Effective Pedagogies for Leveraging on Technology and Emotional Experiences

Abstract

Digital tools are no doubt a huge support for education and learning and an enabler of continuous education. So it should come as no surprise that this issue of AJSoTL should report on some of the exciting new trends in information delivery and knowledge-building that involve such technological advances. One such trend is the Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) that allow students to access online lessons from top universities around the world; yet another is the growing popularity of mobile applications (Apps) as a valuable instructional support complementing conventional methods of teaching. While many universities have shown a willingness to use MOOCs and have taken the initiative to integrate them within traditional curricula, a challenge they must face is the sustained delivery of high quality education and the ability to engage the interest of a wide-ranging international audience. A unique advantage of mobile Apps is that it can be customized to serve diverse needs in teaching and learning, especially through its multi-media content, and to create a positive sense of community. While such new technologies have shown great potential for enriching and transforming the learning environments of students and equipping them with the critical competencies and dispositions for becoming effective citizens in the 21st century, it is nevertheless important to bear in mind the alienation and fragmentation an extreme reliance on technology can bring, especially if it entails a concomitant reduction in personal human contact. It is quite apposite therefore that this issue of AJSoTL should include also a reminder to our readers of how essential it is for educational institutions to nurture the ‘whole’ person, by providing not only a range of cognitive stimulus but also by attending closely to the affective and emotional development of our students. (Abstract taken from first paragraph of document)