Technology-Enhanced Pedagogical Models to Learn Critical Citizenship at a South African University

Introduction

Technology integration (TI) is a heavily contested term in higher education. Its operational definition ranges from: the adoption of computers and networks as integral components of diverse curriculum aspects (Panel on Educational Technology, 1997), the appropriation of technology in ways that shift pedagogical styles and learning experiences (Sheingold & Hadley, 1990), to supporting teaching effectiveness and learning outcomes through the use of technology (Dexter, 2002; Redmann, Kotrlik & Douglas, 2003). However, contemporary literature on technology integration has focused more on how the inclusion of learning technologies in academic settings has affected learning environments and classroom cultures (Orlando, 2005), and the effects of technology adoption on qualitative changes of the curriculum like the accomplishment of more authentic and complex goals (Ertmer, 2005). Other TI studies have emphasised using technology to support active learning and participation in classrooms (Weathersbee, 2008) and to target higher level thinking, procedural and technical skills in the curricula (Dexter, 2002). Therefore, an overarching theme in TI definitions is the deployment of specific combinations of information and communication technologies (ICTs) and learning platforms to ensure effective delivery of pedagogical goals.

TI into the course enhances student on-task behaviors, allows their deep engagement with content, supports knowledge application and analysis of information and trains them to sift authentic information in an information driven world (Dockstader, 1999). Despite the good intentions of TI into curricula components, many technology-enhanced pedagogical approaches are still predominantly transmission-based because technology is merely harnessed as a supplement rather than an integral component of the learning process. As such, the availability of technology equipment does not in itself guarantee its effective and successful adoption in the classroom (Vrasidas & Kyriakou, 2008). Unsurprisingly, students continue to find technology-enhanced lectures less captivating and uninspiring. To further compound the challenge of insufficiently transformed pedagogical designs, the increasing cultural diversity and cosmopolitan nature of South African universities coupled with students’ varying access to emerging technologies in-class and out of classrooms means that the pedagogical challenge at these universities lies in designing technology-enhanced pedagogical designs that harness the learning capabilities of heterogeneous students with diverse learning needs, complex learning priorities, and learning styles.