International Journal of Education and Development using ICT

International Journal of Education and Development using ICT > Vol. 5, No. 4 (2009)

Technology-oriented or Learning-driven?

Lisle Waldron, The University of the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago

Abstract
Using the design of learning environments as a point of engagement, this paper posits – in the Caribbean context – that the primary focus for Colleges and Universities should not be on technology, that is, technological products but rather, on learning as the product. The practice of learning space design in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago has traditionally installed technology imitatively, reflexively, in a vacuum – that is, without an integration of technology with the learning philosophies of higher education institutions. The result of such an incorporation of technology into the learning space is an illusion of progressiveness instead of the best possible facilitation of teaching and learning. The paper argues for a strategic design process where stakeholders collaborate, space needs are identified, possible solutions are analysed, issues of adaptability and flexibility are considered and technological innovations are creatively and deliberately linked with the goal: learning for today and for the future.

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