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13489 results in Education, history, theory

Page 255 of 675

  • Chapter 4 - Balancing risks and growth in a digital world

  • from Section 1 - Being critical of our assumptions: learners, learning and digital technologies
  • Edited by Michael Henderson, Monash University, Victoria, Geoff Romeo, Australian Catholic University, North Sydney
  • Book:
    Teaching and Digital Technologies
    Published online:
    07 February 2021
    Print publication:
    25 September 2015, pp 35-45

  • Summary

    Introduction

    The digital world offers a glittering promise of ubiquitous connectivity, with friends, entertainment and information at our fingertips. It is not surprising that young people are choosing the online environment as a principal mechanism for socialising, communicating and exploring. Conversely though, we are told that the internet is a very dangerous place, particularly for the young. A dominant focus of contemporary political and academic investigation relates to the risk perspective of children and young adults using the internet. The goal of this chapter is to question the moral panics that surround social networking and online technologies and to present a more considered and balanced perspective. It should be possible for young people to ‘grow up digitally’ in a protected and supported environment, which minimises risk while building important skills for life in the digital world.

    CRITICAL QUESTIONS

  • What is social networking and what role, if any, might it play in education?

  • What are the risks for children and young adults participating in interactive and social activity online?

  • How can the risks be mitigated so children can be supported in becoming confident and competent digital cyber citizens?

    • The rise of social networking

    The term ‘social networking’ has been coined to describe the use of online sites to facilitate social connections between people. When people first join a social network, they are likely to communicate mostly with people they know in the physical world. However, as they become familiar with the environment, their network is likely to expand to include ‘friends’ who they only know in the online context. The goal of social networking is to build and extend the net of connections.

  • Chapter 6 - Using digital technologies with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students

  • from Section 1 - Being critical of our assumptions: learners, learning and digital technologies
    • By Glenn Auld, Senior lecturer in education, specialising in language and literacy, Lena Djabibba, Elder of the Kunibídji community
  • Edited by Michael Henderson, Monash University, Victoria, Geoff Romeo, Australian Catholic University, North Sydney
  • Book:
    Teaching and Digital Technologies
    Published online:
    07 February 2021
    Print publication:
    25 September 2015, pp 57-70

  • Summary

    My point is not that everything is bad, but that everything is dangerous, which is not exactly the same as bad. If everything is dangerous, then we always have something to do. (Foucault & Rabinow, 1984, p. 343)

    Introduction

    This chapter navigates the complex issue of how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students negotiate the use of digital technologies in schools and beyond. You will read stories from Lena Djabibba, a respected elder of the Kunibídji community in Arnhem Land, about her thoughts of how digital technologies have mediated her social practices over many years. These stories are in text boxes. The remainder of the chapter is a synthesis of ideas by Glenn Auld who taught children in Lena’s community for over 10 years. During this time Lena and Glenn collaborated to design and introduce a number of programs with digital technologies.

    When Foucault suggests everything is dangerous, he is not referring to using digital technology with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. However, this quote is equally appropriate when considering how these students use digital technologies. To understand the danger, we must i rst understand the complexity of the context. There are more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in metropolitan centres in Australia than are living in remote communities (Fredericks, 2013). Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have been forcibly removed from their Country that now manifests in communities, often with contested interests in what is the best way to educate their children.

  • Chapter 8 - Creativity, visualisation, collaboration and communication

  • from Section 2 - Technological affordances: what’s so special about digital technologies?
  • Edited by Michael Henderson, Monash University, Victoria, Geoff Romeo, Australian Catholic University, North Sydney
  • Book:
    Teaching and Digital Technologies
    Published online:
    07 February 2021
    Print publication:
    25 September 2015, pp 89-103

  • Summary

    Introduction

    The central question of this book is: What critical issues do teachers need to know in order to help them make better decisions in the classroom? Specifically, in helping develop answers to this question, this chapter focuses on creativity, visualisation, collaboration and communication and will encourage readers to understand the opportunities they present. While this chapter also refers to the Australian Curriculum, readers are encouraged to transfer the key messages to their own contextual settings, wherever they might be preparing to become teachers or are already practising teachers. This is important to understand because curriculum differences are likely. Therefore, the examples used in this chapter are not prescribed examples, but used for illustrative purposes to glean deeper understandings in response to the chapter’s intent.

