New pedagogy
The use of computers per se cannot make up for poor pedagogy and content. According to some schools of thought, there are two types of pedagogy, namely instruction and construction.
It is essential to acknowledge the difference between instruction and construction. The former is the approach usually followed by traditional classroom teaching, the latter refers to a way of teaching that facilitated full exploitation of the potential of ICT but demands rethinking and a redefinition of the traditional approach in education as well as of the teacher-student relationship.
| Instruction | Construction | |
| Classroom Activity | Teacher centred Didactic |
Learner centred Interactive |
| Teacher Role | Fact teller Always expert |
Collaborator Sometimes expert |
| Student role | Listener Always learner |
Collaborator Sometimes expert |
| Instructional emphasis | Facts Memorization |
Relationships Inquiry and Invention |
| Concept of knowledge | Accumulation of facts | Transformation of facts |
| Demonstration of success | Quantity | Quality of understanding |
| Assessment | Norm referenced Multiple-choice items |
Criterion referenced |
| Technology use | Drill and practice | Communication, collaboration, information access, expression |
The Construction column of the table above shows many of the terms that have been identified as appropriate for describing the new roles of teachers and learners in the computer age. Teachers become collaborators who centre their activities around the learners which, in turn, are encouraged to inquiry and invention.