On ICT in education: some perspectives

1
On ICT in educationsome perspectives
ELFE2

• Tjeerd Plomp
• (professor emeritus)
• University of Twente
• Enschede, the Netherlands

Bled (Slv), 14-15 September 2009
2
Some conclusions ELFE1
ELFE2

• ICT in education offers opportunities for
• More up-to-date information
• Cross-curricular skills
• Independent learning working
• Teaching according to each students need and
  resources available
• Teamwork among both teachers and students

Bled (Slv), 14-15 September 2009
3
Some conclusions ELFE1
ELFE2

• Also some risks of ICT in education mentioned
• Focus on surface in stead of depth
• Copying from Web and other students
• Students left alone in front of screen
• Less focus on oral, writing and analysis skills
• Increased workload both for teachers and students

Bled (Slv), 14-15 September 2009
4
Some general wisdom
ELFE

• ICT is means, not goal in itself
• Our society has transformed from an industrial
  society into an information or knowledge society
• gt Has consequences for education and for how
  schools function and teachers teach
• In 21st century our perception of what is good
  education has to change this pertains to all
  components of the teaching-learning (T/L) process
  

Conference 21-22 November2005
5
Did you know? 3.0 2009 Edition (YouTube)
ELFE

• The projected top ten in demand jobs in 2010 did
  not exist in 2004 (US Secr o Educ)
• we are currently preparing students for jobs
  that do not exist, where they will use
  technologies that havent been invented yet to
  solve problems we dont even know are problems
  yet
• Reported bout Google that
• in 2006 up to 2.7billion searches/month
• now 31 billion searches/month!

Conference 21-22 November2005
6
This presentation
ELFE2

• 1. Importance of curricular perspective
• 2. Education in 21st century
• 3. International/global initiatives
• 4. Some research findings
• (such as from SITES 2006 study)
• 5. Concluding comments

Bled (Slv), 14-15 September 2009
7
Curricular perspective
ELFE2
Bled (Slv), 14-15 September 2009
8
Components of a curriculum
ELFE
Rationale/vision Aims-objectives Content Learning activities Teacher role Materials resources Grouping Location Time Assessment
Conference 21-22 November2005
Metaphor of spiderweb it is as strong as its weakest axe (Van den Akker)!
9
ELFE2

• The Curriculum Spiderweb

Assessment
Time
Aims Objectives
Location
Bled (Slv), 14-15 September 2009
Rationale
Content
Grouping
Learning activities
Teacher role
Materials Resources
10
Curriculum perspective

• Sources student subject - society
• Knowledge economy Information society
• Knowledge no longer primarily knowing facts and
  theories and being able to reproduce them
• (old knowledge reproductive skills)
• BUT
• ability to find relevant data and to derive
  meaning from it (lifelong learning skills)
• (new knowledge productive skills)

11
Lifelong learning skills

• In new circumstances, being able
• to generate and evaluate answers to open,
  non-standardized questions,
• to set own learning goals,
• to plan and regulate own learning
• to evaluate own progress
• Need for
• analytical, creative and synthesizing skills

12
21st Century skills(ATC21Skills project)

• I. Ways of thinking
• Creativity and Innovation
• Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, Decision
  Making
• Learning to Learn
• II. Ways of working
• 4. Communication
• 5. Collaboration (Teamwork)

13
21st Century skills(ATC21Skills project)

• III. Tools for working
• 6. Information Literacy (includes research)
• 7. ICT Literacy
• IV. Living in the world
• 8. Citizenship Local and Global
• 9. Life and Career
• 10. Personal Social Responsibility incl.
  Cultural Awareness and Competence

14
Implications for education

• - Other balance needed between old and new
• enable learners to become more active and make
  them more responsible for arranging their own
  learning process
• teachers becoming more professional coaches

15
Emerging pedagogical practices for information
society (Voogt Pelgrum, 2003)

1. New goals students become competent in
   information management, communication, and
   collaboration, and metacognition.
2. Less structured sources of information as
   learning materials.
3. Traditional boundaries between subjects to be
   bridged