    The key knowledge and skills in using digital technologies are now often integral to contemporary educational policies and curriculums, such as in the Australian Curriculum. To illustrate, the Australian Curriculum’s technologies learning area ‘encourages students to apply their knowledge and practical skills and processes when using technologies and other resources to create innovative solutions, independently and collaboratively, that meet current and future needs’ (ACARA, 2014a, p. 1). In addition, information and communication technology (ICT) capability is one of the general capabilities of the Australian Curriculum, which ‘encompass the knowledge, skills, behaviours and dispositions that, together with curriculum content in each learning area and the cross-curriculum priorities, will assist students to live and work successfully in the twenty-first century’ (ACARA, 2013, p. 1).

  • Chapter 24 - Teachers: technology, change and resistance

  • from Section 5 - Professional learning
  • Edited by Michael Henderson, Monash University, Victoria, Geoff Romeo, Australian Catholic University, North Sydney
  • Book:
    Teaching and Digital Technologies
    Published online:
    07 February 2021
    Print publication:
    25 September 2015, pp 307-317

  • Summary

    Introduction

    This chapter explores the way in which a culture of educational technology-related policy and curriculum change has arguably resulted in minimal improvement in teaching and learning. Moreover, it is argued that such a culture of change has instead simply increased teacher disengagement and thereby resulted in teachers being erroneously labelled by policy actors, administrators and technology enthusiasts as ‘resistant’ to change, ‘luddites’ and ‘risk averse’. Accordingly, this chapter challenges these simplistic labels, and offers a more critical perspective of how and why teachers (dis)engage with technology.

    CRITICAL QUESTIONS

  • What are some of the key reasons teachers’ practice has not significantly changed as a result of increased digital technology access and use?

  • What are some approaches schools and teachers can adopt to begin exploring new ways of teaching and learning through digital technologies?

    • The problem of technology-related change

    For decades digital technologies have been heralded as great beacons of hope for new and improved teaching and learning. However, despite signii cant investment and policy initiatives, both in Australia and internationally, there has been little change in the fundamental practices or outcomes of schools, teaching or learning. For instance, over the past decade, there has been widespread installation of interactive whiteboards (IWBs) in classrooms largely supported by school-based initiatives. Also, an increasing number of one-to-one laptop and tablet programs have been supported by state and federal initiatives such as the Digital Education Revolution. These and other technology initiatives have exploded into schools but failed to revolutionise education or dramatically improve student learning.

  • Chapter 13 - Considering the history of digital technologies in education

  • from Section 3 - Policy: curriculum, values and agendas
  • Edited by Michael Henderson, Monash University, Victoria, Geoff Romeo, Australian Catholic University, North Sydney
  • Book:
    Teaching and Digital Technologies
    Published online:
    07 February 2021
    Print publication:
    25 September 2015, pp 157-168

  • Summary

    Introduction

    Over the past century, numerous key technologies (including digital technologies) have been introduced into education. For the most part, each of them has been expected to revolutionise teaching and learning. However, it is generally accepted that neither dramatic reorientations nor changes in education have happened. Yet, while use of technology over the last 100 years has not resulted in a revolution, several key improvements and advancements in educational access and equity have resulted. The critical focus of this chapter is to look beyond the hype of technology and media over the last century and, instead, critically consider the significance of the changes over time in terms of how we understand teaching and learning with technology today.

    To explore this issue, the chapter examines what we have labelled as three ‘ages’ of technology integration: pre-digital, personal computer and the internet. While these three ages are described, it would be a mistake to assume that this is the only interpretation of a history of technologies in education. Depending on your geographic location, socioeconomic situation, cultural background, literacy and other variables, the history you and your family and community experience is different. For example, internet connectivity and the ensuing changes to education opportunities was available in metropolitan areas years prior to rural communities, and even today is problematic in remote areas. This chapter presents one interpretation by looking at three significant changes in technology provision in education. The technologies of each age were not adopted in education as expected, but they presented a range of benefits. These expectations and benefits will be discussed in relation to some key influencing social trends and beliefs about learning of the time. The chapter concludes by considering how a critical view of digital technologies over time informs our understanding of teaching and learning.

  • Chapter 5 - Digital technologies and equity: gender, digital divide and rurality

  • from Section 1 - Being critical of our assumptions: learners, learning and digital technologies
  • Edited by Michael Henderson, Monash University, Victoria, Geoff Romeo, Australian Catholic University, North Sydney
  • Book:
    Teaching and Digital Technologies
    Published online:
    07 February 2021
    Print publication:
    25 September 2015, pp 46-56

  • Summary

    Introduction

    This chapter examines three important equity themes that impact on the educational use of digital technologies – gender, digital divide and rurality. The chapter begins with the issue of gender, since the under-representation of female students in digital technologies subjects in upper secondary school education and the resultant under-representation in university education and the ICT industry has been an enduring problem. This is despite numerous research studies and different types of affirmative action strategies being undertaken. These include programs such as school-based ICT clubs for girls and special events targeting the recruitment of girls or industry-based programs and initiatives to address the ongoing difficulties with adequate female recruitment. Following this is a section on the digital divide, and the concluding section examines issues associated with rurality and digital technologies in education.

