How can technology enhance and inhibit learning?

Overall, I believe that technology can enhance learning in a positive way. There is no getting away from the face that technology is all around us and we can either embrace it or ignore it; nobody is too old to get a handle on technology. Of course, it is important to consider whether technology actually aids learning. I have been to seminars/workshops where I have found the technology being used interesting but rather gimmicky and have not been told how it aids learning. I have spent ages creating a resource to be used in the classroom and have only been able to exploit it for a few minutes. We, therefore, need to consider whether technology can be used to enhance learning or whether learners would be better off doing something else.

I know John Hattie, in his book, Visible Learning, makes the point that technology should be used alongside traditional methods of learning rather than replacing them outright. This I agree with, and I also feel that teachers need to have more training so that they know how to use technology in an innovative and creative way. Too often we learn about technology but do not how to use it to enhance learning; it would be more useful if the e-learning advisors had some experience of teaching to clarify this.

However, I conducted some informal training with my learners recently about the e-tools I have been using in my class and I was surprised at how positive they were. They liked the variety of presentation tools (aren't all students fed up with teachers only using PowerPoint, which I realise is still technology although slightly 'tired'), the opportunities provided for self-study and the chances to contribute in different ways, e.g. posting their own useful sites and tips via Liniot, Padlet etc. Nobody bemoaned the use of technology in the classroom and one student even said she wanted to have access to computers every week although I'm not sure she could state for what reason.

What about the other side? Technology can be a distraction. I must admit I am afraid to allow learners use of mobile phones in the classroom as I do not know what they will be using them for. Perhaps this says more about me and my need to keep control, but I know how easily learners can be distracted if they are not kept in task. Years ago, when I first started working on the PGCE, I would book computers and then encourage learners to research learning theories. Of course, when they came back to conduct mini-presentations, they would reel off a lot of irrelevant information, mainly because I had not given them a focused task. They may also have been wondering why they couldn't have done this at home.

In addition, some learners are nervous of technology; they have certain expectations of what teachers should do in the classroom and, whether we agree with this or not, we have to take this into account and take steps to alleviate their fears. There is also no substitution for sharing ideas face to face. Whilst I am all for blended learning/distance learning/flipped learning programmes, and have participated in a few such courses myself, I still really enjoy the social interaction you get from attending courses. On the course I am currently attending, I really enjoy the moments when we discuss things, e.g. how something has contributed to our learning.

Overall, therefore, I feel that we need to focus more on how technology can be used to enhance learning rather on just using technology for the sake of it.