Taking a closer look at the TPACK model

Most problems I encountered with flexible learning and learning with technology were centered around teachers. They are the ones who have to put these kinds of learning into action. This is exactly where TPACK model of Koehler and Mishra comes into the picture.

Looking at the TPACK model, it is now easier for me to understand why it is difficult for teachers to incorporate technology into their lessons. It is not just about not knowing how to use a certain technology, it is often the integration with the content and the pedagogy that is lacking. Teachers have to learn how to creatively and flexibly apply TPACK knowledge to their teaching.

What the TPACK model also does, it puts implications on educational researchers. Most research is generic. It centers around a certain technology or pedagogy. It is not surprising that many teachers are not inclined to implement those technologies and pedagogies in their classroom. Teachers could benefit more from research that is aimed at an integration of TK, PK and CK.

Personally, the model taught me, that when I am talking or writing about technology, I often remain too general. I do not incorporate the interaction with the pedagogy and the content. This is the technocratic vision that Koehler and Mishra blame. It is seeing technology as an add-on. Thinking back to when I wrote the post about the possibilities of pedagogy and course management systems, I felt like something was missing. It seemed like aimlessly summing up possibilities for supporting pedagogy with CMS, without context and not directly suited for teaching and learning.

However, there is one problem with the TPACK model: it is merely descriptive. It does not give any advice for teacher training or how teachers can implement technological pedagogical content knowledge in practice. In a very recent article, Matthew Koehler and Punya Mishra, together with Judith Harris, introduced “activity types”. Activity types constitute a kind of TPACK-pick-and-chose, like the menu in fast food restaurants. It helps especially novice teachers and teachers with less experience with technology to decide what kind of TPACK-interaction fits conveniently with their instruction.

More about activity types and the TPACK model in:

Harris, J., Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. (2009). Teachers‘ technological pedagogical content knowledge and learning activity types: curriculum-based technology integration reframed. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 41(4), 393-416