Technology has been a fundamental element of and support for education. While our minds tend to fall on the latest and greatest next big thing when the word technology arises, educational technologies would include such simple things as chalk, buildings, and both physical and digital libraries. In reflecting forward on the impact that technology may have on education and learning, it is useful to look back.
A 19th-Century Vision of the Year 2000 provides a series of images set 100 years in the future to capture life in the distant year 2000. Education of the masses would occur through the broad distillation and electronic transfer of information.
As we look to critically explore the potential of digital resources to further education now and moving forward, it is insightful to reflect upon the past and look to best inform how we critically appraise our use of digital resources for education. In bringing forward an understanding of how technology may be leveraged for greatest benefit, for whom and look to general guidelines for its use all potential sources of information and perspectives are valuable.
Image Source: https://publicdomainreview.org/collections/france-in-the-year-2000-1899-1910/
Why use digital resources?
Digital learning resources provide a means to reach beyond physical and temporal barriers. Rules may be changed and economies realized in both time and effort. Recordings can be made. Images manipulated and motion paused, accelerated, or reversed.
What are some of the challenges for learners and educators?
No learner is identical to another and individual differences result in a broad heterogeneity.
How we are best able to educate the full spectrum of learners will remain an on-going challenge and opportunity.
What are the effects of digital technologies and resources on the learner and the classroom?
Through our on-going use and incorporation of digital resources our preferences may be subtly morphed; attention, focus and preferences changed; and biases introduced. With the emergence of the Internet, our ability to connect with others has increased exponentially, shifted and altered power dynamics, broadened geographic reach and overcome some time constraints. In parallel, it has introduced issues relating to privacy and surveillance. At a granular app level, these effects may not be readily considered but at a system and societal level merit recognition and attention.
A 19th-Century Vision of the Year 2000 provides a series of images set 100 years in the future to capture life in the distant year 2000. Education of the masses would occur through the broad distillation and electronic transfer of information.
As we look to critically explore the potential of digital resources to further education now and moving forward, it is insightful to reflect upon the past and look to best inform how we critically appraise our use of digital resources for education. In bringing forward an understanding of how technology may be leveraged for greatest benefit, for whom and look to general guidelines for its use all potential sources of information and perspectives are valuable.
Image Source: https://publicdomainreview.org/collections/france-in-the-year-2000-1899-1910/
Why use digital resources?
Digital learning resources provide a means to reach beyond physical and temporal barriers. Rules may be changed and economies realized in both time and effort. Recordings can be made. Images manipulated and motion paused, accelerated, or reversed.
What are some of the challenges for learners and educators?
No learner is identical to another and individual differences result in a broad heterogeneity.
How we are best able to educate the full spectrum of learners will remain an on-going challenge and opportunity.
What are the effects of digital technologies and resources on the learner and the classroom?
Through our on-going use and incorporation of digital resources our preferences may be subtly morphed; attention, focus and preferences changed; and biases introduced. With the emergence of the Internet, our ability to connect with others has increased exponentially, shifted and altered power dynamics, broadened geographic reach and overcome some time constraints. In parallel, it has introduced issues relating to privacy and surveillance. At a granular app level, these effects may not be readily considered but at a system and societal level merit recognition and attention.
Implementation and Diffusion of Digital Resources for Education
Any new technology adoption may proceed through five stages. These stages are: awareness; interest; evaluation; trial; and adoption.
Each stage is influenced by the characteristics of the innovation.
Rogers, who popularized a theory relating to this in his book Diffusion of Innovations, has identified several perceived characteristics related to these stages which include:
- relative advantage (is their a perceived advantage over the current resource?);
- compatibility (does it align with current or emerging needs and values?);
- complexity (does it reduce complexity or barriers to learning?);
- trialability (can it be piloted or tested?); and
- observability (can its impact or results be measured?).
To successfully develop and implement a new digital resource for education, transition through a series of steps is anticipated.
