How might Wenger's notions on practice communities relate to Prensky's on education?
Wenger coined the term ‘communities of practice’ to define “groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly”. This idea is in contrast to ‘organisational units’ which is a term used for more formal groups, people who have been assigned to be together, rather than chosen.
Prensky’s notions on education are that ‘digital natives’ need new learning concepts due to the technological world they have grown up in. He believes that “today’s teachers have to learn to communicate in the language and style of their students”. Prensky himself favours video games as a method of teaching today’s digital native students.
If you apply Wenger’s idea of an organisational unit to education systems you have the teacher who is in charge of the students; the teacher says what to do and controls the learning content given to the students. However, according to Prensky’s notions the digital native students don’t successfully follow what their digital immigrant teachers are saying; “Digital Immigrant instructors, who speak an outdated language (that of the pre-digital age), are struggling to teach a population that speaks an entirely new language” (Prensky, 2001).
Therefore, students may create communities of practice away from their teachers in order to learn in their own way, using the internet for example and sharing websites by emailing, instant messaging or texting hyperlinks to each other. If students have friends in other schools who teach in a more ‘digital native’ friendly way, they could create a community of practice to share their ideas.
Prensky, M (2001) “Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants”, On the Horizon, Volume 9 (5), http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf
Wenger, E (n.d.) “Communities of Practice – A Brief Introduction”, http://www.ewenger.com/theory/
Monday, 23 March 2009
Week Nine - Task 2: The Digital Divide
What difference to all this might the 'digital divide' make?
a) To socioeconomically related access issues within a society?
b) To global access issues across countries and regions?
a) “The digital divide refers to the gap between those who benefit from digital technology and those who do not” (Digital Divide Org). The main focus of the digital divide is not on the fact that some people don’t have access to technology, it focuses on the fact that these people who don’t have access are at a loss in terms of the benefits gained by using technology. Some benefits of having technology, especially the internet are searching for lower priced goods and services, working from home, being more involved in their children’s education, access to e-learning facilities and informed healthcare decisions (Lu, 2001).
Socioeconomic issues within a society can be about the digital divide, as some people within a society will have access to digital technology whereas some will not. This creates a gap between people who have a higher socioeconomic status, and therefore have access to a range of technology and people who have a lower status and no access to technology.
Neil Selwyn points out that it’s also necessary to remember that the ‘digital divide’ is not just about computers and the internet “people’s use of technology extends far beyond the realm of the computer through technologies such as digital television, mobile telephony and games consoles, all constituting important but disparate elements of contemporary techno-culture” (2004: 346).
Children growing up are assumed by Prensky to be “digital natives” – they understand technology, get the ‘language’ and have no problems grasping the literacy needed to use digital technology. However, supposing this child comes from a family or community who are “digitally disengaged” (BT report) the only access to digital technology they will have will be in school and to computers / internet, reducing the chances of this child being a “digital native”. In this case I would say that digital nativism / immigration is a socioeconomically related issue within a society which the digital divide is adding pressure to.
b) “The term Digital Divide is also used to refer to the disparity in Internet access between developed and developing countries” (Lu, 2001). Therefore the digital divide affects global access issues across countries and regions. Similarly to how there is a digital divide in the UK, with some people being ‘technology rich’ and some people being ‘technology poor’, there is also a global digital divide. Developing countries are the ‘technology poor’ and developed countries are the ‘technology rich’.
In developing countries, citizens do not have the disposable income to purchase the necessary equipment for internet access or and digital technology in general. It is not just the equipment; a literacy is also necessary to use it (Lu, 2001).
In terms of Prensky’s notions of “digital immigrant” and “digital native”, I would say that in some countries they are not even applicable yet due to the lack of resources available. Prensky’s ideas are based around cultures which are immersed into a technological environment which I think means they can’t be applied to people who live in cultures that don’t have these advantages. Maybe, in years to come when the digital divide is much smaller and the majority of people, including those in developing countries, have access to a range of technologies, Prensky’s current theory will come into use.
BT Report, (2004) “The Digital Divide in 2025”, http://www.btplc.com/societyandenvironment/pdf/digitaldivide2025.pdf
Digital Divide Org, (n.d.) “The Digital Divide: What it is and why it matters”, http://www.digitaldivide.org/dd/digitaldivide.html
Selwyn, N (2004) “Reconsidering political and popular understandings of the digital divide”, New Media and Society, Volume 6 (3), pp. 341 – 362, http://nms.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/6/3/341
Lu, M (2001) “Digital Divide in Developing Countries” Journal of Global Information Technology Management, Volume 4 (3), pp. 1 – 4, http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=0&did=83155528&SrchMode=1&sid=1&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1237463068&clientId=57096
a) To socioeconomically related access issues within a society?
b) To global access issues across countries and regions?
a) “The digital divide refers to the gap between those who benefit from digital technology and those who do not” (Digital Divide Org). The main focus of the digital divide is not on the fact that some people don’t have access to technology, it focuses on the fact that these people who don’t have access are at a loss in terms of the benefits gained by using technology. Some benefits of having technology, especially the internet are searching for lower priced goods and services, working from home, being more involved in their children’s education, access to e-learning facilities and informed healthcare decisions (Lu, 2001).
Socioeconomic issues within a society can be about the digital divide, as some people within a society will have access to digital technology whereas some will not. This creates a gap between people who have a higher socioeconomic status, and therefore have access to a range of technology and people who have a lower status and no access to technology.
Neil Selwyn points out that it’s also necessary to remember that the ‘digital divide’ is not just about computers and the internet “people’s use of technology extends far beyond the realm of the computer through technologies such as digital television, mobile telephony and games consoles, all constituting important but disparate elements of contemporary techno-culture” (2004: 346).
Children growing up are assumed by Prensky to be “digital natives” – they understand technology, get the ‘language’ and have no problems grasping the literacy needed to use digital technology. However, supposing this child comes from a family or community who are “digitally disengaged” (BT report) the only access to digital technology they will have will be in school and to computers / internet, reducing the chances of this child being a “digital native”. In this case I would say that digital nativism / immigration is a socioeconomically related issue within a society which the digital divide is adding pressure to.
b) “The term Digital Divide is also used to refer to the disparity in Internet access between developed and developing countries” (Lu, 2001). Therefore the digital divide affects global access issues across countries and regions. Similarly to how there is a digital divide in the UK, with some people being ‘technology rich’ and some people being ‘technology poor’, there is also a global digital divide. Developing countries are the ‘technology poor’ and developed countries are the ‘technology rich’.
In developing countries, citizens do not have the disposable income to purchase the necessary equipment for internet access or and digital technology in general. It is not just the equipment; a literacy is also necessary to use it (Lu, 2001).
In terms of Prensky’s notions of “digital immigrant” and “digital native”, I would say that in some countries they are not even applicable yet due to the lack of resources available. Prensky’s ideas are based around cultures which are immersed into a technological environment which I think means they can’t be applied to people who live in cultures that don’t have these advantages. Maybe, in years to come when the digital divide is much smaller and the majority of people, including those in developing countries, have access to a range of technologies, Prensky’s current theory will come into use.
BT Report, (2004) “The Digital Divide in 2025”, http://www.btplc.com/societyandenvironment/pdf/digitaldivide2025.pdf
Digital Divide Org, (n.d.) “The Digital Divide: What it is and why it matters”, http://www.digitaldivide.org/dd/digitaldivide.html
Selwyn, N (2004) “Reconsidering political and popular understandings of the digital divide”, New Media and Society, Volume 6 (3), pp. 341 – 362, http://nms.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/6/3/341
Lu, M (2001) “Digital Divide in Developing Countries” Journal of Global Information Technology Management, Volume 4 (3), pp. 1 – 4, http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=0&did=83155528&SrchMode=1&sid=1&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1237463068&clientId=57096
Week Nine - Task 4: Potential Problems with Education Tailoring
Is there a potential problem being stored up for people if 'education' is tailored to fit into their cultural and personal preferences?
