ICT in Education: The Vision and the Reality

There is a common theme underpinning the papers I will refer to in this article. Fulfilling the Potential and Toward a New Golden Age in American Education in particular relate closely, both in there vision for what ICT can or will offer and the contradictions based on evidence presented.

In Fulfilling the Potential, Secretary of State Charles Clarke suggests real progress has been made but the potential of real transformation has not yet been reached. The School Reform Agenda is in direct contradiction to the view that ICT has made real progress in student literacy and numeracy when it states:

“Significant gains have been made … 11 year olds reaching the expected standard in literacy and numeracy and of 16 year olds gaining 5 good GCSE’s.”

The same paragraph states a significant improvement in primary and secondary teaching and learning has been achieved. The next paragraph states:

“25% of 11 year olds do not achieve the expected level in literacy and numeracy; almost half of 16 year olds do not leave school with 5 good GCSE’s”

Clearly there is a direct contradiction as the percentages of students who were not doing well remain significantly high. All this can demonstrate is that ICT may suit some students but obviously not all. It would also be interesting to view previous history in the educational sector to see if a trend might exist to suggest these same students would have achieved these goals without new technologies anyway.

Similar anomalies lay in the American report. Both state that improvements will result from providing the hardware and improved access for students. They then go no the say that the promised increase in student performance has not been realised. The reasons have been identified in that providing the equipment and opportunity is not sufficient. Teachers and educators need to receive significant professional development and be allowed to become comfortable with the technology before it can be accepted that real benefits in the classroom environment are being achieved.

Towards a New Golden Age in American Education recognises that students are far ahead in their computer literacy. These “digital natives” think nothing of picking up and adapting technology to suit their own purposes. This is not the case with the current group of educators. At best educators can only play catch up and with time and resource pressure constantly being applied, they will probably continue to feel uncomfortable to some extent. Real change or improvements brought about by the use of e-learning and ICT will become more noticeable and widespread only when those digital natives become educators themselves. This is on the assumption that they themselves will keep adapting to change in technology. The vision outlined in both papers is grand and ambitious but clearly recognises that the full potential ICT might provide may not be reached.

Another answer to the problem can be found in the following paper by Aviram & Talmi. There “Are you a Technocrat? A Reformist? Or a Holist?” paper suggests that those in education can be grouped into three clusters when integrating ICT into the education system. In identifying the characteristics of these clusters, it becomes apparent that the Government departments and the ministers presenting the reports which underpin this article are of the technocratic viewpoint. Ample provision is being made to provide the equipment, although in the American example, it also suggests that schools need to be creative in budgeting for new and replacement technologies. Future funding from the Federal Government may not be forthcoming despite references being made to the No Child Left Behind Act (2001). In both the English and American papers it almost appears that the fact that educators have not embraced the full potential of e-learning in resource development or use has come as a surprise.

Experience in TAFESA reflect the views of Aviram & Talmi. Teaching staff using e-learning and new and/or innovative technologies could be grouped in the reformist or holist categories. However senior management and IT staff more closely align with the technocratic view. The challenge remains to bring the groups together for frank and honest discussion or the full benefit ICT can provide will never fully be realised.

It is the New Learning Paradigm in School Education which holds the closest keys to a successful meshing of technology and its use. This is particularly relevant in the skills and trades areas. Technical education is heavily oriented towards the constructionist visions and the potential changes outlined in this paper closely mirror the developments being undertaken in TAFESA Heavy Vehicles for example. Since it’s founding in 1989, the faculty has been leading in competency based education, self paced learning, problem solving and experimental learning to name a few. Computer technology in the form of interactive online learning materials, CD-Rom based learning objects and step-by-step service information in multimedia formats have been developed and slowly introduced into the teaching program since 1998. Evidence shows they have increased the confidence of students to tackling and achieving successful outcomes.

One point the reviewed papers do not recognise is that what is new technology today, will be history tomorrow. Never before has the world seen such rapid developments. The American paper in its conclusions recognised the “digital disconnect” as a big frustration amongst today’s students. Broadband is only a stop-gap until new developments require faster access or new mediums of transmission. Trying to keep up by having a redundancy program for computers is an older world fix to new and emerging problems. It further states:

“Reforms within the system will require strong leadership and a willingness to restructure the learning environment in fundamental ways.”

It will require more than this. It will require a willingness to remain constantly open to the changing environment to the point of leading change rather than adapting to change. Otherwise education will always be a follower of trends and developments and never a leader.


Bibliography:

Fulfilling the Potential: Transforming teaching and learning through ICT in schools UK Department for Education and Skills: 2003 http://publications.teachernet.gov.uk/

Towards a Golden Age in American Education: National Education Technology Plan 2004 US Department of Education 2005 http://www.nationaledtechplan.org/default.asp

Are You a Technocrat? A Reformist? Or a Holist?: R. Aviram, D. Talmi, Centre for Futurism in Education, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel http://elearningeuropa.info/

The New Learning Paradigm in School Education: summary of Study of Innovative Learning Environments in School Education, a report to the European Commission DG Education and Culture 2004 http://elearningeuropa.info/