e ‐Learning for Development: The Role of the Teacher
Niall Winters · The International Encyclopedia of Digital Communication and Society · 2015
Abstract Much of the discourse on e‐learning has a focus on technology. Teachers are positioned as external to the design of e‐learning interventions in development projects. In this entry, this positioning is critiqued from a methodological and pragmatic standpoint, arguing that projects will struggle to be successful in the longer term if they continue to take this approach. Drawing on research in technology enhanced learning (TEL), ways of repositioning the teacher as central to the e‐learning design process are detailed and the key challenges that need to be overcome to achieve this ambitious goal are discussed. An approach that begins by understanding the context of teachers' everyday practice, promotes participation in the design process through multistakeholder partnerships, and urges a more self‐reflective role on the part of corporate funders in e‐learning projects is introduced.