Relation between TPACK and the topics that have been discussed so far

During the lectures of the course ‘Pedagogies for flexible learning supported by technology’ some main topics were discussed. These topics were flexibility, pedagogies and technology. In previous posts I already told you a lot about these topics. In my last post I told you about TPACK and the relation between the different elements of the model. But is it possible to make combinations between TPACK and the other topics?

About flexibility I told you there are five different kinds. I wrote about flexibility related to time, content, entry requirements, instructional approach and resources and delivery and logistics (Collis & Moonen, 2001). When I think of TPACK in relation to these kinds of flexibility, I think there are many combinations you can make. Overall I think the TPACK model is very flexible. The TPACK model consists of the aspects pedagogy, technology and content (Koehler & Mishra, 2009). As a teacher you can be very flexible in creating your lessons, based on different pedagogies, technologies and subject matters. You can apply flexibility related to content in the content part of the TPACK model and flexibility related to instructional approaches and resources in the pedagogy part as well. If a teacher takes the content as a starting point for creating a lesson, based on the TPACK model, he can choose to let the students pick their favorite topics (very flexible) or give some standard, fixed topics (less flexible). In case of starting with the pedagogical knowledge, the TPACK model is flexible as well. The teacher is ‘free’ to choose a pedagogical approach, as long as the content and the technology suits to this approach. My opinion is that using the TPACK model can be very flexible, as long as the pedagogy, technology and content are in line with each other. To give another example, the teacher can be very flexible in time by using TPACK. You can use the model for a lecture of one hour, but it is also an option to use the model to create a whole course that takes a few weeks or months. Using TPACK can also be flexible in many more ways, but as a teacher you always have to think about the blue circle, the context. Flexibility can be good, but take your context into consideration.

I think the combination between the TPACK model and pedagogies is obvious. When a teacher creates a lesson, based on TPACK, there are many possibilities in choosing a pedagogical approach. As I mentioned in my previous post, a teacher can take the Pedagogical Knowledge as a starting point for creating a lesson (or a course). In that case the teacher has to have knowledge about different pedagogical approaches. I already told you something about traditional learning, problem-based learning, workplace learning, collaborative learning and inquiry learning, but there are many more. In this case you can say TPACK is flexible as well. There is not just one pedagogical approach to create a lesson based on TPACK. As a teacher you must have the knowledge to choose the right pedagogical approach that fits to the subject matter and the technology you want to use. But just like at flexibility, the context is very important to keep in mind.

During the third lecture the topic was technology. I experienced that there are many, many kinds of technology you can integrate to a lesson. So, in that case I didn’t had the Technological Knowledge that is necessary for teachers. If a teacher wants to use technology in a lesson, he has to know a lot about it, how you have to use it and what the added value of the technology is. As a teacher you can use technologies like Wiki’s, weblogs, digital audio, virtual learning environments, course management systems, Web 2.0 technologies, digital video, e-portfolio’s and so on. For a teacher it can also be helpful to monitor the developments and trends in the world of technology. In that way a teacher can make the best decisions for using technology in their lessons. As you see, also in the technology part of TPACK there is enough flexibility, but still be aware of the context. For a teacher it can be very nice to use technology in the lessons, but is it useful for the students, can they deal with it and is there enough money to use technology?

I think you can compare the added value of TPACK to the order of the lectures (and posts) in this course. After three lectures I had learned a lot about flexibility, about pedagogies and about technology, but I didn’t know how to combine these topics. In my opinion that is where TPACK comes in. The big advantage of TPACK is that you as a teacher have a framework in which you can combine the three main items of a lesson. The model exactly tells you what kinds of knowledge you need to have and that you have to bundle these kinds of knowledge to a create a ‘perfect’ lesson. Moreover, the model makes the teacher aware of the fact that you have to combine pedagogical-, technological- and content knowledge in the specific context of the teacher. So, the overlapping parts in the model are added value, because now the model tells you that just technological knowledge, for instance, is not enough. Knowing a lot about technology can be nice, but for a teacher it is also important to know how to teach with the use of technology (TPK) and how to relate this to a particular content or subject matter (TCK). At last, the teacher need to know how to teach a specific subject on the right way (PCK). If a teacher is able to combine these three kinds of knowledge, he reaches TPACK. I think the TPACK model can be useful for every teacher. It won’t tell you how to create a lesson, but it can help and support you to create a lesson.

If I were a teacher, I think I would use TPACK. You can always use it as a check for your created lesson, but you can also create a lesson based on it. The model doesn’t force you to anything, it just supports you as a teacher. That is really important, because the teacher has to decide by themselves whether he wants to use a model like TPACK or not, but I do recommend it..

References

Collis, B., & Moonen, J. (2001). Flexible learning in a digital world: Experiences and expectations. London: Kogan Page.

Koehler, M. J., & Mishra, P. (2009). What is technological pedagogical content knowledge? Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 9(1), 60-70.