16
Emerging pedagogical practices for information
society (contd)

• 4. Gap between discipline-related knowledge
  taught in schools and application of knowledge in
  real life to be bridged
• 5. Boundaries between the school and outside
  world need to fade.
• gt More focus on needs of individual learners
• gt Other ways of assessment more open, more
  formative

17
Obvious role of ICT in realizing new vision on
teaching and learning

• as a general tool (e.g. word processing),
• as digital learning resources (e.g. tutorials,
  simulations, web-based materials, digital
  encyclopedia, etc),
• as network and communication tools (e.g.
  internet browser, email software),
• as digital tools (e.g. microcomputer based
  laboratories, statistical tools,
  accounting-bookkeeping software)
• as production tools

18
No neglect of old knowledgewhat has
traditionally been valued as important knowledge
and skills

• BUT
• schools should reflect a good balance between
  what is traditionally valued and what is
  considered important in the information society.

19

Possible shifts in pedagogy (adapted from
Pelgrum et al., 1997 Pelgrum, 2001)
Less More
School Isolated from society Integrated in society
Most information on school functioning confidential Information openly available
Teacher Initiator of instruction Helps students find appropriate instruct path
Whole class teaching Guides students independent learning
Evaluates student Helps student to evaluate own progress
Places low emphasis on communication skills Places high emphasis on communication skills
20

Possible shifts in pedagogy (contd) (adapted from
Kozma et al., 1999)
Less More
Student Mostly passive More active
Learns at school Learns also outside school
Hardly any teamwork Much teamwork
Takes questions from books or teachers Asks questions OR generates them (projects)
Learns answers to questions Finds answers to questions
Learning outcomes Emphasis on reproductive skills Emphasis on productive skills
21
Change perspective

• From study ELFE 1
• Policies on pedagogical innovation using ICT
  often only partially implemented!
• Fullan (2007)
• Real innovation is multi-dimensional

22
Dimensions of innovation/change

1. new materials e.g. computers, educational
   software, open source materials, etc,
2. new teaching approaches e.g. students working
   more independent of the teachers, often in small
   groups on projects with the teacher in a
   different role
3. new beliefs about what is good education e.g.
   assumptions about what should be taught and about
   what are appropriate methods.

23
Change is process, not an event!

• Not reasonable to expect schools and teachers to
  change at a point in time
• Schools may introduce step-by-step new elements
  in their curriculum and pedagogical approaches
• Different schools may decide for different
  emphases and priorities!
• There are many ways leading to Rome

24
3.International/global initiatives
ELFE2

• Three projects
• (i) Assessment and teaching of 21st Century
  skills
• (ii) EU - Indicators of ICT in Education (IIE)
• (iii) USA / International Experiences with
  Technology in Education (IETE)
• Also one conference
• (iv) EDUsummIT

Bled (Slv), 14-15 September 2009
25
(i) Assessment and teaching of 21st Century
skills
ELFE2

• Multi-stake collaboration
• Natl Educ Depts Minitries of AUS, FIN, POR,
  SIN, UK (founding countries)
• Intrntl assessment agencies OECD, IEA
• Intrntl researchers headed by Barry McGaw
  (UoMelbourne, AUS)
• Corporations Cisco Intel Microsoft

Bled (Slv), 14-15 September 2009
26
(i) Assessment and teaching of 21st Century
skills
ELFE2

• Why?
• - Profound economic and social changes require
  new skills
• - Many initiatives have focused these 21st
  Century skills BUT
• Lack connection between 21st C classroom
  practices and national and international
  assessments.
• Growing consensus on what 21st C skills are but
  little agreement on measurable definitions.
• There are many methodological and technological
  issues that need to be addressed.

Bled (Slv), 14-15 September 2009
27
(i) Assessment and teaching of 21st Century
skills
ELFE2

• Targeting on following skills
• (considered critical to individual economic
  success and important to effective functioning at
  the personal and societal levels)
• Creativity and innovation
• Critical thinking
• Problem solving
• Communication
• Collaboration
• Information fluency
• Technological literacy

Bled (Slv), 14-15 September 2009
28
(i) Assessment and teaching of 21st Century
skills
ELFE2

• Indicators of success
• Acceptance, recognition, and participation by
  stakeholders
• Problems identified, solutions developed, and
  widely available.
• ICT-based assessment of 21st C skills
  incorporated into national and international
  assessments.

