A Brief Introduction to Educational TechnologyPart 2 – The Modern WorldMike Sharples, Institute of Educational Technology

Educational change

“A mid-nineteenth-century surgeon is magically transported through time to a modern operating theatre. Once there, he finds himself completely at a loss to know what to do or how to help.

In contrast, a mid-nineteenth-century teacher is transported through the years to a modern classroom. Once there, he picks up seamlessly where his modern peer left off.”

Tim Bush, precis of Seymour Papert “The Children’s Machine”, 1994

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ukfe/archive/2012/10/24/it-s-the-difference-between-technology-for-learning-and-technology-in-learning.aspx

Education 1904-1994Same technology, similar activity

1904

1954

1994

1904

1954

1994

Entertainment 1904-1994New technologies, new activities

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Modern classroom 2004New technology, but same pedagogy

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Modern classroom 2016New technologies, new pedagogies

Education is changing

New technologiesNew pedagogiesNew science of learning

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New technologies

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Constructive and collaborative Distant and interactive

Massive and social Personal and sensing

New technologies for learning

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New technology can augment learning

For example, ‘smart earpieces’ for learning in context:

who/what am I looking at?what is s/he saying?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2016/05/17/groundbreaking-gadget-claims-to-fit-in-your-ear-and-translate-fo/

New technologies for learning

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New technology can augment learning

For example, ‘smart earpieces’ for learning in context:

who/what am I looking at?what is s/he saying?

…and can disrupt traditional education

http://www.monorean.com/

Early signals

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As educational technologists we should watch for early signs of new and disruptive technology

“Instinctively [Jed] switched over to his miniputer to review the situation.

It was a simple thing to do. Many of the parts of the miniputer were synthetic bio-chemical units, their “controls” built into Jed’s aural cavity; he “switched on” by simple neural impulse. At once the mighty resources of the machine, equal to the libraries of the world, billowed like a curtain on the fringes of his brain. The machine responded like an electroencephalograph to the minute impulses of his brain, and flicked over at his command to the particular section of knowledge that he wanted to consult.

Its “voice” came into his mind, filling it with relevant words, figures, and pictures.”

Extract from a short story by Brian Aldiss, ‘The Thing Under the Glacier’, Daily Express Science Annual, 1963.

1963Smart earpiece for learningcontrolled by neural impulses

Early signals

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As educational technologists we should watch for early signs of new and disruptive technology

Explore educational benefits

Discuss risks and disruptions

“Learners can command an increasing range of mobile technologies that have the potential to support learning anytime anywhere, but also to disrupt the carefully managed environment of the classroom.”

Sharples, M. (2002) Disruptive Devices: Mobile Technology for Conversational Learning. International Journal of Continuing Engineering Education and Lifelong Learning, 12, 5/6, pp. 504-520.

Future Technology Workshop

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A structured group method to systematically envision and explore future technologies and activities

CURRENT TECHNOLOGY

FUTURE TECHNOLOGY

CURRENT ACTIVITY

1. Everyday technology-mediated activity

2. Familiar activities supported by new technologies

FUTURE ACTIVITY

3. New activities that current technology might support

4. New activities with new technologies.

The present

The future (evolution of technology)

The future (evolution of practices) The future (disruptive

innovation)Vavoula, G.N. & Sharples, M. (2007) Future Technology Workshop: A collaborative method for the design of new learning technologies and activities. International Journal of Computer Supported Collaborative Learning, 2,4, 393-419.

Challenge

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Identify technologies that may enhance or disrupt education in 2020

Discuss their benefits and risks

New pedagogies

Pedagogy: Theory and practice of teaching, learning and assessment

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www.open.ac.uk/innovating

Innovating pedagogy

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Rhizomatic learning Peer learning through networkingPersonal inquiry Personally-meaningful investigationsFlipped classroom Study content online, discuss in classroomCrossover learning Connecting informal and classroom learningLearning to learn Learning how to become an effective learnerGeo-learning Learning about the landscape/environmentLearning through gaming Learning by playing educational gamesLearning by storytelling Using narrative to guide learningThreshold concepts Focusing on topics that are difficult to teachComputational thinking Learning to abstract, plan, design, debugContext-based learning Learning by interaction with real objects & locationsIncidental learning Learning from everyday incidentsLearning by making Learning by creating and sharing objectsBricolage Learning by creative play with objectsEmbodied learning Learning with and about your bodyDynamic assessment Discovering and overcoming learning difficulties

Example: Crossover Learning

●How do the learning activities of informal and classroom learning differ in: initiation, support, goals, activities, outcomes?

●What are the benefits of connecting formal and informal learning?

●How can educational technologies support this pedagogy?

