Plugged In or Unplugged? Does it matter?

Plugged In or Unplugged? Does it matter?

For many digital pedagogy might be a term with which they have come across in other disciplines and different settings, but for me, this was not the case. The first time I was confronted with the term and what it meant was in my first Computer Use class in the PGCE program. As if the program itself was not strange to me already, seeing that my undergraduate degree differed somewhat as to what I will now be doing, being confronted with this term and being told that we would be actively be engaging in the practice of digital pedagogy, admittedly spurred a feeling of confusion, uncertainty and even fear within me. But all was not lost, in order to broaden my knowledge on this practice, I consulted a secondary source by Paul Fyfe and to much relief, the confusion, uncertainty and fear was put to rest. This is what the source states…

When thinking of digital pedagogy, the initial thought is that it is dependent on technology. Instruction, therefore, has to take place with the aid of technological equipment- this is a frequent misconception. According to Fyfe, for digital pedagogy to take place, technology is barely needed. This is particularly important within the South African context, as access to technology is limited in some areas. “Digital Pedagogy Unplugged” is therefore a means of conducting the practice in a context where the alternative is not always possible.

The concept of “Teaching Naked” comes into play here. No, it’s not meant in the physical sense, although that might be a daunting experience. The source speaks of teaching naked as the practice of teaching without technology. But with the increase of the prevalence of incorporating technological means into the field of education, “Teaching Naked” becomes somewhat irrelevant because of the educational benefits technology offers.

Focus is then shifted to Cultural Studies and the influence technology has on it. According to Sean Latham, whom Fyfe makes reference to, digital technology and cultural studies complement one another. The reason for this is that technology makes it possible for us to make sense of the density of culture with which we are faced in the general society. Digital resources also seem to aid the challenge teachers face, this being keeping the attention of the learners. In so doing, digital futures are imagined.

Fyfe concludes that teachers as well as their learners can be defined as digital humanists. The future of education is definitely digital and for this reason, it is irresponsible to teach with technology that does not portray digital pedagogy. To construct this pedagogy one needs to “pull the plug.”