Lisewski & Joyce is an interesting read but I found they only touched on some of the skills required of learning technologists. Citing (Beetham et al. 2001: 24) they identify that ‘to achieve the right balance between the pedagogical approach and the appropriate use of a given technology within the prevailing resource and environment, learning technologists require effective tools, processes and discourses to establish their professional identity’. If this is the case then how and what should they train for?
The suggestion made by Lisewski and Joyce that Learning Technologist’s must bring their skills to bare and inform the process of teaching and learning online is further enhance by the requirement to cater for a wide spectrum of capability. Is this not touching on the teacher’s skills to be able to adapt their teaching styles to fit the learners individual learning needs? I agree a learning technologist must be able to deploy the whole multitude of online educational provision to meet the requirements of a variety of learners but is this not just an extension of toolset a teacher should be able to call upon or are learning technologists just restricted to technology based learning means? Conversely should learning technologists therefore not engage with the conventional learning techniques used by teachers in the classroom?
I am finding it difficult to place the learning technologist in a specific professional group. They deliver training by their assistance of moderators and selection of appropriate technology, yet they do not manage and do not deliver teaching to ‘pupils’ in the conventional sense. Research read so far appears to limit there employment within HE. More technically involved than a teaching assistant and their exploitation of an acquired knowledge and skill-set pushes them towards the definition of ‘professional’. Learning Technologist’s appear to be a new perhaps emergent profession born out of necessity to engage in modern learning techniques through the use of technology. The question for me is, are they a subset of the elearning professional previously discussed in CA5.2 or a subset of the teacher role?
mark, thank-you for your help with definitions. As for this paper I think we are once again looking through the historical lens.
ReplyDeleteI think the person they describe in the article was a character which was easier to spot 10 years ago. I think the current teaching profession have a much clearer idea about what they want to achieve from the technology they use.
For example:Take the VLE that the OU use (moodle) When the OU started using it I can envisage they relied heavily on the learning technologist but now.... I can't imaging the course team handing over the reins to dare I say 'non professionals.' I am sure there is a whole technical department at the OU following the instructions given to them by the academics. They will be required to do the donkey work not the design work don't you think?
I have no experience of the OU working it is just my guess.
Lesley
Hi Lesley thanks for your comment. I beleive you are right about the historical lense, in my recent experience a learning technologist would fit the bill as a facilitator for SMEs to use appropriate tools in designing good elearning. I attended a Moodle course for developers last week and our intention in the military is to encourage SME's to create the content. The LT could be used a sounding board for new ideas and guide those that need assistance. By providing the training to SMEs the design and delivery of online courses can be decentralised and locally run by training delivery authorities (for the forces this is at school/college level). Regards
ReplyDeleteMark