I think that if education is tailored to fit into peoples cultural and personal preferences, then yes, there is a problem being stored up. Relating back to the ‘should education stretch a person’ question, I believe that education should broaden peoples horizons in terms of learning about different cultures. Although this is not a key aspect of education, I think it should take some part in it. If each educational institute, particularly primary and secondary schools, only taught students about their own country and their own culture they would leave with no knowledge of people from foreign countries, and even worse people who live in their own country. The U.K has a population of people from a variety of different countries and religions, and therefore their cultures are very different. If students aren’t taught about this then it could lead to problems such as bullying due to uninformed judgements.
Julia (2000: 281), believes that employing a multicultural curriculum is essential as this will encourage “willingness to expose oneself to one's cultural biases and vulnerabilities” and that “to become informed about other cultures forms the basis of receptiveness to multicultural education and to feel the need to search for and become open to examine multicultural knowledge”. I agree with this as knowing about different cultures is the only way of understanding ‘different’ people.
In terms of education being related to work culture, I think this is also a reason for education not to be tailored for individual’s cultural and personal preferences. After education, people typically find a job. “The lowering of trade and political barriers and the exponential technical advances of the digital revolution have made it possible to do business instantaneously with millions of people across the planet” (Prasad, 2006). This is another reason for people to understand other people and cultures; the jobs and workplaces they have may involve doing business with people from all around the globe.
Similarly, jobs which include working with the public mean working with culturally diverse people. In this case, education is related to ‘work culture’, so students need to be prepared by their education to enter a workplace which is culturally diverse. Work culture is no-ones culture; it will vary from workplace to workplace and include each individual employee.
Julia, M (2000) “Student perceptions of culture: an integral part of social work practice” International Journal of Intercultural Relations, Volume 24, pp. 279-298, http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=MImg&_imagekey=B6V7R-3YVDBFT-7-1&_cdi=5849&_user=7880563&_orig=search&_coverDate=03%2F01%2F2000&_sk=999759997&view=c&wchp=dGLbVzz-zSkzS&md5=b8ca48a62e80aba883d23966b71fcf06&ie=/sdarticle.pdf
Prasad, S (2006) “Ethnic communities and work ethos: how to create culturally competent firms”, COS Round Table, http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:dgKiP9g786AJ:www.cosbcn.com/documentsCos/S.PrasadEthnicCommunitiesandWorkEthos.doc+is+there+a+problem+if+education+is+tailored+to+fit+peoples+cultural+and+personal+preferences+-health,+-diet,+-medical,+-nutrition&cd=10&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk
I think that if education is tailored to fit into peoples cultural and personal preferences, then yes, there is a problem being stored up. Relating back to the ‘should education stretch a person’ question, I believe that education should broaden peoples horizons in terms of learning about different cultures. Although this is not a key aspect of education, I think it should take some part in it. If each educational institute, particularly primary and secondary schools, only taught students about their own country and their own culture they would leave with no knowledge of people from foreign countries, and even worse people who live in their own country. The U.K has a population of people from a variety of different countries and religions, and therefore their cultures are very different. If students aren’t taught about this then it could lead to problems such as bullying due to uninformed judgements.
Julia (2000: 281), believes that employing a multicultural curriculum is essential as this will encourage “willingness to expose oneself to one's cultural biases and vulnerabilities” and that “to become informed about other cultures forms the basis of receptiveness to multicultural education and to feel the need to search for and become open to examine multicultural knowledge”. I agree with this as knowing about different cultures is the only way of understanding ‘different’ people.
In terms of education being related to work culture, I think this is also a reason for education not to be tailored for individual’s cultural and personal preferences. After education, people typically find a job. “The lowering of trade and political barriers and the exponential technical advances of the digital revolution have made it possible to do business instantaneously with millions of people across the planet” (Prasad, 2006). This is another reason for people to understand other people and cultures; the jobs and workplaces they have may involve doing business with people from all around the globe.
Similarly, jobs which include working with the public mean working with culturally diverse people. In this case, education is related to ‘work culture’, so students need to be prepared by their education to enter a workplace which is culturally diverse. Work culture is no-ones culture; it will vary from workplace to workplace and include each individual employee.
Julia, M (2000) “Student perceptions of culture: an integral part of social work practice” International Journal of Intercultural Relations, Volume 24, pp. 279-298, http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=MImg&_imagekey=B6V7R-3YVDBFT-7-1&_cdi=5849&_user=7880563&_orig=search&_coverDate=03%2F01%2F2000&_sk=999759997&view=c&wchp=dGLbVzz-zSkzS&md5=b8ca48a62e80aba883d23966b71fcf06&ie=/sdarticle.pdf
Prasad, S (2006) “Ethnic communities and work ethos: how to create culturally competent firms”, COS Round Table, http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:dgKiP9g786AJ:www.cosbcn.com/documentsCos/S.PrasadEthnicCommunitiesandWorkEthos.doc+is+there+a+problem+if+education+is+tailored+to+fit+peoples+cultural+and+personal+preferences+-health,+-diet,+-medical,+-nutrition&cd=10&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk
Week Nine - Task 5: Semantic Web
What is the 'semantic web'?
“The Semantic Web provides a common framework that allows data to be shared and reused across application, enterprise, and community boundaries. It is a collaborative effort led by W3C with participation from a large number of researchers and industrial partners” (Herman, I). The W3C is the World Wide Web Consortium.
The idea behind the Semantic Web is to extend the standard web to enable better searching, processing and integration. It “seeks to enable the Web to intelligently interpret what people are seeking when they search the Net” (Espiner). Its aim is to make better use of the web as it is at the moment.
The technologies of the Semantic Web can be used for many different things. ‘Data integration’ which means different sets of data from different places and formats can be seen together in one application rather than multiple. ‘Resource discovery and classification’ which mans the semantic web technologies can provide better search engines techniques. The technologies can be used by ‘intelligent software agents’ to smooth the progress of information sharing and exchanging.
The Semantic Web isn’t something which is trying to replace the Web, it’s improving it. The way browsers look doesn’t change, the Semantic Web works behind the scenes, cataloguing and organising. The W3C’s organisation of the Semantic Web is to provide the Web with “the order that libraries have and the Web does not – a consistent structure by which people can access materials” (Marshall C and Shipman F). Many large businesses such as IBM, Adobe and Yahoo have started to use the semantic web technologies.
One of the issues with the Semantic Web is privacy. This is due to sets of information being combined and shared. Berners-Lee, a pioneer of the Web, said that the architecture of the Semantic Web will be designed to ensure it can be seen where data is from and where it is going. One option designers are looking at is users being able to set their own privacy options.
In their conclusion, Marshall and Shipman suggest that in the short term there may be “semantic webs” rather than “The Semantic Web”. From what I have read and researched I agree with this. I think it will take a long time to develop as although it’s not a completely new type of Internet, there are many issues to over come, particularly privacy, file sharing and copyright problems. I think the Semantic Web is part of the future of the Web, as like all forms of media we have looked at in New Media Cultures, technology advances and improves to create ‘new media’.
Espiner, T. (2009) “Berners-Lee: Semantic Web will build in privacy”, Cnet News, http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10195902-93.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1023_3-0-5
Herman, I (2008) “W3C Semantic Web Frequently Asked Questions”, W3C Semantic Web, http://www.w3.org/2001/sw/SW-FAQ
Marshall, C and Shipman, F. (2003) “Which Semantic Web?”, http://www.ht03.org/papers/pdfs/7.pdf
“The Semantic Web provides a common framework that allows data to be shared and reused across application, enterprise, and community boundaries. It is a collaborative effort led by W3C with participation from a large number of researchers and industrial partners” (Herman, I). The W3C is the World Wide Web Consortium.
The idea behind the Semantic Web is to extend the standard web to enable better searching, processing and integration. It “seeks to enable the Web to intelligently interpret what people are seeking when they search the Net” (Espiner). Its aim is to make better use of the web as it is at the moment.
