I am a bit worried today, and worry leads (if we are lucky) to reflection. My worry should maybe be called pedagogical "Angst" as I am contemplating the reasons why this year's module is less dynamic in its "out of the blocks" start of the 1 month e-Learning dash to glory.
As facilitator I reflect on the following questions:
- Why are so few of this year's participants not actively taking part in their blogs at the end of week one?
- Did I make a mistake to introduce an extra new technology (i.e. Soundcloud.com) so early in the process, thinking that it will lead to excitement rather than fear?
- What else can I do to make the participants in the module actively and immersively take part in their learning? I.e. will an online voucher prize e.g. for the best blog of the week make a difference to the intrinsic motivation?
- Are there other reasons that participation is so low? I am thinking of school holidays in South Africa; maybe fatigue/ recovery from the previous research assignment module; too much clinical work during the day and too tired after hours ...
Maybe you thought about what the "digital immigrant" refers to in the title of this post?
Well, my first idea was to write a post about how the distinction that Marc Prensky introduced in 2001 (click here for an article by Prensky) between digital natives and digital immigrants lies at the heart of a lot of the fears that people that are BBC (Born before computers) have when thinking about and using technology. Prensky (2001:2) states:
"the single biggest problem facing education today is that our Digital Immigrant instructors, who speak an outdated language (that of the pre-digital age), are struggling to teach a population that speaks an entirely new language" (Prensky 2001:Since this idea has been seeded, the educational thinking around technology has never been the same. The distinction sometimes creates fear in the hearts of digital "illegal immigrants" (i.e. those that find themselves in the digital world, but are not even trying to assimilate), and a lack of flow and creativity in those that are using technology for teaching because they are always feeling like they will never be true "natives". For some it has become a motto, or even a rationalisation. Be it as it may, the distinction has created a huge chasm between two groups that I think is a false divide.
In the last couple of years, there has been increased criticism on this dichotomy with thinkers and authors from all sides questioning the sweeping statement type characteristics of the initial research. Recent examples are:
- Kennedy et al (2008) who questions the fact that ALL incoming students are so adept at technology and then states: "Such generalisations risk overlooking a more complex mix of technology based skills, knowledge and preferences among the student population".
- Bennett, Maton & Kervin (2008) who critically reviews the evidence about the debate and comes to the conclusion: "A sense of pending crisis pervades this debate. Hwever, the actual situation is far from clear ...the debate can be likened to an academic form of a 'moral panic'". They then ask for a more disinterested approach.
- The Economist Monitor (2010) asks if it is really helpful to talk about digital natives. They site Siva Vaidhyanathan, Micheal Wesch and Sue Bennett implying that one should dig deeper. Quoting Wesch: "incoming students have only a superficial familiarity with the digital tools that they use regularly, especially when it comes to the tools’ social and political potential. Only a small fraction of students may count as true digital natives, in other words. The rest are no better or worse at using technology than the rest of the population".
- Craig Pladson (2011) does not mince his words: "The more I think about these phrases, the more annoying and inaccurate they become. Thinking about digital natives versus digital immigrants in terms of age is fundamentally incorrect. To me, being a digital native or digital immigrant has everything to do with mindset and nothing to do with age."
I look forward to your own "learnings" as reflected by your active and interactive writings on your blogs!
Since writing this post, I have come across another interesting post about the same debunking the myth by Dan Pontefract who cites even more research making more or less the same point.
Reference list:
Bennet, S, Maton, K & Kervin, L (2008). The 'digital natives' debate: A critical review of the evidence. British Journal of Educational Technology, Vol 39, Nr 5, 775-786. Available online: http://goo.gl/QMYIG
Kennedy, GE, Judd, TS, Churchward, A, Gray, K & Krause, K-L (2008).First year students' experiences with technology: Are they really digital natives? Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 2008, 24(1), 108-122. Available online: http://goo.gl/IKbUI
Pladson, C (2011). Digital Natives vs. Digital Immigrants, blog post on http://craigpladson.posterous.com. Available online: http://goo.gl/aRLhu
Prensky, M (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants, in On the Horizon. MCB University Press, Vol. 9 No. 5, October 2001. Available online: http://goo.gl/4oYb
The Economist - Monitor (2010). The net generation, unplugged. Technology and society: Is it really helpful to talk about a new generation of “digital natives” who have grown up with the internet? Available online: http://goo.gl/NEnLF
Thanks for the interesting article(Prensky). I agree with you that it is not about age, but about the mindset & willingness to learn - and when it really gets difficult I am in the fortunate position that I can get help from two 'digital native' students (always motivated by the promise of a free meal).