Connecting informal and classroom learning

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Learner-initiated Teacher-initiatedLearner-managed

Informal learning (e.g. internet browsing)

Self-managed learning (e.g. homework)

Teacher-managed

Non-formal learning (e.g. evening classes, MOOCs)

Formal learning (e.g. schools)

Crossover learning: MyArtSpace

●Need: to make school museum visits more effective

●Aim: connect learning in museums and classrooms

●Change from worksheet exercise to inquiry-led learning

●Children as collectors and curators ●3000 children over 1 year in three

museums during 2006-7●Greater engagement (from 20 minutes for

previous visits to 90 minutes with MyArtSpace)

●Students brought back to the classroom rich resources from their visit

Learning between classroom, museum and home

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Vavoula, G., Sharples, M., Rudman, P., Meek, J., & Lonsdale, P. (2009) Myartspace: Design and evaluation of support for learning with multimedia phones between classrooms and museums. Computers and Education, 53, 2, 286-299.

Prepare a question in the classroom

Create and collect evidence in the museum

View and share in the classroom

Present a personal perspective

New science of learning“Insights from many different fields are converging to create a new science of learning that may transform educational practice”

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A.N. Meltzoff, P. K. Kuhl, J. Movellan, & T. J.Sejnowski (2009) Foundations for a New Scienceof Learning, Science 325 (5938), 284.

Neural learning●Learning supported by brain circuits that link

perception and action

Computational learning●Infer structural models from the environment●Learn from probabilistic input

Social learning●Learning by imitation●Shared attention●Intersubjectivity

Developmental learning●Behavioural and cognitive development●Neural plasticity

Contextual and temporal learning●Learning within and across contexts●Cycle of engagement and reflection

Insights from neuroscience

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Timing Spacing between stimuli is important in creating Long Term Memories

Spaced learning

Neural plasticity The brain can re-organise itself by forming new connections, throughout a lifetime

Environmental enrichmentCritical periodsResilience: learning to respond positively to environmental challenges

Stress Moderate levels of stress is associated with performance – but ‘moderate’ differs among individuals

Challenge-based learningLearning self-regulation of emotions

Example: Spaced learning

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http://www.innovationunit.org/sites/default/files/Spaced_Learning-downloadable_1.pdf

Kelley, P., & Whatson, T. (2013). Making long-term memories in minutes: a spaced learning pattern from memory research in education. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 7, 589.

Based on behavioural and laboratory studies of how Long Term Memories are encoded (DNA synthesis in the synapses of the brain)

Three short learning episodes spaced by 10 minutes of physical activity (e.g. clay modelling)

A controlled study found similar learning outcomes from one hour of spaced learning compared to a four-month course of classroom teaching

Studies are now being repeated in 15 schools

Teacher-led presentation

Students recall key concepts

10 minuteactive break

10 minuteactive break

Students apply

knowledge

Insights from behavioural sciences

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Positive reinforcement

Positive behaviour that is rewarded tends to be repeated

Behaviour modification

Example: GloyoChanging children’s handwashing behaviour

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●An interactive toy that teaches children how to wash their hands properly.

●Mobile hand washing device shaped like a ‘yo-yo’●Designed in collaboration with young children●One side contains lotion for washing hands●Other side has UV light to detect where lotion has not

been washed off●Images showing 6 steps to wash●Positive reinforcement of correct behaviour●A one-year trial saw sustained improvement in hand

washing.http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/nottingham/hi/people_and_places/newsid_8816000/8816165.stm

Randle, J., Metcalfe, J., Webb, H., Luckett, J. C. A., Nerlich, B., Vaughan, N., ... & Hardie, K. R. (2013). Impact of an educational intervention upon the hand hygiene compliance of children. Journal of Hospital Infection, 85(3), 220-225.http://bit.ly/2efmOIf

Insights from cognitive sciences

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Feedback Giving immediate feedback is successful for easy learning tasks and when the student is building knowledge. Both positive and negative feedback can help learning. Feedback must be relevant and lead to action.

Assessment for learning

Mastery learning

Constructivist learning

Students who actively explore a topic, then receive instruction perform better than students who are instructed first, then explore

Productive failureLearning by constructing

Context and learning

We understand new topics in the context of what we already know

Case-based learningLearning from examples

Language Language enables cognition Learning multiple languages

Meta-language and metacognition

Example: productive failure

●Learners explore a complex problem and try to generate solutions

●Teacher explains how to find the answer, using the student solutions as examples

●In productive failure, students are primed to understand the lecture

●In lecture-first, students are limited to memorise, recall and apply the formulas they had seen

●A study of students learning a complex topic of combinatorics on an interactive tabletop

●Students who explored first then watched a lecture performed significantly better than lecture-first

●Learning by productive failure has been implemented in over 26 Singapore schools

Learning by exploring complex problems

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Students explore a problem, producing a

range of answers

Teacherexplains the

correct answer using students’

solutions as examples

Productive failure

Teacher presents the

topic and shows how to solve

problems

Students try to solve problems

related to the topic

Lecture-first teaching

www.manukapur.com/research/productive-failure/

Schneider, B., & Blikstein, P. (2016). Flipping the Flipped Classroom: A Study of the Effectiveness of Video Lectures Versus Constructivist Exploration Using Tangible User Interfaces. IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies, 9(1), 5-17.

