This New York Times article highlights an important concept: Pedagogy before technology.

The physics department at MIT decided to do away with traditional lectures. Why? Attendance was low and failure rates were high.

Instead, they replaced the lectures with “smaller classes that emphasize(d) hands-on, interactive, collaborative learning” and the attendance has gone up while the failure rate has dropped by more than 50%.

The press or the layman might focus on the fact that the new settings have networked computers and interactive white boards. But all these are pointless if they ignore the change in pedagogy: The increase in hands-on and minds-on activities, the increased number of instructors for group work, the use of cognitive apprenticeship, etc.

The students actually petitioned against the changes initially. Change is always difficult to adjust to and engaged learning requires effort. But I am sure that they think differently now.

I think that this press article highlights some important lessons. When attempting to integrate technology 1) address a need, 2) don’t fall into the “cool tool” trap, and 3) be persistent and convince your stakeholders.

Don’t use technology for its own sake or because you have a requirement to fulfil. You will waste everyone’s time and create a bad impression about how technology might be used in education. Technology should be integrated so that it supports or otherwise enables learning (not necessarily teaching).

Think of the instructional strategies, learner needs and abilities, and curricular requirements amongst others things before the technology. The “bells and whistles” of technology will not ensure learning, but it can enable it if paired with suitable pedagogies.

The integration of technology should not be an isolated event. Technology integration should be consistent, persistent, logical and meaningful. Students, parents, and even colleagues might not be convinced that such technology-mediated pedagogies will work, but know that integrating technology and changing mindsets takes time. Keep at it and communicate your plans and efforts at critical moments.