“Why do you think digital technologies have been put into schools?”
Over the first half of ESC515- Classroom Technologies, I admit that I have had to change my perspective from an educational technology enthusiast/early adopter, to an educational technology “questioner”. Not a skeptic but an educator who asks the question of purpose rather than blindly accepting it’s commonplace as outlined in Selwyn’s first chapter on Education and Technology (2011). Haran (2015) speaks to my previous life of knowing that technology can be a positive classroom tool but being unsure how technology can actually affect learning.
It is clear from Thompson’s (2015) review of curriculum policy and Newhouse’s (2013) take on Australian curriculum reform, digital technology has been infused into the Australian curriculum to prepare students `for their futures’ ‘. Students are practicing and mastering digital skills and competencies in the classroom so that they can participate in future society where technology use will no longer be a skill but second nature. Access to education is a barrier that is also addressed by increasing digital technologies in schools. With the rise of the internet, social media and learning platforms, along with the worldwide impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, “education” can be accessed by anyone from anywhere. The only caveat to this breakthrough and adoption is the cost prohibitive nature of a necessary digital device and internet access experienced by some communities.
This practice of technology skills and competencies lends itself to the “social constructivist” classroom and promotes active learning, learning-by-doing, scaffolded learning and collaboration (Harasim, 2017). When students are engaged in a problem-solving task with their peers, a classroom technology tool allows them to learn from each other, develop their interpersonal skills and take ownership for their own learning. A true collaborative classroom reaches its potential when student discussion, questioning and peer problem solving take the forefront and the educator steps back from the lecture podium and facilitates student interaction (Smith et. al., 1992).
The concept of collaboration as a skill needed for student’s futures seems to be the real reason digital technologies are present in classrooms today.
References
Haran, M. (2015). A history of educational technology. Retrieved from: https://www.slideshare.net/AprilGealeneAlera/a-history-of-education-technology.
Harasim, L. (2017). Learning Theory and Online Technologies. Chapter 5 Taylor & Francis Group. http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/csuau/detail.action?docID=4865772.
Newhouse, C. P. (2013). ICT in the Australian curriculum. In Proceedings of the 21st International Conference on Computers in Education (pp. 914-919). Bali, Indonesia. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1378&context=ecuworks2013
Selwyn, N. (2011) Education and Technology : Key Issues and Debates. Bloomsbury Publishing. http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/csuau/detail.action?docID=661054.
Smith, B. L., MacGregor, J. T. (1992). What is collaborative learning? In A. Goodsell, M. Maher, V. Tinto, B. L. Smith & J. MacGregor. Collaborative Learning: A Sourcebook for Higher Education. National Center on Postsecondary Teaching, Learning, and Assessment at Pennsylvania State University. https://www.evergreen.edu/sites/default/files/facultydevelopment/docs/WhatisCollaborativeLearning.pdf
Thompson, S. (2015). Policy Insights- Australian Students in a Digital World. Australian Council for Educational Research. 3. https://research.acer.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1002&context=policyinsights