ReplyDeleteWhy are we so slow to partake in the module? In my case the school holiday played a roll (but that will be over by Monday). And maybe I did focus a bit too much on getting the soundcloud working - but then, on the other hand, I wanted to be able to use it. I really do not think that you made a mistake in introducing it to us at this stage.
Another reason why I have not thus far blogged about my topic for the assignment, is the fact that I started to read more about e-learning and found interesting articles in the Occupational Therapy (OT) literature. I am now reconsidering my original topic, but will finalise it this weekend. So next week I will be going at a faster pace.
Thank you for posting physicalot! I guess, what I am saying is that the changes to your original idea, and the reasons for it, are all things I would like to see on your blog. Ths blog is not about final thoughts, but about structuring your disjointed thoughts in a process of discovery.
ReplyDeleteThe blog functions as a Google map on which you plot your journey of thought.
I hope you have a great weekend and I am looking forward to reading about your idea for OT on your blog.
happy lEarning!
"I predict that universities of the future will be less concerned about content delivery, since students can access diverse information ubiquitously, and will focus more closely on the recognition and accreditation of learning, wherever that might have taken place (in the workplace, in different national contexts and using open source materials). This means that we need to concentrate more strongly on supporting student engagement with learning, and I argue that the strongest locus of this is through improving assessment" (Brown, 2009).
ReplyDeleteDoes this mean that we should put our focus in eLearning to really validate our formative and summative assessments - from MCQs to ePortfolios, in stead of making it a dumping place of information? What do you guys think?
Stef does throw a lot of things in the e-learning pot! From the future of universities to assessment practises. Thanks Stef, we need to be thinkng big and on a micro level.
ReplyDeleteIn essence I think you are correct, but hiw quickly this will happen is unclear. University enrollment is at an all time high, so it does mot seem that the traditional model is quite done with yet.
Tel, us more what you mean by your statement about assessment ...
Any ideas from other participants? Lets hear your voice.
From studying the literature I got the idea that a blended approach (internet + resource-based learning opportunities + face to face teaching & learning) is most often recommended. Most of the authors are still of the opinion that Web teaching cannot fully replace the direct classroom teaching - especially in practical subjects and case demonstrations.
ReplyDeleteJP
ReplyDeleteThis handout is not available anymore - do you have a copy for us please by any chance: http://itsinfo.tamu.edu/workshops/handouts/
pdf_handouts/addie.pdf (the link is on the contact week pptx)
Tx
Stef
Stef, I think I found the right copy of that Texas A&M Addie resource. It is a bit out dated, and very short, but it interesting to incorporate. I will send it to everybody by e-mail.
ReplyDeleteThanks for alerting me to the broken link.
JP
Thanks JP, I managed to work out how to comment on others' blogs! It is a peculiar issue with some Google accounts, but can be simply managed. The steps are:
ReplyDelete1. Close the browser completely.
2. Go to www.blogger.com
3. Sign in with your Google account - but DO NOT TICK the "Stay signed in" tick box (this is crucial).
4. Now you can go to any of the Blogger sites and leave your comments by choosing the Google profile (you will see your username automatically pre-entered).
Maybe this will be of help to someone else as well!
This digital immigrant has eventually arrived! Will join the chat after the champagne has worn off.
ReplyDeleteDear JP
ReplyDeleteRegarding my statement about assessment above: The biggest challenge in the future (or now already?) is not to give students knowledge, but to assess what competencies they have developed as a result of the information that is freely available.
In addition to that we are required, as part of transformative learning, to assess not only knowledge, but also a students’ skills and character - thus overall competency.
(Please note I'm not using the word 'attitude': 'attitude is something you demonstrate to others (acting); where as character is what other people cannot see (the real you) - but this is another debate...)
This means for example that we need to devise ways of assessing students in various contexts: in the ward when the doctor is not there (only the nurse and other professionals), in the hostel, during extra-curricular activities - because then we will be able to really assess character. But where does one stop?
Innovative ways to really assess overall competency is needed in HSE - what is the role of e-Learning and technology in that? More people will be involved in the assessment of students – surely mobile or other technology can assist in the process… What do you guys think?
Sources:
Frenk, J., Chen, L., Bhutta, Z.A., Cohen, J., Crisp, N., Evans, T., Fineberg, H., et al. 2010. Health Professionals for a new century: transforming education to strengthen health systems in an inderdependent world. Lancet, 376:1923-1958.
Institute of Medicine. 2011. The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
Interprofessional Education Collaborative Expert Panel. 2011. Core competencies for interprofessional collaborative practice: Report of an expert panel. Washington, D.C.: Interprofessional Education Collaborative.