It has been an interesting time to be studying digital technology and its impact on education. Since we started INF530 late last year, worldwide disruptions to education as a result of Covid-19 have dominated the news. Much has been written in the meantime about the affordances of digital technology in education, but current circumstances make it clear that relatively few actually benefit from the ability to connect, learn, and share information ushered in by the 4th Industrial Revolution.
Unlike our technology rich IB World School, a recent a study of digital learning in the 27 European Union countries by the Center for European Policy Studies ranked Germany, the richest country in the EU, last in e-learning. This really brought home the extent of the digital divide. Despite a widespread perception that exposure to digital technology automatically produces “digital natives” (Prensky, 2001), the reality is that digital fluency and equity are real issues (Educause, 2019).
The recent move to online learning has shown that we need to rethink the training and support needs of both students and educators in terms of new technology and its implementation in the short term. In the long term, effective and targeted professional development on an ongoing basis is key in ensuring that we educators are equipped for the swiftly changing digital learning environment and for our role as learning facilitators and knowledge curators.
I found myself reflecting on the issues that will inevitably influence education policy: the trend toward student-centered, personalised learning and the use of data analytics to determine content and measure learning and how this will be influenced by the Edutech industry. Concerns and problems arising from the implementation of such initiatives and the implications for education will most certainly occupy our thoughts for quite some time.
My particular passion is the Makerspace and this dictated my choice of Stager & Martinez’ Invent to Learn for my scholarly book review. I have come to understand that true digital learning does not mean the indiscriminate use of digital devices in the place of traditional learning methods. It is more about creating a learning environment in which students can learn to think critically, engage in problem-solving and actively collaborate with their peers using both physical and digital tools. Helping students to become life-long learners will equip them with the curiosity, creativity and flexibility they will need for their future careers.
My personal experience in online education is being mirrored by many thousands of students around the world – I am learning by doing. My entry into the Blogosphere as a complete novice has meant coming to grips with the technical intricacies of Thinkspace/Wordpress blogs. Nevertheless, I have become a true convert, gradually developing my visual literacy skills, discovering the world of hyperlinked writing and understanding the benefits of online participation and collaboration, so much so that it dictated my choice of subject for the digital essay.
INF 530 has introduced me to the world of social media as a source of professional collaboration and networking. I have overcome my reluctance to post my opinions and resources online, I have joined a STEM/Makerspace group on Facebook that is both collaborative and informative and have taken to following advocates of connected learning, makerspaces and digital learning on Twitter. I particularly love Silvia Rosenthal Tolisano’s Langwitches – Globally Connected Learning. The next step is to make the leap to active tweeting so that I can exploit professional learning networks for educators.
INF530 has put me on the path to understanding the power of connectivity and the importance of keeping abreast of the constantly evolving digital landscape.
References
Educause. (2017, May 22). How Can We Help Students Be More Successful? [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/sttyTSb6cKQ
Educause. (2019). Educause Horizon Report 2019 Higher Education Edition. Retrieved from https://library.educause.edu/resources/2019/4/2019-horizon-report.
Martinez, S.L., Stager, G. S. (2019). Invent to Learn: Making, Tinkering & Engineering in the Classroom 2nd edition. Torrance: CMK Press.
Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf
Schwab, K. (2016). The Fourth Industrial Revolution: what it means, how to respond. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/01/the-fourth-industrial-revolution-what-it-means-and-how-to-respond/
Wexler, N. (2019). How classroom technology is holding students back. MIT Technology Review. https://www.technologyreview.com/2019/12/19/131155/classroom-technology-holding-students-back-edtech-kids-education/
World Economic Forum. (2016, April 13). The fourth industrial revolution. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/khjY5LWF3tg
Hi Lisa, very thoughtful reflective piece. I particularly resonated with this sentence
“I have come to understand that true digital learning does not mean the indiscriminate use of digital devices in the place of traditional learning methods. It is more about creating a learning environment in which students can learn to think critically, engage in problem-solving and actively collaborate with their peers using both physical and digital tools.” I think it really sums up how I like to use technology in educational settings – not just for the sake of it but when it enriches or facilitates learning or is authentic in the learning situation. I’ve really enjoyed reading everyone’s blogs – it’s been a great source of inspiration and divergent thinking. Good luck with the rest of your studies. Kath