International Perspectives on the Role of Technology in Humanizing Higher Education

Enakshi Sengupta, Patrick Blessinger, Mandla Makhanya, Enakshi Sengupta, Patrick Blessinger, Mandla Makhanya

• Publisher: Emerald Publishing Limited
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN:
  9781839827136
• eBook ISBN:
  9781839827143
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education Technology

The debate around how to maximize the use of technology in education is ongoing, and embedded in the argument that successful inculcation of knowledge cannot happen only by improving the curriculum. But what role does technology play in humanizing higher education? How can it facilitate the kind of all-round development, beyond the classroom, which allows students to create a positive impact on social welfare and community wellbeing? 

The authors of this volume address the humaneness that surrounds the world of technology in education. By highlighting the use of emerging technologies in pedagogy and drawing on real-life case studies, they address the ongoing debate that technology brings a positive effect on education and beyond. More important than ever as mankind faces unprecedented challenges to classroom-based education, and the demand for technology grows, the authors demonstrate how technology continues to fulfil the challenges of creating a more democratic educational environment.

PART I

CREATING HUMANNESS WITH TECHNOLOGY

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES ON THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN HUMANIZING HIGHER EDUCATION

Enakshi Sengupta, Patrick Blessinger and Mandla S. Makhanya

ABSTRACT

The world’s educational space is facing critical issues from globalization, accessibility and effort to integrate both technology and learner-centered knowledge. Educational practitioners, scholars and influencers are enthusiastic about infusing technology in their pedagogy and teaching–learning practices. There is a growing concern among policy-makers about the learning benefits of inducing technology into education, the psychological impact using technology and the safety of the information in learning environments. However, radical changes have taken place in the socio-political world, and education has become more democratized and humanized. Students are made aware the value of knowledge in a hyperconnected world and the need to continually learn throughout all stages of life. Successful inculcation of knowledge cannot happen only by improving the curriculum but also by achieving through an all-round development that allows the students the freedom to choose and participate in independent activities that result in social welfare and community well-being. The debate as to how to maximize the use of technology in education continues. This book aims to address the humaneness that surrounds the world of technology in education. It highlights the use of emerging technologies in pedagogy and case studies are cited to address the ongoing debate that technology brings a positive effect on education and mankind. The demand for technology continues as mankind faces unprecedented challenges where classroom education may not be possible. Technology continues to fulfill the challenges of creating a more democratic educational environment.

Keywords: Technology; learner-centered; safety; information; educational program; curriculum; accessibility; improvement; humanized; psychological impact

INTRODUCTION

Much has been written and debated about the current higher education system and its failure to deliver accessibility to quality education system. Current challenges comprise of increasing tuition costs and pressures for educational reform (Atkinson, 2010; Lederman, 2008; Lynch, 2013). Many academics have argued that students are disengaged in the learning process and the current teaching–learning process practiced in most universities does not encourage critical thinking or creativity (Atkinson, 2010). It is not only the students but academics have argued that faculty are equally disengaged in the process of teaching and assign over-inflated value to the exam and grading process. At some institutions, the main factor that motivates the faculty is finishing the assigned content, grading the students and completing the semester without placing much value to the creative learning process and engaging students with real problems of society. A survey conducted by McKinsey in 2013 showed that many graduates are unprepared for the “real world” and not equipped to compete in the job market (McKinsey in collaboration with Chegg, Inc., 2013). Gutting (2011) noted that proponents of higher education reform need better engagement as far as student–teacher relationship is concerned.

Our planet’s resources continue to be stretched and it has become more complex with robotics, biotechnology, genetics and other innovations, which has a positive effect on mankind but at the same time makes our living more uncertain amid ever-growing global issues (Blessinger, Sengupta, & Makanya, 2020). Educational systems are undergoing rapid changes and alignment on a day to day basis where various institutions are competing with one another. The current and future curricula should be able to accommodate the needs of the students, enhance their life skills and develop their ability to think creatively and critically (Lase, 2019). There has been growing anxiety among educational institutions to contain the paradoxes and address them effectively so that our future generation is well equipped to create solutions to handle these issues. Strategies are crafted by institutions for curriculum re-orientation incorporating information and communication technology (ICT), data computerization and technology literacy to create globally minded citizens having the required skills and competencies for future.

Technology is capable of alleviating us from the challenges that we are facing. Some of the new innovations that can raise the standard of higher education are e-textbooks, open resources, online classes, simulations, gamification, flipped classroom and active learning classes. Massive open online courses and learning management systems have changed the face of education, making it open and accessible to all. Yet, technology cannot be treated as one-size-fits all. While imparting online education one needs to remember the individuality of the student, the cultural background, exposure in the past, physical abilities and esthetic values. Hence, learner-centered approach is not confined to classrooms alone but should be extended to online learning, and technology should be able to support the humane side of the learners.

