When I first began browsing through this week’s resources, I felt sensitive to how most of the IT issues addressed represent institutions of developed/Anglophone economy. Listening to the speakers elaborate upon the top 10 list confirmed that even within this ‘first-world paradigm’, such lists or models will never be universal; every institution will have different needs and goals. Such lists could serve as a precursor to discourse, or a starting point to analyze the environment where a particular technological innovation is meant to be applied. For example, it would not be safe to assume that students of a less-developed institution will bring a connected device to class, let alone 3 or 4, let alone be connected in their homes. But there may be technology which it can be assumed that students of a particular community have access to, such as television or cell phones. In response to the second question, I would seek out future reports, but I would likely refine the search to the particular culture/demographic with which I intended to work.
8 thoughts on “First-World Paradigm: Top 10 IT Issues for Higher Ed (web seminar)”
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Great point, Angela. And as you could cynically perceive all of these lists to really be about marketing in the long run (more about institutional prerogatives to spend money in a consumer society rather than to improve learning in any deep way), there will inevitably be enormous waste and inefficiency in first-world educational investments in technology that other worlds can take advantage of by harvesting what ever best practices emerge at a less frantic and more affordable pace.
Even in our first-world, good school, in a nice neighbourhood where I teacher, not every middle school student has a phone that has the app that you think is the best idea for your next lesson. In public education I struggle asking students to bring their own device.
Do you work in a “have” or “have not” situation? What IT is available at the school, and what are the students asked to provide? Can we expect students to bring their own device?
Angela your post reminded me of the situation at my school regarding access to technology. In my school we are talking about tablets and BYOD when we do not have a student-accessible printer or computer in every class. Should we be focusing on technology that has been tested and relied upon for decades already such as PC workstations, or as a school should we jump ahead to try and catch the next wave of technology? It is a tough decision a school with different levels of comfort using technology.
The Webcast concerns higher education, so with adult education there must be different assumptions concerning the BYOD issue than primary or even secondary education.
If I were the queen of education, I would prioritize providing basic classroom infrastructure where educators could freely apply (connected) technology with new innovations. For me, I am very comfortable with a connected computer and a flat screen TV. For companies interested in having schools commit to long term to IT ventures, providing such basic classroom tools as part of a service package could boost this infrastructure and give leeway to emerging technologies. And as Mr. Vogt mentioned, such devices could be refurbished and trickle down to developing institutions.
Based on your analysis, the digital divide remains prevalent, even at the individual level.
I suspect that not every student has a smartphone and not every student would want to use her or his smartphone for class activities. That is, she or he would want the smartphone to remain personal, not educational. Also, many/most parents might not like the idea of using a smartphone as an educational device in the classroom, especially at the elementary level.
Thank-you for your analysis!
Commonwealth of Learning in Vancouver, BC is working on a really interesting piece of affordable wireless technology that builds upon some of the lessons learned through expensive innovations in the developed world.
The “classroom without walls” technology is extremely affordable and can be easily set up for use. It was designed for use with mobile phones in the developing world, but has even more capability when paired with inexpensive tablets like the $30 versions being put together in India and other locations.
I had the chance to try it out with teachers in Mongolia this past summer. The teachers there realized it could be used in rural settings, but were actively brainstorming how to use it even in urban classrooms. They were totally up for using the technology’s availability to consider learning situations that might better fit their needs, and then configure the classroom without walls system to suit those needs.
Here are three links to more information about this innovation:
Thanks for these resources, David. It’s amazing what has been developed since I started this course 3 years ago! I have these links filed away, and will keep my eye on the “classroom without walls”.
Hi Angela.
What captivates me is the inventiveness of our colleagues in the developing world. Rather than settle for a “big iron” solution from the West, they’ve hacked together inexpensive miniature components that are available from online marketplaces like ebay.com and AliExpress.com. The result is a learning solution that fits.
When you all read C.K. Prahalad’s article summarizing The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid in an upcoming weekly ETEC 522 adventure, you’ll get a sense of alternative perspectives on product and solution from the developing world. The Prahalad perspective could be useful here, too. I’m a big fan of simplicity and a good fit – a search for congruence.