts, experiences and knowledge with an extended  learning community.  Indeed, the use of ET may involve the development of networks like video games and it may promote exploration, experimentation and the development of self-confidence as students’ social abilities are expanding.  Hence, video games are a good example of ET that can help students develop their learning abilities.

Gee (2003) stated that the more a player manipulates the game characters by making different choices as the game evolves, the more he/she becomes invested in and motivated by the game.  Watching my son playing video games is fascinating because I know that he becomes the main character — the hero — of the game.  Consequently, it allows him to have experiences he doesn’t have in real life, for example by becoming the hero of a game where he may have to walk, run and jump.  In that way, video games are empowering him.

Turkle (2004) discussed a similar idea when she talked about the embodiment of a person with a machine like a computer.  In this case the video game machine provides the possibility of having a “real life” in a virtual world (Gee, 2003; Feng et al., 2007).

In video games, the successful completion of the quest requires the player to engage him/herself in the game; every moment of it is one more step toward achieving a goal.  Indeed, since video games are “action-and-goal-directed preparations for, and simulations of, embodied experience they allow language to be put into the context of dialogue, experience, images, and actions.  They allow language to be situated” (Gee, 2007, p. 205).

Reflection