What a funny word. If I were to guess what that word meant, I would picture it as the state of being a “pedagon”; which sounds a lot like a pentagon. I just picture the Pokemon Porygon, but maybe that’s just the kid in me.
What Pedagogy Means to Me
Unfortunately, that’s not what Pedagogy is. Pedagogy refers to the methods, strategies, and practices of teaching. It is basically the science of education, how one goes about educating others.
While the term is a new one to me, the concept’s importance resonates with me as someone who teaches people Calisthenics on the side. I am sure it resonates with most people, in fact, since most people have to teach others something at some point. I feel it’s an innately human thing.
It being formally defined makes it easier to become better at teaching, since you can research what works and what doesn’t under the umbrella of pedagogy. As a learner, I learn best when given quantifiable metrics to work with, the more details the better. This gives me an idea if I am on track, but maybe that’s just the computer science student in me speaking.
What about Networked Pedagogy?
Okay, this is not funny now. I am sure whoever made up these terms had Porygon in mind.
Networked Pedagogy is teaching methods that leverage digital networks to enhance learning. So basically teaching people online.
As someone who grew up on the internet, I have been exposed to this idea inadvertently through being on the web. Whether that was through going through game installation tutorials, participating in hobbyist forums, or learning on Coursera, I have always been growing my knowledge online.
Creators online who teach people have to learn to be good at what they do if they want to produce quality content. This is why I think they practice Networked Pedagogy even if they do not know of the term.
Learning Theories in Practice
Will I pick Cognitivism just because I am in Computer Science? Yes, yes I will.
Working with computers for a long time makes you relate to them – as sad as that sounds. In computers, there is the concept of a RAM (Random-access memory) which is a computer’s short-term memory.
Hard drives or SSDs would act as the long-term memory. Sometimes, you want to move stuff from the RAM to, say, the hard drive by copying it over. This is similar to how we as humans move stuff from our short-term memory to our long-term memory when we prove it’s relevant to our minds – through repeated practice for example.
The Role of the Instructor
For one, an instructor has to be enthusiastic about what they are teaching. Not being monotone helps people not doze off. They also have to be a good communicator, to make up for people not being able to respond in real-time (assuming they are teaching asynchronously). Being able to use diagrams and non-text material helps as well since we humans love images.
One of the content creators I follow on YouTube that raises the bar of what it means to be an educator online is 3Blue1Brown. He ignited my love for mathematics and saved my grades in calculus. This is one of his best videos:
Digital Spaces: The Good and The Ugly
Digital spaces are great – you can learn anywhere, at any time, only being limited by the amount of effort you put in. However, with that comes its downfall. If you are not disciplined enough to keep active in your learning journey, you will easily fall behind your goals. In person, you have some extrinsic motivation at play with seeing your peers interact with material and being able to interact with your instructor in real-time.
To succeed in a digital environment, you need to be committed to your goals. Set a plan, keep a calendar, and engage with your peers as much as you can virtually. If you do so, you will reap the fruits of being online.
