How do humans and technology interact with each other? This question keeps coming up in discussions among professional educators. In this article, we put an end to the idea of “pedagogy before technology” and show why penguins are a great example of digitalization.
Pedagogy before Technology?
What would you answer to the following question: “Should pedagogy come before technology?” This very question is addressed by educator Axel Krommer in an article from the Route Planner for Digital Education. However, not everyone understands the question in the same way. Therefore, Axel Krommer presents three interpretations of the “pedagogy before technology” question:
Technology should serve humans, not the other way around.
First implement the pedagogical aspect, then the technology.
Exclude technology when it comes to pedagogical goals.
Let’s take a closer look at these three interpretations of the question.
To the first: Krommer rightly calls this interpretation “trivial” – because who seriously believes anything else? I don’t need to shout “pedagogy before technology!” when there is no one claiming anything else.
To the second: I, like Axel Krommer, consider this assumption to be false, because everything is technology and technology and pedagogy cannot be so easily separated: Even when you’re “just” writing with a pen on paper, you are using a specific technology.
To the third: This is where it gets trickier! Because we at blink.it have always pointed out that when setting goals, it’s important to initially exclude the technology or the format. We stand by this: Don’t plan “a seminar on leadership”, but rather plan to “develop leaders in a specific characteristic”.
However, Axel Krommer highlights an important core point:
The true added value of digital media lies not […] in achieving old goals faster, but in exploring completely new dimensional goals for the first time.
This means that you cannot completely exclude technology when setting goals because you intuitively always think about it. This thought is an absolute enrichment for all education professionals: Technology and pedagogy cannot be so easily separated – even if you think you do! The following example from the world of penguins illustrates this.
The Penguin Metaphor for Digitalization
What do penguins have to do with digital media? I could write a lot about this, but the following video provides a wonderfully simple answer:
Jöran Muuss-Merholz explains in the video why digital media are not just a tool. Just like Axel Krommer, he shows that humans and media cannot be easily separated.
If a penguin that has only lived on land were to set a goal, he would automatically only set goals that are possible on land. He would not think about flying because he cannot do that in his “green medium” (on land). In water, he is, quite literally, in another element: Here he can suddenly “fly” and move differently, achieving completely different goals.
Similarly, we humans face new (digital) media: We try to figure out what works well and often unconsciously set standards that we know from our old media.
Conclusion: How Humans and Media are Interconnected
Let’s summarize the essential statements:
No one seriously believes that humans should serve technology.
When setting educational goals, you cannot completely exclude the choice of media. It’s better to consciously consider them rather than unknowingly restrict yourself.
Digital media are more than just a tool.
Humans and technology, or pedagogy and media, are interdependent.
This very development is the “digitalization” everyone is talking about: It is not about new media completely replacing the old ones. It’s not about having to fear technology. It’s not about machines taking our lives away. Digitalization means being allowed to explore new media and thereby completely rethinking learning as such.
What does this insight mean for our actions? The answer is: Experiment! Let’s dive into the new media world and gather experiences. Let’s recognize that digitalization doesn’t flatten our “old world”, but enriches it. Let’s broaden the horizon of our goals and consider digital media from the very beginning.
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