Rethinking Pedagogy for a Digital Age: Principles and Practices of Design (3rd ed.) argues for reconsidering pedagogy in light of modern technologies. The book identifies theories concerning learner engagement, complex learning environments, and learning activities, describes the analysis of instructional design practice and the organizational context for change, and addresses the newest issues in educational technology, including the ubiquitous mobile technologies and big data, and the reimaging of university student as producer rather than consumer of knowledge. This book is a rich and nuanced look at learning theory and practice viewed through the lens of our technology-rich society.
Rethinking Pedagogy for a Digital Age: Principles and Practices of Design (3rd ed.), H. Beetham and R. Sharpe (2020), 289 pp., Routledge.Rethinking Pedagogy for a Digital Age: Principles and Practices of Design (3rd ed.) is edited by Helen Beetham, an education consultant and researcher in the United Kingdom, and Rhona Sharpe, director for the Centre for Teaching and Learning at the University of Oxford. When writing the first edition in 2007,the authors argued for reconsidering pedagogy in light of modern technologies. A second edition was published in 2010; however, in 2020, the authors concluded that the societal changes resulting from the latest technologies called for an update to the book to reappraise earlier conclusions. For example, the earlier editions did not predict the giant corporations controlling big data or the current rise of mobile technology, both of which are addressed in this addition. The editors also included the forwards from all three editions so that the reader better understands the evolution of this book. This current edition has 14 chapters from various authors from the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada.
Although certain particulars of current technologies change with the times, such as the ever-increasing processing power and the ever-decreasing size of devices, the authors’ philosophy is that the needs of a digital society must be addressed when establishing the goals of education. This book explores theories of teaching and learning connected to practical applications, with suggestions of “processes or procedures for systematically applying a consistent theoretical approach” (Beetham & Sharpe, 2020, p. xix) to education in a digital age.
Given the focus on teaching and learning theories, the intended audience is primarily those most intimately involved with theory: instructors of preservice teachers, preservice teachers, or practitioners (especially graduate students) wishing to hone their expertise in the relationship between theory and practice. Although the closing section of this book includes resources for practitioners, such as checklists for designing learning activities and examples of tools and resources used to address various levels of Bloom’s taxonomy, it is not a how-to for learning specific applications or programs.
THEORIES AND PRINCIPLES
The book’s first section addresses specific theories and principles of teaching and learning, specifically drawing connections to technology-oriented instruction. Mayes described how associative, cognitive, and situative perspectives emphasize learner engagement, which connects to a new theoretical understanding of pedagogy based on neuroscience. Beetham explained that activity theory, in conjunction with modern technologies, provides opportunities to change the design of learning activities, which are now often based on the principles of having learners choose tools and resources and pursue their own learning goals. Goodyear and Carvalho explored the principle that efficient implementation of these technologies requires understanding complex learning environments. They pointed out that activity theory and the concept of learning activities as systems assert that learning activities consist of multiple interrelated aspects, including the learners, learning objectives, tools or resources used, and others involved (either within the class or in the larger community). In our highly technological society, it is more important than ever that students learn how to use technology and select the appropriate technology tools to meet their personal learning goals within and beyond the complex learning environment of the classroom. Finally, Jones addressed theories of human social behavior as foundational in lesson design, focusing on agency and intentionality, and Cleveland-Innes explored the community of inquiry model as a framework for learning, both for students and educators.
PRACTICES
The second section of the book focuses on design practices for university instructors as they design learning experiences for university students. In the chapter contributed by Agostinho et al., research on the Learning Designs Project for university teachers in Australia showed its efficacy in multiple disciplines and potential use as training for preservice K-12 teachers. In Masterman’s chapter, they contend that an analysis of university instructors’ design practices, including internal and external factors affecting them, reveals patterns and facilitates the creation of a design practice model that will reflect the real world and real needs of instructors. Sharpe and Armellini proposed that to understand the needs of higher education through learning design, one must also analyze the organizational context for change, including a shift toward team-based planning and technology-rich courses. Then Cronin’s contribution added considerations for navigating the potential and the challenge of using open education resources. In the last chapter of the section, Conole (2020) supplied frameworks for technology integration, social constructivist frameworks, and learner engagement frameworks to guide academics as they “rethink their design practice to create pedagogically informed design decisions that make appropriate use of digital technologies” (p. 176).
INFLUENCES AND FUTURES
The third section of the book directly addresses cutting-edge technology and its (often unexpected) impact on various aspects of education. When Beetham and Sharpe explained the reason for this third edition of the book, they specifically drew upon these topics. Kukulska-Hulme and Traxler advised that, when considering the ubiquitous use of mobile technologies, the design for learning and design of learning can now center around making formal learning “more personal, situated, authentic or informal than would be possible by other available means” (Kukulska- Hulme & Traxler, 2020, p. 192). Ellaway then described how technology’s impact on professional development is demanding research on design principles for professional learning in the professional world outside academia. Williamson then warned that the collection and potential use of big data also calls for the study of the challenges and opportunities found in datafication, including the importance of paying close attention to ethical issues and honoring alternative perspectives. Finally, Winn and Lockwood described the concept of hacking the university in their discussion of the “Student as Producer” project at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where student- directed learning and the facilitation of students as active creators of their learning flows naturally into the use of students’ technology skills.
DISCUSSION
Although Rethinking Pedagogy for a Digital Age: Principles and Practices of Design (3rd ed.) has its foundation in theory, it also supports real-world applications. The last section of the book includes resources for educators to use as they work to connect theory to practice. Checklists for connecting specific theories to implications for design, aligning learning outcomes to activity design, correlating Bloom’s taxonomy level to activities and digital tools, and planning digital capability goals into the context of one’s own course are included, as well as two different course design templates. These resources are intended to walk higher education practitioners through designing their courses and lessons, although some of these resources may apply to the K-12 practitioner.
Overall, this excellent dive into theory and practice may hold immense value for higher education instructors or graduate students seeking to hone their theoretical knowledge within the context of either K-12 or higher education. It is not geared primarily for the K- 12 practitioner looking strictly for classroom lessons or ideas for integrating technology, although some of the final resources may be useful in that setting. Rethinking Pedagogy does a tremendous job of doing just that: it presents a rich and nuanced look at various learning and learning design theories, viewed through the lens of our modern-day technology-rich society.
