Which comes first, the pedagogy or the digital tool?

Welcome to the third issue of Volume 35 of Open Learning. One of the challenges of innovation in online learning is balancing the contribution of new pedagogies and new digital tools. The range of digital tools available to educators is vast (Aljawarneh, 2020) offering educators an ever growing potential resource for delivering online teaching. While the potential benefits of a new tool may create opportunities for new approaches to teaching, where this is not backed up by relevant pedagogies, such a tool will be of limited value. Herodotou et al. propose that ‘Enduring transformations can be brought about through “pedagogy,” that is improvements in “the theory and practice of teaching, learning, and assessment” and not the mere introduction of technology in classrooms’ (Herodotu et al., 2019). This issue of Open Learning includes five papers which consider both tools and pedagogies to support online learning. Firstly Tagoe and Cole; Chen, Dobinson and Kent; and Bervell, Umar and Kamilin’s papers all offer insights into the use and effectiveness of Learning Management Systems (LMS).

Tagoe and Cole’s article examines the use of Learning Management System specifically (Saki) tools, with a particular emphasis on enhancing communication. The article explores whether such tools enhance student satisfaction in nurse education when used for teaching as opposed to just administration. The main finding of this study was that students valued the LMS as an information repository rather than a collaborative communication tool, despite collaboration being considered by the authors to be an important way through which learning could be enhanced. Where peer communication did take place, students expressed frustration with the LMS collaborative tools and the authors noted that chat took place outside of the LMS on social media. This article again highlights the importance of considering the interaction of the tool and the pedagogy to enable students to gain the most benefit from online teaching practices. Anderson (2019) suggests that social media will inevitably play an increasing role in higher education, opening up opportunities for peer to peer and educator to student interaction, although posing perhaps a risk to personal privacy.

Chen et al.’s evaluation of the value of Blackboard Collaborate in the context of blended learning in Australia concludes that the tool has the potential to both add and detract value depending on the teaching style and level of preparation. The authors suggest that it is not the tool alone that can solve some of the pedagogic issues, including meeting the needs of linguistic diversity and the need for greater socio-affective interaction.

Bervell et al.’s fascinating article offers an analysis of the ways in which specific measurements of student satisfaction interact with each other in the context of evaluating the experience of using learning management systems. Specifically, they consider the interrelationship between personal innovativeness and student–material interaction, student–student interaction, student–teacher interaction, concluding that an understanding of effectiveness relies on a non-linear analysis of these variables.

Harrison’s article focuses on one specific teaching tool, the video. Harrison questions the presumed value of videos to teaching from the perspectives of both educators and students. Harrison’s findings also challenge prior research on the ideal length of videos, suggesting that students find longer videos can be beneficial to their learning. Educational videos can be both produced and used in a variety of ways, ranging from the more didactic ‘lecture capture’ through to stimulus videos within interactive tasks (Laaser & Toloza, 2017). This study suggests that it is the quality of the teaching that matters to students rather than the quality of the technology.

Finally, Simons, Leverett and Beaumont address the important issue of retention and explore the factors which positively impact on students’ ability to successfully complete their study intentions. While flexibility was identified as being key, the supportive feedback from tutors was reported by participants to build their confidence and build resilience. The authors suggest that while flexibility might be built into the structure of programme delivery, it was still important for tutors to advise and guide students to encourage them to make use of this, as well as of wider social and family support.

This issue also includes two book reviews, both of edited collections. Envy reviews The Routledge international handbook of learning with technology in early childhood (2019) edited by N. Kucirkova, J. Rowsell and G. Falloon and Sheu reviews MOOCs and open education in the Global South (2020) edited by Ke Zhang et al.

Finally, on behalf of Chris Douce, Denise Whitelock and myself, I would like to thank all our recent reviewers for their valuable contribution to Open Learning, and our annual acknowledgement of all reviewers who have supported the journal follows this editorial. Our thanks, also, to Paola Trimarco, Book Reviews Editor, and Vicky Cole, Editorial Assistant, for the work they do to ensure the smooth running of the journal.