Bled (Slv), 14-15 September 2009
29
(i) Assessment and teaching of 21st Century
skills
ELFE2

• Final report August 2011
• For information http//www.atc21s.org/

Bled (Slv), 14-15 September 2009
30
(ii) EU - Indicators of ICT in Education (IIE)
ELFE2

• Purpose/Goals
• To identify a set of indicators that are relevant
  for enabling the regular monitoring of the use
  and impact of ICT in primary and secondary
  education.
• To describe scenarios for monitoring ICT in
  Education in the European Union.

Bled (Slv), 14-15 September 2009
31
(ii) EU - Indicators of ICT in Education (IIE)
ELFE2

• Main products
• Policy issues and concepts
• Available and needed indicators
• Proposal core indicators priorities!
• Statistical overviews
• Scenarios for EU ICT monitoring

Bled (Slv), 14-15 September 2009
32
(ii) EU - Indicators of ICT in Education (IIE)
ELFE2

• Proposed categories of indicators
• Infrastructure
• Curriculum content (including pedag approaches,
  assessment)
• 3. Outcomes and attitudes (e.g. competencies,
  digital literacy)
• 4. School leadership (e.g. change management)

Bled (Slv), 14-15 September 2009
33
(ii) EU - Indicators of ICT in Education (IIE)
ELFE2

• Proposed categories of indicators (contd)
• 5. Connectedness (e.g. natl/internatl
  cooperation, public-private partnerships)
• 6.Teacher training (e.g. teacher competencies,
  pedag drivers license)
• 7. Support (e.g. way and extent of technical
  and/or pedagogical support)
• 8. Transversal issues (e.g. equity, safety,
  financing)

Bled (Slv), 14-15 September 2009
34
(ii) EU - Indicators of ICT in Education (IIE)
ELFE2

• Not much available for outcomes
• Many indicators for conditional factors
• Final report October 2009
• Project director Hans Pelgrum
• (w.j.pelgrum_at_gw.utwente.nl )

Bled (Slv), 14-15 September 2009
35
(iii) Internatl Experiences with Technology in
Education (IETE)
ELFE2

• USA initiated, but similar to EU-project
• Research questions
• What international ICT indicators are currently
  being collected?
• What are limitations of these data?
• What progress has been made in measuring ICT
  impacts on teachers, instruction, and learning?

Bled (Slv), 14-15 September 2009
36
(iii) Internatl Experiences with Technology in
Education (IETE)
ELFE2

• Research questions (contd)
• What policies and systems are in place to guide
  effective ICT investments?
• What set of indicators will be most informative
  for policy and feasible to collect on ongoing
  basis?
• What partnerships and data collection methods
  will be required to make possible an annual
  compendium?

Bled (Slv), 14-15 September 2009
37
(iii) Internatl Experiences with Technology in
Education (IETE)
ELFE2

• High-priority areas
• Improving student learning through enhanced
  instruction
• Increasing teacher capacity to teach
• Data systems to support continuous improvement
• Project identify gaps and needed indicators

Bled (Slv), 14-15 September 2009
38
(iii) Internatl Experiences with Technology in
Education (IETE)
ELFE2

• Survey of Ministries of Education of 24
  highest productivity countries
• No new data collections
• Final report August 2010
• Country profiles
• Recommendations for annual compendium
• For more information Bob Kozma
  (bob_at_robertkozma.com )

Bled (Slv), 14-15 September 2009
39
Few conclusions on projects
ELFE2

• It is good to have - apart from national
  initiatives - a number of international/global
  projects
• 21st century skills linked with ICT not only to
  teach, but also to assess
• EU and USA project on indicators for ICT in
  education talk to each other and will suggest
  clients to communicate gt one common set of
  indicators

Bled (Slv), 14-15 September 2009
40
EDUsummIT
ELFE2

• International Summit on the Future of ICT in
  Education A Call to Action
• The Hague (Netherlands) - June, 2009
• Researchers, policy makers and practitioners
  discussing summary of 40-50 years of research on
  ICT in education compiled in International
  Handbook on ICT in Primary and Secondary
  Education
• (Joke Voogt Gerald Knezek, Eds)

Bled (Slv), 14-15 September 2009
41
EDUsummIT
ELFE2

• From Call to Action (amongst others)
• (see www.edusummit.nl)
• To better understand student technology
  experiences in informal learning environments, in
  order to inform work in formal settings
• To develop new assessments designed to measure
  outcomes from technology enriched learning
  experiences

Bled (Slv), 14-15 September 2009
42
EDUsummIT
ELFE2

• From Call to Action (contd)
• To develop and use distributed leadership models
  for technology use in schools and teacher
  education programs
• To develop and use models for teacher learning on
  technology use in schools and classrooms at the
  pre- and in-service levels
• Also attention for the needs of developing
  countries

Bled (Slv), 14-15 September 2009
43
Research (1) - SITES 2006survey of pedagogical
practices and the use of ICT in it.

• Survey of
• Schools (principals and IT coordinators)
• Math Science teachers.
• Grade 8 is target grade.
• Random selection of 400 schools and (in
  principle) per school 2 math and 2 science
  teachers

SITES 2006
44
Research questions

1. What are the pedagogical practices adopted in
   schools and how is ICT used in them?
2. What ICT is used and how is it used in specific
   situations where ICT has been employed relatively
   extensively within a pedagogical practice
3. What teacher, school, community and system
   factors are associated with different pedagogical
   practices and ICT-use?

SITES 2006
45
Conceptual framework
SITES 2006
46
Participating education systems
Alberta, Canada Catalonia, Spain Chile Chinese Taipei Denmark Estonia Finland France Hong Kong SAR Israel Italy Japan Lithuania Moscow, Russian Fed Norway Ontario, Canada Russian Federation Singapore Slovak Republic Slovenia South Africa Thailand
SITES 2006
47
Pedagogical orientations

• Traditional orientation
• focus on content goals
• typically the teacher plays the main role as
  instructor and assessor in the learning process
• the students follow instructions and work on
  assigned close-ended tasks

SITES 2006
48
Pedagogical orientations

• Lifelong learning orientation
• Typically require students to work in teams on
  open ended real world problems
• Emphasis on developing problem solving,
  collaborative and organizational skills
• Students play an active role in identifying the
  learning problem as well as how to tackle it
• The teacher plays a facilitative role in the
  learning process

SITES 2006
49
Pedagogical orientations

• Connectedness orientation
• Provide opportunities for students to learn from
  local and/or international experts
• Provide opportunities for students to work and
  learn with peers in other schools, which may be
  located in the neighborhood or in distant
  locations
• Provide opportunities for students to develop
  global understanding cultural sensitivity
  through collaborating with students from other
  countries

SITES 2006
50
SITES 2006 - Pendulum swing 1998 - 2006 Change in
presence of lifelong learning approaches in
schools as reported by principals

51
Pendulum swing - Denmark
ELFE2

• Bryderup, Larson Trentel (2009)
• 2003 policy considerable increase in control of
  what is learnt in compulsory school goals per
  subject per grade level
• 2006 introd of natl tests for subject skills and
  knowledge gt in school culture with increased
  focus on assessment
• gt support traditional paradigm
• in spite of the fact that the teachers in 2006
  claimed to subscribe to aims and values equally
  related to the two paradigms, the traditional
  paradigm was dominant in the actual teaching and
  learning.

Bled (Slv), 14-15 September 2009
52
Pendulum swing - Denmark
ELFE2

• Bryderup, Larson Trentel (2009)
• Case of DEN illustrates that use of ICT does not
  automatically foster a paradigm in line with the
  needs of the knowledge society.
• Especially if the system level environment
  induces other forces.

Bled (Slv), 14-15 September 2009
53
ELFE2
Bled (Slv), 14-15 September 2009
54
SITES 2006 Teachers use of ICT
ELFE2

• LOw vs HIgh proportion of MAth teachers
• LOMA countries TWN, JPN, SLV
• HIMA countries CAN-Ont, CHL, CAN-Alb
• Research question (Pelgrum Voogt, 2009)
• How do HIMA and LOMA countries differ on
• (i) characteristics of change (pedag approach,
  lifelong learning competencies)
• (ii) teacher and school level factors affecting
  implementation of ICT?

