Humanistic Approach to Technology Domination in Technology Enhanced Learning

In this article we tried to show how technical perspectives on technology enhanced learning (TEL) integrate into learning theories with the intention to widen technical horizons in discussions on TEL. We discussed two in our opinion most present understandings of technology in learning, the dictum of "invisible software" and the exclusiveness of task-oriented approach of technology, and tried to make clear in which theoretical tradition they can be ordered. By that and by showing on theoretical approaches that represent other perspectives, especially the humanist one, we hope to have opened the technical perspective for new and different approaches to TEL. As a result we opened a discussion on two questions we believe are today crucial in TEL: who takes responsibility for learning in personal learning environments (PLE) and what role the content (respectively domain-specific knowledge) has in the "era of task-conscious learning proponents". Our conclusions were that, firstly, learning responsibility in TEL and PLE is carried by learners only indirectly as it is the technology that allows personalization and by that carries direct responsibility for learning. And secondly we believe that for TEL the learning model has to stress the content part of learning. We suggested the model of parallel learning that stresses dichotomous and dialectic character of learning theories which often present two alternative approaches (task- and learning-conscious, skills and domain-specific knowledge, technology and content). Like we have argued in this article in our opinion the academic TEL discussion focuses too much on task orientation, therefore our model advocates building learning process upon the learning-conscious domain.