The rational-technical perspective in educational technology is the belief that we can help solve society’s problems through technology, with technology being a neutral tool. According to Randall Nichols, a rational-technical way of life indicates “an over-extended reason that is distant from affective, tacit, intuitive, contextualized, and discourse or conversation-based processes and forms;” as well as “an over-extended application of technologies, as manifested in inefficient bureaucracies, manipulative mass media, secretive computer networks, ecologically dangerous science, and so on” (p. 40). With a strong technical-rational perspective, one believes that technology can help society overcome all of the major problems the world faces—hunger, death, life, poverty, boredom, happiness, etc.
Randall Nichols argues, however, that this rational-technical perspective often overlooks issues in morality and ethics in educational technology. Nichols makes three primary arguments indicating the harmful nature of the rational-technical perspective.
First, he argues that technologies introduce complex and often unforeseen impacts on teaching and learning. Learners often suffer because they underachieve when technology is introduced into the learning environment. For example, the introduction of word processing tools might exacerbate a learner’s inability to write a coherent college essay (p. 41). Similarly, a student might struggle more in researching online than he would using traditional paper texts. Nichols claims that there is a case to be made that “technology is detrimental to achievement in terms of being a generally educated person” (p. 41).
Secondly, Nichols claims that technologies create and/or exacerbate social changes. He describes research that indicates that less educationally experienced groups of people are increasingly oppressed due to the addition of computers in education. This research indicates that “poor, female, and minority students [have] less access to computers at home and, in addition, less access to computers at school” (Sutton, qtd. in Nichols p. 41). There is a common belief in schools that well-bahaved, successful students be granted permission to use computer technologies; this puts less successful students at risk for falling behind in their studies.
Finally, Nichols argues that hardware production uses up the earth’s resources and may contribute to pollution. Technology uses a lot of energy, most of which are polluting carbon-based fuels (p. 42). Additionally, where are broken or old computers dumped once they are no longer worth their keep? Broken flash drives, CDs, DVDs, VCRs, DVD and VHS players, etc.?
It can be argued that the rational-technical perspective towards educational technology is immoral and unethical for a number of reasons. Nichols claims, “because we now know something of the extent of negative possibilities, we are intentionally choosing to continue on a harmful path. Intentionality is a critical point on which to make many decisions about culpability” (p. 42). Additionally, those in positions to make choices that affect our economy, sociology, and ecology do not emphasize the right for all citizens to make a free, informed, reasonable decision about the morality of technologies. Clearly, more discussion on morality in educational technology needs to be addressed.
References
Nichols, R. (1994). Searching for moral guidance on educational technology. Educational Technology. 40-49.