The Move is On! From the Passive Multimedia Learner to the Engaged Co-creator

Abstract

The educational integration of information and communication technologies (ICTs) has led to unfounded hopes of meeting many recurring educational challenges: from increasing learner motivation to lowering drop-out rates. ICTs are not an educational revolution per se; in some situations, their pedagogical usage lead to truly technologically-enhanced learning (TEL) situations, whereas in others, ICTs could relegate the learner to a passive spectator or low-interactivity user/consumer of multimedia content that limits the implementation of a socio-constructivist learning process based on a collaborative knowledge construction process. In this article, we analyze the limits of techno-centric approaches in the integration process of ICTs to teaching and learning, and argue for active learning and reflexive approaches to TEL. The Passive-Participatory (P-P) model we are suggesting can be termed as being socio-constructivist, participatory and inclusive as it allows teachers to integrate ICTs into their own specific educational context. Our model introduces five learning engagement levels in the pedagogical usage of technology: (Level 1) passive ICT usage, (Level 2) interactive ICT usage, (Level 3) content creation, (Level 4) content co-creation and, ultimately, (Level 5) participatory knowledge co-creation, which is oriented toward problem understanding within learning/knowledge-building communities. Building on Coates' definition of learning engagement as being the extent to which learners are actively involved in educational activities, the PP model of TEL activities stresses learning engagement could be limited to passive listening (e.g. video), low-interactivity usages (e.g. interactive school manuals), or could be supported through the usage of technologies for engagement in creative work.