Skip to content

PedTech Misconceptions: PedTech Tools

The notion that you can have a 'PedTech tool' is fundamentally flawed. Let me explain why.

You can design pedagogical intentions into a 'digital tool' - you can design it to be used in ways that align with a particular theory of learning*. However, as we found out during The SoURCE project, the way in which someone implements the use of that 'digital tool' may undermine those pedagogical intentions. You cannot build pedagogy into a 'digital tool' - the pedagogy is determined by the way in which that 'tool' is used.

The issue is that you cannot be certain that the pedagogical stance designed into the 'digital tool' will align with the pedagogical stance of the user. From a PedTech perspective this is critical. The PedTech approach starts with understanding the values and beliefs of the teacher (e.g. about how people learn and what they need to learn) and then ensuring that these align with that teacher's practice - such as whether or how they use a 'digital tool'. If the teacher's pedagogical stance is different to that designed into the 'digital tool' then there is not alignment (which is why teachers often use software in ways that the designers did not intend).

PedTech is an approach to thinking about your practice that aims to enhance alignment between your beliefs and values and your practice. This is not something you can build into a 'digital tool' - thus you cannot have a 'PedTech tool'.


* see Comparing pedagogical stances for a description of key elements of four such theories

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *