TRANSFORMATIVE INNOVATION EDU5641: Managing Technology Enhanced Learning
Borg Josmar Cefai Sam Cini Redentine Spieri Swain Sonia
In the past years Malta has gone through a big shift, aiming to become one of the best Smart Islands in Europe. Maltese authorities envisioned quite an ambitious plan for the introduction, accessibility and sustainability of ICT services offered. In fact, Malta was chosen as one of the world’s top 20 ‘smart communities’ by the Intelligent Community Forum. Apart from such innovations, a new curriculum of Education has been established with major changes being adopted reflecting a more student-oriented educational system where differentiated teaching and ICT across curriculum is emphasised. However what we really need in our educational system is not a reconstruction of what already exists but innovation to bring about the necessary changes to reflect our present context. Transformative Innovation requires the need to try new approaches, even if it may bring failure as the failure of doing nothing is even greater. It should be thought of as an ongoing process (a cycle) rather than a one-off activity because failing to innovate reflects an education system that becomes outdated and that does not respond to social and technological developments. It is all so good to talk about the introduction of new media, collaboration, creativity, web 2.0, broadband internet, live streaming, video conferencing and more innovations. But what value do these have when kids are forced to go through an education system that embraces very little of such innovations, even though there was this whole reconstruction in the curriculum? It is even good to notice that educators are facing students who come to school already equipped with 21st century skills. Students are surrounded by so many technological gadgets that they are, autonomously, learning the necessary skills to use such gadgets. Thus, transformative innovation is needed as many ‘digital aged’ students are being left out because at schools there are many restrictions, bureaucracy and inadequate (I might say outdated) policies that are impeding the use of many beneficial teaching / learning tools. Just to mention one example, the use of the Internet at school is so restricted (the idea is for security reasons) that teachers cannot rely on the use of online resources as these might not be accessible in class. We should bring about a type of innovation where the students become part of the teaching process. Thus, learning becomes an active part in the students’ development and a lifelong practice. This requires many changes from all stakeholders, including policy makers, teachers, students and their parents and other parties that might be involved. In this report, we are going to propose a system that includes intensive project based activities where students are engaged in on-going research at school, with the community and the work will also be extended to home. If this can happen, then students can visualise a better picture of education through in depth analysis made while researching and gathering data to successfully complete the project. For the sake of the subjects that we teach at schools (Computing, ICT and Business Studies) we are going to relate this proposed system with computing vis-à-vis modern business trends. Moreover, we intend to list a number of suggestions related to the resources that are already available and others that must be introduced, barriers that might impede the process of innovating the current educational system, the policy changes that must be addressed to cater for the needs of modern society and the pedagogical changes that teachers and all educators must apply to promote autonomous and collaborative learning through a multidisciplinary approach. Part of the action plan is to get many participants on-board including teachers, students, parents, local entrepreneurs, non-government organisation members and others because people with different experiences can shed different insights. The project has to
be envisioned by the teachers or encouraged by the administrative staff. Any project imposed by the head of school or by any other member of the administration or even by the Education Division is seen as more extra work to do with an already jam-packed syllabus. But an idea that is discussed amongst teachers might lead to work that is integrated with the syllabus bringing upon a transformative change. The general idea is that a theme is selected, in this case the business sector, and together with the students a specific activity is designed. For instance, to promote collaborative team work, students can work in groups where each group will have to gather data from different Maltese businesses or companies and make research about business issues and trends to contrast and compare the strengths and weaknesses of these companies. The data collected could include the different software used by such companies such as accounting software packages and more. Business students could also delve into business organisation structures, management styles and motivation methods that such businesses use. During the process, teachers should develop the students’ knowledge dependency by suggesting Internet sites from where they can search for information and also include parallel activities to the lessons at school. For instance, the students have to work out quizzes, hand-outs and other work related resources that the teacher prepares. Hence, instead of doing the usual homework in a traditional way, students are participating in the community in order to gather the necessary data to successfully do the homework. For any theme selected in such innovative project-based learning situation s , the teachers together with their group of students should be able to develop a strategy for research and discussion through a number of methodologies available. The criteria used to choose appropriate methodologies depends on the way the research has to be done. Also, this includes the way the students should continue their work at home and at school as well as any hurdles that might impede some type of methodology from being used. Therefore, the persons involved in the project should take into consideration whether any of the methods chosen are being over-ambitious. Students should also be made aware of and assisted in the use of the technologies decided upon, to ensure participation. Some methods give the opportunity of immediate feedback and also instant data analysis and results. Apart from using ICT in research through internet, presentations, synchronous communication even when not at school, additional software in classrooms, videos, animations or even discussion boards, other uses of ICT intensive projects can be done through the use of virtual online communities where sharing of ideas, data and media found can be shared and analysed. Examples of such virtual communities are TWIDUCATE, EDMODO, and now even FRONTER which is the newest addition to the Maltese Education Reform (still to be launched), by which methods, students, teachers, parents, and also the persons working in the business sector can discuss at any time about the research being carried out. Moreover, methods such as digital clickers in class or even on the companies’ premises are essential in order for the students to share their understanding or even their thoughts about the topic with the teachers or with the persons involved. Moreover, methods of research and analysis can be done through mobile learning where students would be allowed to use digital cameras, video cameras, iPADs or even mobile phones to take pictures, store information, record videos/audio and even write down and keep track of notes which can be used both in class and also for homework.
