Uncovering New Opportunities

Critical Thinking, since its beginnings

Learning more about Critical Theory and its relation to education technology is fascinating. Understanding this Theory more in-depth is essential, but it can also be seen as an approach. Other theories were developed because of their beliefs. According to Nichols and Allen-Brown researchers, “Critical theories seek to reveal the contradictions, social inequalities, and dominances; to this extent, they can be called negative. However, it might be more accurate to say that because critical theories run contrary to that which oppresses people, the theories usually are positive and hopeful” (p.1). This Theory influenced educational technology, race, mass media, and even ecology, to mention some examples. It all began in the 1930s at Frankfurt School or The Institute for Social Research. Its prominent early members included Theodor Adorno, Erich Fromm, Jürgen Habermas, Max Horkheimer, and Herbert Marcuse (Ingram & Simon-Ingram, 1991). Max Horkheimer developed Critical Theory based on Karl Max's beliefs. Horkheimer believed there was inequality in the different social classes. Working-class people work to make rich people even more prosperous. Marx wanted to create a change, and revolution was an option that could change their class status and create new and more opportunities for themselves. James Bohman states in The Standford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, “Because such theories aim to explain and transform all the circumstances that enslave human beings, many 'critical theories' in the broader sense have been developed. They have emerged in connection with the many social movements that identify varied dimensions of the domination of human beings in modern societies.” Critical theories are committed to exposing biases and ideas to challenge and transform them to have and create an equal society for all.

Branches of Critical Theory

Different theories branched out of Critical Theory. One that is known and still exists today is the Feminist Critical Theory. According to Nichols and Allen-Brown, "To put it too strictly, liberal feminists advocate the right of women to choose their role in society and the home, as opposed to accepting sex-role stereotypes” (p.7). Women have been fighting for equal rights for a long time. Even though women were not recognized as a strong gender, a significant change has been created. A woman usually leads a group of students in the education setting, especially the classroom. As Thompson and Disch say in their article (1992): "We assume that learning needs to be close to the heart, meaning that the course must move the learner and make a lasting impact on her or his life" (Thompson & Disch, 1992, p. 4). Today most of the classrooms are led by women, which is impressive because a long time ago, women were expected to be at the house and care for the children. Nowadays, women are going above and beyond to create an equal society. In the classroom setting, after the COVID-19 pandemic, they also have integrated technology into the classroom, something maybe they didn't imagine doing in before. This group is creating change for students and their learning experiences, breaking stereotypes, and demonstrating that society can create equal opportunities for all.

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Critical Theories in Education Technology

Educational issues are essential today because they will affect society later. Critical theories in the field of education advocate for equality and inclusive approaches to use it to empower marginalized groups and promote social change. It is important to remember what technology means. Zuhal Okan states that: The new technology is not just an assemblage of machines and their accompanying software. It embodies a form of thinking that orients a person to approach the world in a particular way (2007). Just remember a few years back, online learning was not a popular option for learning. Everyone was used to the traditional methods of teaching. As time passes, new inventions are coming out, and look at all the options out there. According to Zuhal Okan, There is no question that information technology holds great potential for improving how people learn. Through the use of Internet, multimedia etc., learners can engage in individualized instruction where they can investigate and learn concepts and content to meet their specific needs (p.1). People can study a career and do not have to be in a physical classroom to take a course. There is also an option to take a class and participate with people from different cities or states who still share experiences and opinions. According to R. Raj, “Teachers and students should take advantage of this in the good light and eliminate the drawbacks which are pulling back many of students as well as schools from achieving excellence” (p.35). By implementing these critical theories, educators can work to create inclusive and transformative learning for the students and form part of a fair society.

