A "Touchy" Subject
My doctoral research focused on representations of tactility in mid to late- Victorian literature. However, I remain fascinated by the concept of tactility in general, especially in relation to technology and how tactility and technology collide within the realm of pedagogy.
This great article on the NPR site reinforces the importance of tactile in the creation and development of new technologies. This of course goes beyond the necessary reference to Apple products. How we negotiate our environment (technological or otherwise) is something we do not reflect on enough. Especially when we think about the word "touch" in all its connotations. You could easily unethically "touch" someone if you did not know how to negotiate/use technology.
Many aspects of the ed tech we use in our classrooms can be understood within the larger confines of tactile negotiations. Think of how we create and design wikis or blogs so that negotiation is intuitive. The heirarchical model that was commonly used in the late 90s up until 5 years ago has been replaced with a more organic organizational structure. Ideas, concepts, modules are grouped or framed together, creating a discrete set of information that is easily comprehended and more importantly easily recoverable. How we look for information using new media resources is changing and this has to do with tactility as well. In web 2.0, tons of text means loss of readership and lost educational potential. Ergo the rise of the infographic. The infographic is a visual representation of our tactile negotiation of new media.
Touch plays an important role in teaching; a role that is often under-theorized beyond the confines of say bio-ethics (care ethics) or pedagogical performance studies. I welcome any comments or resources that relate to tactility or pedagogy. It is time to teach/think touch.
My next research project looks at how tactility interacts with pedagogy (particularly a collaborative pedagogy) in the 19th century. Authors like John Ruskin create pedagogical performance theories which incorporate tactility and there is a lot to be taken from these concepts which are in turn applicable to our classrooms. Ruskin created what can be understood as a 19th century "blended" learning environment; an environment that uses performance as a core pedagogical belief. There is much to be said for that and the organic structure that underpins his pedagogy reinforces why tactility is so important to educators and students alike.
This great article on the NPR site reinforces the importance of tactile in the creation and development of new technologies. This of course goes beyond the necessary reference to Apple products. How we negotiate our environment (technological or otherwise) is something we do not reflect on enough. Especially when we think about the word "touch" in all its connotations. You could easily unethically "touch" someone if you did not know how to negotiate/use technology.
Many aspects of the ed tech we use in our classrooms can be understood within the larger confines of tactile negotiations. Think of how we create and design wikis or blogs so that negotiation is intuitive. The heirarchical model that was commonly used in the late 90s up until 5 years ago has been replaced with a more organic organizational structure. Ideas, concepts, modules are grouped or framed together, creating a discrete set of information that is easily comprehended and more importantly easily recoverable. How we look for information using new media resources is changing and this has to do with tactility as well. In web 2.0, tons of text means loss of readership and lost educational potential. Ergo the rise of the infographic. The infographic is a visual representation of our tactile negotiation of new media.
Touch plays an important role in teaching; a role that is often under-theorized beyond the confines of say bio-ethics (care ethics) or pedagogical performance studies. I welcome any comments or resources that relate to tactility or pedagogy. It is time to teach/think touch.
My next research project looks at how tactility interacts with pedagogy (particularly a collaborative pedagogy) in the 19th century. Authors like John Ruskin create pedagogical performance theories which incorporate tactility and there is a lot to be taken from these concepts which are in turn applicable to our classrooms. Ruskin created what can be understood as a 19th century "blended" learning environment; an environment that uses performance as a core pedagogical belief. There is much to be said for that and the organic structure that underpins his pedagogy reinforces why tactility is so important to educators and students alike.
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