This week we will examine educational theories and their impact on the use of educational technology. Theory, and its application to practice is an important part of learning at the graduate level. The traditional theories of education have something to say about how educational technology should be used. A new theory, Connectivism, is also presented. Unlike other domains, not all educational theories are mutually exclusive and often educators find they make use of different theories in different situations.
Don’t feel you need to adopt one theory as your own, and don’t feel that you must immediately change your teaching practice to match the recommendations of applicable theories. Often theory points to a better practice, but implementing this can be problematic. Regardless, practice in the field of education is better when educators are aware of the theoretical basis for their actions.
