Personalist Criteria for an Anthropological Assessment of Technology Use at School

Abstract

This study provides a personalized interpretation on the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) at schools with the objective of demonstrating the importance of teachers as educators, particularly with regards to questioning anthropological dynamics of learners which include intellectual, volitional and emotional aspects.  Teachers have a different approach towards these dynamics than do ICTs and teacher motivation is not comparable to that of being perceived as a mere facilitator of information. Thus, through a critical review of relevant studies regarding use of technology at schools by authors with a perspective of comprehensive personalism, it is argued that there is an anthropological need for a teacher-student encounter to appropriately contribute to the personal development of the learner. It is concluded that this encounter may be sustained and reinforced by ITCs as a specific support mechanism and that this interpersonal relationship cannot be replaced by ICTs. Thus, educational systems must either relinquish the use of ICTs in favor of other non-technical skills or use ICTs in such a manner where its use can be reviewed, assessed and limited without losing sight of the obsolete and intuitive nature associated with learning through technology and highlighting the importance for human beings to acquire other skills unrelated to technology.