Economist Debates the Role of Technology in the Classroom
The respected business and international affairs weekly, The Economist, is currently holding an online debate on the usefulness of technology in the classroom.
Proposition: The continuing introduction of new technologies and new media adds little to the quality of most education.
The debate is concerned with technology in the classroom, but I think a lot of the comments apply to online language learning resources.
Sir John Daniel, in his opening statement for pro side of the debate, argues that, while there are a few notable successes where technology is used to solve specific problems, mostly technology is used as a fancy tool to spruce up education.
Everyday, I index online language learning resources for Ask Olli so I see the best and the worst and I see the same division as Sir John Daniel. The absolute best examples of technology being used online solve problems.
Second Life has several examples technology being used in the classroom to spruce up education and to solve specific problems. Languagelab.com uses Second Life to roleplay events like virtual weddings and sporting events to provide realistic lifestyle situations. I think this concept is great. It uses Second Life to solve an actual problem—the absence of opportunities for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students to practice English in realistic settings.
Too often, however, Second Life is used to teach a lesson just like you would in real-life. These lessons don’t take advantage of the advantages of Second Life and are only really of interest for technophiles (people who love technology).
Like Sir John Daniel, I hope for a “wake-up call to educators,” because there are many opportunities to use technology positively that remain unmet. I would like to leave off with the reasons that Sir John Daniel gives for why the use of technology has been such a disappointment.
First, we assume too often that technology is the answer without asking what the question was. Successful applications begin with a clear and difficult problem to solve instead of a vague assumption that technology will enhance teaching.
Second, we usually focus on improving existing teaching systems whereas technology is better used to create new learning systems. Enjoining all teachers to become artisans of eLearning is not going to improve educational outcomes.
Third, there is the quest for the magic medium, the ultimate technology that will revolutionise education. Yesterday it was the Internet; today it is Open Educational Resources. But there is no magic medium and never will be. Each technology has its strengths. The task is to use them to create a world where education of quality is abundantly available.
October 22nd, 2007 at 10:16 pm
[…] In my first post on the Economist debate, I quoted Sir John Daniel from the pro-side because I fully agree with the points that he makes. But, instead of reiterating his points, I would like to distill them into a single thought. […]