The Importance of Learning Philosophies on Technology Selection in Education

Abstract

Educators are often overcome by the daily concerns of the classroom so they tend to focus on what has worked in the past. It seems a luxury to take the time to ask the more fundamental question: what is learning? Yet this question lies at the fore of our profession and defines our choice of teaching methods.

It has become a truism that social interaction is essential to the educational process. Furthermore, the ubiquity of technology, with its capabilities and its hold on users, has generated endless suppositions about its potential in education. We are told that technology is transforming education.

However, at the heart of education lies a philosophical schism about the nature of knowledge and learning. Technology choices depend on and will amplify our teaching philosophy, so examining our assumptions about teaching is essential when designing appropriate learning interventions.

This paper explores Socratic, behaviourist, and constructivist views of learning and explores how social interactions is framed within each of these theories. What types of interactions matter and how can we facilitate them utilising contemporary technology? It is proposed that learning philosophies are a fundamental but oft-overlooked consideration for teachers, who would do well to choose a particular model and apply complementary approac