Episode 19, TPAC.
In 2006, scholars Punea Mishra and Matthew J. Kohler from Michigan State University
detailed the TPAC framework. According to this model,
three types of knowledge affect educators' use of technology. These three define seven independent
and combined domains of knowledge. These are largely independent, but one combined
provide a framework for comprehensive understanding of technology in schools.
Some maintain TPAC is a theoretical framework. I'm among those who maintain TPAC is a useful
framework for planning and decision-making as well as improving IT operations,
but it lacks the causal explanations linked to theoretical understanding.
Regardless, it does help school and technology leaders understand technology in their schools.
To keep the seven types of knowledge that emerge from TPAC clear, it is helpful to look at the
Venn diagram that's often used to illustrate TPAC. The three independent types of knowledge are
technological, the ability to operate hardware, software, and use digital data, pedagogical
knowledge, which is the ability to create effective instruction and content knowledge,
which is knowledge of the subject that's being taught. These combine to make three
additional types of knowledge. Technological content or TC knowledge comprises understanding
of the tools used for teaching specific content. For example, the tools we find in science laboratories
to collect experimental data. Pedagogical content or PC knowledge comprises understanding of how
to teach specific content. Technological, pedagogical, or TP knowledge comprises knowledge
of the methods used to teach with technology. The last type of knowledge combines all three,
so TPC knowledge comprises the ability to teach specific content using technology.
Learning scientists study, among many other things, transfer, which is the ability to apply
knowledge developed in one area to another area. They contrast far transfer with near transfer.
The more similar two situations are, the closer the transfer. It is reasonably well established
that far transfer is weak. Teaching chess will not help players to strategize in other settings.
Weak transfer is a well-known phenomenon outside of school as well. I illustrate this with an
example of a former colleague who was skilled at analyzing data in industrial settings,
but who was an active climate change denier. While they could draw reasonable conclusions on
data regarding performance in manufacturing settings, they could not apply those same
skills to climate data. For IT professionals who work in schools, TPAC is a useful tool for
differentiating their role in decision-making and planning from educators. As an IT professional,
you are largely responsible for the technological knowledge one needs. What one does and how one
operates IT when used on campus, both the physical campus and the virtual campus,
depends on how your systems have been configured. Further, IT folks have a responsibility to train
users in the operation of those systems. IT professionals collaborate with educators on
decisions related to the technological content tools that will be available in their classrooms.
While we have significant knowledge of technology tools, we often have less knowledge about the
tools used in specific content areas. Of course, we are sometimes more skilled. Consider mathematics
instruction, for example. When IT professionals with deep knowledge of spreadsheets collaborate
with educators, they can create tools that can be used to illustrate complex math concepts.
The best TC environments result from collaboration. In a similar way, the best pedagogical
technology knowledge arises from collaboration between IT professionals and educators. While
some technology-based instruction may be easy to configure, others are more difficult. These
decisions about what to configure can facilitate instruction or inhibit instruction, so collaboration
is key. Near and far transfer affects educators and IT professionals. Technological knowledge,
which is the IT professionals domain, is relatively far from combined TPC knowledge.
Just because one has deep technological knowledge does not mean they can apply that to teaching
situations for specific content. The theme of this podcast is the need for collaboration between
IT professionals and educators when designing IT for schools. I suggested earlier that TPAC may not
be a theoretical framework as it lacks causal explanations. Perhaps I was wrong. TPAC does
allow us to predict that increased collaboration results in better IT decisions in schools.