A Critique of Marshall McLuhan's (1957) “Classrooms Without Walls”

Written By Abena Sey

October 9, 2018

Learning is no longer confined to the walls of the classroom, because advancements in technology have transformed the way learning is experienced and shared.  In Marshall McLuhan’s “Classroom Without Walls” (1957), the author discussed how advancements in technology have impacted the nature of teaching and learning.  McLuhan advised us to embrace these changes. I agree! Teaching and learning can be positively impacted when educators integrate good pedagogical practices with technology use. 

McLuhan’s article prophetically revealed the dangers in not embracing how students learn and engage outside of school, and the dangers in failing to prepare them to consume media critically.  He argued that “most learning occurs outside the classroom,” given the volume of information displayed through mass media in comparison to traditional school instruction and texts (McLuhan 1957).   He stated, for instance, that “the new media aren’t just press-mags-film-TV-radio mechanical gimmicks” but convey strong messages to the consumer (McLuhan 1957).  Media have profound impacts on the way people think. 

We have an opportunity to teach students how to navigate these digital spaces safely, critically, and responsibly “to develop judgment & discrimination” about what they are learning (McLuhan 1957).  We must, however, meet them where they are, because students will invest, if they are enjoying their learning experience, and find value and meaning in what they are doing.   

We must be willing to change our mindsets and our pedagogy to keep up with the changes in how students learn and engage. How do use technology to engage your learners? Please comment below.    

Reference

McLuhan, M. (1957). Classroom without walls. In Carpenter E, McLuhan M (Eds) Explorations in Communication. Boston, MA: Beacon Press, 1–3.