Techno-Pedagogy Needs Mavericks

Techno-Pedagogy Needs MavericksTechnology and tools have always been integral to teaching, but solely as auxiliaries and largely optional.Now, they have become central with the onset of COVID-19 pandemic disruption turning online teaching as the only alternative and learning under information communication technology (ICT) environment a new normal.This has already been there over the last two decades as part of distance learning run by open universities.Online learning, widely hailed as a less expensive, quick, self-directed, personal, flexible and autonomous system offering plenty of choices, goes well with the tang of juveniles.Naturally, online technological industry has been growing steadily due to the mounting demographic pressure, commercialization of education, market-driven social expectations, needs of the career hungry youth and above all the demanding knowledge economy.Registering a phenomenal expansion during the pandemic lockdown, online technology is heading towards a big boom worldwide.We deem it appropriate to consider the technology factor of higher education in this editorial. Techno-PedagogyWhat most teachers mean by techno-pedagogy is lecturing online.It hardly involves any tools other than an Internet-connected computer and a platform.Some of them use a platform with course management systems, asynchronous presentations, videoconferencing and online evaluation tools.It is important that they do it web-based using facilities of the smart classroom, reusable content objects, peer-to-peer collaboration, digital libraries, e-books and other assistive virtual technologies enabling effective online teaching and delivery of course material (Courts & Tucker, 2012).In general, the potential of digital technology is largely under-utilized.Digital technology has been enabling free online education through massive open online courses.Printed learning material is being extensively digitalized due to the growing number of e-learners.Many students store their learning material in smartphones or iPads or iPhone or tablets (Melody & Ramsay, 2012;Tremblay, 2010).Online platforms and portals facilitate learning anytime, anywhere and from any source world-wide.Besides, the social media systems such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and WhatsApp allow broad networking facilities for peer-topeer cooperative learning and collaborative teaching (Curtis & Lawson, 2001; Higher Education for the Future 8(1) 7-19, 2021