Network utopias and alternative entanglements for educational research and practice

The Master’s in Teaching and Learning: expanding utilitarianism in the continuing professional development of teachers in England

“…And coach training may also be 'delivered' by 'on-line resources and virtual learning environments' (TDA 2009e, 6). Technology, as Strathern (2002) describes, 'points to its own potency', it signals that an endeavour is innovatory, 'cutting edge', and associations with 'the network society' connote an 'open' and expansive learning context (Frankham 2006). Technological responses also have the benefit of reinforcing the individualised nature of the MTL.…”

The evolution of accountability

“…Societies of control, for Deleuze (1992), are the next iteration of power in neoliberal democracies and these societies are in the process of replacing autonomous practices of governmentality. Societies of control are a form of networked power analyzed in recent theoretical, empirical, and methodological studies of education policy (Ball and Exley 2010;Fataar 2006;Fenwick 2010;Frankham 2006). Ball (2009) discussed the idea of networked power as the activities of multiple constituents involved in educational governance.…”

Action research as a congruent methodology for understanding wikis: the case of Wikiversity

“…In its ideal, this would approach Habermas' (1987) idea of a "lifeworld", where people can "reciprocally raise claims that their utterances fit the world (objective, social, or subjective), and where they criticize and confirm those validity claims, settle their disagreements, and arrive at agreements" (Habermas, 1987: 126). However, I do not wish to imply that agreements are necessarily the ideal, but acknowledge that disagreements are part and parcel of an educational process (Frankham, 2006).…”