Why tablets? Learning in the 21st century patrick.camilleri@um.edu.mt

Structure 21st century education Context Characteristics

Learning to know, do, be and learning to live together 21st CENTURY EDUCATION Beyond the notion of life long learning to the emergence of the individual learner Learning to know, do, be and learning to live together Fundamental assumptions Philosophical Societal and pragmatic Jacques Delors UNESCO 1993 “A commission on Education for the 21st century” Learning: The Treasures within Rosalind picard Learning in context of a digitally catalyzed society with a universal access

In the 20th century we expected school systems to sort people: those who would go to university and those who wouldn’t, those who would do professional jobs and those who wouldn’t, and those who would fill the semi-skilled and unskilled jobs for which minimal learning at school was required. (Barber, 2014)

In the 21st century we are aware that this is not good enough - not good enough morally, not good enough socially and not good enough economically. (Ibid, 2014) Machines can do much of this work better than people. We should be able to celebrate that fact, but we can’t, because the transformation is leaving millions of people without work, especially young people around the world. Only the well educated can possibly thrive in the world that is coming. We need every young person to graduate from school ready for college, career and citizenship.

[…] we will see the new pedagogy emerge […] we would see learning outcomes that would include not only literacy and numeracy, vital though they are, but also those wider, less well-defined outcomes such as problem-solving, collaboration, creativity, thinking in different ways, and building effective relationships and teams. (Ibid. 2014)

they cannot fit in our shoes. What I Think students learn differently students interact in new ways private learning bubbles they cannot fit in our shoes.

the issue? A handshake between who they are and what we have available

Just in Case Just in Time Just for You AN OPPORTUNITY FOR The age of personalization of education not just in terms of subject but in terms of what Ways that are subjectively pertaining

WE DO NOT REMEMBER WHAT IS TAUGHT BUT WHAT IS MEANINGFUL MEANINGFUL LEARNING WE DO NOT REMEMBER WHAT IS TAUGHT BUT WHAT IS MEANINGFUL OUR STRONGEST MEMORIES ARE CREATED DURING ACTIVE PARTICIPATION WE DO NOT REMEMBER WHAT WE TAUGHT BUT WHAT IS MEANINGFUL. WE ARE ACTIVE LEARNERS BY NATURE

Internet capabilities characteristics Internet capabilities size extended battery life weight Touch screen

multisensory

touch Not point and click but point to click The most natural thing to do Move around Draw change Colour Magnify Sketch

visual Comprehension of complex subjects Active visual learning. Pictures, videos, maps, or graphs. Forming a mental image Conceptualisation Self expression Photo stories Visual based projects

MOBILITY Chicago study with 5th grade students CONDITIONS Chicago study with 5th grade students provision of tablets to teachers and students. wireless access at school and home. OBSERVATIONS Tablets can make a difference in students’ learning habits Greater access to learning resources Students did not engage in bad behaviour Increasing learning sophistication The creation of new learning environments Group work Originality independence First study that allowed students to take tablet home.

Digital Art Access Reading Writing Music. Experimentation and Creation Video connectivity/Social Media Visual science apps and simulations Presentations Blogging as diverse forms of writing Photography and video making More accessible research eBooks (OERs)and related sources Evolving computer skills. Games Addressing students learning styles

challenges opportunities

another window of opportunity perception of novelty another window of opportunity effective embedment within the curriculum

Ongoing research Intuitive products Tablets favourably motivate students Enhance willingness to learn Engagement and meaningful involvement Intuitive products: no previous training requirements/easy to access