The future of education is here.
So far in this series of posts, I have considered what the big shift in education might be along with the possible winner and losers, before going on to imagine what the future classroom might look like. Nevertheless, whilst it might be enjoyable to peer into the future, it is important to look at how we might come to realise some of the ideas we have talked about. Well the good news is that many of the tools we need to start to transform the learning environment are already here.
As I have previously noted, more and more schools are trying to move to a paperless environment. This has many benefits, (not least cost savings) with many schools using online platforms to share material with teachers, students and parents in a wide variety of formats, (text, images, video and audio) through blogs and e-newsletters, as well as providing a means to gather information. Online forms, forums and polls are a simple way of collating responses from all parts of the school community that is both rapid and less time intensive than previously. This in turn streamlines communication within a school, allowing them to be far more agile in the way that they talk to the different parts of the school community. The technology is already here, but we need to develop our understanding of its potential and do away with emailed letters for example which are simply a more ‘techy’ way of posting letters as we have always done. Remember, we want to engage teachers, students and parents to work together if we are to give all parties the positive educational experience we are hoping for.
This being the case, then good communication is a key factor. Unfortunately, one the downsides of technology is the ease with which communications can be sent — counterintuitive perhaps, but if we consider the state of the average inbox, there are always a significant number of emails that never even get read, largely because the information is not relevant to me. Fortunately good technology can also ride to the rescue in this instance by allowing us to ensure that communications are carefully selected so that recipients only receive information which is of interest (and use) to them. Most schools have some sort of MIS which manages the different groups within the school, (teachers, students, parents, year groups, classes etc) ensuring that people with similar interests are grouped together. Learning platforms can take advantage of this arrangement so that no-one gets spammed with information they don’t need and as a result are more likely to engage with the communications they receive.
We can go further and consider the nature and format of these communications as well. Print and emails are tied to using the written word and images to engage the reader, but if we look at social media, (which has communication as its prime directive) then video and audio are increasingly prevalent. We can draw a lesson from this shift if we look at what we want to communicate and what might be the best way to go about it. There will still be a place for the written word, but why just write about the school production of “Grease” when you could include a short clip of the students in action? Give the winner of the inter-house music competition the opportunity to record their performance to share with parents, or give students the freedom to update their school magazine with recorded interviews and performances that will supplement the traditional articles and pictures. We know from schools that are using technology in this way that the extent of parental engagement is hugely increased.
Previously I looked at how the use of data is becoming a daily fact of life. If schools are to be in a position to use the wealth of possible data that could be available to them, then they need to be able to collate it in a way that is neither time consuming, nor complicated. I use the term collate, because schools are already collecting a large amount of information regarding their students and teaching outcomes, through homework, exams, standardised tests, class tests and so forth. However, the ways in which this data is stored can make it difficult to pull it all together into something whereby meaningful conclusions can be drawn from it. The richest data set for these purposes, is the weekly homework activities that take place in schools; these provide us with almost ‘real-time’ feedback, both on how well students are performing, as well as the impact of the activities we are undertaking with them. Technology now allows teachers to set homework quickly and easily, but crucially it also allows all the data that this generates to be collated in a way that is genuinely useful for all concerned.
Of course, it is not just test scores, homework and exam results that is collected in schools. Every school community moves information back and forth every day, whether this is trip permission slips, absence request forms, cover lesson requests, medical information forms, the list goes on. Whilst these might not be as pedagogically valuable as the sort of quantitative data we were discussing earlier, they are certainly an invaluable part of ensuring that a school runs smoothly. The use of electronic forms allows people to provide the required information as easily as filling in their amazon order, whilst they also mean that all of the data can be collated and analysed quickly and easily by the school.
