Ed/Tech must-reads 060525

Supporting teachers' value-sensitive reflections on the cost–benefit dynamics of technology in educational practices from British Journal of Educational Technology

One thing that I really like about working in and around the (applied) educational technology space is the number of passionate opinions that my colleagues hold about everything from design principles to the morality underpinning the implementation of these tools in given contexts. This may surprise some of the critical theorists in the space who sometimes like to describe us as mindless cheerleaders for shiny things. This recent article from Hernandez-Lo and Ginoyan (Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona) examines an approach taken in Spanish schools to empower teachers more in their decision making process about using such technologies by emphasising their own values. It facilitated greater mindfulness about new approaches to teaching and the evaluation of teaching tools.

Building a policy research agenda in educational technology: current disconnects and future recommendations from Journal of Computing in Higher Education

This paper takes a wider view, applied to higher education, of some of the things which lead to disconnects between people researching educational technologies and those people developing policy about its use. Hodges (Georgia Southern University) and Moore (Uni New Mexico) identified four challenges - differing priorities, communication barriers, cultural differences, and the political side of policy. They urge researchers to consider the practicalities of their recommendations and to be more mindful of what is involved holistically across an entire institution in implementation. This paper articulates so many things far more eloquently than I have ever managed to do - including here.

167: Inside the Design of a Learning Design Qualification – Keith Heggart from Learning Uncut (53 mins 10 secs)

One day I will get around to setting up a parallel newsletter/email thing all about third space matters to spare those of you who just want to read about the ed and tech side of things (instead of the people who enable it) - but that day is yet to come. Keith Heggart (Uni of Technology Sydney) is a lovely chap that I’ve known for some time now and he teaches a very good learning design course in Sydney. This podcast from L&D specialist Michelle Ockers dives deep into the decisions made in designing this design course and how Keith ensured that it gave learners practical skills.

OpenAI Adds Shopping to ChatGPT in a Challenge to Google from Wired

This may not be a big story but it might point to one. Generative AI platforms are wickedly expensive to run (both financially and environmentally) and to date, for all the advances, none of them are turning a profit. Clearly this means that there are people out there pouring money in, hoping to hold on for long enough to get it back. Maybe running ads and selling products in your tool is just a logical next step, but it seems rather off-brand for all the bold messaging that we have heard about changing the world and it is hard not to wonder whether, ultimately, its destiny is to become the latest in a long line of online shills.