Technology is among one of the most important contemporary social features inviting the need for reflective practice. Yet, we rarely have time to reflect on the nature of our work and the impacts we have through the technology we are experiencing. This course is designed to develop “reflective practice” around technology’s impact on learning and learning organizations. We will explore how systems theory and cultural studies help us evaluate educational technologies and their impact, how systems behave to influence technological adoption, how culture and context shape technologies and learning, what the ethical considerations are, then translate these insights into design, selection, and implementation of educational innovations.

In Phaedrus, Socrates debated the value of new technology, writing in the Academy with his students under a plane tree near Athens. Designed to develop reflective practitioners, this course is our virtual plane tree. We will use systems theory and cultural studies to explore how context and technology shape each other and ethical considerations for designing, selecting, and implementing educational innovations.