The technologies of the Semantic Web can be used for many different things. ‘Data integration’ which means different sets of data from different places and formats can be seen together in one application rather than multiple. ‘Resource discovery and classification’ which mans the semantic web technologies can provide better search engines techniques. The technologies can be used by ‘intelligent software agents’ to smooth the progress of information sharing and exchanging.
The Semantic Web isn’t something which is trying to replace the Web, it’s improving it. The way browsers look doesn’t change, the Semantic Web works behind the scenes, cataloguing and organising. The W3C’s organisation of the Semantic Web is to provide the Web with “the order that libraries have and the Web does not – a consistent structure by which people can access materials” (Marshall C and Shipman F). Many large businesses such as IBM, Adobe and Yahoo have started to use the semantic web technologies.
One of the issues with the Semantic Web is privacy. This is due to sets of information being combined and shared. Berners-Lee, a pioneer of the Web, said that the architecture of the Semantic Web will be designed to ensure it can be seen where data is from and where it is going. One option designers are looking at is users being able to set their own privacy options.
In their conclusion, Marshall and Shipman suggest that in the short term there may be “semantic webs” rather than “The Semantic Web”. From what I have read and researched I agree with this. I think it will take a long time to develop as although it’s not a completely new type of Internet, there are many issues to over come, particularly privacy, file sharing and copyright problems. I think the Semantic Web is part of the future of the Web, as like all forms of media we have looked at in New Media Cultures, technology advances and improves to create ‘new media’.
Espiner, T. (2009) “Berners-Lee: Semantic Web will build in privacy”, Cnet News, http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10195902-93.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1023_3-0-5
Herman, I (2008) “W3C Semantic Web Frequently Asked Questions”, W3C Semantic Web, http://www.w3.org/2001/sw/SW-FAQ
Marshall, C and Shipman, F. (2003) “Which Semantic Web?”, http://www.ht03.org/papers/pdfs/7.pdf
Week Nine - Task 6: Web 3.0
How does it (semantic web) differ from web 3.0?
The Internet began as Web 1.0, the basis internet providing access to a lot of information, but little interaction. Then Web 2.0 was developed, introducing to the Internet to much interaction; social networking, produsage, file sharing, you tube, blogging, wiki’s. Web 3.0 therefore is the next fundamental change to the Internet.
It is speculated that the next phase of the web will be based around artificial intelligence, meaning the Internet will be able to separate the good from the bad when using a search engine (Nations, D). “In other words, the web is becoming smart” (Richards, J). It’s also suggested that an example of the web 3.0 is ‘natural-language search’ meaning search engines will have the ability to answer full questions.
The Semantic Web can be integrated into Web 3.0; it will be part of the next phase of the Internet. Web 3.0 will include web 2.0, the Semantic Web and linked data (See image). ‘Linked data’ is an expression used to describe the growing RDF (Resource Description Framework) development space and ‘Semantic Web’ is a term being used to describe coupling linked data with RDF’s and OWL (Web Ontology Language). In turn, the phrase ‘Web 3.0’ describes the use of these capabilities which are essentially a large scale web application including Web 2.0 technologies (Hendler, J).
The Internet began as Web 1.0, the basis internet providing access to a lot of information, but little interaction. Then Web 2.0 was developed, introducing to the Internet to much interaction; social networking, produsage, file sharing, you tube, blogging, wiki’s. Web 3.0 therefore is the next fundamental change to the Internet.
It is speculated that the next phase of the web will be based around artificial intelligence, meaning the Internet will be able to separate the good from the bad when using a search engine (Nations, D). “In other words, the web is becoming smart” (Richards, J). It’s also suggested that an example of the web 3.0 is ‘natural-language search’ meaning search engines will have the ability to answer full questions.
The Semantic Web can be integrated into Web 3.0; it will be part of the next phase of the Internet. Web 3.0 will include web 2.0, the Semantic Web and linked data (See image). ‘Linked data’ is an expression used to describe the growing RDF (Resource Description Framework) development space and ‘Semantic Web’ is a term being used to describe coupling linked data with RDF’s and OWL (Web Ontology Language). In turn, the phrase ‘Web 3.0’ describes the use of these capabilities which are essentially a large scale web application including Web 2.0 technologies (Hendler, J).
(http://libresproxy.lincoln.ac.uk/nph-proxy.pl/010100A/http/www2.computer.org/portal/web/csdl/abs/html/mags/co/2009/01/mco2009010111.htm)
The way the semantic web differs from web 3.0 is that it is a part of what is predicted to be web 3.0.
Nations,D (n.d.) “What is Web 3.0?”, About.com, http://webtrends.about.com/od/web20/a/what-is-web-30.htm
Hendler, J. (2009) “Web 3.0 Emerging”, Computer, Volume 42 (1) pp. 111-113, http://libresproxy.lincoln.ac.uk/nph-proxy.pl/010100A/http/www2.computer.org/portal/web/csdl/abs/html/mags/co/2009/01/mco2009010111.htm Richards, J (2007) “Web 3.0 and Beyond: The Next 20 Years of the Internet”, The Times Online, http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article2726190.ece
Wednesday, 18 March 2009
Week Nine - Task 7a: The oldest digital native
Without giving references to articles or websites, write five blog entries which creatively describe the digital technologically imbricated world (or not) of:
The oldest digital native you know.
A digital native is someone who has grown up in the technological world, which is presumed as someone who was born after 1980, someone who is 29 or younger now. However, the oldest person I know who I would class as a digital native due to their ability and ease with technology is 49 years old.
I think of this person as a digital native as they have more knowledge about technology than I do, they use the internet many things including shopping and communication via a blog and social networking page, have the latest technological gadgets such as a BlackBerry and iPod, and have a very good knowledge about computers. In fact, I think this person couldn’t live without technology even though they have experienced life without the things they have now.
The oldest digital native you know.
A digital native is someone who has grown up in the technological world, which is presumed as someone who was born after 1980, someone who is 29 or younger now. However, the oldest person I know who I would class as a digital native due to their ability and ease with technology is 49 years old.
I think of this person as a digital native as they have more knowledge about technology than I do, they use the internet many things including shopping and communication via a blog and social networking page, have the latest technological gadgets such as a BlackBerry and iPod, and have a very good knowledge about computers. In fact, I think this person couldn’t live without technology even though they have experienced life without the things they have now.
Week Nine - Task 7b: The youngest digital immigrant
The youngest digital immigrant you know.
A digital immigrant is the counterpart to a digital native; it’s somebody who has had to learn about technology, rather than it coming naturally to them. The youngest digital immigrant I know is 23 years old. She has only just become used to technology, the internet, social networking and mobile phones despite the fact she has been living in a world with them nearly her whole life.
I think this is because her family are all quite similar, they never had a computer, the internet or digital television in their house until very recently. I would class this person as a digital immigrant because she is not as comfortable with technology as theorists of digital nativism suggest she should be for her age, but she learns and tries to adapt to our technologically saturated world and ‘immigrate’ into the digital culture.
A digital immigrant is the counterpart to a digital native; it’s somebody who has had to learn about technology, rather than it coming naturally to them. The youngest digital immigrant I know is 23 years old. She has only just become used to technology, the internet, social networking and mobile phones despite the fact she has been living in a world with them nearly her whole life.
I think this is because her family are all quite similar, they never had a computer, the internet or digital television in their house until very recently. I would class this person as a digital immigrant because she is not as comfortable with technology as theorists of digital nativism suggest she should be for her age, but she learns and tries to adapt to our technologically saturated world and ‘immigrate’ into the digital culture.
Week Nine - Task 7c: A person who threatens the notion of digital immigrant / native
A person known to you (could be you, but you don't need to admit it!) who most threatens the notion of native/immigrant in digital culture.
A digital native is a young person who was brought up in a technological world. A person I know who threatens this notion the most is someone who is 20 years old, born in 1988, yet is not very ‘technology friendly’. They have basic skills of the internet and has a social networking page, although this is used very rarely, but doesn’t shop online as to them it is a radical concept. They can very basically use a computer, but would rather not and owns a mobile phone and mp3 player, only they are incapable of putting music onto their mp3 player and don’t have any interest in their mobile phone apart form to call and text.