In order to make higher education more humanistic, institutions need to review their objectives, content and technologies that create a more humanistic-oriented education along with creative interaction with the actors and identifying a practical paradigm to make such an effort effective and working (Ignatovitch, 2016). Humanizing the student–teacher relationship is based on the system theory of personality developing training. It begins with the teacher paying attention to the students individually, treating them the highest social value and giving undivided attention to develop the intellectual, moral and physical qualities of the learner. Acquisition and development of knowledge are directed toward a humanistic approach where the traditional goal of education and training is reoriented into acquiring skills and competencies. A university degree is no longer valued as the one capable of algorithmic actions but one that developing artistic skills and have the freedom to choose their life-defining goals and professional activities (Ignatovitch, 2016).

LITERATURE REVIEW

Successful countries are facing the industrial revolution 4.0 with automatization and use of technologies in every field of progress. New generations are adapting to such rapid changes and it is the faculty member who can help them to acclimatize to such changes. Mentors and other faculty members are required to learn about the new ever-changing technologies, gain mastery over them and prepare themselves for global challenges. Every university needs to prepare itself for new information and literacy in this particular field of education. Old forms of literacy that depended on reading, writing and mathematics are giving way to data literacy, technology, and human capabilities and creativity. Literacy in technology will help students to learn about mechanics and automation, whereas humanizing the role of technology will create awareness about how to interact with the world and with people (Aoun, 2018).

Education requires optimization by making use of creative, innovative technology and is expected to change and adapt themselves with outputs that cater to the changing era. Fisk (2017) explains the existence of a new vision of learning that promotes learners to learn not only skills and knowledge that are needed but an awareness that helps the students to identify the source to learn these skills and enhance their knowledge. With the advancement of technology, Quantz (2015, p. 99) emphasized that “social reconstructionist have developed into many different strands of educational thought, today this philosophy is best represented by a school of philosophy referred to as critical pedagogy.”

Osiceanu (2015) also warned us about the dramatic uptick of the presence of technology in a learning environment resulting in cyber and virtual learning, giving very little thought as to how this might impact the students and their constant exposure to technology. What remains to be discussed and researched in the concept of humanization and critical pedagogy is grossly absent in a virtual setting. Education for long has been navigating the unchartered path of usage of technology and in times of crisis this has resulted as a boon to educators and students, but in spite of the welfare of the masses, there has been a dearth in normative discussion surrounding the priority of technology in institutions of higher education. Technology has been considered inherently beneficial for students and pedagogical practice and the absence of a discourse that critically examines the role of technology, and its impact has led to an influx in the usage of new platforms, apps and software’s fanned by corporate influence updating them without considering the intellectual autonomy of faculty members, exercising monopoly of over captive markets.

Fisk (2017) as cited by Aziz Hussin (2018) has advocated several trends that relate to Education 4.0. E-learning tools are helpful in places that are hard to reach, remote and considered volatile. They give the students the opportunity of self-paced learning. The learning can be personalized and individual students with their separate chat rooms can seek help from the faculty, which in most cases they would have been shy or reluctant to do so. They have a choice of how to learn which content to access from the open sources and which they feel is difficult to comprehend. Students are subjected to mentor-based learning with individualized attention hence project-based learning is a great possibility to be explored. Students instead of being passive listeners can now apply logical trends in interpreting the given set of data and they can be assessed differently which otherwise may have been irrelevant. Mentors will have to pay more attention in designing and updating the curriculum and students on the other hand will be more responsible and independent in learning.

Education 4.0 is increasingly gaining its popularity and it is usually used by educationists to describe the integration of cyber technology into learning. Education 3.0 (Lase, 2019) as we know emphasized on neuroscience, cognitive psychology and educational technologies. Education 4.0 stresses on harmonizing human and machines to find solution to various problems and issues that can ultimately result in human welfare (Hussain, 2013). Dunwill (2016) also predicted significant changes as to how classrooms in the future will operate or even look like. There might be significant changes in the classroom layout, educational landscape will change with the integration of virtual and reality. Flexible learning style, flexibility in assignments and flexibility in assessments would take a center stage and online learning options will have a great impact on higher education.

Individuals in the age group of 18–23 years are getting exposed to the concept of higher education and integrating education with employability, which are embracing technologies in their everyday lives. This Generation Z (Gen Z) is welcoming the challenges and is actively participating in group discussions, interactive learning environment and self-paced...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Part I. Creating Humanness with Technology
• Part II. Emerging Technologies in Pedagogy
• About the Authors
• Name Index
• Subject Index