Technological infrastructure and human culture: Appropriating innovative teaching methods to 21st century classrooms

Department of Management and Humanities, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Seri Iskandar, 32610 Perak Malaysia

^* Corresponding author: chong_suli@utp.edu.my

Abstract

Often, it is assumed that the introduction of technological infrastructures into the 21st century classroom will provide the catalyst to appropriating innovative methods befitting modern educational frameworks. One of these appropriations is the introduction of technology like wireless connectivity, interactive smartboards and mobile devices in the shift from applying teacher-centredness to student-centredness in the classroom. However, this shift is often discussed in terms of technological infrastructure, to the exclusion of examining the cultural change that occurs as a result. This paper discusses findings from a study which set out to examine the effectiveness of electronic marginalia (e-marginalia) in a university classroom for Academic Writing, with e-marginalia being regarded as a technological infrastructure. Drawing from principles of Action Research, this study adopted a constructivist perspective which framed its research design. In the course of 14 weeks, 2 groups of 25 Engineering and Technology undergraduates respectively, underwent draft-writing through the use of Microsoft® track-change function and e-mail communication with two lecturers. This method of classroom and online engagement tested the extent to which infrastructure and human culture could align in a writing course. Data was also drawn from students and lecturers’ feedback with regards to their 14-week experience of learning and teaching through new methods. Findings from this study show that when human culture and behaviour is considered, technological infrastructure can be capitalised through the cultural appropriation of human-relationship-sustenance and technological-content-identification. These findings answer the question of teacher-relevance in the Education 4.0 framework. Thus, not only are teachers still very relevant to current pedagogies, it is their sociocultural sensitivities that are tested and confronted. As such, in accommodating new ways of teaching and learning that must chime with Education 4.0, this paper advocates for new forms of openness in 21st century education.