I think that this person most threatens the notion of digital native and digital immigrant as, according to the ideas behind digital nativism, they should be comfortable with digital technology to the point of having knowledge about web 2.0 concepts and using digital technology in their everyday lives. However, this person seldom uses the internet and is just generally not comfortable using technology.
A digital native is a young person who was brought up in a technological world. A person I know who threatens this notion the most is someone who is 20 years old, born in 1988, yet is not very ‘technology friendly’. They have basic skills of the internet and has a social networking page, although this is used very rarely, but doesn’t shop online as to them it is a radical concept. They can very basically use a computer, but would rather not and owns a mobile phone and mp3 player, only they are incapable of putting music onto their mp3 player and don’t have any interest in their mobile phone apart form to call and text.
I think that this person most threatens the notion of digital native and digital immigrant as, according to the ideas behind digital nativism, they should be comfortable with digital technology to the point of having knowledge about web 2.0 concepts and using digital technology in their everyday lives. However, this person seldom uses the internet and is just generally not comfortable using technology.
Week Nine - Task 7d: A neo-luddite at university now
Describe the daily frustrations of a fictional neo-luddite at university now in the UK. Luddite – opponent of new technology
A neo-luddite is somebody who doesn’t like new technology. I think that a neo-luddite at university now would have many daily frustrations. Many university’s, like Lincoln, have a ‘Portal’ or ‘Blackboard’ (or similar) where students can access exam timetables, general information, lecture slides, seminar programmes, download unit hand books; pretty much everything to do with the academic side of their student life. Similarly, students are contacted by the university via email, meaning all students must access their email accounts regularly to be kept up to date by their tutors. Some university’s and courses have ‘online submission’ of assignments meaning this neo-luddite would have to use technology to simply hand in their assignment, let alone researching using online journals and e-books and also typing it up. All of these digital aspects of university academic life would mean a neo-luddite would have many daily frustrations.
This student would also suffer socially, as the majority of students have Facebook pages and mobile phones which they use to arrange socials, generally chat and also to organise group work. This student therefore would find it difficult to be surrounded by ‘digital natives’ who use technology for every aspect of their university life.
A neo-luddite is somebody who doesn’t like new technology. I think that a neo-luddite at university now would have many daily frustrations. Many university’s, like Lincoln, have a ‘Portal’ or ‘Blackboard’ (or similar) where students can access exam timetables, general information, lecture slides, seminar programmes, download unit hand books; pretty much everything to do with the academic side of their student life. Similarly, students are contacted by the university via email, meaning all students must access their email accounts regularly to be kept up to date by their tutors. Some university’s and courses have ‘online submission’ of assignments meaning this neo-luddite would have to use technology to simply hand in their assignment, let alone researching using online journals and e-books and also typing it up. All of these digital aspects of university academic life would mean a neo-luddite would have many daily frustrations.
This student would also suffer socially, as the majority of students have Facebook pages and mobile phones which they use to arrange socials, generally chat and also to organise group work. This student therefore would find it difficult to be surrounded by ‘digital natives’ who use technology for every aspect of their university life.
Week Nine - Task 7e: A technophile student in 2020
Describe the experience of a fictional technophile (technology fan) student in 2020.
I would imagine that a technophile student in 2020 would be enjoying being a student as in 11 years time technology will presumably have taken an even bigger part in education than it does now. The internet in 2020 will be in web 3.0, possibly moving into web 4.0 phase, making it even more useful for students as the Semantic Web which is meant to be a part of web 3.0 will make researching much easier and efficient.
E-learning in the UK may have become an even bigger concept, so this student may even undertake their whole course via technology; lecture slides, online seminars, using email or a forum for all contact and online submission. Similarly, units such as this one, New Media Cultures, may be the norm for most subjects meaning work is completed via blogging or another technological platform.
The experience of a student who loves technology in 2020 would be a positive one, with technology being a key part of the education system.
I would imagine that a technophile student in 2020 would be enjoying being a student as in 11 years time technology will presumably have taken an even bigger part in education than it does now. The internet in 2020 will be in web 3.0, possibly moving into web 4.0 phase, making it even more useful for students as the Semantic Web which is meant to be a part of web 3.0 will make researching much easier and efficient.
E-learning in the UK may have become an even bigger concept, so this student may even undertake their whole course via technology; lecture slides, online seminars, using email or a forum for all contact and online submission. Similarly, units such as this one, New Media Cultures, may be the norm for most subjects meaning work is completed via blogging or another technological platform.
The experience of a student who loves technology in 2020 would be a positive one, with technology being a key part of the education system.
Week Nine - Task 3: Should Education Stretch a Person?
Should education 'stretch’ a person do you think? (What do you mean by 'stretch'?)
I think that education should stretch a person. Stretch has many synonyms but the one I found most interesting and applicable to this question was ‘broaden’. I think that education should ‘stretch’ or ‘broaden’ a person as the things they learn should help them to become better at something or have knowledge in a particular, or many, subject(s). In this sense, education stretches a person in terms of the knowledge that they have.
Getting an education should also ‘stretch’ people in terms of them finding out about themselves and their interests, hobbies and likes. Without basic education, people wouldn’t be aware of the things they can do with their lives. In this sense, education is ‘stretching’ a person to reach their potential, become what they want to become and do the things they want to.
Education should also ‘broaden’ peoples view points and opinions. Learning about other cultures, countries, or religions can provide a person with an educated, informed decision or opinion. I believe that education in this sense stretches a person’s understanding of the world. Education should expand people’s horizons, so they don’t have a narrow-minded view of the world. In this way, education could be said to make you a better person; understanding other people should mean you aren’t as judgmental to those who are ‘different’.
I think that education should stretch a person. Stretch has many synonyms but the one I found most interesting and applicable to this question was ‘broaden’. I think that education should ‘stretch’ or ‘broaden’ a person as the things they learn should help them to become better at something or have knowledge in a particular, or many, subject(s). In this sense, education stretches a person in terms of the knowledge that they have.
Getting an education should also ‘stretch’ people in terms of them finding out about themselves and their interests, hobbies and likes. Without basic education, people wouldn’t be aware of the things they can do with their lives. In this sense, education is ‘stretching’ a person to reach their potential, become what they want to become and do the things they want to.
Education should also ‘broaden’ peoples view points and opinions. Learning about other cultures, countries, or religions can provide a person with an educated, informed decision or opinion. I believe that education in this sense stretches a person’s understanding of the world. Education should expand people’s horizons, so they don’t have a narrow-minded view of the world. In this way, education could be said to make you a better person; understanding other people should mean you aren’t as judgmental to those who are ‘different’.
Wednesday, 11 March 2009
Week Eight - Task One: What is digital immigration?
Find out about 'Digital Immigration'. What Is it? Who cares about it? What sort of general attitudes have been based upon it?
Digital immigration is a term coined by Marc Prensky that describes people who haven’t been born into and grown up in a world of technology – they have seen technology develop and had to learn the literacy necessary to use it. The counterpart to digital immigration is digital nativism. Digital natives are people who have grown up (in general this is people born after the 1980’s) surrounded by technology – the internet, mobile phones, mp3 players etc.
The people who care about this topic are educational professionals, who need to understand the topic further in order to decide whether a new design of education system is required. John Palfrey and Urs Gasser are two people who particularly care about this subject as they have initiated a research project on the subject of digital natives.
The attitudes based upon digital immigration and digital nativism are varied, but are mainly based around the issue of education. Authors such as Marc Prensky and Thomas Brady believe a massive change in the way students are taught is necessary. Others take an opposing view, such as Timothy VanSlyke, who thinks that digital immigrants and digital natives are not that different, as many people who Prensky would class as digital immigrants are actually very comfortable with technology.
http://www.digitalnative.org/wiki/Main_Page
http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf
http://www.enterprisenews.com/archive/x2103875334
Digital immigration is a term coined by Marc Prensky that describes people who haven’t been born into and grown up in a world of technology – they have seen technology develop and had to learn the literacy necessary to use it. The counterpart to digital immigration is digital nativism. Digital natives are people who have grown up (in general this is people born after the 1980’s) surrounded by technology – the internet, mobile phones, mp3 players etc.
