Why study Learning, Technology and Society?

The Learning, Technology and Society pathway at the University of Bristol will provide you with a firm foundation for developing a wide range of careers – from teaching and facilitating learning in formal and informal settings, educational leadership, research, or learning technology.  You will develop an in-depth understanding of sociotechnical change and a critical perspective on if and how digital technologies can support learning in a wide variety of settings. It will also prepare you for engaging with and conducting further research in this rapidly developing field.

During the pathway programme, you will be encouraged to engage with discussion and research about the theoretical and practical design and application of technology for learning across the lifecourse and in various learning settings.  Rather than focusing on functional use of technology in learning, this pathway takes a more critical look at how and why these technologies are used and the wider set of factors that influence the outcomes of their use.

Who is this pathway for?

The pathway is designed for those who wish to take a critical perspective on the use of technology to support education and teaching and learning. It is suitable for people from a range of educational backgrounds or experiences, including: teachers and lecturers, (creative) technologists, and those who support educational initiatives and learning in sites of informal learning such as museums and other public spaces.

This pathway is taught at the School of Education (SoE) within the University of Bristol – an international centre of excellence in teaching, research and educational technology. The tutors on the course are world class academics with excellent research records in the field of education, technology and society.  The units contain a mix of teaching and learning approaches, including, group work, discussion and collaboration and use of multi-media resources. Trying out and critically examining the use of different technologies (eg, social media, reflective blogging) in a key element of the learning experience.

The pathway aims to:

• broaden students’ knowledge and experience of a wide range of technologically mediated learning environments;
• enable students to research and evaluate the design and use of digital technologies for learning in changing educational and other contexts;
• integrate concepts from educational research, cultural and science and technology studies, and the cognitive sciences (including neuroscience);
• enable students to explore critical approaches to the design and integration of technology into teaching and learning;
• provide students with a range of strategies for managing the introduction of digital technologies into educational settings;
• develop students’ interest in and knowledge and understanding of wider social and theoretical debates which impact on the use of technology in education.

This programme is offered on a full-time basis.