Insights from social sciences

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Cooperative learning

People learn best when they learn together

For groups to work:• shared goals • each person knows how and when to

contribute • everyonemakes an appropriate

contribution • share rewards in a fair way• opportunity to reflect on progress and

to discuss contributions

Cooperative learning

Jigsaw learning

Team-based learning

Zone of proximal development

Learners should work in a zone where they can be helped: between what they can already do unaided, and what is far too difficult

ScaffoldingPeer learning

Learning organisations

Organisations (such as schools and businesses) are learning systems

Organisational learningDouble-loop learning

Example: FutureLearn

●Which pedagogies improve with scale?

●FutureLearn platform designed to support learning as conversation

●The more people who exchange ideas and perspectives, the better the learning experience

●Conversations linked to content●Peer review and small group

discussions●Social network techniques to

manage the massive scale of conversation

Social learning at massive scale

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www.futurelearn.com

Ferguson, R. & Sharples, M. (2014). Innovative pedagogy at massive scale: Teaching and learning in MOOCs. In C. Rensing, S. de Freitas, T. Ley & P. J. Muñoz- Merino (Eds.) Open Learning and Teaching in Educational Communities, proceedings of 9th European Conference on Technology Enhanced Learning (EC-TEL 2014), Graz, Austria, September 16-19. Heidelberg: Springer, pp. 98-111.

Designing learning with technology

“A systematic but flexible methodology aimed to improve educational practices through iterative analysis, design, development, and implementation, based on collaboration among researchers and practitioners in real-world settings, and leading to contextually-sensitive design principles and theories”

Design-Based Research

Wang, F., & Hannafin, M. J. (2005). Design-based research and technology-enhanced learning environments. Educational Technology Research and Development, 53(4), 5-23.

Educational theory

Educational practice

Design experiment

Expanded theory

New technology in

practice

Design experiment

guides

informs

guides

Comparison of DBR with laboratory experimental research

Experimental studies Design-based studies

Laboratory studies Real world situations that contain limitations, complexities, dynamics

Aimed at testing hypotheses Aimed at designing new interventions and generating hypothesis

Usually single dependent variable Multiple dependent variables (though not all are investigated)

Control of variables, through specification of fixed procedures

Iterative and flexible revisions of the research design

Normally isolated from the social world Normally involve social interactions

Researchers are the decision makers Partners contribute to the decision making

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Evaluating educational technology innovations

“a serious investigation of the impacts of technology on student learning will require multiple studies and more than one methodological approach…

For many policymakers, the decision to be made is not whether to invest in technology or not, but rather how best to integrate technology with local educational goals…

In many cases, technology-based interventions seek to foster analytic, problem-solving, or design skills that are not covered by conventional achievement tests. Using an outcome measure that has nothing to do with the intervention under study can easily mask real impacts on learning.”

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Evaluating educational technology innovations

Method Context ResultsDesign experiment Design-based

researchTheory developmentEducational technology requirements

Controlled intervention study

Hypothesis testing Comparative effectiveness of educational interventions

Systematic review Increasing predictive power

Effect size of type of interventionComparison with average effect size of 0.4

Observation Learning in situ Understanding the learning processCritical incident analysis

Learning in situ Analysis of incidents in terms of breakdowns and breakthroughs, to inform design

Ethnographic study Learning in situ Scientific description of learning activities and cultures

Interaction analysis Learning practices Corpus of learners’ interactionsActivity analysis Learning analytics Learner behaviour and performanceSurvey New learning

interventionInsight into learners’ intentions, experiences, and difficulties

Learning design

Improved Educational

Practices

Objectives and strategies for

institutional change

Learning Analytics

Agile development

Institutional innovationDouble loop organisational learning

Learning design

Improved Educational

Practices

Objectives and strategies for

institutional change

Theories of effective education

Theory-informed

innovation

Learning Analytics

Design-based research

Agile development

Educational evaluation and insight

Institutional innovationDouble loop organisational learning

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What next?Scalable and sustainable learning systems

Beyond MOOCs

Intelligent tutoring systemsA tutor for every learner

Personalised and social learning at massive scaleHow to combine the learning benefits of social and personal learning

Orchestration outside the classroomFacilitating informal learning

Lifelong professional developmentConnecting learning in workplaces and classrooms

Distributed accreditationBlockchain technologies for education

Formative analyticsBig data analytics to support learning

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Which future?

?

?

“The best way to predict the future is to invent it” Quote attributed to Alan Kay

?

http://www.k-12techdecisions.com/article/the_education_of_the_future_how_far_can_we_go

http://government-2020.dupress.com/category/education/

?

http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/who-we-are/community/education.html

https://www.stem.org.uk/heated/uk-universities-set-offer-degree-credit-through-moocs-first-time