Beer
Choose two of the historical resources (not the articles defining technological determinism & social constructivism) from the Required Learning Materials that interest you and then do the following:
Put full citations for both of the resources in MLA format at the top of your post.
For each resource, explain whether it takes the approach of social constructivism or technological determinism? Or is there a combination of both approaches? How do you know this? What specifics from each resource give you hints about its approach?
Determine which resource you think is most successful with its approach and explain why.
https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tus/humn/humn344/2232/week-2/beer.html
Sample Solution
The two historical resources that interest me are the articles “Technology, Learning, and the Human Condition” by David Beer (2001) and “The Medium is the Message” by Marshall McLuhan (1964).
Beer’s article takes a more social constructivist approach as he argues that technology does not determine our behaviour but rather it is shaped by us. He claims that how we interact with these tools is determined by our culture which in turn affects how we learn from them (Beer 2001). For instance, he notes how different communities have different expectations of what a successful online learning experience should be such as whether or not people should take part in discussions or if lectures are mostly one-way conversations. As such this suggests an individual’s perceptions towards technology frameworks depend on their own beliefs about its potential thus demonstrating that any use of technology is based upon socially constructed ideas and values.
Meanwhile, Mc Luhan’s article adopts a more technologically deterministic view wherein he posits that it is media itself – regardless of content – which has greater influence over society than what they actually say. He states that certain mediums like radio can transmit material faster leading to less time for reflection while other forms such as television can shape what audiences focus on due to its visual nature thereby affecting their thoughts/values accordingly (McLuhan 1964). These assertions indicate his belief in an environment where technologies play a major role in shaping human interactions hence implying there is no room for individuals to modify how they use these tools according to their specific circumstances.
Overall, both authors present compelling arguments regarding the relationship between humans and technology although each approaches this topic from slightly different perspectives; Beer suggests our usage of these tools reflects pre-existing cultural norms while McLuhan emphasizes its power to shape people’s behaviors regardless of context thereby suggesting a combination of both technological determinism and social constructivism exists when assessing this issue further.
