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Has the development of information technology produced any negative outcomes for skills?
Taiye Aro
City & Guilds Centre for Skills Development
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Has the development of information technology produced any negative outcomes for skills?
I give my reply of 'Yes' to this question from the triadic perspective of plumber, teacher and researcher.
The development of information technology has led to 'what works' assessment methodologies which are well received by Further Education management (this can also be applied to other training providers outside of FE) because tens of thousands of learners can be processed through the system quickly and 'efficiently'.
Assessment of learning in the guise of multiple choice standard assessment tests has become something that saves paper, saves time, and contributes to ease of administration. But, we must ask what do these tests actually measure? and what detrimental affects do these have on learning when they are significantly favored over other assessment methods.
These abstract tests are now conducted on line, where individual learner interacts with a screen instead of socially interacting with peers and mentors in context.
Another problem with these electronic outcome-led tests, is that what is tested is what is taught and learned; often abstract facts that are memorised by the student and often never applied to practice at craft level. What happened to discovery learning, trial and error of practice, reflection in action, intelligent action, learning as an activity system, learning by participation etc.
IT has made the process of training simple and efficient, thus it works, so we do it and put up with it without question - its simple and we are lazy. This approach impacts on pedagogy, which is usually didactic and structured around teaching to test. From my own experience of FE, this type of training system leads to the assumption that theory goes on in the classroom and practical learning in the workshop. Thus, the opportunity to develop theoretical knowledge and understanding of key processes and principles, which would link to classroom study, is overlooked by inexperienced workshop staff - this point is supported by the strategy of FE colleges to pay less money to 'workshop facilitators' than to classroom theory teachers. Theory has been elevated above practice, which makes a mockery of Richard Sennett's wise words 'Making is thinking'.
Please note this short answer does not include the positive contribution that IT has on our learning, and I am sure this will be reviewed some other time. 
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