Ed tech's failure during the pandemic, and what comes after. (March 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Reich, Justin
• Is Part Of: Phi Delta Kappan. Volume 102:Number 6(2021)
• Page Start: 20
• Page End: 24
• Publication Date: 2021-03
• Subjects: COVID-19 -- pandemic -- technology -- education -- edtech -- learning management systems -- video -- apps -- transformation -- tinkering; Education -- United States -- Periodicals; Greek letter societies -- Periodicals; Onderwijs; Éducation -- Périodiques; Associations désignées par des lettres grecques -- Périodiques; Éducation; Enseignement; Pédagogie; Politique éducative; Recherche en éducation; Réforme du système éducatif; Services aux élèves; Système éducatif; États-Unis; Étude comparée (Descripteur de forme); Périodique électronique (Descripteur de forme); Ressource Internet (Descripteur de forme); 371.0097305
• DOI: 10.1177/0031721721998149
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0031-7217

Abstract

For decades, technology advocates have claimed that we are on the cusp of a complete transformation in education. But, as Justin Reich explains, such transformations have not yet come to pass. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers did not use technology to significantly alter their teaching. Instead, technology enabled them to maintain many of their classroom routines (using learning management systems or video conferencing) or supplement their usual instruction (using gamified apps). Teachers did, however, tinker with their methods throughout the pandemic, gradually improving over time. Reich suggests that this tinkering framework is a more realistic way to think about ed tech's potential to support teaching and learning .