The journal article was called ‘Postdigital Education in Design and Practice‘ and it was presented by the author, Tim Fawns from The University of Edinburgh. The article considered the interdependence between technology and education i.e. learning is still learning whether you put an ‘e’ in front of it or not, and how technology is now used in almost all forms of teaching and learning, whether deliberate or not. The article explored the origins of the term ‘digital technology’ and how its meaning has changed with each decade (century even!).

The group discussed the problem with saying pedagogy should drive technology as using any technology shapes practice. The group reflected on the need to start with the original goal of what you want to teach, who your learners are (their context and background) and the different ways you could teach. Once this information has been considered, then you look at the methods and tools to accomplish this. With the rush to move teaching online, so that it was accessible during the Coronavirus pandemic, the starting point has often been to look at online options to continue to deliver teaching the way it was done the previous year.

The group discussed the need to develop a culture of online engagement which allows students to get to know the team (programme administrators, programme director, tutors etc.) and sets expectations, for example, with communication. They acknowledged that human connection in online learning is perhaps more important that in face-to-face learning.

The group concluded that postdigital education was about good design without getting hung up on labels – designing education around what you want learners to do and then deciding how best to deliver that. Learning happens in many messy and unprescribed ways – it is about using the different tools in the best way to make sure learning happens.

Continue the conversation through our Yammer Pedagogy Journal Club.