The people who care about this topic are educational professionals, who need to understand the topic further in order to decide whether a new design of education system is required. John Palfrey and Urs Gasser are two people who particularly care about this subject as they have initiated a research project on the subject of digital natives.
The attitudes based upon digital immigration and digital nativism are varied, but are mainly based around the issue of education. Authors such as Marc Prensky and Thomas Brady believe a massive change in the way students are taught is necessary. Others take an opposing view, such as Timothy VanSlyke, who thinks that digital immigrants and digital natives are not that different, as many people who Prensky would class as digital immigrants are actually very comfortable with technology.
http://www.digitalnative.org/wiki/Main_Page
http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf
http://www.enterprisenews.com/archive/x2103875334
Week Eight - Task Two: Identify five websites / pages
Identify five different websites/five-pages-on-different sites dealing with digital immigration and digital nativism. Give their urls.
1. http://www.enterprisenews.com/archive/x2103875334
2. http://technologysource.org/article/digital_natives_digital_immigrants/
3. http://www.macmillandictionary.com/buzzword/entries/digital-native.html#
4. http://fno.org/nov07/nativism.html
5. http://www.digitalnative.org/wiki/Main_Page#What_is_the_Digital_Natives_project.3F
1. http://www.enterprisenews.com/archive/x2103875334
2. http://technologysource.org/article/digital_natives_digital_immigrants/
3. http://www.macmillandictionary.com/buzzword/entries/digital-native.html#
4. http://fno.org/nov07/nativism.html
5. http://www.digitalnative.org/wiki/Main_Page#What_is_the_Digital_Natives_project.3F
Week Eight - Task Three: Criticise each website
In your blog criticise each website (without giving details that would send a reader directly there) in terms of up-to-dateness, usability and practicing what it preaches.
1. My first website which deals with digital immigration is dated May 2008. This is relevantly up-to-date, nearly a year old. The author is an assistant professor of secondary education, so has an insight into the world of these ‘clashing cultures’, which gives this article a usability factor. The article explains what digital immigration and digital nativism are, and then gives a real life example of the two different types of people in one situation which helps visualise the oppositions. Although this page has a primary focus of digital issues in schools I think it practices what it preaches, as the author clearly states that the education system needs to incorporate these new digital tools to aid the new digital native generations of students.
2. This second website has the problem of being a bit out of date as it’s from nearly six years ago; May 2003. However, although the article is not as recent as my first choice, I think that is still has usability. The article is based around critiquing another article on the topic which was written by the man who coined the term ‘digital immigrant’ and ‘digital native’. Due to its nature, I found this article very usable as it gives a different side to the story and provides a different angle of the topic. The author advocates what he suggests in this article as he is an instructional designer for ‘Preparing Tomorrows Teachers to Use Technology’. Also, the criticism of the opposing article is backed up with rationale and argument which makes this webpage useful for understanding this topic.
3. This third webpage is a dictionary insert but has an article underneath from an author, which provides insight into the subject. The article is dated as August 2008, making it only seven months old. This piece of text is only short, but helps clarify the dictionary’s definition. It may not be that usable in terms of academic reference, but the information is backed up by other websites which say the say things in different words.
4. This webpage is similar to number 2: it’s a critique of the same article by the author who coined the terms ‘digital immigrant’ and ‘digital native’. This pages is from November 2007, so in terms of up-to-dateness it’s reasonably recent being just over a year old. I feel that after reading this article, it isn’t that usable. The points are fairly valid and the facts are correct however, I didn’t get a very academic or professional feel from the page. I felt it was more of a negative attitude towards this other person’s work, and that criticising the ideas of the author was the main priority.
5. This webpage is a wiki page, but it’s not open for general produsers to edit; only the creators have this power. This site can be trusted, as the creators are the people who run the digital native project and are using the wiki site to initiate a larger scale research project. In terms of how new the information is, this site doesn’t have a specific date as it’s an on-going piece of work and is continually updated. This is a positive aspect of this page as the most recent information is available. Although this particular page is more about the project than providing a lot of information, it is useful to read why and what the creators are using the project for. There is also a portal section, where people can sign up and share their thoughts within a forum environment. There is also an introduction section which has some useful definitions of words associated with the digital world.
1. My first website which deals with digital immigration is dated May 2008. This is relevantly up-to-date, nearly a year old. The author is an assistant professor of secondary education, so has an insight into the world of these ‘clashing cultures’, which gives this article a usability factor. The article explains what digital immigration and digital nativism are, and then gives a real life example of the two different types of people in one situation which helps visualise the oppositions. Although this page has a primary focus of digital issues in schools I think it practices what it preaches, as the author clearly states that the education system needs to incorporate these new digital tools to aid the new digital native generations of students.
2. This second website has the problem of being a bit out of date as it’s from nearly six years ago; May 2003. However, although the article is not as recent as my first choice, I think that is still has usability. The article is based around critiquing another article on the topic which was written by the man who coined the term ‘digital immigrant’ and ‘digital native’. Due to its nature, I found this article very usable as it gives a different side to the story and provides a different angle of the topic. The author advocates what he suggests in this article as he is an instructional designer for ‘Preparing Tomorrows Teachers to Use Technology’. Also, the criticism of the opposing article is backed up with rationale and argument which makes this webpage useful for understanding this topic.
3. This third webpage is a dictionary insert but has an article underneath from an author, which provides insight into the subject. The article is dated as August 2008, making it only seven months old. This piece of text is only short, but helps clarify the dictionary’s definition. It may not be that usable in terms of academic reference, but the information is backed up by other websites which say the say things in different words.
4. This webpage is similar to number 2: it’s a critique of the same article by the author who coined the terms ‘digital immigrant’ and ‘digital native’. This pages is from November 2007, so in terms of up-to-dateness it’s reasonably recent being just over a year old. I feel that after reading this article, it isn’t that usable. The points are fairly valid and the facts are correct however, I didn’t get a very academic or professional feel from the page. I felt it was more of a negative attitude towards this other person’s work, and that criticising the ideas of the author was the main priority.
5. This webpage is a wiki page, but it’s not open for general produsers to edit; only the creators have this power. This site can be trusted, as the creators are the people who run the digital native project and are using the wiki site to initiate a larger scale research project. In terms of how new the information is, this site doesn’t have a specific date as it’s an on-going piece of work and is continually updated. This is a positive aspect of this page as the most recent information is available. Although this particular page is more about the project than providing a lot of information, it is useful to read why and what the creators are using the project for. There is also a portal section, where people can sign up and share their thoughts within a forum environment. There is also an introduction section which has some useful definitions of words associated with the digital world.
Week Eight - Task Four: Find five articles
In the Harvard manner, name five different academic articles dealing with the notion of young people's facility with the new world of converged media
1 - Bayne, S and Ross, J (2007) “The ‘digital native’ and ‘digital immigrant’: a dangerous opposition”, Annual Conference of the Society for Research into Higher Education, University of Edinburgh http://www.malts.ed.ac.uk/staff/sian/natives_final.pdf
2 - Prensky, M (2006) “Listen to the Natives”, Educational Leadership, Volume 63 (4) pp. 8 - 13, http://centre4.core-ed.net/viewfile.php/users/38/1965011121/ICT_PD_Online/ListentotheNatives.pdf
3 - Prensky, M (2001) “Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants”, On the Horizon, Volume 19 (5) http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf
4 - Gasser, U and Palfrey, J. (2009) “Mastering Multitasking”, Educational Leadership, Volume 66 (6), pp. 14-19, http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=afh&AN=36666619&site=ehost-live
5 - Bennett, S et al, (2008) “The ‘Digital Natives’ Debate: A Critical Review of the Evidence”, British Journal of Educational Technology, Volume 39 (5), pp. 775- 786, http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=afh&AN=33902985&site=ehost-live
1 - Bayne, S and Ross, J (2007) “The ‘digital native’ and ‘digital immigrant’: a dangerous opposition”, Annual Conference of the Society for Research into Higher Education, University of Edinburgh http://www.malts.ed.ac.uk/staff/sian/natives_final.pdf
2 - Prensky, M (2006) “Listen to the Natives”, Educational Leadership, Volume 63 (4) pp. 8 - 13, http://centre4.core-ed.net/viewfile.php/users/38/1965011121/ICT_PD_Online/ListentotheNatives.pdf
3 - Prensky, M (2001) “Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants”, On the Horizon, Volume 19 (5) http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf
4 - Gasser, U and Palfrey, J. (2009) “Mastering Multitasking”, Educational Leadership, Volume 66 (6), pp. 14-19, http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=afh&AN=36666619&site=ehost-live
5 - Bennett, S et al, (2008) “The ‘Digital Natives’ Debate: A Critical Review of the Evidence”, British Journal of Educational Technology, Volume 39 (5), pp. 775- 786, http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=afh&AN=33902985&site=ehost-live
Week Eight - Task Five: Abstracts for each article
Each student write your own abstract for each article.