    CRITICAL QUESTIONS

  • Why is gender under-representation in ICT/digital technology subjects important?

  • What are the key factors leading to gender disparity and how can it be redressed?

  • What is the ‘digital divide’ and is it an issue we need to worry about in Australia?

  • How does rurality impact on equity, and how can we plan for it in digital technology access and outcomes?

    • Gender and digital technologies

    The gender divide

    Unfortunately the gender disparity reported in digital technology-related school subjects over a decade ago continues unabated (Anderson et al., 2005; Lyons et al., 2012).

Teaching and Digital Technologies
  • Big Issues and Critical Questions
  • Edited by Michael Henderson, Geoff Romeo
  • Published online:
    07 February 2021
    Print publication:
    25 September 2015
  • Teaching and Digital Technologies: Big Issues and Critical Questions helps both pre-service and in-service teachers to critically question and evaluate the reasons for using digital technology in the classroom. Unlike other resources that show how to use specific technologies – and quickly become outdated, this text empowers the reader to understand why they should (or should not) use digital technologies, when it is appropriate (or not), and the implications arising from these decisions. The text directly engages with policy, the Australian Curriculum, pedagogy, learning and wider issues of equity, access, generational stereotypes and professional learning. The contributors to the book are notable figures from across a broad range of Australian universities, giving the text a unique relevance to Australian education while retaining its universal appeal. Teaching and Digital Technologies is an essential contemporary resource for early childhood, primary and secondary pre-service and in-service teachers in both local and international education environments.

  • Chapter 16 - When does technology improve learning?

  • from Section 4 - Student learning
  • Edited by Michael Henderson, Monash University, Victoria, Geoff Romeo, Australian Catholic University, North Sydney
  • Book:
    Teaching and Digital Technologies
    Published online:
    07 February 2021
    Print publication:
    25 September 2015, pp 197-213

  • Summary

    Introduction

    Computers started appearing in Australian schools during the 1970s but for a long time the uptake was slow. Now, in 2015, many schools have more computers than students, representing a big investment in digital technologies. Quite rightly, teachers and parents sometimes ask whether the investment is worth it – has it helped students learn better? You may think this would be an easy question to answer – just assess whether students doing a particular learning task with computers achieved better results than other students doing the same task without computers. However, it is not that easy because, first, it is difficult to measure learning and, second, there are so many factors that influence a student’s learning. As a result, it is nearly impossible to determine with certainty whether using the computer made the difference. Nevertheless, research into whether using digital technologies improves learning, and under what conditions, remains a worthwhile undertaking.

    This chapter examines why digital technologies are used in schools, and how that use may improve learning. It refers to what has been learned from research, and describes how teachers may use a critical and evaluative framework to guide their decisions about when, and how, to use these technologies. In particular it discusses the concept of meaningful uses of the technology. The aim of the chapter is to help you with decisions you need to make about when, and how, to use digital technologies to support the learning of your students.

  • Chapter 11 - Supporting the Postgraduate Student at a Distance: A Personal Encounter

  • Edited by Anniekie Ravhudzulo, Sibusiso Ndlangamandla
  • Book:
    Practical and Critical Issues in Open Distance Learning
    Published by:
    University of South Africa
    Published online:
    22 February 2020
    Print publication:
    20 September 2015, pp 113-120

  • Summary

    Studying at a distance has become an important part of education in the modern world. In a distance education (DE) environment, learning occurs where the lecturer and the student are usually removed from each other in space and time (Yates & Tilson 2000:7). A very large proportion of teaching and learning is conducted where the lecturer and the student are separated from each other either permanently or most of the time. This mode of delivery offers learning opportunities to all categories of students, for example able-bodied, disabled, part-time or full-time students.

    In describing distance or open learning, Perraton (2000:13) points out that it is an organisational activity based on the use of teaching materials, in which the constraints on study are minimised, either in terms of access, or of time and place, pace, methods of study or any combination of these. The umbrella term ‘open and distance learning’ (ODL), is used to cover all educational approaches and practices where students are taught and provided with learning resources to enable them to learn to acquire skills, knowledge, values and qualifications without attending college or university in person. This system of education delivery opens various opportunities for individuals to earn income while learning to upgrade their knowledge and skills no matter when and where they find themselves.

