As a learning technologist, I’ve always found it helpful to distill complex concepts into their simplest forms. When it comes to pedagogy, I like to think of it as the science behind teaching—how educators teach and how learners absorb knowledge. In my role, I view the faculty, staff, and students at TRU as the users of the learning technologies that Learning Technology & Innovation (LT&I) provide.
The Importance of Fairness and Empathy
One of my core principles is treating people fairly. I strive to ensure that each of my “students”—the users of our learning technologies—feels welcome and that their needs and requests for assistance are treated with importance.
Let’s face it: when technology doesn’t cooperate, it can feel like the world is crumbling around you. I’ve found that many users come to me in a state of frustration or panic when they’re struggling with our systems. In these moments, I’ve learned that empathy is key. By putting myself in their shoes, I can better understand their perspective and quickly formulate a plan to guide them towards resolving their own problems.
Whether I’m responding to email requests, facilitating workshops, or making classroom visits, I always aim to model good ethical practices, approach situations with kindness and compassion, and create meaningful learning experiences.
Ethics in Learning Technologies
In my experience, it’s not enough to simply talk about ethical best practices in learning technologies—we must embody them. I’m a strong advocate for Open Pedagogy, which can include creating, adapting, or updating Open Educational Resources (OER).
The internet has dramatically expanded access to information, knowledge, and educational resources. I’m fortunate to work in a department that provides an open education infrastructure, offering faculty, staff, and students easy access to tools like Moodle, WordPress, Mattermost, and SPLOT!
Given the time and resources required to create digital artifacts, I believe in developing and sharing persistent, reusable resources. This approach not only demonstrates the possibilities of open pedagogy but also creates authentic learning environments and promotes sustainability.
By modelling these practices, I can share the resources I develop and encourage others to do the same. This is important because a key component of my team’s work is prioritizing access and equity in post-secondary education. Open resources play a vital role in keeping costs down for students, from open textbooks to free alternatives for homework systems and classroom engagement tools.
The Power of Kindness and Compassion
It’s easy to make assumptions about people’s technological knowledge, especially when it comes to the learning technologies I work with daily. I constantly remind myself not to fall into this trap. Most people don’t interact with these technologies frequently, nor do they share my background knowledge.
When people struggle with technology, they’re often in a state of stress—trying to facilitate an online exam, share promised course materials, connect with students virtually, or calculate final grades. Students might be racing to meet an assessment deadline or attempting to join a virtual classroom. Making assumptions about their skills only leads to further frustration.
In these situations, I’ve found it’s best to connect with the person either online or by phone. This allows me to listen actively and be present in the moment. On numerous occasions, I’ve discovered that the person I’m assisting has limited computer skills and has never used our learning management system before. These moments present opportunities to take a step back, ask questions, and collaboratively formulate a plan of action.
Meeting people where they are and moving alongside them is critical. Once I understand their skill level, I can effectively teach them how to use our learning technologies and share ideas about why they might want to learn and use these tools. Teaching with kindness and compassion enhances positivity towards our learning technologies. Even small improvements in technical skills can brighten a person’s future with learning technologies.
Creating Meaningful Learning Experiences
While learning technologies are designed to facilitate teaching and learning, it takes human intervention to make these technologies truly meaningful. Technical specifications and user documentation can explain how to use a technology, but they don’t cover how to nurture students on their learning journeys or how to create meaningful, authentic learning experiences. Moreover, these resources often fall short in showing educators how to empower students to make the most of these tools, or how to foster an environment where technology enhances rather than hinders the learning process.
I’ve found that hands-on workshops provide an excellent environment for creating authentic learning experiences. These workshops offer a safe space to learn new skills with familiar technologies or to explore entirely new tools. I encourage participants to use sandbox environments where they can experiment freely, rekindling the sense of play we often associate with childhood. In my experience, this playful approach at work triggers creativity and innovation, and when done collaboratively, it fosters teamwork. I’ve observed that when people work hands-on together, creative thinking emerges and new ideas are born.
These hands-on workshops also simulate our current e-learning environment, serving as a bridge between learning about technology and implementing it. Participants can practice actions and responses before going live with their students. By duplicating current online environments, I create a familiar space for play, creativity, making mistakes, and embracing the messiness of learning.
In conclusion, I’m passionate about technology and thoroughly enjoy using it to transform teaching and learning. By focusing on ethics, kindness, and meaningful experiences, I can harness the full potential of learning technologies to enhance education for all.