Abstrct for Article 1
This article has a focus on the teacher – learner relationship, and the use of technology in higher education. The hierarchal place of teacher and student are deconstructed, providing clear insight into the differences between digital immigrants and digital natives. The article argues against the de-privileging of the teacher who is, as a digital immigrant, seen as backward-looking, slow and old and is put in a subordinate position next to the native students. The article also addresses the issues of teacher - learner relationships in higher education institutes, as it can be suggested that an institute’s ability to meet expectations of new digital native students will form part of their competitive advantage.
Abstract for Article 2
This article focuses on the education system and how much digital natives would benefit from a change in the system to make it more technologically friendly. The author has strong opinions for changing the way education is provided to students and has a very positive opinion on the new digital world. It suggests that students of the 21st century are very different from older generations and that pupils need to be more integrated into the teaching methods in order for them to successfully and joyfully gain an education. Digital natives are advancing and evolving rapidly, and teachers (digital immigrants) need to be fully aware of how much natives know and rather than try and learn these skills they should be leading discussion and including these new technologies in the classroom.
Abstract for Article 3
This article focuses on the differences between generations of digital immigrants and the digital natives who make up the present day’s student body. These digital natives have grown up surrounded by technology and most have spent more time using technology than they have reading a book. This article suggests that the two types of people differ so much that even their brain structures are different. The article suggests that the notions of digital immigrant and digital native also help to see the variations between people who are at ease with technology and people who are not. The article justifies the need for a drastic change in the USA’s education system.
Abstract for Article 4
This article concentrates on digital native’s preference and skill of multi-tasking. Multi-tasking, also known as parallel processing, is how digital natives cope with information overload, and it is an activity they engage in on a daily basis both in and out side of education. The article discusses other findings about whether multi-tasking is having a positive or negative effect on digital natives. One conclusion which the article finds is that multi-tasking is not dangerous, but it does increase the time that it takes to complete a task. The author suggests that trying to stop digital natives from multi-tasking would be ineffective, rather educating them on how best to multi-task and explaining the effects of multi-tasking would be the best way to effectively use their skill.
Abstract for Article 5
This article deals with the idea that the digital native debate is based on two ideas: digital natives actually exists, and education must essentially change to accommodate the needs of these new types of student. Although many academics agree with the need for change in the education system, the wider picture of the issue is unclear, with many people voicing different opinions and not much theoretical backup of the situation. The authors of this article suggest that the wide media coverage of this topic is making the situation seem worse than it realistically is. They also propose that more research into the subject needs to be done before any major changes are made, as they suggest that there is more to young people’s relationship with technology than the idea of ‘digital native’ implies.
Abstrct for Article 1
This article has a focus on the teacher – learner relationship, and the use of technology in higher education. The hierarchal place of teacher and student are deconstructed, providing clear insight into the differences between digital immigrants and digital natives. The article argues against the de-privileging of the teacher who is, as a digital immigrant, seen as backward-looking, slow and old and is put in a subordinate position next to the native students. The article also addresses the issues of teacher - learner relationships in higher education institutes, as it can be suggested that an institute’s ability to meet expectations of new digital native students will form part of their competitive advantage.
Abstract for Article 2
This article focuses on the education system and how much digital natives would benefit from a change in the system to make it more technologically friendly. The author has strong opinions for changing the way education is provided to students and has a very positive opinion on the new digital world. It suggests that students of the 21st century are very different from older generations and that pupils need to be more integrated into the teaching methods in order for them to successfully and joyfully gain an education. Digital natives are advancing and evolving rapidly, and teachers (digital immigrants) need to be fully aware of how much natives know and rather than try and learn these skills they should be leading discussion and including these new technologies in the classroom.
Abstract for Article 3
This article focuses on the differences between generations of digital immigrants and the digital natives who make up the present day’s student body. These digital natives have grown up surrounded by technology and most have spent more time using technology than they have reading a book. This article suggests that the two types of people differ so much that even their brain structures are different. The article suggests that the notions of digital immigrant and digital native also help to see the variations between people who are at ease with technology and people who are not. The article justifies the need for a drastic change in the USA’s education system.
Abstract for Article 4
This article concentrates on digital native’s preference and skill of multi-tasking. Multi-tasking, also known as parallel processing, is how digital natives cope with information overload, and it is an activity they engage in on a daily basis both in and out side of education. The article discusses other findings about whether multi-tasking is having a positive or negative effect on digital natives. One conclusion which the article finds is that multi-tasking is not dangerous, but it does increase the time that it takes to complete a task. The author suggests that trying to stop digital natives from multi-tasking would be ineffective, rather educating them on how best to multi-task and explaining the effects of multi-tasking would be the best way to effectively use their skill.
Abstract for Article 5
This article deals with the idea that the digital native debate is based on two ideas: digital natives actually exists, and education must essentially change to accommodate the needs of these new types of student. Although many academics agree with the need for change in the education system, the wider picture of the issue is unclear, with many people voicing different opinions and not much theoretical backup of the situation. The authors of this article suggest that the wide media coverage of this topic is making the situation seem worse than it realistically is. They also propose that more research into the subject needs to be done before any major changes are made, as they suggest that there is more to young people’s relationship with technology than the idea of ‘digital native’ implies.
Task Six: My disagreements with the articles
In your blog, write a paragraph (or two) about your disagreements with each article
1 - A key theme throughout this first article is against the de-privileging of the teacher; however I disagree with this notion. I personally don’t think that teachers, as digital immigrants, are seen as slow or backward-looking just because they did not grow up with the technology that is available to today’s digital native generation of students. I feel that, although there is a difference between digital immigrants and digital natives, digital immigrants can still learn and use the technology that the natives do. I think that some teachers may have more knowledge about technology than other teachers, and less knowledge than some students, however, I don’t think that this is ‘de-privileging’ teachers as they will always have respect from students as the ‘higher’ person.
2 and 3 - Both these articles are written by the same author, so the arguments within both of the articles are from the same point of view. The only thing that I disagree with in the articles is the extent to which the author feels the need for a new education system. I mainly agree with the points about integrating technology into teaching; however I feel that the author is rooting for too much change.
4 - I think this article was interesting and the findings can be applied to digital natives who are serial multi-taskers. However, the only disagreement I have is that it should be made clear that not all digital natives have the skill to multi-task.
5 - I have no disagreements with this article, as I found myself agreeing with what the authors had to say. I especially share the opinion that the topic of digital nativism and the education system needing to change to accommodate these new types of student is more of an ‘academic moral panic’ rather than a genuinely desperate issue that needs addressing and changing.
1 - A key theme throughout this first article is against the de-privileging of the teacher; however I disagree with this notion. I personally don’t think that teachers, as digital immigrants, are seen as slow or backward-looking just because they did not grow up with the technology that is available to today’s digital native generation of students. I feel that, although there is a difference between digital immigrants and digital natives, digital immigrants can still learn and use the technology that the natives do. I think that some teachers may have more knowledge about technology than other teachers, and less knowledge than some students, however, I don’t think that this is ‘de-privileging’ teachers as they will always have respect from students as the ‘higher’ person.