If you spend any time in schools, you will be aware that the dynamic between the school and the home has changed significantly in recent years. Gone are the days when a parents obligation to their child’s education was reading the school report and attending a Parents’ Evening once a year. The relationship between students, parents and teachers has become much richer as parents become increasingly more engaged with their child’s schooling. It is no longer sufficient to rely on twice yearly reports to keep parents up to date with the sorts of activities their children are involved in; if the relationship between school and home is to remain healthy then communication needs to be a constant ongoing process. On the plus side, this opens up the possibility of doing away with the incredibly time-consuming process of writing these reports in the first place….. Therefore, it is important to find a solution that allows all three groups to work together effectively, but in a way that fits in with already busy schedules and the demands of modern life. Technology allows schools to open up a gateway into school that parents can use to stay up to date with their child’s activities and progress. Furthermore, schools can use this portal to help parents feel a part of the school community and participate in the learning conversation. Teachers can share the teaching materials they use in class much more easily so that families can become involved in learning, not just teachers and students. Online learning tools already facilitate this process in many schools, allowing teachers to spend their time focusing on how to help their students learn, rather than what their students should be learning.
A further change in the way that teaching and learning is perceived is how we understand the business of learning. This has led to a myriad of learning theories, of varying degrees of credibility, but one thing is clear — people learn in different ways, at different times and with different subjects. The whole process is then further complicated by factoring in the ways in which people teach. This being the case, it is important that the process of learning itself is kept as flexible as possible; the more it can be tailored to the needs of the individual, the more likely we are to see a successful outcome. Technology allows teachers to share material with their students in a manner that allows the learner to use it in the way that best suits them. Furthermore, with less time being spent going through notes, teachers have more time to work with individuals and small groups so that they can better meet their needs at that moment.
Flexible learning also tends to lead towards a greater degree of independence in the student’s study habits. This in turn means that teachers need to provide a high degree of guidance for their students. Online learning platforms provide teachers with a format where they can collate appropriate resources ensuring that students have a suitable starting point for their work. The best solutions will make sure that content is both easy to manage as well as being accessible on any device the student is using, (mobile, laptop or desktop).
The idea of having the accumulated knowledge of the world at your fingertips sounds like it should be a good thing right? No more having to rote learn facts that we’ll mentally discard just as soon as we’ve sat the relevant exam. However, this vast ocean of knowledge throws up its own challenges for students as they have to navigate their way through to the most useful/accurate and unbiased knowledge for any particular task. Traditionally controlling this flow of information was relatively straightforward — the knowledge you need is in a textbook and further information can be found in the school library. In the current technological environment however, one of the problems that teachers face is in being able to direct their students to the appropriate information. A good online solution will allow teachers to provide students with either a ‘walled garden’, (particularly useful for younger students) or a series of starting points for research. This gives students the freedom to explore topics whilst still receiving guidance on what knowledge will be useful.
Of course access to such a wide knowledge base also stimulates a desire to discuss what we have discovered. Whilst one of the benefits of the classroom environment is the ability to talk about ideas and collaborate in refining them, an online environment that facilitates discussion, (through a forum for example) can help to ensure that any follow up face to face conversations are more focused and informed. Teachers are able to better understand student misconceptions before the lesson takes place and plan activities accordingly.
Technology has made an extraordinary impact on the world we live in and the rate of change can at times feel breathtaking. I don’t consider myself to be ‘old’, (although my children might disagree), but I remember a time when the use of ‘multimedia’ in a lesson involved the whole class trooping off the the TV room to watch a BBC education programme that was being aired at a specific time. 40 years later we teach in an environment where the tools for using multimedia in a classroom can be size of notebook in the hands of every individual in the classroom. Historically, education is notoriously slow to catch up; the humble television was in nearly every home in the country before it found its way into schools, smartphones and tablets had become pretty much universal in their use, before we as teachers were able to embrace the possibilities they offer. This is in no way a criticism of teachers — if we are to use a new tool appropriately, then we need to know what it can do. However, the pace of change in technology now allows us to approach the question from a different perspective; instead of looking at what technology currently provides, perhaps we should be looking at what we want it to be capable of. As teachers we also need to broaden our ideas of what teaching and learning should look like if we are to really take advantage of the new tools we have available.
The future is here now. Technology is providing us with the opportunity to not only embrace new ideas and innovation, but also to think about how we might want to shape the changes yet to come. As teachers we need to make sure that we have a strong voice in that discussion.
“Don’t limit a child to your own learning, for he was born in another time.”
Rabindranath Tagore
