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Natural, practical and social contexts of e‐learning: a critical realist account for learning and technology
Author(s) -
Li Z.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
journal of computer assisted learning
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.583
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1365-2729
pISSN - 0266-4909
DOI - 10.1111/jcal.12002
Subject(s) - educational technology , learning sciences , social learning , experiential learning , open learning , learning theory , natural (archaeology) , active learning (machine learning) , sociology , cooperative learning , psychology , knowledge management , computer science , teaching method , pedagogy , artificial intelligence , archaeology , history
Much of the research in educational technology with a primary concern over how technology enhances learning has been criticized as privileging the immediate learning settings over the other dimensions of learners’ social life and the wider social and economic contexts in which learning and technology are located. The ability to develop a rich understanding of learning and technology in various contexts requires careful use of theory that might enable ‘looking beyond learning’. To meet this need, this paper proposes the use of a critical realistic account of learning and technology, in particular M argaret A rcher's ‘three orders of reality’ and ‘personal Identity’. Drawing on an empirical case study for illustration, the paper argues that such an approach offers a ‘way out’ to unpack the relationship between learning and technology through a deep exploration of the interrelationship between individual practices of learning, with or without technology, and the bigger picture of how learning intervenes in other dimensions of social life and how other contexts come into play in learning settings.