2 and 3 - Both these articles are written by the same author, so the arguments within both of the articles are from the same point of view. The only thing that I disagree with in the articles is the extent to which the author feels the need for a new education system. I mainly agree with the points about integrating technology into teaching; however I feel that the author is rooting for too much change.
4 - I think this article was interesting and the findings can be applied to digital natives who are serial multi-taskers. However, the only disagreement I have is that it should be made clear that not all digital natives have the skill to multi-task.
5 - I have no disagreements with this article, as I found myself agreeing with what the authors had to say. I especially share the opinion that the topic of digital nativism and the education system needing to change to accommodate these new types of student is more of an ‘academic moral panic’ rather than a genuinely desperate issue that needs addressing and changing.
Wednesday, 4 March 2009
Week Seven - Task One: China's Distance Learning
Read http://www1.worldbank.org/disted/Technology/broadcast/tv-02.html and comment.
In the UK’s culture, some people find ‘distance learning’ to be a radical concept compared to traditional teaching methods. However, like Australia, China was one of the first countries to introduce a distance learning scheme, dating back nearly fifty years to 1960.
It was in 1976 when the culture of distance learning, which in China is mainly radio and television broadcasting, really took off following the country’s “modernization of industry, agriculture, national defence and science and technology”.
Before this type of learning was introduced at higher education level, China didn’t have many people registering at H.E institutes (in 1975, only 2% enrolment rate, compared to 4% in other developing countries).
Due to Chinas vast population, this concept proved ideal for teaching the masses and also came at a lower cost, meaning more people could enrol on higher education courses, but without the hassle of a traditional university; students could now choose their own time and pace as well as save money. Distance learning also spread out from just higher education to secondary education, colleges, home and places of work (Ma and Hawkridge).
Along side the radio and television broadcasts, which are basically conventional lectures that would typically be given IRL, students have course books, reference books and study guides along with face to face tuition so that students can ask questions to their tutors.
Similar to how engineering students have to carry out work experience, students undertaking courses which are laboratory-based need to also pass practical experiments. However, the problem with this is that there is not an equal standard of labs across the country; therefore some students have the advantage of accessing better equipment.
This method of learning has been extremely successful for China, and in 2004 there were 15.8million non-traditional learners (Wang and Kreysa).
As a traditional student, I think that having all lectures and seminars delivered via television or radio would be difficult in terms of not being able to as questions at the time and the interactivity of being physically in the same room. However, the article suggests that the pass rates are high and students are passing and being employed into industries which need the staff so this must not be a problem the TVU students have. This problem may be resolved now, as the article was written ten years ago, but I think another issue would be the unfairness of all students not having the same level of practical learning environments. Despite these ideas, I think that this method has clearly been very successful and is very practical for China.
Wang, V and Kreysa, P (2006) “Instructional Strategies of Distance Education Instructors in China”, The Journal of Educators Online, Vol 3 (1) http://www.thejeo.com/Archives/Volume3Number1/WangFinal.pdf
Ma, W and Hawkridge, D (1995) “Chinas Changing Policy and Practice in Television Education” Int. I. Educational Development, Vol 15 (1) http://www.scribd.com/doc/6724261/China-Tv-Policy
In the UK’s culture, some people find ‘distance learning’ to be a radical concept compared to traditional teaching methods. However, like Australia, China was one of the first countries to introduce a distance learning scheme, dating back nearly fifty years to 1960.
It was in 1976 when the culture of distance learning, which in China is mainly radio and television broadcasting, really took off following the country’s “modernization of industry, agriculture, national defence and science and technology”.
Before this type of learning was introduced at higher education level, China didn’t have many people registering at H.E institutes (in 1975, only 2% enrolment rate, compared to 4% in other developing countries).
Due to Chinas vast population, this concept proved ideal for teaching the masses and also came at a lower cost, meaning more people could enrol on higher education courses, but without the hassle of a traditional university; students could now choose their own time and pace as well as save money. Distance learning also spread out from just higher education to secondary education, colleges, home and places of work (Ma and Hawkridge).
Along side the radio and television broadcasts, which are basically conventional lectures that would typically be given IRL, students have course books, reference books and study guides along with face to face tuition so that students can ask questions to their tutors.
Similar to how engineering students have to carry out work experience, students undertaking courses which are laboratory-based need to also pass practical experiments. However, the problem with this is that there is not an equal standard of labs across the country; therefore some students have the advantage of accessing better equipment.
This method of learning has been extremely successful for China, and in 2004 there were 15.8million non-traditional learners (Wang and Kreysa).
As a traditional student, I think that having all lectures and seminars delivered via television or radio would be difficult in terms of not being able to as questions at the time and the interactivity of being physically in the same room. However, the article suggests that the pass rates are high and students are passing and being employed into industries which need the staff so this must not be a problem the TVU students have. This problem may be resolved now, as the article was written ten years ago, but I think another issue would be the unfairness of all students not having the same level of practical learning environments. Despite these ideas, I think that this method has clearly been very successful and is very practical for China.
Wang, V and Kreysa, P (2006) “Instructional Strategies of Distance Education Instructors in China”, The Journal of Educators Online, Vol 3 (1) http://www.thejeo.com/Archives/Volume3Number1/WangFinal.pdf
Ma, W and Hawkridge, D (1995) “Chinas Changing Policy and Practice in Television Education” Int. I. Educational Development, Vol 15 (1) http://www.scribd.com/doc/6724261/China-Tv-Policy
Week Seven - Task 2: Africa's e-learning conference
Read Africa e-learning conference. Comment on e-learning issues, problems, how they manage it, if use of ICT is helping or not.
I have chosen to focus on Zambia, and e-learning becoming a solution to health problems in the education system. http://www.elearning-africa.com/newsportal/english/news164.php
In Zambia, education starts as an optional pre-school level, followed by a compulsory primary education which begins at age seven. This is followed by secondary education which starts at age fourteen, however as the government places focus on primary education, only one third of children at primary school actually go on to secondary school (Isaacs).
Cholera (a disease which is caught by contaminated water) is very common in Zambia in the rainy seasons and has an effect on students being able to attend school along with other problems such as strikes, weather conditions and political disturbances.
An outbreak of the disease in Southern Zambia effected many students at the beginning of this year, as the Ministry of Education banned the opening of schools at the beginning of term until the disease was under control. This prompted students in the area to protest against this decision as pupils from other areas were allowed to continue their studies despite the fact they will all be taking the same exams at the end of the academic year.
The chairperson of e-learning in Zambia, Professor Thompson Sinkala, pointed out “in such a situation, technology-enhanced learning would come in handy… Pupils would not have to miss their lessons as they would access their teachers’ lessons through either an Internet cafe or from home or any convenient place”. On top of this, it was also suggested that e-learning would also enhance people’s awareness of the disease which in turn would cut down the number of breakouts. Zambia currently have a radio programme called ‘Tonga Market’ which is for students who need to improve their grades, however it is not a broadly developed scheme.
In the article, there was a quote from a secondary school student agreeing with the need for education to become electronic. He said that many students used electronic devices such as iPods, CD-players and mobile phones, adding that parents should be able to afford these items for their children as the prices were dropping. However, Zambia is one of the poorest countries in the world, with three quarters of households living on one US dollar a day (Isaacs). It seems a suitable medium for e-learning would be the radio, as this is the only broadcasting means found in nearly every home in Zambia. They already have the ‘Tonga Market’ scheme, which could be developed to the wider range of students needing education when they can’t physically go to school.
As e-learning in this case would not be replacing students going to school, just stepping in in times of crisis, the concept would work quite well. There would be no problems of not having access to printed materials or tutors as students could take the print copies home with them when they are told the school will be closing, and ask any questions upon their return.
I think that if the Ministry of Education and the government could set up an e-learning radio based initiative for times when students cannot make school due to closure, students across the country would be receiving a fair and equal education, which could in turn encourage more children to continue their education.
