The (ICT) struggle is real
- Kahina Kharitos
- Nov 6, 2019
- 3 min read
As we navigate teaching and learning in the 21st Century, a growing awareness that change is necessary prevails, and that the “new digital education environment will look and function very differently” (DEAG, 2013, p.6). Today we possess more information, research and data than ever before, and yet reading these articles, I find myself asking what this all means if the external and informal knowledge networks that educators retain of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) does not reach the classroom? These articles highlight the problematic approach that the educational arena seems to be taking, and one that is not working as well as it should. Clearly, the reluctance of teachers to commit to new ICTs is significant, and current informal knowledge of both teachers and students has few considerations in the school environment (Bigum, 2012, Cox, 2012).
As our society becomes increasingly reliant on ICTs in all aspects of interaction, it is vital to consider the impact of out of school technology use (Cox, 2012). As Bigum states, teachers were the initial pioneers of ICT integration, predicting the benefits and the change in pedagogical approaches that were needed for the future of education (2012). However, as ICT development grew, it became something much more complex, involving policy makers and external educational experts making decisions about pedagogical approaches to ICT use in the classroom, many who have little to do with the everyday craft of teaching. (BIgum, 2012). Voogt, Knezek, Cox, Knezek, & Brummelhuis contend, “active involvement of teachers and schools is key to the implementation of ICT in educational practice”, yet after many years and significant funding, ICT integration across the board is still lagging (2011, p.4). While some schools are thriving, with exemplary uses of ICT, others are limited, utilising ICT in superficial ways, with a plethora of excuses as to why. But this has been the narrative of ICT in education for a while now…
So why is this still happening in 2017?
As many educators are avid users of ICT in their everyday lives, would they not benefit from using this knowledge and their skills as a foundation for adapting ICTs for the classroom? Cox and Voogt are in agreeance, asserting that this is vital for the future of education (2012, 2011). Yet, instead, teachers are bombarded with swarms of new technology constantly, also being told how and when they should use it in their classroom, eliminating ownership over pedagogical practices (Bigum, 2012). Not surprisingly, teachers find themselves reluctant to commit to these top-down driven initiatives for ICT use in the classroom, ultimately dissuading their own development, and student capabilities in the use of these innovative tools (Bigum, 2012, Cox, 2012).
Clearly, motivating teachers to bring all of their ICT knowledge, formal and informal, into the classroom must be a priority, as a valuable knowledge base is being underutilised (Cox, 2012, Voogt, 2011). As our ICT use and knowledge extends into all areas of our lives, valued beyond the schooling context, so too must our all of our knowledge and capabilities of ICTs be valued within the educational arena.
References
Bigum, C. (2012). Schools and Computers: Tales of a Digital Romance. In L. Rowan & C. Bigum (Eds.), Transformative Approaches to New Technologies and Student Diversity in Futures Oriented Classrooms. Dordrech: Springer Netherlands.
Cox, M. J. (2012). Formal to informal learning with IT: research challenges and issues for e-learning. Journal Of Computer Assisted Learning, 29(1), 85-105. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2729.2012.00483.x
Digital Education Advisory Group. (2013). Beyond the classroom: A new digital education for young Australians in the 21st century. Retrieved from http://apo.org.au/system/files/34413/apo-nid34413-41181.pdf
Voogt, J., Knezek, G., Cox, M. J., Knezek, D., & ten Brummelhuis, A. (2011). Under which conditions does ICT have a positive effect on teaching and learning? A Call to Action. Journal Of Computer Assisted Learning, 29(1), 4-14. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2729.2011.00453.x
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