Embracing failure in a first-year technology course

Abstract

Although students might expect a technology literacy course to provide them with tool-driven educational experiences, first year students in a teachers college at a large public university in the United States discovered, instead, a course that would move them beyond technology use to reflective development and understanding. The course designers used Dewey’s natural impulses for learning to create a course with a range of innovative assignments and pedagogical approaches. The resulting experience immersed future educators in exploration, scaffolded learning, provided multiple opportunities, and allowed for intellectual and personal growth. In this paper, we will describe the conceptual structure of the course, provide examples of assignments and activities, and describe the use of technology both for pedagogy and instructor interaction and design. We will include samples of students’ work and a description of their experiences based on their reflections.