The Techno-Pedagogical Pivot: Designing and Implementing a Digital Writing Tool
In educational technology, the idea of innovation is
usually tethered to contemporary technological inventions and
emerging technologies. Yet, using long-known technologies in ways
that are pedagogically or experimentially new can reposition them as
emerging educational technologies. In this study we explore how a
subtle pivot in pedagogical thinking led to an innovative education
technology. We describe the design and implementation of an online
writing tool that scaffolds students in the evaluation of their own
informational texts. We think about how pathways to innovation can
emerge from pivots, namely a leveraging of longstanding practices in
novel ways has the potential to cultivate new opportunities for
learning. We first unpack Infowriter in terms of its design, then we
describe some results of a study in which we implemented an
intervention which included our designed application.
[1] N. Saeed, Y. Yang, and S. Sinnappan, “Emerging Web Technologies in
Higher Education: A Case of Incorporating Blogs, Podcasts and Social
Bookmarks in a Web Programming Course based on Students’ Learning
Styles and Technology Preferences,” Journal of Educational Technology
& Society, vol. 12, no. 4, pp. 98–109, Oct. 2009.
[2] G. Veletsianos, Emerging Technologies in Distance Education.
Athabasca University Press, 2010.
[3] C. S. Dybdahl, D. G. Shaw, and E. Blahous, “The Impact of the
Computer on Writing,” Computers in the Schools, vol. 13, no. 3–4, pp.
41–53, Aug. 1997.
[4] C. A. MacArthur, S. Graham, and J. Fitzgerald, Handbook of Writing
Research. Guilford Press, 2006.
[5] A. J. Cañas and J. D. Novak, “Concept Mapping Using Cmap Tools to
Enhance Meaningful Learning,” in Knowledge Cartography, A. O. Bs.
MA, S. B. S. Bs. MSc, and T. S. Bs. MA, Eds. Springer London, 2008,
pp. 25–46.
[6] D. P. Ausubel, J. D. Novak, and H. Hanesian, Educational Psychology:
A Cognitive View. Werbel & Peck, 1978.
[7] J. D. Novak and D. B. Gowin, Learning How to Learn. Cambridge
University Press, 1984.
[8] J. D. Novak, Learning, Creating, and Using Knowledge: Concept Maps
as Facilitative Tools in Schools and Corporations. Routledge, 2010.
[9] D. C. Rice, J. M. Ryan, and S. M. Samson, “Using concept maps to
assess student learning in the science classroom: Must different methods
compete?,” Journal of Research in Science Teaching, vol. 35, no. 10, pp.
1103–1127, Dec. 1998.
[10] K. Cho and C. MacArthur, “Student revision with peer and expert
reviewing,” Learning and Instruction, vol. 20, no. 4, pp. 328–338, Aug.
2010.
[11] M. Kalantzis and B. Cope, Literacies. Cambridge University Press,
2012.
[12] J. P. Spradley, Participant observation. New York: Holt, Rinehart and
Winston, 1980.
[13] R. S. Weiss, Learning from strangers: The art and method of qualitative
interview studies. New York: Free Press, 1994.
[14] H. F. Wolcott, The art of fieldwork, 2nd ed. Walnut Creek, CA:
Altamira Press, 2005.
[15] V. A. Anfara, K. M. Brown, and T. L. Mangione, “Qualitative analysis
on stage: Making the research process more public,” Educational
Researcher, vol. 31, no. 7, pp. 28–38, 2002.
[16] A. L. Strauss and J. M. Corbin, Basics of qualitative research:
Techniques and procedures for developing. Sage Publications Inc, 1998.
[1] N. Saeed, Y. Yang, and S. Sinnappan, “Emerging Web Technologies in
Higher Education: A Case of Incorporating Blogs, Podcasts and Social
Bookmarks in a Web Programming Course based on Students’ Learning
Styles and Technology Preferences,” Journal of Educational Technology
& Society, vol. 12, no. 4, pp. 98–109, Oct. 2009.
[2] G. Veletsianos, Emerging Technologies in Distance Education.
Athabasca University Press, 2010.
[3] C. S. Dybdahl, D. G. Shaw, and E. Blahous, “The Impact of the
Computer on Writing,” Computers in the Schools, vol. 13, no. 3–4, pp.
41–53, Aug. 1997.
[4] C. A. MacArthur, S. Graham, and J. Fitzgerald, Handbook of Writing
Research. Guilford Press, 2006.
[5] A. J. Cañas and J. D. Novak, “Concept Mapping Using Cmap Tools to
Enhance Meaningful Learning,” in Knowledge Cartography, A. O. Bs.
MA, S. B. S. Bs. MSc, and T. S. Bs. MA, Eds. Springer London, 2008,
pp. 25–46.
[6] D. P. Ausubel, J. D. Novak, and H. Hanesian, Educational Psychology:
A Cognitive View. Werbel & Peck, 1978.
[7] J. D. Novak and D. B. Gowin, Learning How to Learn. Cambridge
University Press, 1984.
[8] J. D. Novak, Learning, Creating, and Using Knowledge: Concept Maps
as Facilitative Tools in Schools and Corporations. Routledge, 2010.
[9] D. C. Rice, J. M. Ryan, and S. M. Samson, “Using concept maps to
assess student learning in the science classroom: Must different methods
compete?,” Journal of Research in Science Teaching, vol. 35, no. 10, pp.
1103–1127, Dec. 1998.
[10] K. Cho and C. MacArthur, “Student revision with peer and expert
reviewing,” Learning and Instruction, vol. 20, no. 4, pp. 328–338, Aug.
2010.
[11] M. Kalantzis and B. Cope, Literacies. Cambridge University Press,
2012.
[12] J. P. Spradley, Participant observation. New York: Holt, Rinehart and
Winston, 1980.
[13] R. S. Weiss, Learning from strangers: The art and method of qualitative
interview studies. New York: Free Press, 1994.
[14] H. F. Wolcott, The art of fieldwork, 2nd ed. Walnut Creek, CA:
Altamira Press, 2005.
[15] V. A. Anfara, K. M. Brown, and T. L. Mangione, “Qualitative analysis
on stage: Making the research process more public,” Educational
Researcher, vol. 31, no. 7, pp. 28–38, 2002.
[16] A. L. Strauss and J. M. Corbin, Basics of qualitative research:
Techniques and procedures for developing. Sage Publications Inc, 1998.
@article{"International Journal of Business, Human and Social Sciences:70106", author = "Justin D. Olmanson and Katrina S. Kennett and Bill Cope", title = "The Techno-Pedagogical Pivot: Designing and Implementing a Digital Writing Tool", abstract = "In educational technology, the idea of innovation is
usually tethered to contemporary technological inventions and
emerging technologies. Yet, using long-known technologies in ways
that are pedagogically or experimentially new can reposition them as
emerging educational technologies. In this study we explore how a
subtle pivot in pedagogical thinking led to an innovative education
technology. We describe the design and implementation of an online
writing tool that scaffolds students in the evaluation of their own
informational texts. We think about how pathways to innovation can
emerge from pivots, namely a leveraging of longstanding practices in
novel ways has the potential to cultivate new opportunities for
learning. We first unpack Infowriter in terms of its design, then we
describe some results of a study in which we implemented an
intervention which included our designed application.", keywords = "Design, innovation, learning, technology, writing.", volume = "9", number = "7", pages = "2278-4", }