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Papers by Beau Daniels

I come to this topic as an e-learning teacher who has led and continues to lead professional deve... more I come to this topic as an e-learning teacher who has led and continues to lead professional development in the area of educational technology (hereafter, Ed Tech), defined here as "the study and ethical practice of facilitating learning and improving performance by creating, using, and managing appropriate technological processes and resources" (Januszewski & Molenda, 2007, p. 1). Technology, particularly the Internet, is an area in which I have long had an interest, and this interest is something that I brought to my professional career. However, in recent years, I have begun to question many of the assumptions surrounding the application of the Internet, and specifically e-learning, as the most direct application of Internet-based Ed Tech to education. Indeed, throughout my professional career, I have noticed that there is an assumption that the application of technology in the classroom results in greater engagement of students, more learning, and better teaching, whereas actual practice has shown me that this is not always the case. Methodology: Philosophical Inquiry In this thesis, I use a philosophical inquiry approach to show that the increased use of Internet-based Ed Tech has the potential to do more harm than good. I have chosen this approach because, in the words of Biesta and Stengel (2016), "a philosophical standpoint challenges, qualifies, deepens, and even transforms our understanding of a phenomenon" (p. 7). As mentioned, the phenomenon in this case is the rapid adoption and incorporation of Internet-based Ed Tech into schools in Ontario. The philosophical inquiry method allows for a deeper analysis of the documents and the general assumptions surrounding the use of the Internet in schools.

Many school districts have encouraged movement from traditional classrooms and teaching strategie... more Many school districts have encouraged movement from traditional classrooms and teaching strategies to strategies that employ the Internet and educational technology (Ed Tech). The transition to Internet-based Ed Tech has many benefits, such as reduced costs for institutions and greater convenience for students and instructors alike. However, this convenience comes at great expense as Ed Tech is often implemented with little thought to students' education. This study adopted a philosophical inquiry approach to address concerns related to the implementation of the Internet-based Ed Tech in teaching. It begins by critiquing Ontario's public policy around the procurement of Ed Tech and the use of e-learning strategies with some reference to other educational jurisdictions. It then discusses privacy issues and risks surrounding the use of Internet-related technologies in education, as well as changes in the relationship between students and teachers as education moves from the traditional classroom to the e-learning environment. Finally, the study critiques theories of education that support e-learning and shows that their implementation limits the transformative nature of education as defined by Gert Biesta.

Thesis Chapters by Beau Daniels

Brock University Repository, 2017

Many school districts have encouraged movement from traditional classrooms and teaching strategie... more Many school districts have encouraged movement from traditional classrooms and teaching strategies to strategies that employ the Internet and educational technology (Ed Tech). The transition to Internet-based Ed Tech has many benefits, such as reduced costs for institutions and greater convenience for students and instructors alike. However, this convenience comes at great expense as Ed Tech is often implemented with little thought to students’ education. This study adopted a philosophical inquiry approach to address concerns related to the implementation of the Internet-based Ed Tech in teaching. It begins by critiquing Ontario’s public policy around the procurement of Ed Tech and the use of e-learning strategies with some reference to other educational jurisdictions. It then discusses privacy issues and risks surrounding the use of Internet-related technologies in education, as well as changes in the relationship between students and teachers as education moves from the traditional classroom to the e-learning environment. Finally, the study critiques theories of education that support e-learning and shows that their implementation limits the transformative nature of education as defined by Gert Biesta.

Brock University Repository, 2017

Many school districts have encouraged movement from traditional classrooms and teaching strategie... more Many school districts have encouraged movement from traditional classrooms and teaching strategies to strategies that employ the Internet and educational technology (Ed Tech). The transition to Internet-based Ed Tech has many benefits, such as reduced costs for institutions and greater convenience for students and instructors alike. However, this convenience comes at great expense as Ed Tech is often implemented with little thought to students’ education. This study adopted a philosophical inquiry approach to address concerns related to the implementation of the Internet-based Ed Tech in teaching. It begins by critiquing Ontario’s public policy around the procurement of Ed Tech and the use of e-learning strategies with some reference to other educational jurisdictions. It then discusses privacy issues and risks surrounding the use of Internet-related technologies in education, as well as changes in the relationship between students and teachers as education moves from the traditional classroom to the e-learning environment. Finally, the study critiques theories of education that support e-learning and shows that their implementation limits the transformative nature of education as defined by Gert Biesta.