Bled (Slv), 14-15 September 2009
55
SITES 2006 Teachers use of ICT
ELFE2

• Findings Pelgrum Voogt (2009)
• In HIMA more then in LOMA countries
• Math teachers apply learner-centred approach and
• focus on lifelong learning competencies
• School leaders stimulate more active use of ICT
  and
• encourage teachers to apply new ways of teaching
  and learning

Bled (Slv), 14-15 September 2009
56
SITES 2006 Teachers use of ICT
ELFE2

• Findings Pelgrum Voogt (2009)
• School-level factors influencing ICT use
• 1. active communication,
• 2. school leadership development,
• 3. assessment orientation,
• 4. ICT use by school leaders and
• 5. bottom-up change orientation.

Bled (Slv), 14-15 September 2009
57
2008 International report SITES 2006 study
SITES 2006
58
Research (2)
ELFE2

• Personal entrepreneurship of teachers (PET)
• 2nd analysis of ICT monitor (survey) among Dutch
  primary teacher educators (Drent, 2005)
• What factors influenced innovative use of ICT by
  teacher educators?
• Exploratory study

Bled (Slv), 14-15 September 2009
59
Personal entrepreneurship of teachers
ELFE2

• innovative use of ICT
• Scale of 5 items (Cronbachs a .61)
• Information gathering
• Data processing
• Presenting
• Introducing of new subject
• Problem solving
• Represents growth in use of ICT!

Bled (Slv), 14-15 September 2009
60
Personal entrepreneurship of teachers
ELFE2

• Important factors (from PLS analysis) influencing
  innovative use of ICT
• Student oriented pedagogy
• Positive attitude towards ICT
• Years of computer experience
• Personal entrepreneurship
• 3 and 4 strongest influence
• Note ICT knowledge/skills no direct influence,
  but via other factors

Bled (Slv), 14-15 September 2009
61
Personal entrepreneurship of teachers
ELFE2

• Based on two manifest variables
• communication/interaction degree of having
  contacts with colleagues (inside/outside) about
  use of ICT
• utilizing professional network of
  organizations/persons from which teacher educator
  gets support in using ICT
• amount of contacts (inside/outside) initiated by
  teacher educator for own professional development
  in pedagogical use of ICT

Bled (Slv), 14-15 September 2009
62
Personal entrepreneurship of teachers
ELFE2

• - Has direct influence on innovative use of ICT
• Also indirect influence, as PET has direct
  influence on other important factors
• ICT attitude
• Pedagogical approach
• ICT competence
• Metaphor of a system of seizing cogwheels
• if one cogwheel moves, the others will also start
  moving!

Bled (Slv), 14-15 September 2009
63
Personal entrepreneurship of teachers
ELFE2

• NOTE PET is directly influenced by internal
  support structure
• support from management,
• availability of pedag and technical support
• So
• the schools support and the schools
  stimulation of personal entrepreneurship can make
  an important contribution to the realisation of
  innovative use of ICT.

Bled (Slv), 14-15 September 2009
64
Profile of teacher educator
ELFE2

• using ICT in innovative way (Drent, 2005 Drent
  Meelissen, 2008)
• Capable of keeping contacts with colleagues and
  experts on ICT for sake of own professional
  development
• Sees and experiences advantages of innovative use
  of ICT in own teaching
• Has a student-oriented pedagogical approach
• Has ICT competencies complying with 3

Bled (Slv), 14-15 September 2009
65
Concluding comments
ELFE2

• Education nowadays has to pay attention to 21st
  century skills balance between old and new
  needed!
• Curriculum perspective essential (see spiderweb)
• ICT use alone does not lead to other education
• The research discussed shows the relevance of
  certain school and teacher factors

Bled (Slv), 14-15 September 2009
66
Concluding comments (cont)
ELFE2

• gt National policies need to reflect these points
  and to encourage schools to be of our time!
• Further
• Link in discussions about ICT the use/integration
  with a pedagogical model patterns of ICT use
• Crucial role of school leaders and teachers to
  realise 21st C education
• gt Professional development of both

