Technology and Learning Approches

 

The sociotechnical aspects of formal, informal, and non-formal learning approaches in the traditional educational system in Brazil are presented in the research paper. The approaches and meanings of formal/informal/non-formal learning approaches in children’s education require an understanding of the cultural and emotional learnings. Also, these learning approaches require an understanding of other interests and challenges children face in using technology in their learning. 

In explaining the research approach, the researchers attempted to address affectiblity, the approaches new technology to be adopted for children to make better use of it and evaluated the integration of new technology in different learning situations, and the implications of the school’s culture on the adoption of new technology in schools. Culture plays an integral role in informal learning (Schürmann & Beausaert, 2016).

Although it is widely considered new technology is part of the society, the integration of technology in different societies has its challenges to garner the desired outcome. It has empathized in the study that the design of technology should provide users the opportunity to have full interactions and be emotionally connected to the technology itself.  The researchers also revealed that the use of technology in an informal setting is not a new concept in formal and informal learning environments. Czerkawski (2016) reported that technologies “enabled new opportunities that were not possible in the past and even blurred the distinction between formal and informal learning” (para.3).

The study’s results indicated involving school children and the use of technology needs to lessen the emotional stress pupils are experiencing and parents should play an important role assist their children to manage their emotions using emotional coping mechanisms. School teachers can assist their students in overcoming the barriers to using technology to complete their school activities. Similar to teachers, parents should play an integral role in elevating their children’s interest in using technology to foster informal and non-formal learning. Generally, the need to integrate educational technology in school settings should take into account the challenges students are facing in using technology in formal or informal education. 

References

Czerkawski, B. (2016). Blending formal and informal learning networks for online            learning. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 17(3).  

Schürmann, E., & Beausaert, S. (2016). What are drivers for informal learning? European

Journal of Training and Development, 40(3), 130-154.