    An important aspect of print-based ODL delivery mode, which is often neglected by many educational institutions that offer DE programmes, is an effective student support system (SSS) that caters for the academic needs of the lonely student. Many ODL students, both postgraduate and undergraduate live, work and study under conditions which may not be conducive to distance learning. They may, for example, lack resources that enhance learning such as relevant books, libraries, electricity, computers, the Internet and modern communication networks. Among them may be those who lack the required study and communication skills, understanding of what they read and the necessary guidance or support to enable them to succeed in their studies. Many postgraduate students in ODL institutions graduated from the conventional face-to-face universities and are thus new to an independent study environment where much emphasis is on learning and not teaching per se.

  • Chapter 15 - Mobile Supported Language Learning

  • Edited by Anniekie Ravhudzulo, Sibusiso Ndlangamandla
  • Book:
    Practical and Critical Issues in Open Distance Learning
    Published by:
    University of South Africa
    Published online:
    22 February 2020
    Print publication:
    20 September 2015, pp 159-166

  • Summary

    In recent years, tertiary education in South Africa has undergone dramatic and extensive changes. We have seen the implementation of new technologies, mergers and, in particular, a diversity of multilingual student groups. With an increase in multilingual student numbers, institutions are faced with great challenges stemming from the linguistically complex nature of their student complement. These linguistic challenges place even greater pressure on students to perform, thus necessitating the need for more strategic approaches to address these challenges. In response to these demands, many institutions are adopting enhanced technology-orientated teaching and learning strategies to improve both lecturer and student comprehension.

    Beep! Beep! This all too familiar sound resonates in city malls, on streets and even during movies. It is, of course, the sound of billions of SMSs that are criss-crossing the globe each year, carrying with them the various plans and emotions of billions of people who are flexing their thumbs to send these text messages. The question we should ask ourselves is: why can't we, as educators, use this to start our own ‘flirt net’ or a ‘cupid learning net’? In doing so, we might enhance the learning experience for all, especially for the distance student. If you receive an sms from the university at which you are enrolled, you will probably feel that you are part of this new learning adventure, which is described by Lusunzi (1998:1) as ‘the success of the beaming process is increasingly measured by the high number of satisfied customers and low number of drop-outs, and not pedagogical imperatives’. When we look at the enormous diversity of distance education students in the South African or African context, we wonder what, if anything, these students have in common. The answer is: a mobile phone. This is the one hand-held device that can be used successfully to reach some of the most distant and disadvantaged of our students.

    This chapter answers the question: ‘How can mobile phone technology support learning in second language teaching?’ The answer to this question was addressed in a pilot study that was conducted in the teaching of a second language. The feedback from participants is documented with the intention of rolling this out to a bigger group.

  • Chapter 8 - The Experiences of Students with Disabilities at the University of South Africa: Efforts at Promoting a Positive Student Experience

  • Edited by Anniekie Ravhudzulo, Sibusiso Ndlangamandla
  • Book:
    Practical and Critical Issues in Open Distance Learning
    Published by:
    University of South Africa
    Published online:
    22 February 2020
    Print publication:
    20 September 2015, pp 81-94

  • Summary

    Introduction

    The former US President Abraham Lincoln once remarked: ‘If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend six sharpening my axe’ (Haslam & Valletutti 1996:112). The central point of this message is the importance of adequate and thorough preparation as the basis for equipping students or students with the required skills, knowledge, values and qualifications. In a similar vein, Alan Lakein aptly and succinctly captures this notion when he observes that ‘planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now’ (Swain 2007:186).

    What emerges forcefully is that careful planning through sound education and training is invaluable in preparing us adequately for our respective roles and responsibilities. There can be no doubt that all students, regardless of their educational level, deserve nothing less than high quality education and training that will provide them with opportunities for lifelong learning and the world of work, and that will enable them to participate meaningfully in society as productive citizens.

    In highlighting the principle of equity as one of the fundamental principles that should guide the process of transformation in education, the Education White Paper 3 (1997) maintains that students should be provided with opportunities not only to enter higher education programmes, but also to succeed as higher education students. Put simply: there is simply no point in allowing students to go through the often time-consuming process of registering for specific courses if there are no support services to ensure that they do not drop-out but achieve success. When I use the word ‘success’, I am not simply referring to graduating with a certificate, diploma or degree, but also being skilled in a manner that enables a student to contribute meaningfully to the broader agenda for social and economic development. The prerequisite for all learning and development should therefore be the creation of an enabling teaching and learning environment in which everyone is supported and valued, and which promotes student access, participation and success.

