Kajal Madeka's Digital Portfolio

Technology is most commonly defined by evoking examples of the physical products or manifestations such as computers, cell phones, PDA’s, scanners, cameras and the like. Similarly, Media is traditionally viewed as a means of communication and transmission of information or content (newspapers, television, radio, audio and video tapes) and also a means of information storage and transfer (digital media devices).

However, in the context of education, these terms take on implications beyond their commonly held meaning. To arrive at a working definition of technology and media in the educational context, I find it relevant to evoke the theoretical framework of TPCK (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge)* and examine how this course, (CI 501: Foundations of Instructional Technology) through design based activities and critiques helped untangle the deeper, implied meaning of the terms technology and media. 

TPCK explores the complex relationship between content, pedagogy and technology and in so doing, defines both the transformative and constraining influences that have to be considered for their thoughtful integration in education to enhance learning and teaching. 

The design based activities of creating a photo-essay, designing print media for individual and public use, planning, shooting and editing an instructional video and media critique not only led us to a full exploration of various technologies (Technology Knowledge) and mediums of representation (visual, print and multi-media / audio-visual), but also had us constantly traversing the boundaries of TPCK, at every stage, ‘grappling with issues of representation of content, pedagogy and technology’ (Mishra and Koehler, 2006). Along the way, we discovered through first hand experience, the affordances as well as constraints posited by the different technologies and mediums of expression (Technological Content Knowledge) and the systematic ways of conceptualizing, formulating, framing and synthesizing messages of different kinds, for different audiences, for transmission through different media (Technological Pedagogical Knowledge). 

Reflecting on the question of technology and media after these exercises, I have come to conclude that technology is not just a tool to enhance learning, but the processes involved therein – processes of systematic, planning, learning and application, process of making design decisions and choices. Thus in the educational context, technology is a ‘process’, which also changes our ‘process’ of learning and thinking. Media then, are the messages (content) that are created through the process of selection, elimination, synthesis and evaluation.

Reference:
​Mishra, P & Koehler, M.J. (2006) Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge: a framework for teacher knowledge. Teachers College Record 108:6. pp 1017-1054. Teachers College, Columbia University.    

Technology and Media