Digital Learning - Part 2: Policy
Thursday, 22nd April, 2021
What are some of the assumptions and challenges underlying the call for digital education?
What counts as good use of digital learning is really dependent on when we asked the question. Ten years ago, in my mainstream suburban public high school, good use of digital learning meant ensuring that we were teaching students how to use new and relevant digital technologies tools across a variety of subjects – how to use mainstream programs to produce various products as evidence of learning, how to use specialised industry specific technology, and how to use the internet to find information – in other words, how to ensure digital literacy in a changing world. Ask me now and I would say that these criteria stand, but now require much deeper and broader considerations, such as: a greater variety of assessment strategies using digital technologies; creative possibilities for students sharing ideas and solutions and providing each other with timely critical feedback; interactive online assessment and learning tools; enhanced program capacity for the creative development and presentation of ideas and the increased inclusion of students unable to attend on site.
In any discussion about how to do digital learning well, we always have to acknowledge the intrinsic relationship between the technology – access, equity and capacity, for both teachers and learners – and the learning experience – innovative, creative, well designed, scaffolded, differentiated and relevant. It is true to say that high quality learning design is the key to making digital learning achieve the goals we hope for. It is equally true to say that digital learning is only as good as the technologies, systems and supports that we have available to us.
The idea that the very fact of something being possible, makes it so, is a significant block for how we reimagine education inclusive of everyone in changing times. Even when we are able to solve issues of equitable access to high quality technologies, and we have confident, skilled, innovative educators, student motivation and the expectation students have on what a learning experience looks like, plays a critical role in the engagement of disadvantaged, marginalised and at risk students.
How do we change the perceptions in the community about the role and expectations of schools, teachers and learners? How do we use digital learning strategies to build the capacity of unmotivated students who have yet to discover a sense of purpose and meaning through education? Access does not automatically lead to engagement. How do we counter the idea that smart devices do not sit in the domain of learning but rather in the domains of gaming and social media? If we are to support all learners to be successful in developing their 21st century skill sets, and we must, what else do we need to do to support the fundamental capacity of learning how to learn? Particularly when these students are coming to us as teenagers and young adults.
Some of the ideas presented by the Education Innovation Grid (Hannon, V, Patton, A and Temperley, J, 2011. Developing an Innovation Ecosystem for Education. CISCO/Innovation Unit White Paper, November 2011- adapted from Leadbeater and Wong 2010) might offer some solutions, particularly the idea that new digital technologies can provide new ways to access subject matter specialists. The essential role of the teacher in this context is firstly that of facilitator, creating the opportunities for students and outside agencies and providers to connect and communicate. The teachers role is then the design and implementation of innovative formative and summative assessment tasks that make authentic links with, and build upon, the learning achieved through this connection. This links beautifully to both design thinking and inquiry based learning, where students investigate, problem solve collaboratively and produce solutions. These evidence rich domains are significantly enhanced through the well designed and facilitated use of digital technologies.
In reading the report from the DEAG – Beyond the Classroom: A New Digital Education for Young Australians in the 21st Century – I appreciate the depth and breadth of thought that has been going in to ensuring that Australia is prepared to meet our education obligations. I also notice that the aspirational timelines of implementation are already running seriously behind schedule.
Dani Burbrook ©
Siemens, G., Gašević, D., & Dawson, S. (2015). Preparing for the Digital University: A Review of the History and Current State of Distance, Blended and Online Learning. Athabasca University Press
Alexander, S., Barnett, D., Mann, S., Mackay, M., Selinger, M., Whitby, G. (2013) Beyond the classroom: a new digital education for young Australians in the 21st century. Digital Education Advisory Group
What counts as good use of digital learning is really dependent on when we asked the question. Ten years ago, in my mainstream suburban public high school, good use of digital learning meant ensuring that we were teaching students how to use new and relevant digital technologies tools across a variety of subjects – how to use mainstream programs to produce various products as evidence of learning, how to use specialised industry specific technology, and how to use the internet to find information – in other words, how to ensure digital literacy in a changing world. Ask me now and I would say that these criteria stand, but now require much deeper and broader considerations, such as: a greater variety of assessment strategies using digital technologies; creative possibilities for students sharing ideas and solutions and providing each other with timely critical feedback; interactive online assessment and learning tools; enhanced program capacity for the creative development and presentation of ideas and the increased inclusion of students unable to attend on site.
In any discussion about how to do digital learning well, we always have to acknowledge the intrinsic relationship between the technology – access, equity and capacity, for both teachers and learners – and the learning experience – innovative, creative, well designed, scaffolded, differentiated and relevant. It is true to say that high quality learning design is the key to making digital learning achieve the goals we hope for. It is equally true to say that digital learning is only as good as the technologies, systems and supports that we have available to us.
The idea that the very fact of something being possible, makes it so, is a significant block for how we reimagine education inclusive of everyone in changing times. Even when we are able to solve issues of equitable access to high quality technologies, and we have confident, skilled, innovative educators, student motivation and the expectation students have on what a learning experience looks like, plays a critical role in the engagement of disadvantaged, marginalised and at risk students.
How do we change the perceptions in the community about the role and expectations of schools, teachers and learners? How do we use digital learning strategies to build the capacity of unmotivated students who have yet to discover a sense of purpose and meaning through education? Access does not automatically lead to engagement. How do we counter the idea that smart devices do not sit in the domain of learning but rather in the domains of gaming and social media? If we are to support all learners to be successful in developing their 21st century skill sets, and we must, what else do we need to do to support the fundamental capacity of learning how to learn? Particularly when these students are coming to us as teenagers and young adults.
Some of the ideas presented by the Education Innovation Grid (Hannon, V, Patton, A and Temperley, J, 2011. Developing an Innovation Ecosystem for Education. CISCO/Innovation Unit White Paper, November 2011- adapted from Leadbeater and Wong 2010) might offer some solutions, particularly the idea that new digital technologies can provide new ways to access subject matter specialists. The essential role of the teacher in this context is firstly that of facilitator, creating the opportunities for students and outside agencies and providers to connect and communicate. The teachers role is then the design and implementation of innovative formative and summative assessment tasks that make authentic links with, and build upon, the learning achieved through this connection. This links beautifully to both design thinking and inquiry based learning, where students investigate, problem solve collaboratively and produce solutions. These evidence rich domains are significantly enhanced through the well designed and facilitated use of digital technologies.
In reading the report from the DEAG – Beyond the Classroom: A New Digital Education for Young Australians in the 21st Century – I appreciate the depth and breadth of thought that has been going in to ensuring that Australia is prepared to meet our education obligations. I also notice that the aspirational timelines of implementation are already running seriously behind schedule.
Dani Burbrook ©
Siemens, G., Gašević, D., & Dawson, S. (2015). Preparing for the Digital University: A Review of the History and Current State of Distance, Blended and Online Learning. Athabasca University Press
Alexander, S., Barnett, D., Mann, S., Mackay, M., Selinger, M., Whitby, G. (2013) Beyond the classroom: a new digital education for young Australians in the 21st century. Digital Education Advisory Group