Adapting to new ways of learning and interacting with others

Not too long ago, we experienced a global pandemic. COVID-19 came without expectations, changing how we interact with others. In 2020, the education field had to adapt as soon as possible to continue classes. According to the World Economic Forum (2023): As a result, education has changed dramatically, with the distinctive rise of e-learning, whereby teaching is undertaken remotely and on digital platforms. Technology is not going away. Instead, it is here to stay and will continue evolving each day. Some people believed online learning would not last long. According to the World Economic Forum (2023): With this sudden shift away from the classroom in many parts of the globe, some are wondering whether the adoption of online learning will continue to persist post-pandemic, and how such a shift would impact the worldwide education market. There is much more than using it in a classroom. Look at us now. We are doing school completely online and adapting all these new approaches to our workplace. The future of technology in the corporate setting is promising as well. Now people can work and not necessarily at an office. According to the Swiss School of Business Research, “In some instances, working remotely and being situated away from the traditional office has been a positive experience. Socialising virtually with colleagues has become more accessible to those who may have commitments outside of work or live in a remote area.” Privacy, data, and other factors are important too. There is much to learn about technology, especially after a world pandemic, where everyone somehow had to integrate technology into their lives. Some people believe these innovations make teachers learn new software and programs and will stop them from traditionally teaching students. Still, they should be trained to use all these innovations to teach students, help students use technology effectively, and prepare them to be part of the workforce soon.

Final thoughts

Technology will be present in our lives. To create and develop solutions that will positively impact students and the community, change needs to happen. We need to work in developing ways where everyone has the same opportunities to learn and be ready to participate in society. Technology is evolving daily, and we should be ready for it. Educational technology will be the future. Just remember how everything started to shift back in 2020. Yes, some teachers were not ready for it but still found a way to teach to the best of their abilities and keep the students engaged at the same time. There is much to be done before including technology 100 percent in today’s classrooms. The Southern Regional Education Board report (2018) explains 10 issues and how each is important, and it gives possible solutions that can help make educational technology more successful in the classroom. Not only the school setting was affected but also the corporate setting. At work, we had to learn how to do training and advising sessions online utilizing new platforms, and we had to learn how to use them and ensure we protect people's data, among other challenges. These experiences reminded me of the video posted by NRK Medieval helpdesk support video (2007). It shows how a person needed assistance opening and reading a book, but because he didn't know how to do it, he had to call the help desk. Nowadays, this is nothing. When it came to technology and the COVID-19 pandemic, I felt like a help desk where I was the one helping the rest of the team, and they needed an idea of how to work with new programs. They had everything to work from home, but without training on how to use different platforms, it was hard for them to perform their duties. Technology was integrated into these two fields and many others that are still working with technology until this day. It is fantastic to know that somebody can do more, and little by little significant changes will be created.

References

Admissions. (2022, November 8). 6 ways that covid 19 has had a positive impact on businesses-. Swiss School of Business Research.https://ssbr-edu.ch/6-ways-that-covid19-has-had-a-positiveimpact-on-businesses/

Bohman, James, "Critical Theory," The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2021 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL<https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2021/entries/critical-theory/>.

Ingram, D. & Simon-Ingram, J., eds. (1991). Critical Theory: the essential readings. New York: Paragon.

Nichols, R., & Allen-Brown, V. (2004). 9. Critical Theory and Educational Technology [Review of 9. Critical Theory and Educational Technology]. 1–29.

NRK. (2007). Medieval helpdesk with English subtitles. Retrieved July 13, 2023, from Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQHX-SjgQvQ&t=1s.

Okan, Z. (2007). Towards a Critical Theory of Educational Technology. Online Submission.

Friesen, N. (2008). Critical Theory: Ideology critique and the myths of E-learning. Ubiquity, 2008 (June), 2

Raja, R., & Nagasubramani, P. C. (2018). Impact of modern technology in education. Journal of Applied and Advanced Research, 3(1), 33-35.

SREB. (2018). 10 Issues in Educational Technology (pp. 2–11) [Review of 10 Issues in Educational Technology]. Southern Regional Education Board.

Thompson, B. & Disc, E. (1992). Feminist, anti-racist, anti-oppression teaching: two white women's experience. Radical Teacher 41, 4—10.

World Economic Forum (2020, April 29) The COVID-19 pandemic has changed education forever. This is how. World Economic The rise of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)