Reflection on Cambridge Forum

I found the content of O’Donnell and Engell’s broadcast to be a fascinating window into the past as academics considered the implications of changes in technologies. O’Donnell and Engell raise several issues regarding digital technologies while acknowledging the growing influence of technology. While recognizing the potential value of technology in solving problems of the past, O’Donnell expresses caution regarding an infatuation with technology that could be detrimental to the human experience. In education, for example, O’Donnell envisions technology preventing in-person collaboration and, thereby, limiting meaningful experiences of learning (Engell et al., 1999). O’Donnell, however, is measured in his criticism, appealing for a balanced, moral perspective in the integration of technology: “We need to know who we are, we need to know what our values are, we need to understand the changes we are going through well enough in order to understand the technology, understand our world” (Engell et al., 1999). Instead of being “hypnotized” by technology or its perceived threats, O’Donnell appeals for a rational application of technology based on moral and need-based imperatives (Engell et al., 1999). The balance of O’Donnell’s analysis may partially be attributed to its general scope; Engell’s criticisms are more specific, and marked by more uncertainty as he grapples with the specific applications of technology in the present and future. Engell emphasizes the importance of “face-to-face encounters” in education, but also concedes that technology has “in almost every case it has become a necessity” (Engell et al., 1999). The areas of concern with technology becoming so ubiquitous across disciplines, Engell contends, have to do with information management, storage and retrieval (Engell et al., 1999). Engells casts doubt on the survival or longevity of electronically-stored information based on the inevitable changes in software and hardware over time. His concern has since proven to be valid with the emergence of digital decay and failures in digital security, both of which are amply observable today. The current technological struggle involves both the rapid degradation of digital mediums as technology advances coupled with its devastating potential in data loss. It remains a near certainty that every digital medium will ultimately become obsolete. The ability to preserve files online – utilizing cloud storage, for example – is fraught with complications, as well, from privacy issues between users and hosting companies to storage capacity limitations. Engell’s concerns were and continue to be legitimate as it pertains to managing and retrieving digital data over time. Engell segues the discussion to education, arguing that post secondary education must not surrender to new technology, but rather consider how to integrate “newer technology with older technologies” (Engell et al., 1999). This argument is rooted in Engell’s fear of the teacher’s role being destabilized by emerging digital literacies. He speaks to the digital literacy of students and the lack thereof on the part of many professors, and the potential, forced shift in roles such an imbalance would produce (Engell et al., 1999). This argument, while completely valid, is limited in its perspective due to its occupying a place in the newly-emerging frontier of digital literacy. One can only imagine the profound uncertainty educators must have experienced during this time as the educational landscape seemed to be changing beneath them. This “generational difference” that Engell refers to is part of the challenge he foresaw of digital integration in education (Engell et al., 1999). However, instead of viewing digital literacies as a negative force influencing roles in education, I believe educators have had to adjust to the needs and conditions of 21^st century learning, just as educators have had to adjust to that of eras past. Granted, this adjustment is perhaps more far-reaching and fundamental than any that have come before, but it has also generated new possibilities for both educators and students alike. Digital education has provided innovative strategies for educators and diverse learning opportunities for students. Whether it be the critical capacities developed through the study of digital content from the consumer’s perspective or the collaboration involved in the creation of diverse digital mediums, a digital education is central to activating and engaging the digital native that is the 21^st century learner.

References

Engell J. & O’Donnell J. (1999). From Papyrus to Cyberspace. [Audio File]. Cambridge Forums. Retrieved from https://canvas.ubc.ca/courses/4290/files/609973/preview