Future learners, future learning spaces

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Learning to Change: ICT in Schools (2001), p.9

"The ubiquitous presence and utility of ICT in modern life are having a significant impact on the way we live, and even on the notion of an educated person. It has led to the concept of the knowledge society - sometimes also called the learning society or information society. There is a widespread awareness that these developments have profound implications for education, and that schools must change, but as yet little detailed consideration of the extent of the change needed and the advantages that ICT can bring.

The growth of the knowledge society and the pervasiveness of technology represent a major challenge and a major opportunity for education."

‘ Pulsating Networks of Learning’

Pulsating

Mobility = ‘coming together and dispersing’ (Engestrom)

Networks

People (facilitated through technology) from variety of backgrounds, varied/various communities of practice

Learn ing

Not just networks of learn ers , but locative/location sensitive technologies afford the development of Perkin’s notion of ‘person plus’ to ‘person plus plus’ – the environment can provide relevant, appropriate feedback

Centre of a web

Enabling learners:

To be at the centre of a web of resources, people and information

To control a personal, familiar, multimedia device, whether in the classroom or at the bus stop

Learners being:

More active in choosing appropriate tools to organise and manage social and learning opportunities.

Consider: content delivery, information retrieval; where resources are kept and how/where accessed.

Augmenting spaces

Enabling learners (through location sensitive technology):

To augment real spaces with virtual worlds

Learners:

Experiencing hidden worlds of geography or history

Interacting with real environments whilst investigating creative or abstract information

Consider: how tech can change a physical space, without altering the physicality

Mobile presence

Enabling learners:

To represent themselves in multiple ways

Learners:

Taking on different roles within social and virtual contexts

Showing their own intentions, interests and requirements – beginning new learning conversations

Consider: new ways of organising groups, new learning conversations, role of social software.

Capture, MANIPULATE and share

Enabling learners:

To capture, manipulate and then publish rich multimedia data

Learners:

Capturing experiences in a wide variety of ways

Creatively engaging with data – making it appropriate and personal

Publishing to a wide variety of audiences

"The changes in society, among pupils' perceptions, and the evolution of new technologies are leading to a new profession for teachers."

B. Cornu, 'New technologies: integration into education' (in D. Watson & D. Tinsley (eds.), Integrating Information Technology into Education ; London, 1995), p.8

‘… change in education may now be thought of as a constant condition, rather than an event’

Futurelab Literature review: Teachers Learning with Digital Technologies: A review of research and projects, p.5 (2006)

Dynamic, shifting

Social context

Education context

Economic context

Technological context

Mobile learners Every era of technology has, to some extent, formed education in its own image . This is not to argue that technology determines education, but rather that there is a congruence between the main technological influences on a culture and the contemporary educational theories and practices . Thus, in the era of mass print literacy, the textbook was the medium of instruction, and a prime goal of the education system was effective transmission of the canons of scholarship. During the computer era of the past fifty years, education has been re-conceptualised around the construction of knowledge through information processing, modelling and interaction. Now, as we enter a new world of global digital communication, it is no surprise that there is a growing interest in the relations between mobile technology and learning. What we lack, though, is an innovative and enhancing educational framework for the new age of mobile technologies . Mike Sharples

The key focus

How can we best develop learning contexts appropriate for mobile learners?

That are appropriate for 21 st Century Learners

Taking account of incidental learning, opportunistic learning

‘ Gathered’ classroom

‘ Porous’ classroom

Role of the teacher/expert

Mobile blogging

Mobile interactions

Pod casting

Located media – augmenting real environment

Location-based interactions

Situated learning

Community learning

That considers the changing economic, social and political contexts

How can we embed the educational focus into the design of learning spaces, resources and environments?

What design issues reflect the educational vision that we create?

How can we best design and use spaces –including transitional spaces?

How do we build for flexibility – in the short term and to reflect long term changes?

Whose vision should we build upon?

Who needs to understand the educational vision and how best can we communicate it?

Teachers as Innovators

Investigating the capacity of teachers to innovate in their use of digital technologies

Opportunities

Motivations

Encouragement

Barriers

Develop (radical) new practices

Be creative in use of digital technologies

Develop and apply new approaches to teaching, learning, using of resources and links outside the classroom

Respond to new possibilities and new problems

institutional

personal

local

national

What if… physical movement became a national objective due to rising obesity levels? What if… economic, technological, cultural developments changed our vision in 5 years time? What if… parents were to develop their own vision? What if… industry were to develop the vision? What if… young people’s vision is different from the adults’ vision?

Resistances to real change