Critically Analyzing the Online Classroom: Blackboard, Moodle, Canvas, and the Pedagogy They Produce
Working from the crossroads of critical pedagogy and software studies, this study analyzes the means by which teaching technologies—in particular the popular learning management systems (LMS) Blackboard, Moodle, and Canvas—support a transmission model of education at the expense of critical learning...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Central States Communication Association
2021-10-01
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| Series: | Journal of Communication Pedagogy |
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| Online Access: | https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jcp/vol4/iss1/5/ |
| _version_ | 1818364033205534720 |
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| author | J.D. Swerzenski |
| author_facet | J.D. Swerzenski |
| author_sort | J.D. Swerzenski |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Working from the crossroads of critical pedagogy and software studies, this study analyzes the means by which teaching technologies—in particular the popular learning management systems (LMS) Blackboard, Moodle, and Canvas—support a transmission model of education at the expense of critical learning goals. I assess the effect of LMSs on critical aims via four key critical pedagogy concepts: the banking system, student/teacher contradiction, dialogue, and problem-posing. From software studies, I employ the notion of affordances—what program functions are and are not made available to users—to observe how LMSs naturalize the transmission model. Rather than present a deterministic look at teaching technology, this study calls for closer examination of these tools in order to rework teaching technologies toward critical ends. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T21:57:56Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c6c4aabcb99d4d71b0255212dabc2458 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2640-4524 2578-2568 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T21:57:56Z |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
| publisher | Central States Communication Association |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Communication Pedagogy |
| spelling | doaj.art-c6c4aabcb99d4d71b0255212dabc24582022-12-21T23:30:06ZengCentral States Communication AssociationJournal of Communication Pedagogy2640-45242578-25682021-10-014516910.31446/JCP.2021.1.05Critically Analyzing the Online Classroom: Blackboard, Moodle, Canvas, and the Pedagogy They ProduceJ.D. Swerzenski0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3490-529XUniversity of Massachusetts AmherstWorking from the crossroads of critical pedagogy and software studies, this study analyzes the means by which teaching technologies—in particular the popular learning management systems (LMS) Blackboard, Moodle, and Canvas—support a transmission model of education at the expense of critical learning goals. I assess the effect of LMSs on critical aims via four key critical pedagogy concepts: the banking system, student/teacher contradiction, dialogue, and problem-posing. From software studies, I employ the notion of affordances—what program functions are and are not made available to users—to observe how LMSs naturalize the transmission model. Rather than present a deterministic look at teaching technology, this study calls for closer examination of these tools in order to rework teaching technologies toward critical ends.https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jcp/vol4/iss1/5/critical pedagogysoftware studiesonline learninglearning management systemsinstructional communication |
| spellingShingle | J.D. Swerzenski Critically Analyzing the Online Classroom: Blackboard, Moodle, Canvas, and the Pedagogy They Produce Journal of Communication Pedagogy critical pedagogy software studies online learning learning management systems instructional communication |
| title | Critically Analyzing the Online Classroom: Blackboard, Moodle, Canvas, and the Pedagogy They Produce |
| title_full | Critically Analyzing the Online Classroom: Blackboard, Moodle, Canvas, and the Pedagogy They Produce |
| title_fullStr | Critically Analyzing the Online Classroom: Blackboard, Moodle, Canvas, and the Pedagogy They Produce |
| title_full_unstemmed | Critically Analyzing the Online Classroom: Blackboard, Moodle, Canvas, and the Pedagogy They Produce |
| title_short | Critically Analyzing the Online Classroom: Blackboard, Moodle, Canvas, and the Pedagogy They Produce |
| title_sort | critically analyzing the online classroom blackboard moodle canvas and the pedagogy they produce |
| topic | critical pedagogy software studies online learning learning management systems instructional communication |
| url | https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/jcp/vol4/iss1/5/ |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jdswerzenski criticallyanalyzingtheonlineclassroomblackboardmoodlecanvasandthepedagogytheyproduce |