Making it happen: teaching the technology generation

Making it happen: Teaching the Technology Generation

Will Stewart

University of Bradford

Beyond “no significant impact”

Outline

•  Why “no significant difference”? •  Impact of Government •  Characteristics of today’s learners •  Model for teaching & learning in 2020

Technology generation   Sat Nav   Email   Memory Sticks   Powerpoint   Excel   Word   Access   Internet Explorer   Sky Satellite   TV   CDs   DVDs   Digital Cameras   Blogs   Mobile Phones

No Technology Generation   Myspace   Bebo   Facebook   MSN   Google   Youtube   4OD   Ipod   Limewire   Laptop   Xbox   Wii   PSP   Skype   Mobile Phone   Firefox   Games (3D)   e bay

 For the first time in history, children are more comfortable, knowledgeable, and literate than their parents about an innovation central to society.

(Don Tapscott (1998). Growing up Digital:The Rise of the Net Generation)

Why “no significant impact”?

 Over the past 20 years technology has had no significant impact on teaching and learning.

No significant difference to:

 Curriculum  Assessment  Pedagogy  Institution

We have used technology to:

 replicate our traditional, highly centralised, one-size-fits-all, industrial model of education

 To do what we have always done

 As technology has become more and more pervasive, our institutions have become less and less learner-centred

Institution Decides time and place; chooses teacher

Teacher Chooses subject matter, structure, teaching methods, pace

Syllabus

Student

Assessment

Institution-centred system

Characteristics of today’s learners

 They want to learn  They know what they want to learn  They know how they want to learn  They are all different – different

experiences, different learning needs

 There is no standardised learner

Today’s 15 year olds were born in 1993

1993 The year the Web was born

The use of digital technology has been completely normalised and fully integrated by this generation…

 Because of this they have distinctive ways of thinking, communicating, and learning

Today’s learners are….

 Creative producers

….are building websites,posting movies, photos and music to share with friends,family and beyond


 Creative producers  All day, every day communicators

…Texting and MSNing to maintain their network

One in three people would not sacrifice their mobile phone for one million pounds or more, with women leading the way on those most likely to refuse.

Carphone Warehouse and the London School of Economics: Mobile Life Survey (2007)

Most respondents aged between 16 and 24 would rather give up alcohol, chocolate, tea, coffee and even sex, than live without their mobile phone for a month.


I'll give up money, sex ... but not the mobile

Text not sex

I'll give up the mobile…but not my favourite hot drink



 Creative producers  All day, every day communicators  Information gatherers

 Google and Wikipedia are their first port of call

 Cut and paste as a way of life


 Creative producers  All day, every day communicators  Information gatherers  Social networkers

 They share and collaborate  They access a global audience

Question

 So how do these learners fit into our present education system?

Answer

 Not very easily

Maths failure 'threatening UK economy’

 Britain's failure to teach mathematics at both school and university level to a high standard has cost the economy £9 billion

 Standards in maths are slipping due to government interference, the report concludes.

  (Reform, 03/06/08)

One million pupils 'failed by Labour exam policy

An 'entire generation' of school children has been let down by the Labour government, a new study has claimed. The report, by the Bow Group, reveals that almost a million teenagers failed to achieve even the lowest grade, a G, in five GCSEs since the party came to power. (Guardian, 20/04/08)

 In 2006 nearly 5% of pupils in state schools - 28,000 - got no GCSE passes

 almost 25% - 146,000 - got no more than D grades.

Schools below 30% GCSE target

 638 secondary schools in England below the government's "floor target" of 30% of pupils getting at least five good GCSEs including English and maths, in last year's results.

9th June 2008

Schools told to improve or close

 Almost one in five secondary schools in England is to be given a warning to improve exam results or face closure.

June 10th 2008

The National Challenge

 These National Challenge Trusts will see the shutting down of the failing school and a re-opening of a new school, to be run as a joint project with a high-performing local school and a partner such as a local business or university, with up to £750,000 funding.

The Pony Express

Government’s education ambitions   * Joint Birth Registration: Recording Responsibility [2008]   * Back on Track: A strategy for modernising alternative provision for young people [2008]   * Raising Expectations: enabling the system to deliver [2008]   * The Children's Plan: building brighter futures [2007]   * Care Matters: Time for Change [2007]   * FE Reform: Raising Skills, Improving Life Chances [2006]   * Higher Standards, Better Schools for All [2005]   * Skills: Getting on in business, getting on at work [2005]   * 14-19 Education and Skills [2005]   * 21st Century Skills - Realising our Potential [2003]   * The Future of Higher Education [2003]   * Promoting achievement, valuing success: a strategy for 14–19 qualifications [2008]   * Raising Expectations: staying in education and training post-16 [2007]   * Care Matters [2006]   * Offender learning [2005]   * Youth Matters [2005]   * Parental separation [Jan 2005]   * Every Child Matters [2003]   * 14-19: Opportunity and Excellence [2002]   * Schools: Building on Success [2001]   * Meeting the childcare challenge [1998]