While processession through the steps need not occur in a set manner, the following areas relating to implementation should be addressed: design; deployment; support; and sustainability. Image Source: Principles for Digital Development. Retrieved from: https://digitalprinciples.org/principle/build-for-sustainability/
Design
Any digital resource or educational activity within which it is embedded would benefit from attention to: content, presentation, and communication.
Deployment
Barriers to change may be problematic. Successfully navigating change requires attention to: learners, timing, messaging, and training.
Support
Digital technologies may not always work as they should. Learners may not recall the information that has been shared with them. Not all technologies are compatible with each other and appropriate user, technical, and administrative supports need to be considered.
Sustainability
Technologies become obsolete. Change needs to be planned to support learners, educators, and the systems within which they exist. More broadly, values change as do needs and the resources available to support them.
While transitions may proceed in an orderly manner, disruptive innovations may upset this process and face barriers to their diffusion.
Establish values and structures may impede process and the establishment of new paradigms.
Data and Analytics
Availability of data arising from the use of the digital resource may help to inform use and further development.
Educational Analytics
Educational data that captures learner traits and progress may help with support, individualization of learning, and curriculum design. At less granular levels, this data may ground and further program, institutional, or broad system reporting and planning.
Usability
Image Source: Zaharias P, Poylymenakou A (2009) Developing a Usability Evaluation Method for e-learning applications: Beyond Functional Usability. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction 25(1): 75-98.
There are a wealth of digital resources for learning that range in variety, scale, and scope. While similarities may be difficult to identify within and between each resource, there exist core attributes that are common to all relating to usability and instructional design.
With regards to instructional design; interactivity, media use, and learning strategies are a few of the components that should be grounded upon sound principles. Resources that consist of long sections of audio or video without the potential for the user to interact or engage may be anticipated to meet with limited success.
Similarly, navigation, accessibility, and visual design need to be considered to support usability. Control of pacing and progress through the resource, mastery of core functions, and consistent use of style and design are anticipated to enhance a given resource and further teaching and learning.
There are a wealth of digital resources for learning that range in variety, scale, and scope. While similarities may be difficult to identify within and between each resource, there exist core attributes that are common to all relating to usability and instructional design.
With regards to instructional design; interactivity, media use, and learning strategies are a few of the components that should be grounded upon sound principles. Resources that consist of long sections of audio or video without the potential for the user to interact or engage may be anticipated to meet with limited success.
Similarly, navigation, accessibility, and visual design need to be considered to support usability. Control of pacing and progress through the resource, mastery of core functions, and consistent use of style and design are anticipated to enhance a given resource and further teaching and learning.
Rubrics
With the proliferation of computers, tablets, and smartphones; educational apps and other digital learning resources are now widespread.
Meaningful methods to evaluate and compare apps and other resources are needed. In parallel with the emergence of apps, different tools to evaluate them have been developed.
While many of the rubrics differ in the domains they assess, common themes include: instruction, design, and engagement.
Lee, C. Y., & Sloan, T. (2015). A comprehensive evaluation rubric for assessing instructional apps. Journal of Information Technology Education, 14.
With the proliferation of computers, tablets, and smartphones; educational apps and other digital learning resources are now widespread.
Meaningful methods to evaluate and compare apps and other resources are needed. In parallel with the emergence of apps, different tools to evaluate them have been developed.
While many of the rubrics differ in the domains they assess, common themes include: instruction, design, and engagement.
Lee, C. Y., & Sloan, T. (2015). A comprehensive evaluation rubric for assessing instructional apps. Journal of Information Technology Education, 14.
One of the first rubrics created to evaluate apps was developed by Henry Walker. It has since gone on to be modified by others in the creation of additional rubrics.
While a given score will depend on the purpose and intent of the app it does provide one means of comparison between similar resources and is likely to continue to be an area of further research and experimentation.
Walker, H. (2011). Evaluating the effectiveness of apps for mobile devices. Journal of Special Education Technology, 26(4), 59-63.
While a given score will depend on the purpose and intent of the app it does provide one means of comparison between similar resources and is likely to continue to be an area of further research and experimentation.
Walker, H. (2011). Evaluating the effectiveness of apps for mobile devices. Journal of Special Education Technology, 26(4), 59-63.