Details for Special Thematic Focus:
RETHINKING Technology Education: Tangible, Digital and Beyon
Introduction
As technology education undergoes a paradigm shift, the tension between virtual advancements like generative AI and the irreplaceable role of tangible, physical interactions in human cognition becomes central. While AI reshapes social and economic frameworks (Zuboff, 2019) and concentrates power in education (Williamson et al., 2023), embodied cognition research highlights the enduring importance of hands-on experiences (Manches & Price, 2011). This conference explores how to reposition technology education’s core values and empower future generations to move beyond existing paradigms as critical, creative, and capable citizens.
PATT & ICTE 2027 put special thematic focus on the aforesaid situation. The conference cordially invites scholars, educators, and policymakers worldwide to contribute their research, insights, and practices across the following five Strands:
Strand 2 : The Tension and Evolution of Tangible and Digital
Context : This Strand explores the unique cognitive value of physical, “hands-on” making in an era increasingly dominated by hyper-realistic digital simulations and spatial computing.
Provocations & Explorations :
• The Value of Senses: What unique contributions do physical interactions (e.g., tactile feedback) make to cognitive development that digital simulations cannot replicate?
• Fusing Physical and Digital: How should curricula balance traditional physical craftsmanship with computational thinking and digital “souls” (e.g., IoT)?
• Redefining “Hands-on”: In the AI era, where do we draw the boundary of hands-on learning? Is prompting or digital sculpting the new “making”?
Strand 3 : Reconstructing Educational Frameworks in the Digital Wave
Context : As AI increasingly automates coding and design drafting, this Strand investigates how the learning process in technology education must shift from mere “skill acquisition” to “higher-order thinking.”
Provocations & Explorations :
• Human-Machine Collaboration: How does the design process transform when AI acts as a student’s “co-creator”?
• Shifting Curricular Cores: If “how to make” is simplified by AI, should technology education pivot toward exploring “why” and “what” to make?
• Teacher Empowerment: How do teachers transition from transmitting skills to guiding students in critically evaluating AI-generated outputs?
Strand 4 : Beyond Technology : Power, Literacy, and Societal Reshaping
Context : Echoing the “Beyond” in our theme, this Strand addresses the socio-economic architectures behind technology, aiming to prevent the next generation from becoming passive consumers of algorithms.
Provocations & Explorations :
• Demystifying Algorithms: How can education help students see through the “black box” to understand biases and power asymmetries in AI?
• Technological Sovereignty: How can we equip students with the agency to resist AI monopolies and reshape these systems?
• Future Modes of Living: How should technology education prepare students for automated labor markets and new economic realities?
Strand 5 : Innovating Pedagogy and Assessment in an Intertwined Era
Context : Traditional assessments are ill-equipped for projects blending physical materials, digital code, and AI content. This Strand seeks innovative pedagogical approaches and rubrics crossing the physical-virtual boundary.
Provocations & Explorations :
• The Assessment Dilemma: When a significant portion of a student’s artifact is AI-generated, how do we establish rubrics that emphasize the process over the product?
• Shifting Evaluation Focus: Should assessments pivot to evaluating “prompting ability,” “logical reasoning,” and “debugging”?
• Pedagogical Innovation: How must Project-Based Learning (PBL) evolve to seamlessly integrate physical workshops with cloud-based AI platforms?
Strand 6 : Equity and Sustainability: From Tangible Resources to the Digital Divide
Context : This Strand links global imperatives of equity and sustainability to the Tangible/Digital dichotomy, exploring resource justice and environmental responsibility.
Provocations & Explorations :
• The New AI Divide: How can technology education prevent learning inequalities exacerbated by the gap between premium (paid) and free AI models?
• The Dual Burden of Consumption: How can we authentically integrate SDGs to address both physical waste (e.g., plastics) and digital consumption (carbon footprint of AI)?
• Appropriate Technology: Can the integration of low-tech and local physical resources offer an alternative pathway for equity and sustainability?
References
1.Blikstein, P. (2013). Digital fabrication and ‘making’ in education: The democratization of invention. FabLabs: Of machines, makers and inventors, 4, 1-21.
2. Boden, M. A. (2004). The creative mind: Myths and mechanisms. Routledge.
3. Holmes, W., Miao, F., & Blanco, E. (2023). Guidance for generative AI in education and research. UNESCO.
4. Kimbell, R., & Stables, K. (2007). Researching design learning: Issues and findings from two decades of research and development. Springer Science & Business Media.
5. Lodge, J. M., de Barba, P., & Broadbent, J. (2023). Assessment in the age of artificial intelligence. Computers and Education: Artificial Intelligence, 4, 100134.
6. Manches, A., & Price, S. (2011). Designing learning representations around physical manipulation: Hands and words. Computers & Education, 57(3), 2045-2055.
7. Pangrazio, L., & Selwyn, N. (2019). ‘Personal data literacies’: A socio-technical approach to digital citizenship. Critical Studies in Education, 60(4), 419-437.
8. Selwyn, N. (2021). Ed-Tech within limits: Anticipating educational technology in times of environmental crisis. E-Learning and Digital Media, 18(5), 496-510.
9. Warschauer, M. (2004). Technology and social inclusion: Rethinking the digital divide. MIT press.
10. Williamson, B., Macgilchrist, F., & Potter, J. (2023). Re-examining AI, automation and datafication in education. Learning, Media and Technology, 48(1), 1-5.
10. Williamson, B., Macgilchrist, F., & Potter, J. (2023). Re-examining AI, automation and datafication in education. Learning, Media and Technology, 48(1), 1-5.
11. Zuboff, S. (2019). The age of surveillance capitalism: The fight for a human future at the new frontier of power. PublicAffairs.