More than tools? Making sense of the ongoing digitizations of higher education

On the one hand, digital technology use in higher education is a clear example of what Gert Biesta has termed 'learnification' - i.e. "the translation of everything there is to say about education in terms of learning and learners" (Biesta, 2009, p. 38). [...]this is an area that is often described as 'learning technology' or 'technology enhanced learning', and where technologies are framed in terms of their association with learning - i.e. 'learning management systems' and 'learning analytics'. On the contrary, pedagogy is inherently part of any educational technology use. [...]not explicitly addressing the pedagogical foundations of any instance of digital education makes it difficult to robustly question (let alone change) the ways in which the technology is being used to support learning. [...]it is also important to explore how the use of digital technologies in higher education settings profoundly shapes the emotions, moods and feelings of students and staff. [...]critical studies need to be conducted in a generous, open-minded spirit if they are to find a place in the general educational technology firmament.