Collaboration And the impact on the changing educational landscape

Outline How can technology support collaboration? What are 21st century skills needed for effective collaboration? What are some of the challenges and opportunities for educators?

Can we afford not to be ready?

What does research tell us about the value of collaborative learning? Students who studied in groups, even only once a week, were more engaged in their studies, were better prepared for class, and learned significantly more than students who worked on their own (Light 2001)

"Our exams have to reflect daily life in the classroom and daily life in the classroom has to reflect life in society” Minister of education New opportunities

What does research tell us? Collaborative learning has as its main feature a structure that allows for student talk: students are supposed to talk with each other... and it is in this talking that much of the learning occurs (Golub 1988) It is about a change in the teacher-student relationship

Students are ready to go!

Define collaboration Collaboration is a recursive process where two or more people or organizations work together to achieve a common goal “ If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together” African Proverb

Can you think of the one of the greatest collaborative projects of our times? May 2006: Complete human genome sequenced Multiple countries involved Supported through technology

Collaborative learning: Reinventing pedagogy Current models of pedagogy (teacher broadcaster) are being challenged by new generation of learners preparing for the global economy Change in relationship between the teacher and student in the learning process (Tapscott and Willaims 2010)

School 2.0

ACTIVITY: Tell a story in 6 words

Skills audit Think creativelyInteract effectively with others Reason effectivelyProduce results Make decisionsAdapt to change Solve problemsManage goals and time Communicate clearlyUse and manage information Collaborate with othersBe flexible Analyse mediaWork creatively with others

A new learning theory for the digital age

Connectivism (Siemen 2005) Behaviorism Cognitivism Constructivism Connectivism presents a model of learning that acknowledges the tectonic shifts in society where learning is no longer an internal, individualistic activity.

Principles of connectivism Learning and knowledge rests in diversity of opinions. Learning may reside in non-human appliances. Learning is a process of connecting specialized nodes or information sources. Capacity to know more is more critical than what is currently known Ability to see connections between fields, ideas, and concepts is a core skill.

Principles of connectivism Nurturing and maintaining connections is needed to facilitate continual learning. Decision-making is itself a learning process. George Siemens 2005

Global driver of collaboration Web Demographics

Web 2.0

Population Map

Technology, Learning and Collaboration The scandal of education is that every time you teach something, you deprive a [student] of the pleasure and benefit of discovery (Seymour Papert)

Hole in the wall project Self organised collaborative learning through technology Chanchal (Girl, 12): "I love solving Maths problems. I find that very interesting. I have learnt it from my sister Raj. I have taught my friend Shilpa."

The emerging tools that can support collaboration

“My goal in life is to find ways in which children can use technology as a constructive medium to do things that they could not do before; to do things at a level of complexity that was not previously accessible to children” Prof. Seymour Papert 1998

The Moment! Presentation by Bruce Dixon

The Moment! Presentation by Bruce Dixon

Presentation by Bruce Dixon

Blooms Taxonomy

Blooms Taxonomy revisited

Short video on collaborative work

Technologies and collaboration

Helps to externalise their ideas which helps to share, develop and refine by collaborating with others Windows Live Move Maker

Technologies and collaboration Multiple ways of presenting ideas through audio visual tools which is not possible with pen and paper Microsoft Surface

Technologies and collaboration Provides multiple opportunities for changing and revising in low risk environment Kodu

Technologies and collaboration Allow us to work in a non-linear pattern, combining ideas development, editing, refinement and presentation as parallel processes rather than linear Microsoft Office OneNote

Why the disconnect?

The UNESCO ICT Competency Framework for Teachers Source: UNESCO ICT Competency Standards for Teachers /Policy framework 2008

Policy goal of Knowledge Deepening Increase ability of students, citizens and workforce to add value to society and economy by applying knowledge of school subjects to solve complex, high priority problems (e.g. Food shortage, health, conflict resolution)

Policy goal of Knowledge Creation Increase productivity by creating students, citizens, and a workforce that is continually engaged in and benefits from knowledge creation and innovation and life-long learning

ECONOMIC & EDUCATION REFORM CONNECTION

Technology might be the answer but what was the question?

Engagement

Social view of learning I think, therefore I am We participate, therefore we are

Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed Every morning a lion wakes up It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle When the sun comes up, you better start running “The World is Flat..Thomas Friedman 2006”

Thank you