until these contingencies harden into technological necessities and become nearly unchangeable in future generations. There’s an old story that is basically true: Ordinary Roman carts were constructed to match the width of Imperial Roman war chariots because it was easier to follow the ruts in the road left by the war chariots. The chariots were sized to accommodate the width of two large war horses, which translates into our English measurement as a width of 4′ 8.5″. Roads throughout the vast Roman empire were built to this spec. When the legions of Rome marched into Britain, they constructed long distance imperial roads 4′ 8.5″ wide. When the English started building tramways, they used the same width so the same horse carriages could be used. And when they started building railways with horseless carriages, naturally the rails were 4′ 8.5″ wide. Imported laborers from the British Isles built the first railways in the Americas using the same tools and jigs they were used to. Fast forward to the US Space shuttle, which is built in parts around the country and assembled in Florida. Because the two large solid fuel rocket engines on the side of the launch Shuttle were sent by railroad from Utah, and that line transversed a tunnel not much wider than the standard track, the rockets themselves could not be much wider than 4′ 8.5.”

“So, a major Space Shuttle design feature of what is arguably the world’s most advanced transportation system was determined over two thousand years ago by the width of two horses’ arse.” More or less, this is how technology constrains itself over time.

In addition to the primary drive of preordained development (force #1), and in addition to the escapable influences of technological history (force #2), there is society’s collective free will in shaping the technium (force #3).

we found that whiteboard animations have a positive effect on retention, engagement and enjoyment, although we do not rule out the possibility that some of this result is due to novelty

While animations have a long history in the realm of education, and there is a plethora of research on instructional animations, attempts to measure their impact on educational outcomes have been inconclusive and often contradictory (Betrancourt, 2005)

For practical applications, however, the relevant question is not whether animations affect learning, but rather when and how animation affects learning ( Höffler & Leutner, 2007; Mayer & Moreno, 2002)

the primary technological means used to enhance teaching was to provide visuals for attention, engagement and interaction

They applied technology for a number of reasons: student engagement, time management, motivation and meeting individual students’ needs.

Variables such as influence of mentor teachers, technology access, skills, pedagogical competence and personal attitudes had an impact on their application

y, my response to ed tech is “It depends.” And one key consideration on which it depends is the reason given for supporting it

But the rationale that I find most disturbing — despite, or perhaps because of, the fact that it’s rarely made explicit — is the idea that technology will increase our efficiency

Other people, particularly politicians, defend technology on the grounds that it will keep our students “competitive in the global economy.”

What is happening is that Excel is displaying a series of # signs instead of the text.

First things first: Excel can store about 32,000 text characters in a cell, but it can only display up to 255 characters if the cell is formatted as text. If the cell contains more than 255 characters and the cell is formatted as text, then the hash marks are displayed.

The solution is to change the format of the cell to general; then the text will display as you expect.

What is happening is that Excel is displaying a series of # signs instead of the text

Computer-based games and virtual worlds provide opportunities for learners to be immersed in situations in which they can experience and get close to phenomena and processes

This immersion helps them develop tacit/implicit understanding and intuitions about such phenomena and processes as they think about choices, take action, and see the impact of their decisions in a meaningful context.

It is difficult to get the integration of games and learning right.

Quite frankly I found the SAMR-model, as it was presented, to be over simplistic and even trivial.

The idea that technology not only affects the quality and efficiency of tasks but also changes the conditions for communication, interaction and learning,

There are, for instance, studies showing the decreased reading abilities among Swedish children can be tied to an increase in computer use

, it is daily struggle of teachers and administrators coming to me with computer programs and websites that guarantee student growth and engagement – a “Box of Magic,” if you will. Most of these products cannot provide peer-reviewed research that demonstrates the basis for the design of their products

e-O'Hagan onmia mutantur nos et mutamur in illis Resume

And yet, if your school district has an “ill” there is a vendor ready to sell you a “cure”.

his is a helpful thought in a society that has placed more attention on the fact of digital technologies (the new iPhone!) than on what we do with them

but all technologies, to some degree or another, are enmeshed in what Langdon Winner calls ‘regimes,

Design of tools has—as Illich pointed out—been accomplished in the absence of any consideration of their effects on social, cognitive, and political regimes. Designers can be better educated. And so can the users of their tools

Here’s a list of what you need, from some of Schank’s early 1990s work: Learning goals – target skills or understandings the student will grapple with Mission – objective the student will pursue Cover story – a fictional background story that provides a motivational context for the activity Role – the character a student will play in the simulation Scenario operations – the activities the student will perform to achieve mission, presented in optimal sequence. Resources – the reference materials the student will use to solve the problems presented Feedback – provided by experts (usually through video) but in just-in-time segments, usually telling stories about related experiences

will the technological tail be allowed to wiggle the educational dog or will it be the other way around

Education is far too important to society to be wiggled by a technological tail. Let technology show us what can be done, and let educational considerations determine what will be done in actuality

The first factor, the Technological Paradox, results from the consistent tendency of the educational system to preserve itself and its practices by the assimilation of new technologies into existing instructional practices. Technology becomes "domesticated", which really means, that it is allowed to do precisely that which fits into the prevailing educational philosophy of cultural transmission.