More of the same

I want to continue the discussion around technology and pedagogy. 

When I wrote my critique of using Google Docs to create self-graded quizzes, my premise was:

TECHNOLOGY + POOR PEDAGOGY = ACCELERATED MALPRACTICE

Scott McLeod then wrote a follow up post titled In the beginning, educator technology usage may not be very pretty, where he asked some thought provoking questions:

If teachers are engaging in instructional behaviors that we might consider less desirable, does showing them how to do those more efficiently with technology help them transition out of those practices or reinforce the status quo? Does introducing the technology tools potentially open the door to better practice or does it simply further solidify current practice? Do we hook technology onto what they already know and do – even if it’s not the greatest pedagogy - with the end goal of getting to a different place, or do we reject those practices and advocate immediately for something new and different?

I think Allan's comment answers some of Scott McLeod's questions:

In my honest opinion, the type of assessment drives teaching and when computers start to make life easier, it will not stop at multiple choices but using programs to assess essays etc (there are already such programs). These types of programs are so appealing to those in control of education because it provides data and fast. It won't free up time because there will be just more of it to come.

See this post if you want to see how technology is being abused and misused in assessing students' written work even at the post secondary, Masters level.