    This chapter, which draws largely on personal observation of and close interaction with students with disabilities over approximately five years, highlights the level of support provided for students with disabilities who are registered with the University of South Africa (Unisa), and the extent to which this support promotes their access and participation.

  • Introduction

  • Edited by Anniekie Ravhudzulo, Sibusiso Ndlangamandla
  • Book:
    Practical and Critical Issues in Open Distance Learning
    Published by:
    University of South Africa
    Published online:
    22 February 2020
    Print publication:
    20 September 2015, pp xv-xviii

  • Summary

    Part I of the book explores some of the critical issues in open distance learning (ODL). The first chapter gives a historical overview of this mode of teaching and learning, curriculum design and also examines ODL in the global context. In chapter 2, Ndileleni Mudzielwana first introduces the ODL system and then focuses on student support services (SSS) and key ODL challenges and solutions. In chapter 3, Gerda Ferreira traces the background of ODL from correspondence to distance education (DE) and highlights the fact that correspondence was weak as far as student support was concerned. She then moves to ODL, where the University of South Africa (Unisa) is currently positioning itself. ODL is portrayed as an environment of interaction and information flow through multimedia, rather than the previously isolated method of study. For instance, the myUnisa and myLife email facilities are ways of facilitating learner support. Chapter 4, written by Willa Louw, presents procedures and principles of curriculum design in ODL, encompassing the Directorate: Curriculum and Learning Development (DCLD) at Unisa, students and academics. In order to include the ‘voices of students’ in curriculum design for ODL, she refers to the theory of constructivism and rich environments for active learning (REALs). Louw argues that collaboration between DCLD and academic departments can enhance both study guides and the use of technologies for communication between students and lecturers.

    Taking an essential pedagogic approach, in chapter 5, Matlakalana Tshesane interrogates the principles of designing multiple-choice questions (MCQs) in assessment. This chapter documents success in the gradual ‘buy-in’ of academics and their realisation of the capabilities of MCQs in assessing higher-order skills and the benefits of collaborating with DCLD. The last two chapters under the theme of critical issues in ODL focus on some of the socio-cultural, socio-economic and political factors in higher education. In chapter 6, Azwinndini Tshivhase recounts a debate on the policy context in South Africa. He discusses the post-1994 transformation of the higher education system and then outlines key policy developments and gaps in ODL policy formulation and implementation. His focus is on teaching, learning and quality control in ODL institutions. The thrust of his argument is that more still has to be done, although he highlights some of the benefits of ODL in terms of access to education, cost factors and the importance of ODL overall.

  • Chapter 9 - Effective Learner Support Or Not

  • Edited by Anniekie Ravhudzulo, Sibusiso Ndlangamandla
  • Book:
    Practical and Critical Issues in Open Distance Learning
    Published by:
    University of South Africa
    Published online:
    22 February 2020
    Print publication:
    20 September 2015, pp 95-104

  • Summary

    The University of South Africa (Unisa) was the first university in the world to teach at a distance. It initially started as what Taylor (2001) has labelled ‘first generation or correspondence education’. Over the years, it gradually added elements of technology and engaged in more contact with its students. Essentially, however, these were add-ons, and neither was properly integrated with the academic endeavours of the university. Nor were they used effectively. The merger between Unisa, the Technikon South Africa (TSA) and the distance education (DE) campus of Vista University (Vudec) in 2004 created a single, dedicated DE institution for South Africa.

    It is interesting to note that, over the past two decades, the Unisa student profile has shifted from that of the traditional working adult to that of the younger person who registers at Unisa immediately after leaving school, largely for reasons of access. The change in the student profile at Unisa also brings to the fore the issues of effective student support and factors relating to drop-out. Student performance is influenced by a number of factors. Students who receive no support are likely to delay completion of a programme or drop-out altogether.

    The importance of effective support

    Effective student support, that is, the assistance and guidance that students are offered, has often been an overlooked component in the DE system. Student support is important for many reasons: it can improve enrolment figures, decrease drop-out rates and contribute to academic success. There are a number of questions that one can ask, especially if we want strategies that will improve the effectiveness of the student support services. This chapter is an attempt to answer the following questions:

    • • What provisions are made for providing student support services in open and distance learning (ODL) universities and how useful are these services?

    • • What do students feel about the quality of the services provided?

    • • Why is there a feeling that the support services provided by contact universities are better than those in ODL universities?

    Student support systems (SSS) have now become an integral part of most of the good DE institutions. The issue of effective SSS becomes pertinent here: these services provide the correct support needed to learn with no limitations, not only for distance students, who generally study in isolation away from the institution, but also for lecturers and fellow students.

Page 255 of 675