  * The Children's Plan: building brighter futures [2008]   * Departmental Strategic Objective Indicators [2008]   * Ten Year Youth Strategy [2007]   * Progression through Partnership   * Academies Sponsor Prospectus 2007   * Department Equality Schemes   * The Offer to Schools 2006-2007 (Secondary National Strategy - Pupils aged 11 to 16 years) [2006]   * Five Year Strategy for Children and Learners: Maintaining the Excellent Progress [2006]

Vision 1  Our vision is one in which these aspirations

are realised for all children and young people. (Gilbert 2020, 2006)

Vision 2

 A compelling vision for the UK. The Review recommends that the UK commit to becoming a world leader in skills by 2020, benchmarked against the upper quartile of the OECD. This means doubling attainment at most levels. (Leitch, 2006)

Vision 3

 Our vision is that each individual maximises their potential through personalisation of their learning and development.

 (Harnessing Technology, 2005)

Vision 4

 The Vision – we need to maximise and fulfill the potential of all our people – young people and adults- to contribute knowledge and skills of world-class quality.

 (Foster Report – Realising the Potential, 2005)

Vision 5

 Our vision is that within the next 10 years the Higher Education sector in England will be recognised as a major contributor to society’s efforts to achieve sustainability through the skills and knowledge that its graduates learn and put into practice.

(HEFCE e-Learning Strategy, 2005)

Principles of reform   Greater personalisation and choice for every child   Better teaching   More flexibility to combine school,college and work-based

learning   More vocational provision   A broader, richer and more interesting curriculum   Support for every young person and adult to develop skills

needed for employment and life   Lifelong learning for all   High quality university courses with excellent teaching   Increased and more flexible access to higher education

Under 5s

 disadvantage starts early in life and children who get a poor start tend to fall further behind as they go through the education system. And despite the improvements we are still not providing enough childcare places in a flexible way that meets parents’ needs.

School age years

  There are still too few excellent secondary schools for parents and pupils. While standards have risen, they are not yet high enough for all. Parents and teachers worry about truancy and bad behaviour

14-19 year olds

 Too many pupils drift, become disenchanted with school or get into trouble and drop out at 16. Vocational learning is still seen as second best. And pupils leave school insufficiently prepared for the world of work.

The world of work

 The UK lags behind other countries in terms of output and skills. A large number of adults lack vital skills in literacy and numeracy. And too often the training system does not give employers the sort of courses and qualifications that suit their business.

Government’s education ambitions  Balls

What they don’t understand is…  No matter how many reports and

initiatives you produce, there will be “no significant impact” to the education landscape until you replace the existing model

 As long as we continue to replicate traditional models of teaching and learning, and continue to treat all students as if they were the same, we will still find that, come 2020, that there has been “no significant impact” in terms of quality, achievement, relevance, skills

 As long as we continue to bolt on technology to the traditional teaching approaches we will continue to alienate a large proportion of learners

Making it happen

So, today’s learners…..

 Live on the Web  Interact  Network  Aggregate resources  Build communities  Create  Share  collaborate

 How do design an education that is relevant to them?

LEARNER

Teachers

Web

Personalised curriculum

Resources and activities

Personalised assessment

Peer network

Learner-centred system

Institution

Making it happen  Re-visit our conceptualisation of

teaching and learning  Engage meaningfully with the world our

learners live in  Integrate the technologies that are

relevant to the demands of their networked society

Enable

 real personalisation  real collaboration  real creativity  real learner participation

Curriculum

 Dynamic  Negotiated  Interdisciplinary  Blend formal and informal learning

Learning tasks

 Authentic  Personalised  Learner-driven  Learner-designed  Experiential  Relevant  Engaging

Resources

 Media rich  Informal and formal sources  Global  Multiple  Relevant

Communication

 Open  Peer-to-peer  Multiple types

Process

 Active  Dynamic  Reflective  Collaborative  Performance and inquiry based

Content

 Encourages thinking, understanding and discussion

 Offers diverse perspectives and representations

 Involve learners creating, sharing and revising ideas

Scaffolds

 Support for learners networks of peers, teachers, experts and communities

 We need new approaches to learning that go beyond “no significant impact”

Teaching and Learning for the Web 3.0 generation

 It’s too late for the Google generation  We weren’t ready for them and we

have undersold them.  We can be ready for the Web 3.0

generation

The technology is here to make learning excellence happen

We owe it to the young people who will be coming to ask us to help them with their learning

So…

Make it happen!

Thank you for listening…..

….and any questions?

Will Stewart E-Learning Advisor

University of Bradford

[email protected] 07775 66 55 44

Making it happen: teaching the technology generation

Technology

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