Primum non nocere: Toward a phenomenological understanding of the pedagogical implications of first- and third-order technologies

Abstract

In the contemporary landscape, we witness and debate the adoption of digital technological devices by children and adolescents, both in schools and private settings. The provision of these tools by parents and teachers, while fearful, is often automatic, transforming digital technologies into educational and domestic environments. Even in the educational context, the debate turns into critical examinations regarding their optimal use to promote learning. This paper, therefore, aims to trace the differences and implications between first-order analog technologies and modern third-order technologies, within the framework of embodied education and cognition. Drawing on interdisciplinary frameworks, including the studies of Floridi (In-betweenness), the paper explores the underlying pedagogical reflections. Specifically, the proposal invites us to think of these new technologies as mind-environment, which, at phenomenological and experiential level, recode spaces, perceptions, and self-control. Finally, it proposes new pedagogical challenges, analyzing the possible shift from “error is master” to “error is the master (algorithm)” and the possible repercussions on the teacher's care and supervision of students.