Presented at SAFIPA Annual Conference, 8 June 2009 Pretoria, South Africa ICT-enabled learning in a participatory culture Steve Vosloo Fellow, 21 st century learning

Steve Vosloo

Fellow, 21 st century learning

my point: access to ICT access to information

my point:

access to ICT

access to information

my point: access to ICT access to information access to participation

my point:

access to ICT

access to information

access to participation

Web 2.0 is the network as platform, spanning all connected devices ... an “architecture of participation ” (O'Reilly, 2005 )

Web 2.0 is the network as platform,

spanning all connected devices ...

an “architecture of participation ”

(O'Reilly, 2005 )

Participatory culture: creating and sharing one's creation low barriers to artistic expression blogs, podcasts, games, videos, fan fiction (Jenkins et al., 2006 )

Participatory culture:

creating and sharing one's creation

low barriers to artistic expression

blogs, podcasts, games, videos, fan fiction

(Jenkins et al., 2006 )

are we a participatory culture?

but it's different ...

it's mobile

it's mobile

contributions (not only creations)

contributions (not only creations)

connectedness: small and lo-tech

connectedness: small and lo-tech

conversation: light and lo-tech

conversation: light and lo-tech

dr.math: What grade are you in? what are you covering in math? Spark plug: 7 dr.math: grade 7? Spark plug: yes dr.math: are u doing "pre algebra" stuff like What is the value of X if x + 3 = 10? Spark plug: yes dr.math: ok, so what is the value of x if x + 3 = 10? Spark plug: 7 dr.math: ok. how about (15 x 2 ) + x = 35 Spark plug: 5 dr.math: (I am going to use * for multiply so not to confuse it with x, ok?) Spark plug: ok dr.math: (2 * x) + 8 = 18 Spark plug: 5 dr.math: very good. can you explain to me how you figured that out? Spark plug: 18 - 8 is 10 so 2* what is 10 and the answer is 5 dr.math: Excellent.

Age of the Prosumer: “ Teens and Young Adults consider themselves more than just consumers and they want their chance to produce content and involve themselves in the brand more than ever before.” ( Generation Next , 2009)

Age of the Prosumer:

“ Teens and Young Adults consider themselves more than just consumers and they want their chance to produce content and involve themselves in the brand more than ever before.”

( Generation Next , 2009)

problem: school ≠ “life”

problem:

school ≠ “life”

“ There is now an extraordinary contrast between the high levels of activity that characterise children's consumer cultures and the passivity that increasingly suffuses their schooling.” (Buckingham, 2003 )

“ There is now an extraordinary contrast between the high levels of activity that characterise children's consumer cultures and the passivity that increasingly suffuses their schooling.”

(Buckingham, 2003 )

Classroom vs the world Formal & structured Top-down Passive Disengaged Un-networked & disconnected CAMI & Powerpoint MCQs & simple creations 30 mins/week Informal & fluid Bottom-up Active Engaged Networked & plugged-in MXit/Facebook, games, web Communication, play & exploration Up to 2 hours/day

Formal & structured

Top-down

Passive

Disengaged

Un-networked & disconnected

CAMI & Powerpoint

MCQs & simple creations

30 mins/week

Informal & fluid

Bottom-up

Active

Engaged

Networked & plugged-in

MXit/Facebook, games, web

Communication, play & exploration

Up to 2 hours/day

so: need to reduce the disconnect between school and life need to tap into the participatory culture in South Africa need to enable ICT-based participatory learning

so:

need to reduce the disconnect between school and life

need to tap into the participatory culture in South Africa

need to enable ICT-based participatory learning

takes homework and turns it into user-generated content

takes homework and turns it into user-generated content

enables peer-to-peer learning across time and space (Jenkins et al., 2006)

enables peer-to-peer learning across time and space (Jenkins et al., 2006)

widens communication – no longer writing just for the teacher

widens communication – no longer writing just for the teacher

enables wider collaboration – group work no longer just within classroom

enables wider collaboration – group work no longer just within classroom

enables local and global problem solving

enables local and global problem solving

blurs the lines between formal and informal learning

blurs the lines between formal and informal learning

requires critical reading

requires critical reading

changes the role of the teacher ... and of the learner

changes the role of the teacher ... and of the learner

Participation is about: creation communication collaboration problem solving critical reading ... all OBE aligned!

Participation is about:

creation

communication

collaboration

problem solving

critical reading

... all OBE aligned!

warning: ICT-based participatory learning doesn't make good educators doesn't make good learners

warning: ICT-based participatory learning

doesn't make good educators

doesn't make good learners

challenges: distraction too much “screen time” inappropriate content privacy/safety/ cyberbullying costs effects of TXTSPK on spelling/formal writing

challenges:

distraction

too much “screen time”

inappropriate content

privacy/safety/ cyberbullying

costs

effects of TXTSPK on spelling/formal writing

Jonathan Donner '09 “ There's no better place in the world to understand the future of mobile internet than SA” “ Self-expression and entertainment are huge drivers to getting people to use mobiles, not just utility” “ Consider a fluid ICT repertoire (avoid dichotomies of use)”

Jonathan Donner '09

“ There's no better place in the world to understand the future of mobile internet than SA”

“ Self-expression and entertainment are huge drivers to getting people to use mobiles, not just utility”

“ Consider a fluid ICT repertoire (avoid dichotomies of use)”

so: ICT for education must include the full gamut of ICT and media exploit ICT and media affordances to support teaching and learning, while limiting the distraction and risk factors enable participatory learning

so:

ICT for education must include the full gamut of ICT and media

exploit ICT and media affordances to support teaching and learning, while limiting the distraction and risk factors

enable participatory learning

Thank you email: [email_address] web: www.vosloo.net twitter: www.twitter.com/stevevosloo blog: innovatingeducation.wordpress.com slides: www.slideshare.net/stevevosloo mlearning: www.mlearningafrica.net

email: [email_address]

web: www.vosloo.net

twitter: www.twitter.com/stevevosloo

blog: innovatingeducation.wordpress.com

slides: www.slideshare.net/stevevosloo

mlearning: www.mlearningafrica.net

questions: what does participation look like for you, in education? what does this mean for the systems we develop?

questions:

what does participation look like for you, in education?

what does this mean for the systems we develop?