Technology is never neutral. An incredibly clever teacher might be able to pull a technology a little bit between the vertices in the triangle, but that doesn’t change the equation. Educators need to decide upon whom they wish to bestow agency. I’m in Papert’s corner. It is best for learners and enjoys the greatest return on investment.source
Doug Belshaw adds a different take on this, suggesting that it either supports or pushes against the status quo:
There’s no such thing as a neutral system, so every time you design a new technology-based system, you’re designing to reinforce or subvert existing power structures.source
He uses the example of Open Badges to illustrate this.
Using the example of trowels used for masonry, Virginia Eubanks explains that the affordances impact the user’s experience:
I can’t swap them out. If I forget my 1/4 inch trowel and the building I’m working on has 1/4 inch joints, I’m screwed. How you use a tool isn’t totally determined – you can use a hammer to paint a barn. But you’ll do a terrible job. (2/4)
— Virginia Eubanks (@PopTechWorks) October 24, 2018
Why are smart people so susceptible to a “Guns don’t kill people; people kill people” argument when we discuss tech? And what does it mean that tech critics so deeply misunderstand something as simple as a trowel? (4/4)
— Virginia Eubanks (@PopTechWorks) October 24, 2018
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