Education technology is on the rise, and the industry is filled with companies, both large and small, that want a piece of an $8 billion-plus annual market for software and hardware, according to Benjamin Herold of Education Week.
As schools and universities find new ways to use technology in and outside the classroom, creating a digitalization process that meets the needs of students, staff, and teachers in practical ways can be a daunting prospect.
Herold notes: “But a significant body of research has also made clear that most teachers have been slow to transform the ways they teach, despite the influx of new technology into their classrooms. There remains limited evidence to show that technology and online learning are improving learning outcomes for most students. And academics and parents alike have expressed concerns about digital distractions, ways in which unequal access to and use of technology might widen achievement gaps, and more.”
While Herold writes in the context of the public education in the United States, some important facts can be drawn out of his statements for schools around the world considering digitalizing their teaching. The underlying point is this: pedagogy is more important than ever in a world where technology dazzles us with its capabilities and potential for teaching and learning.
1. Content is Still King
As curriculum developers prepare content for e-learning platforms, they must optimize it to take full advantage of technology’s capabilities. Personalized learning plans, game and case scenarios and other engaging ways of presenting material to students should be capitalized upon to ensure that students are mastering individual standards for their grade levels and subjects. Multimedia content that incorporates video and audio helps students to retain more. Practice problem sets or scientific experiments that have students virtually solve real-world or in-the-lab problems are more likely to encourage paying attention than just reading an instructional text or typing in answers.
3. Students Must be Educated to Use Digital Processes and Best Practices
As technology is utilized more and more to teach students of all ages, they still need to be trained in how to work, research, and study safely online. Student safety is of the utmost importance, and it is imperative the students have basic internet safety skills. Students should also know how to use computers and technology to do their school work as it is necessary for working and living in the 21st century.
When these components are put into place, the digitalization process can be relatively smooth and successful, and benefit teaching and learning alike. When they are not, the entire digitalization process can go awry and cause disagreements and problems among and between staff, teachers, and students.
Finland introduced a new national curriculum in August 2016 including requirement for teacher training program for 21st Century Skills. This program is available through Claned.
One thought on “How to avoid digitalization disaster in your school”
One thought on “How to avoid digitalization disaster in your school”
I’ve done this with teachers and students successfully.