Education for a Digital World Advice, Guidelines and Effective Practice from Around Globe, 2008a

26 – Techno Expression
Learning outcomes
After completing this chapter, you should be able to:
• Define techno expression.
• Identify aspects of a learning situation that would
provide opportunities for techno expression.
• Determine whether to use synchronous or asynchronous
methods for techno expression.
• Create a safe online environment for techno expression.
• Choose appropriate and equitable tools for techno
expression.
• Set reasonable expectations for techno expression.
Introduction
“In the life of the human spirit, words are action,
much more so than many of us may realize who
live in countries where freedom of expression is
taken for granted. The leaders of totalitarian nations
understand this very well. The proof is that
words are precisely the action for which dissidents
in those countries are being persecuted”. – Carter
(1977)
This chapter lays a foundation for online teachers to
recognize K–12 and post-secondary students’ needs to
express their ideas and viewpoints, both within and outside
the context of their coursework. There is a human
at the other end of each web page, discussion thread,
chat entry, blog, or wiki contribution. We outline specific
strategies to create a safe environment for techno
expression and offer specific examples of how educators
can model and encourage this expression through various
technological means. We also describe various tools
that instructors can use to facilitate the process. This
chapter complements the chapters related to instructor
and student engagement by looking at course design,
effective online practices, and technological tools that
give students opportunities to express themselves.
Until recently “techno” referred mostly to electronic
dance music. Related forms of expression ranged from
inventing dance moves to expression within creating the
music itself. We have seen the term “techno expression”
take on a different connotation in places such as the
“2006 Techno Expression Series” by the New Jersey Institute
of Technology. The first seminar in this series,
called “Podcasts, Wikis and Blogs … Oh My!,” was designed
to inform communications professionals about
new technologies. For the online teaching and learning
arena, however, this seminar covered only part of the
bigger picture. We define “techno expression” as “a
technology-based process by which one or more people,
either individually or collaboratively, use words and/or
media to articulate ideas or thoughts.” In this chapter,
we will look at a number of variables—notably time
(when), a sense of “place” (where), types of media and
technology (how), and course design (why)—that affect
techno expression in instructional settings and activities.
The human element in
technology environments: an
overview of techno expression
“What is passion? It is surely the becoming of a
person. Are we not, for most of our lives, marking
time? Most of our being is at rest, unlived. In passion,
the body and the spirit seek expression outside
of self”. – Boorman (1992)
Now more than ever, online learning environments
provide opportunities for interaction and collaboration.
The sonic boom of social networking echoes around the
world, as more and more people enter MySpace, Facebook,
ELGG, and other social networking sites. What
does this tell us? For one thing, it tells us that people
want technological ways to communicate their ideas and
opinions to a small community of friends, to the entire
world, or to any sized group in between. Despite the
medium (or media), people are seeking human interaction.
The bigger questions for educators are:
• How do we tap into students’ energy around social
networking and channel it into meaningful, networked
learning?
• How do we create a culture of expression that encourages
students to consider what they say, how
they say it, and who might see or hear it?
• How do we extend learning opportunities to include
access to ‘outside and offsite’ expertise?
Students of all ages log into online environments to
explore different forms of self-expression. Younger students
want to differentiate themselves from their parents,
to create and/or recreate an identity, and to
interact with a larger world that they have only just discovered.
Older students want to share their experiences
with others, to connect with others who share similar
views, and to make their mark on the world. As instructors,
our job is to create safe and engaging spaces
414 Education for a Digital World