{"id":1845,"date":"2018-12-10T20:30:12","date_gmt":"2018-12-10T20:30:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/marendeepwell.com\/?p=1845"},"modified":"2018-12-12T10:51:28","modified_gmt":"2018-12-12T10:51:28","slug":"2018-the-year-learning-technology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marendeepwell.com\/?p=1845","title":{"rendered":"2018: The year Learning Technology"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Snapshots 2018: ALT Scotland, Glasgow; Blended Learning Symposium, Hong Kong Polytechnic; ILTA Annual Conference, Carlow, Ireland; CMALT Ceremony, Hong Kong; ALT Northern Ireland, Belfast; SEDA Annual Conference, Birmingham; OER18 Open Education Conference, Bristol, ALT’s Annual Conference & Awards Evening, Manchester, UK. Thank you to everyone’s who made my year.<\/strong><\/em> <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Against a backdrop of much political, social and environmental upheaval I have spent the past year working hard for all things Learning Technology – always on a mission to make better sense of how we relate to technology as we learn, teach and live. Learning Technology is so interesting and challenging because the work we do is happening at the intersection of education and work, constantly negotiating our relationship with technology as a society, as human beings. It brings into focus some of the biggest questions that we face in this age, questions about the role of machines in our world, artificial intelligence, about how knowledge is produced and ultimately the forces that shape our lives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Day to day the reality of supporting lecturers with a VLE or teaching adult learners how to get online is a little more prosaic than that, but if there is anything we have learnt this year it is that the legal, ethical and moral dimensions of Learning Technology are becoming ever more important. From the role of lecture capture in labour disputes to implementing GDPR and to safeguarding well-being online there is no shortage of examples that Learning Technology has indeed come of age and that we have to face these important questions in a manner that is not only practical, but equitable and fair for generations to come. And although this year has certainly brought with it much to be dismayed about, in Learning Technology there has been a new cause for hope as our work to create a more nuanced, a more critical and reflective discourse has gained momentum. No longer do we focus primarily on advocating for technology as a solution but on a more holistic approach that acknowledges the importance of people, of learners and teachers in every learning context. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So here is my year in Learning Technology in ten highlights for you to share, make use of and be inspired by:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learning Technology \u2013 A Handbook for FE Teachers and Assessors<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

My favourite part of this handbook (read the review<\/a>) is that is has a section on evaluating what you are doing and reflecting on it. It’s useful for many beyond Further Education and it’s written by someone who really knows their stuff – Daniel Scott<\/a>. If you haven’t come across it yet, put it on your reading list for 2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n