Isaacs, S. (2007) “ICT in Education in Zambia” Survey of ICT and education in Africa: Zambia Country Report, http://www.infodev.org/en/Publication.436.html
I have chosen to focus on Zambia, and e-learning becoming a solution to health problems in the education system. http://www.elearning-africa.com/newsportal/english/news164.php
In Zambia, education starts as an optional pre-school level, followed by a compulsory primary education which begins at age seven. This is followed by secondary education which starts at age fourteen, however as the government places focus on primary education, only one third of children at primary school actually go on to secondary school (Isaacs).
Cholera (a disease which is caught by contaminated water) is very common in Zambia in the rainy seasons and has an effect on students being able to attend school along with other problems such as strikes, weather conditions and political disturbances.
An outbreak of the disease in Southern Zambia effected many students at the beginning of this year, as the Ministry of Education banned the opening of schools at the beginning of term until the disease was under control. This prompted students in the area to protest against this decision as pupils from other areas were allowed to continue their studies despite the fact they will all be taking the same exams at the end of the academic year.
The chairperson of e-learning in Zambia, Professor Thompson Sinkala, pointed out “in such a situation, technology-enhanced learning would come in handy… Pupils would not have to miss their lessons as they would access their teachers’ lessons through either an Internet cafe or from home or any convenient place”. On top of this, it was also suggested that e-learning would also enhance people’s awareness of the disease which in turn would cut down the number of breakouts. Zambia currently have a radio programme called ‘Tonga Market’ which is for students who need to improve their grades, however it is not a broadly developed scheme.
In the article, there was a quote from a secondary school student agreeing with the need for education to become electronic. He said that many students used electronic devices such as iPods, CD-players and mobile phones, adding that parents should be able to afford these items for their children as the prices were dropping. However, Zambia is one of the poorest countries in the world, with three quarters of households living on one US dollar a day (Isaacs). It seems a suitable medium for e-learning would be the radio, as this is the only broadcasting means found in nearly every home in Zambia. They already have the ‘Tonga Market’ scheme, which could be developed to the wider range of students needing education when they can’t physically go to school.
As e-learning in this case would not be replacing students going to school, just stepping in in times of crisis, the concept would work quite well. There would be no problems of not having access to printed materials or tutors as students could take the print copies home with them when they are told the school will be closing, and ask any questions upon their return.
I think that if the Ministry of Education and the government could set up an e-learning radio based initiative for times when students cannot make school due to closure, students across the country would be receiving a fair and equal education, which could in turn encourage more children to continue their education.
Isaacs, S. (2007) “ICT in Education in Zambia” Survey of ICT and education in Africa: Zambia Country Report, http://www.infodev.org/en/Publication.436.html
Tuesday, 3 March 2009
Week Seven - Task 3: E-learning in Spain
Look around the Internet, find somewhere interesting that offers e-learning.
The Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), “Open University of Catalonia, Spain” was established in 1995 and is a fully online university. The UOC’s educational system is based around its virtual campus. To aid students, the university has set stages to becoming familiar with its learning environment.
Firstly, before the academic year starts, all students undertake a class which helps them grasp an understanding of the virtual campus and the basic ICT skills which are needed. Following this they are taught about the evolution of new technologies which is a subject based around computer science and strategies which are necessary for learning in a virtual environment. Finally, there is another subject that runs alongside the students’ actual degree which teaches about communicating virtually and how to successfully search for and process information.
The whole concept is a “continuous learning process” (Guitert, M and Romeu, T, 2009:6). These steps have been integrated into UOC’s learning activity since the university started, and have been evolving as do new technologies.
The UOC has recently lead the surfacing of a ‘new model of online communication’ which allows an ‘any time any place’ concept, meaning education can be integrated into peoples lifestyles. The university has also won awards for its educational activity (ICDE Prize 2001 for the best virtual and distance university in the world and OEA Prize 2004 for educational quality).
Just last week, the UOC opened an ‘e-learn center’, which is the first for Spain and only one of a few in Europe. The focus of the centers work is going to be on higher education and long life learning. “The aim is to turn the UOC into an international authority in e-learning innovation and research thanks to the University’s own experience, and to contribute to innovation, research, specialised training and dissemination in the field” (UOC Press Room).
This is a considerable achievement because in 2003, e-learning in Spain was “still at a premature stage” (ICT, 2003: 11) and there was more supply than demand in the market as consumers were unsure of their options, with many choosing the traditional method of learning. This evaluation was across Spain in general, as the UOC (at this point) had been around for eight years and “represented a revolution in the university environment” (ICT, 2003: 6). The UOC was a ‘special case’ in terms of e-learning in 2003, and has developed massively between then and now.
Guitert, M and Romeu, T (2009) “A digital literacy proposal in online Higher Education: the UOC scenario”, Elearning Papers, Vol 12, http://www.elearningeuropa.info/files/media/media18503.pdf
ICT (Institut Català de Tecnologia) (2003) “Situation and Prospects for e-learning in Spain” http://www.teleformacion.edu/documentos/informe%20ict.pdf
UOC Press Room (2009) “The UOC sets up Spain’s first e-learning research and innovation centre with researchers from all over the world”, UOC, http://www.uoc.edu/portal/english/la_universitat/sala_de_premsa/noticies/2009/noticia_034.html
http://www.uoc.edu/portal/english/la_universitat/coneix_la_uoc/model_innovador/rao_de_ser/index.html
The Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), “Open University of Catalonia, Spain” was established in 1995 and is a fully online university. The UOC’s educational system is based around its virtual campus. To aid students, the university has set stages to becoming familiar with its learning environment.
Firstly, before the academic year starts, all students undertake a class which helps them grasp an understanding of the virtual campus and the basic ICT skills which are needed. Following this they are taught about the evolution of new technologies which is a subject based around computer science and strategies which are necessary for learning in a virtual environment. Finally, there is another subject that runs alongside the students’ actual degree which teaches about communicating virtually and how to successfully search for and process information.
The whole concept is a “continuous learning process” (Guitert, M and Romeu, T, 2009:6). These steps have been integrated into UOC’s learning activity since the university started, and have been evolving as do new technologies.
The UOC has recently lead the surfacing of a ‘new model of online communication’ which allows an ‘any time any place’ concept, meaning education can be integrated into peoples lifestyles. The university has also won awards for its educational activity (ICDE Prize 2001 for the best virtual and distance university in the world and OEA Prize 2004 for educational quality).
Just last week, the UOC opened an ‘e-learn center’, which is the first for Spain and only one of a few in Europe. The focus of the centers work is going to be on higher education and long life learning. “The aim is to turn the UOC into an international authority in e-learning innovation and research thanks to the University’s own experience, and to contribute to innovation, research, specialised training and dissemination in the field” (UOC Press Room).
This is a considerable achievement because in 2003, e-learning in Spain was “still at a premature stage” (ICT, 2003: 11) and there was more supply than demand in the market as consumers were unsure of their options, with many choosing the traditional method of learning. This evaluation was across Spain in general, as the UOC (at this point) had been around for eight years and “represented a revolution in the university environment” (ICT, 2003: 6). The UOC was a ‘special case’ in terms of e-learning in 2003, and has developed massively between then and now.
Guitert, M and Romeu, T (2009) “A digital literacy proposal in online Higher Education: the UOC scenario”, Elearning Papers, Vol 12, http://www.elearningeuropa.info/files/media/media18503.pdf
ICT (Institut Català de Tecnologia) (2003) “Situation and Prospects for e-learning in Spain” http://www.teleformacion.edu/documentos/informe%20ict.pdf
UOC Press Room (2009) “The UOC sets up Spain’s first e-learning research and innovation centre with researchers from all over the world”, UOC, http://www.uoc.edu/portal/english/la_universitat/sala_de_premsa/noticies/2009/noticia_034.html
http://www.uoc.edu/portal/english/la_universitat/coneix_la_uoc/model_innovador/rao_de_ser/index.html
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