Dr Michael Henderson, member of LNMRG has been announced as the Plenary Keynote for the Australian Computers in Education Conference (ACEC) 2014.
Keynote title: The wicked problem of educational technology
Abstract: Educational technology is a ‘wicked problem’. The problem is not the technology, which is a finite and ultimately manageable system. Instead, the ‘wicked problem’ lies in the sheer complexity of education, not least the diversity of teachers, teaching, students, learning, policy and schools. A wicked problem is one that is essentially unresolvable; which helps to explain why educational technology innovations cannot be simply replicated, nor outcomes guaranteed. This keynote will consider the value of thinking about our work as wicked problems. He will reflect on the papers and discussions at the conference over the last few days, and critically considering his own research from virtual worlds to social media. Educational technology research, policy and initiatives are ultimately undermined unless we celebrate the wicked nature of the problem. By doing so we can more boldly engage with the growing criticisms of the impact of technology in schools and higher education. In celebrating such complexity we also find potential new ways to tackle the problem, explain our goals and measure our success. One such approach is the pragmatic optimism of design thinking.