Any step out of the norm can be haunted by failure that is one of the many barriers to innovation. But this does not need to be so. Barriers to change (change being necessary for innovation) are based upon challenges to the adoption of new practices that come about due to the environment and perceptions and attitudes of the people involved (p. 13, Futurelab 2009).
As already stated before, Internet access at school is plagued by security features that tend to kill any urge to innovate. Arrangements for meetings between administrative staff, teachers, students and the necessary authorities (in this case MITA) can help air these restrictions. Sometimes authorities are so engaged into securing their networks (which is an important and necessary practice in its own right) that they look over the real and true spirit that the Internet was set up to be. Lack of effective training is another barrier to innovation. Organizing training sessions for those involved within the project does not only mean imparting the skills necessary to operate the software and online resources, but also the idea behind using the resource. For example, not only learning how to create and maintain a blog, but understanding what is a blog and what are the benefits of creating a blog. Most probably the toughest barrier to overcome is the teachers’ resistance to personal change due to conservative beliefs and/or laziness to change. Most often teachers tend to blame the syllabus and the lack of time but in fact they tend to find their conventional pedagogies to be comfortable considering they have everything on schedule with the syllabus, students do the homework and a good percentage of students are passing exams. Overcoming this resistance can be dealt with if the outcomes for the project are highlighted in advanced.
The project can then have different outcomes such as the ones listed below:
Students should finally propose a set of suggestions enlisting shortcomings found in the company’s computing system, the organisational structure and the management techniques adopted within the organization they have researched. Through the literature they have and lessons done during school time they have to suggest alternative ideas and procedures that the company might adopt to manage such shortcomings. For computing students the activity can be extended where they have to propose a new system to replace the old one. This involves more data gathering in order for the student to be able to act as a System Analyst to study the present system and propose a new one reflecting the specific needs of the company. A more quantitative type of activity can be adopted where the students have to make a statistical analysis and come out with their own statistics about a particular aspect in the business sector, such as the influence of e-services introduced in Malta during these past years. This requires numerous policy changes in order to accomplish such innovation. Authorities have to grant certain policies to be changed in order to reflect our ‘newly modernised’ society. Many web tools and technological tools must be used in class so students would blend home environment where they use gadgets and online tools generally for entertainment purpose, and school environment where the same gadgets and technological tools can be used for
educational purpose. To fully exploit the new technologies and the ability to use them in schools requires a fundamental reorganisation of curriculum and teaching in schools. Policy makers must remember in which direction we wish to lead the country, with the use of digital technologies to promote further educational equality. We should not be biased and stranded by a fixed syllabus that all students have to experience. In addition, it is important to consider the time-tabling method which is inappropriate for the students to work in collaboration while aliasing different subjects all together for a single project based activity. With a fixed time table the students need an alternative method to work with their peers on the project and be able to communicate online from schools with the organizations through their laptops, iPads or mobiles. Keeping in mind the UNESCO ICT Competency Framework for Teachers, we believe it is safe to assume that Malta is within the technology literacy level moving on towards knowledge deepening. Through such a social project based approach, we would be emphasising the knowledge deepening level and elicit it towards knowledge creation level because students would be coming up with their own suggestions as to what can be done to create a more competitive and user friendly software, and better management skills and styles that can improve the business. For this system to be successful requires that teachers must have an in-depth knowledge of the national and social policies, and be able to design, modify and implement classroom practices that support such policies. On the other hand, teachers should have some form of freedom to improvise whenever needed, to analytically criticize the policies that are hindering the process and be in a position to forward proposals as to what can be done. Such an approach would definitely require further changes both in the curriculum and the assessment methods. This is because through our proposed innovation we want to promote a personalisation type of education (Personalised Education) which is not possible with the current curriculum framework. The need for students to have distinct educational influx according to their ability and to have freedom to autonomously learn by experience (Experiential Learning) is of paramount importance as this is what makes education relevant to our students. In such a role, teachers must be able to help students create, implement and monitor project plans and solutions. This may be done by breaking down the problem into individualised smaller compartments to be solved sequentially while always keeping in mind the bigger picture. Moreover, teachers have to plan beforehand, especially to look for software and hardware that may facilitate the learning process and to encourage students to lead the learn process by themselves. Teachers have to be in a position to help students collaborate their findings, help them search for and access information and communicate with external experts to help them solve their selected problems. From the above one would realise that teachers must have the necessary skills, thus training is essential. Assistance should also be available by having certain personnel in schools for whenever there are any queries. This would enhance the teachers’ delivery and equip them with the philosophy to try. On line discussions with other colleagues would be beneficial as the ability to share and acquire further information and assistance from fellow teachers (both locally and from abroad) would open the doors to
further horizons. In our opinion, we have much to learn in this regard as many local teachers are not so willing to share their resources.