In this article, we introduce you to entangled pedagogy. This view on the connection between technology and pedagogy provides a much-needed theoretical basis when you embark on the journey of choosing and implementing an e-portfolio.
This article is an excerpt based on Fawns’ article called ‘An entangled pedagogy: looking beyond the pedagogy – techonology dichotomy’. With this excerpt, we want to introduce you to the theory of entangled pedagogy in an approachable way. Are you interested in the scientific theories that form the basis of entangled pedagogy? We encourage you to study Fawns’ article, you will find all the references there.
It all starts with a vision
What is your, or your institutions, vision on learning? Does it focus on student ownership, on fostering intrinsic motivation or on applying knowledge in practice? It is important to know what your vision is, as its success depends on how you approach both technology and pedagogy.
- What do you consider to be the relationship between technology and pedagogy?
- Is it possible to separate technology from pedagogy?
These are relevant questions because in implementation, you want to know how to implement your vision: by choosing technology (the type of portfolio), choosing pedagogy (the type of teaching method) or somewhere in between.
For example, if you want to pursue student ownership, it is impractical if you choose portfolio software in which only the teacher can decide who gives feedback on which product.
But please be aware that we are not trying to say that you should only look at what the software can do. Rather, we’d like to point out that the pedagogy (student ownership) and technology (the software) influence each other and are entangled. It is a great risk when you separate these two.
Technological and pedagogical determinism
When you separate pedagogy from technology, it becomes either a technology-led or a pedagogy-led view. Both views decontextualize technology. This may lead to technological or pedagogical determinism.
- Technological determinism sees technology as driving social change. It believes that outcomes can be predicted by design and functionality. In this view methods are seen as technologies.
- Pedagogical determinism states that people drive change, using methods and technology to achieve their objectives. In this view methods are seen as largely independent of technology and technology’s influence on thinking and practice is neglected.
Tunnel vision and missed opportunities
Both forms of determinism might look appealing; they suggest simple solutions for solving complex problems. This can be problematic because they suggest an unrealistic level of control and predictability. This may lead to a tunnel vision and missed opportunities, such as the earlier-mentioned example on student-ownership and portfolio-software.
The problem lies in the fact that both forms of determinism neglect the fact that technology ánd pedagogy are part of a wider and complex set of relations. Social context, users, stakeholders, values, methods also matter.
To be able to take this complex reality into account you’ll need a holistic view on the entangled elements. And that is where Fawns’ theory comes in.
Everything is entangled
Fawns (2022) describes pedagogy and technology as a dance. They are entangled and therefore it is not possible to first choose a pedagogy and then a technology, or the other way around. In this metaphor, teaching means leading the choreography. Additionally, this teaching is not only done by teachers. There are many more stakeholders.
Think for example of students who co-configure and co-design, by reinterpreting and completing the teacher’s plan. But also learning technologists or IT staff play a role, as they influence the dance by configuring platforms. And don’t forget administrators or policymakers who influence the choreography by shaping culture and practice. All these stakeholders are entangled within the broader conception of pedagogy: from teachers to technologies, to purposes, values and context.
Entangled pedagogy: the model
To illustrate this entanglement, Fawns has developed the entangled model. This model encourages educators to consider the diverse ways in which teachers and students actually engage with technology whilst learning. It also points out how these ways are influenced.
You can see the entangled model below. Column 1 and 2 describe the ‘illusions’ of ‘technology drives pedagogy’ and ‘pedagogy drives technology’. Column 3 describes the actual situation in which everything is entangled. Column 4 focuses on how stakeholders engage with the emergent complexity of educational activity.
Figure 1: The Entangled Pedagogy Model by Tim Fawns
The entangled elements in this model are non-hierarchical. They mutually shape each other and combinations matter more than individual elements. However, it is important to consider the relative emphasis that is placed on individual elements by teachers, students and other stakeholders.
Column 4 suggests to revisit purposes, values and context to clarify this emphasis. Ideally this leads to a collaborative design and organisation of the course, as well as helping students to reflect on and reconfigure their learning environments.
3 ways in which entangled pedagogy helps implementing an e-portfolio
We believe that entangled pedagogy helps implement and use an e-portfolio. Below you’ll see three reasons why:
Holistic View
When you consider implementing an e-portfolio you need to understand the complex educational reality in which you want to use it. To understand this reality, you’ll need to move away from the discussion whether technology drives pedagogy or the other way around. You need a holistic view and entangled pedagogy provides you with a scientific basis for that.
Gaining insight into your educational practices
When implementing an e-portfolio it can be tempting to ‘choose’ whether you want the technology to be in the lead, or the skills and methods of the educator. It can be enticing to focus on the skills to choose the right method or technology. These things however suggest a false simplicity of your educational practice.
Entangled pedagogy urges you to include all stakeholders and gain a real insight into the context, values, methods and technology that influence your educational practice. This insight will provide a solid basis during the process of choosing and implementing an e-portfolio.
Find out where emphasis is placed by stakeholders
Even though entangled pedagogy states that all elements are entangled, it also acknowledges that each stakeholder can place a different emphasis on (one of) these elements. By including stakeholders such as teachers, students, administrators, learning technologists, or employers, the different elements are made more explicit and visible. This will help you choose a portfolio that suits the needs of all involved.
Want to know more about Entangled Pedagogy?
We advise you to read the complete article by Tim Fawns. In this article he explains the entangled model and describes different elements such as methods, values, knowledge.
Are you considering implementing an e-portfolio and want to find out how entangled pedagogy can help you? Make sure to contact us, we’d like to share our experiences and help you in your search. Be sure to also read more about our own Learning Experience portfolio Portflow.
