The benefits of a digital pedagogy

The articles we read on digital learning environments made me realize a few things about the benefits of using digital technology in pedagogy.

One of the benefits of using multimedia and digital spaces for instructing students is computers give them a better understanding of audience. Perhaps I’m being naïve and idealistic, but working on a computer seems like it gives students a more direct sense of purpose, and thus a better rhetorical grasp on the situation within which they work. Instead of educating students with things like textbooks, tools alien to a student’s world, it makes much more sense to educate them with tools intrinsic to their world, like computers.

Of course, saying computers are intrinsic to a student’s world makes certain assumptions about socioeconomic status and accessibility. Not everyone has access to a computer at home or at school. However, that does not negate the relevance of computers. Computers scan groceries at the store, control air traffic, and are present in a multitude of other aspects in the general public’s life. There is something about knowing computers that gives students a sense of power. Since computers affect so many aspects of their world, understanding and working on computers gives students a sense of control, regardless of their background.