Styles of Teaching and Modes of Delivery

"Digital technologies are seen to provide a range of pedagogical support inside the classroom. For instance classroom-based technologies such as the interactive whiteboard are now widely felt to provide teachers with opportunities to alter their styles of teaching and modes of delivery.

It is argued, for example, that digital technologies allow a teacher to switch from individualized, communal and communicative forms of pedagogy. This allows the teacher to move from being an organiser of learning activities to being a shaper of quality learning experiences. In this sense, most educational technologists are careful to emphasize the continuation of the role of the teacher at the centre of the digitally enhanced pedagogical process.

As David Guile argues, most technologically enhanced gains in learning and achievement 'occur primarily because teachers have designed new contexts as well as new learning processes to support learning with [digital technology]' (cited in Reynolds et al. 2003, p.152). In this sense, the teacher is seen to be assisted and empowered by digital technologies."

- Neil Selwyn (Education and Technology - Key issues and debates, 2011, Continuum books, London. Chap.6, p.119)

Notes:
The case has clearly been made by several educators against the omnipotence of digital technology on its own to magically equalize the social conditions that have always resulted in a gap in opportunities and access to education. But at the same time, the case has also been made that the 'facilitator' role of the teacher cannot stay the same as we launch into the era of social media technologies and active, creative and self-directed learning in the 21st century.

Any change that occurs in education must always be a social or cultural one rather than a technological one.

Therefore the changes that will occur in classrooms that will eventually lead to widespread adoption of digital technologies and possible improvements in learning and access to education will be led by changing methods and strategies by teachers.
Simply circulating technology and legislating usage (on the part of institutional governance) will not lead to change or adoption (on the part of teachers and/or learners). Change will only come from the adoption of a new style of teaching (a new approach to teaching) and then digital technologies will provide the corresponding new modes of delivery.

The positive effects of digital technologies on education may not be known until the role of the teacher changes from facilitator to guide, from instructor to knowledge assistant - from Teacher to Learning Mentor.

Therefore what we need now are:
1.) New models of the DESIGN of education and learning outcomes
2.) New models of the DELIVERY of education, including:
     - classroom learning delivery models 9teacher physically present); and
     - non-classroom learning delivery models (teacher NOT physically present)

References:
Jackie Gerstein, Ed.D: User Generated Education 

A Social Model of Education Using Digital Technology

 

The collaborative spirit of social media applications such as Wikipedia, Facebook, YouTube and so many others like them has coalesced into a prevailing sense that education will be increasingly based around the networked creation and consumption of content over the next few years.

Knowledge is seen to be no longer held by formal gatekeepers but rather is now accessible to all. And m-Learning can now be seen as a means to help further decrease the barriers to learning for more people.

In addition, with m-Learning there is a perceived increase in each individuals personal control over their own learning. Technology is seen as a way to support and enhance the learner's capacity to build, maintain and grow their connections with various componenets of the education system on their own terms. This way they are personally responsible for curating and managing their own learning.

"Research (e.g. Hardey 2007) has shown that ownership of handheld technologies, particularly mobile phones, sets the trend that defines the youth culture of today. In education, an understanding and embracing of this culture in the classroom could potentially lead to fewer mismatches between the teacher and students in terms of learning engagement with technology, potentially leading to better learning outcomes.
As Kolb(2009, p.4) said: Educators dismiss mobile phones, instant messaging and other popular technology communication tools as 'distracting' to classroom learning. Yet, if educational technology theory, research and pedagogy are reconceptualised to include the tools and knowledge that students already possess, then students will have better opportunities to connect learning inside and outside of school."


The learning environment must be equipped with technologies that can 'talk' to or support one another to provide the necessary information to support the learner. The system must be made up of technologies that allow the learner to move seamlessly through different repositories and different types of information, unhindered and unpredictable. The underlying principle of the model is unfettered access to information by the learner because each node in the system is compatible with, and linked to all others, regardless of data type or staage location. As long as there is an internet connection serving the system, the learner has unlimited access to the knowledge network and is free to choose their own path, determine the pace, and control their own learning through controlled interactions with diverse people and resources.

References:
1.) Education and Technology - Key issues and Debates, Neil Selwyn 2011, Continuum Books, London p.98-99
2.) Mobile Technologies and Handheld Devices for Ubiquitous Learning: Research and Pedagogy, Wan Ng, 2011, University of New South Wales, Australia.

Intelligent System Design

 Cognitivist theory has informed the development and design of technology-based learning since the 1960s, especially in providing the ground work for the development of 'intelligent tutoring systems' and 'cognitive tutors'. This is where computers are used to host a series of teaching exchanges between the learner and an 'intelligent system'.

Cognitivist Theories of Learning and Technology
In contrast to behaviourist theories of learning (which are primarily concerned with observable behaviour and rely heavily on observable changes in behaviour as an indication of what is happening in the learners mind), cognitivist theories of learning seek to describe the mental processes that underpin the act of learning within the human mind. They seek to explain exactly how learning takes place, and how knowledge is constructed within the human mind.

Throughout the later half of the 20th century, cognitive psychologists became increasingly interested in developing computational metaphors of the mind - that is, descriptions of how the mind processes and 'computes' information.

The language of cognitivist theory involves complex descriptions of how stored representations are mentally processed. By describing and modelling how the mind should work, methods can be developed to support individuals in matching this 'ideal' performance.

Existing cognitive structures are called schema. They can be combined, extended or altered to accommodate new information as it is acquired and processed by the mind.

"Educators don't necessarily have to teach, instead they can provide an environment and resources that tease out your natural ability to learn on your own. Self study, self exploration, self empowerment - these are the virtues of a great education." - Shimon Schocken: The self-organising computer course (TED Talks, Jun 2012, posted Oct 2012).


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