Stop focusing research on things, start focusing research on problems

David Wiley en su blog, acerca de una presentación de Tom Reeves en un panel sobre tecnología educativa e investigación en educación enfocadas a la resolución de problemas sociales. Reeves defendía la necesidad de centrarse en los problemas reales (pobreza, educación primaria, racismo, sexismo, analfabetismo, etc.) y alejar el foco de las "cosas", como por ejemplo learning analytics, aprendizaje móvil, impresión 3D, gamificación, la Internet de las cosas, etc. etc.

Tom joked about “research” on the impacts of iPads on learning, and other thing-focused research. While he excluded them (perhaps as a professional courtesy to me as his co-presenter), “open educational resources” very clearly belong on the “Things” list. Openness is, and always will be, a means rather than an end. The moment we allow the means to become the end, we sacrifice the true end on the altar of zealotry.

Of course, I would argue that “Affordability,” “Access,” and “Completion” belong on the “Problems” list. Those are the problems I’m working on, and it’s good to be reminded and recentered from time to time. I think we all need that.