Now What? (Education and Technology in a Post COVID World)

“The best practices discussed are built on the idea that students of all ages are not blank slates when they come to the classroom; instead, instructors can build on how minds look at the world based on what those minds have experienced in it so far.”

Sawyer’s (2006) introduction to The Cambridge Handbook of the Learning Sciences appears to neatly sum up what educators were already beginning to see as problems in education when the piece was written in 2006.

Throughout the piece, readers are given a sharp contrast between the “instructionism” practices of the traditional past and a more ‘learning sciences’-based approach in modern times. The author then goes on to elaborate on what students will need in today’s knowledge-based economy: to be versed in the ability to synthesize varying pieces of knowledge from varying disciplines; to be able to dialogue about what they are learning and the processes behind their learning; and the ability to apply what they are learning to real-world situations and problems.

The best practices discussed are built on the idea that students of all ages are not blank slates when they come to the classroom; instead, instructors can build on how minds look at the world based on what those minds have experienced in it so far. In the early 2000’s when this piece was written, the World Wide Web and social media was becoming more and more accessible through new technology, and research was beginning to examine how these tools could further enhance the learning sciences and what we know about how people learn.

I found this article to be a fascinating history of pedagogy/andragogy and modern instructional design. So much so, in fact, that I actually purchased the latest edition of Sawyer’s anthology to see the authors’ thoughts in 2021 when so much of what we counted on in educational design and learning environments had been upended by a global pandemic. I am looking forward to diving into the content in greater depth this week as it relates to my research interests in how higher education in particular changed dramatically in 2020 and the years beyond.

In the version assigned for our EDU 800 class, however, Sawyer clearly provides a contrast between instructionalism philosophies and a more constructivist approach. I also appreciated his introduction (to me anyway) of the term “learning sciences” and of research that had scaffolded on itself over the decades. I found it interesting that Sawyer cites changes in thinking in mainstream education that took place during my own formative years and noted how that impacted the creation of my ‘pre-teaching career alma mater’ PBS and the media of my childhood like “Sesame Street” and “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.”

At every turn, Sawyer’s article connected with my research interests: the history of education and what we now know about how students learn; the importance of creating engaging and welcoming environments for students of all ages; and how technology and media can be effective partners in our classrooms, rather than rivals or replacements. Even though the article itself is a bit dated, I am looking forward to reading the entirety of the book and comparing/contrasting the authors’ thoughts.

Sawyer, R. K. (2006). Chapter 1 introduction: The new science of learning. In R. K. Sawyer (Ed.). The Cambridge Handbook of the Learning Sciences (p. 1-16). New York: Cambridge University Press.