How Education Works Teaching, Technology, and Technique

In this engaging volume, Jon Dron views education, learning, and teaching through a technological lens that focuses on the parts we play in technologies, from language and pedagogies to computers and regulations. He proposes a new theory of education whereby individuals are not just users but co-participants in technologies—technologies that are intrinsic parts of our cognition, of which we form intrinsic parts, through which we are entangled with one another and the world around us. Dron reframes popular families of educational theory (objectivist, subjectivist, and complexivist) and explains a variety of educational phenomena, including the failure of learning style theories, the nature of literacies, systemic weaknesses in learning management systems, the prevalence of cheating in educational institutions, and the fundamental differences between online and in-person learning. Ultimately, How Education Works articulates how practitioners in education can usefully understand technology, education, and their relationship to improve teaching practice.

This thought-provoking book goes deep into the technical aspects of education, exploring the critical intersections between teaching, technology, and effective techniques. How Education Works challenged my assumptions and opened my eyes to new educational possibilities. It is a must-read for educators, students, and anybody interested in the future of learning.

Mahmoud Hawamdeh, Al-Quds Open University

About the Author

Jon Dron is the Associate Dean, Learning and Assessment in the Faculty of Science and Technology at Athabasca University. He has received both national and local awards for his teaching and is author/co-author of over 150 academic publications in the fields of education and technology. His eclectic academic background includes post-secondary qualifications in philosophy, information systems, higher education, and learning
technologies

Reviews

The contribution to the field of education that this book makes—as a learning technology that educators can experience in their own ways—is deep and meaningful. […] Anywhere that teaching and learning take place—which is everywhere and constantly—practitioners can benefit from consideration of Dron’s ideas. I highly recommend reading and exploring this book either in print or digital (open and no-cost) format.”

Jenni Hayman, IRRODL

Dron’s book [is] an essential read for educators, instructional designers, and scholars interested in the complexities and evolutions of educational technology and its impact on instructional strategies.”

Angela Monserrat Jara Ocampos, Digital Education Review

If we want to improve learning outcomes, inclusivity and student engagement, we must rethink what and how we teach and the ways in which technology-enabled learning can support quality teaching and effective learning. The author of this book is an experienced distance educator who writes clearly and well. His book, which is free to read online, will provoke you to think and examine your practice.”

Contact North | Contact Nord

Dron’s technological lens will resonate with teachers and teacher educators regarding the teacher training process they themselves have received or delivered and the textbooks they have read, and it will encourage them to rethink their own teaching and learning experiences.”

Xiaojun Kong and Chenkai Chi, Canadian Journal of Education

Table of Contents

1. Acknowledgements
2. Prologue
3. Introduction:
4. Preamble:  Elephant Spotting
   1. 1. A Handful of Anecdotes about Elephants
   2. 2. A Handful of Observations about Elephants
5. Part I:  All about Technology
   1. 3. Organizing Stuff to Do Stuff
   2. 4. How Technologies Work
   3. 5. Participation and Technique
6. Part II:  Education as a Technological Phenomenon
   1. 6. A Co-Participation Model of Teaching
   2. 7. Theories of Teaching
   3. 8. Technique, Expertise, and Literacy
7. Part III:  Applying the Co-­Participation Model
   1. 9. Revealing Elephants
   2. 10. How Education Works
8. Epilogue
9. References

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). It may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes, provided that the original author is credited.