New Times Demand New Ways of Learning

Why is it that people want a definitive answer regarding the effectiveness of technology in boosting student learning? This is especially frustrating when it is obvious that educational technology cannot be used when the teaching and learning methods in certain classrooms are clearly outdated! Effective learning can only truly take place when:

• children are engaged in authentic and multidisciplinary tasks
• assessments are based on students' performance of real tasks
• students participate in interactive modes of instruction
• students work collaboratively
• students are grouped heterogeneously
• the teacher is a facilitator in learning
• students learn through exploration

If these seven conditions are not met, attempting to integrate technology into education is akin to attempting to herd cats. The article by the same title as the subject of this blog indicates that it is necessary to regroup these conditions into indicators of engaged learning.

There must be a vision of learning. Learners must take responsibility for their own learning, must take a strategic stance, be energized by their own learning (intrinsic motivation), and be a collaborative undertaking. Tasks must be authentic, challenging, and multidisciplinary while assessment must certainly be performance based, generative, seamless and ongoing, and equitable. The instructional model must be interactive and generative and the learning context must be collaborative, knowledge-building, and empathetic.

Grouping of learners must be heterogeneous to ensure diversity and different levels of knowledge, be fair and equitable, and flexible.

Teachers are no longer the "sage on the stage." They must take on new roles as facilitator and guide and must also consider themselves as actual co-learners and/or co-investigators while student roles are no longer those of passive spectators but actual explorers, cognitive apprentices, teachers (!), and producers.

Indicators of high technology performance are access, operability, organization, engagability, ease of use, and functionality. First and foremost, students must have access to technology in schools. This technology must be organized so that students know where it is stored, how transferable are the data and programs from one source to another, etc., and if the programs can sustain student engagement. Is it easy to use? Frustrating to use? If students don't find technology easy and pleasant in its use they will merely stop using it. And, of course, does the functionality of the technology allow for students to take basic concepts and use them as building blocks to take it to the next level?

These are extremely important questions to consider in the implementation, use, and success of technology in education.