Bled (Slv), 14-15 September 2009
67
Concluding comments (cont)
ELFE2

• gt National policies need to reflect these points
  and to encourage schools to be of our time!
• Further
• Link in discussions about ICT the use/integration
  with a pedagogical model patterns of ICT use
• Crucial role of school leaders and teachers to
  realise 21st C education
• gt Professional development of both

Bled (Slv), 14-15 September 2009
68
Model for pedagogical use of ICT in schools
(ICTOS, 2006)
Collaboration support
(both technical pedagogical)
L e a d e r s h i p
Vision
Knowldg,skills attitudes
Software / Content
ICT-infrastr
Pedagogical use of ICT for learning
69
Finally change is a process
ELFE2

• Balance needed between top down and bottom up
• Top down direction facilitation
• Bottom up space for entrepreneurship
• Process of new that gets a place in balance
  with the old!
• This needs to be reflected at both levels system
  and school

Bled (Slv), 14-15 September 2009
70
Finally change is a process
ELFE2

• Process of new that gets a place in balance
  with the old!
• This needs to be reflected at both levels system
  and school

care for existing
courage for new
Bled (Slv), 14-15 September 2009
Amount of resources
time
71
Thank you!

• t.plomp_at_gw.utwente.nl

72
Some references
ELFE2

• Bryderup, I.M, Larson, A. Trentel, M.Q.
  (September 2009). ICT-use, educational policy and
  changes in pedagogical paradigms in compulsory
  education in Denmark. Education and Information
  Technology, 14 (3)
• Drent, M., (2005). In transitie op weg naar
  innovatief ICT-gebruik op de PABO. (In
  transition on the road to innovative use of ICT
  in teacher education). Enschede (Netherlands)
  Doctoral dissertation, University of Twente.
• Drent, M. Meelissen, M. (2008). Which factors
  obstruct or stimulate teacher educators to use
  ICT innovatively. Computers Education, 51,
  187199.
• Fullan, M., (2007, 4th ed). The Meaning of
  Educational Change. London Cassell Educational
  Limited.
• ICTOS (ICT op school) (2006). Dutch ICT-tools for
  a balanced use of ICT in the Netherlands. The
  Hague Kennisnet ICT op school. URL
  http//www.dutchicttools.nl/.

Bled (Slv), 14-15 September 2009
73
Some references
ELFE2

• Law, N.,Pelgrum, W.J. Plomp, T. (2008).
  Pedagogy and ICT use in schools around the world
  Findings from the IEA SITES 2006 study. Hong
  Kong Comparative Education Research Centre,
  University of Hong Kong also Springer
• Pelgtum, W.J. (2001). Obstacles to the
  integration of ICT in education results from a
  worldwide educational assessment. Computers
  Education,37,pp 163-178.
• Pelgrum, W. J., ten Brummelhuis, A. C. A.,
  Collis, B. A., Plomp, T. J., Janssen Reinen, I.
  A. M. (1997). The application of multimedia
  technologies in schools technology assessment of
  multimedia systems for pre-primary and primary
  schools. Luxembourg European Parliament,
  Directorate General for Research.
• Pelgrum, W.J. Voogt, J. (September 2009).
  School and teacher factors associated with
  frequency of ICT use by mathematics teachers
  country comparisons. Education and Information
  Technology, 14 (3)

Bled (Slv), 14-15 September 2009
74
Some references (contd)
ELFE2

• Voogt.J. Knezek, G. (Eds) (2008).International
  Handbook of Information Technology in Primary and
  Secondary Education. Springer Science.
• Voogt, J.M. Pelgrum, W.J., (2003). ICT and the
  curriculum. In R.B. Kozma (Ed.) Technology,
  innovation and educational change a global
  perspective. A report of the IEA Second
  Information Technology in Education Study
  Module 2. Eugene (OR, USA) International Society
  for Technology in Education (ISTE).
• Van den Akker, J. (2003). Curriculum
  perspectives an introduction. In J. van den
  Akker, U. Hameyer, W. Kuiper, (Eds.).
  Curriculum landscapes and trends. Dordrecht
  Kluwer Academic Publishers, pp 1-10.

Bled (Slv), 14-15 September 2009