Barriers to Effective Use of Technology in Education

Marking my students blog posts recently and I happened upon some excellent material. One of the titles that I asked them to consider, in a more academic style, was "Barriers to Effective Use of Technology in Education". This brought some engaging and interesting aspects to light as far as my learners were concerned, it also ensured that they engaged with the research that has been conducted in the field. It was amazing to read lots of interesting issues that were considered barriers fifteen and sometimes twenty years ago. In some respects we haven't moved very far, but in many ways education has made superb progress. What I found interesting and still pertinent was the following “There is also a risk that as technology becomes more and more advanced, the human element of teaching may become lost. Ager reminds us “We still need excellent teachers who, by their infectious enthusiasm make us change the way we think about a subject.” (2000, p. 3)” I am please to say that this remains true and gives reason to highlight the fact that technology is only a tool, or resource that you can, if applicable, utilise to support good teaching. I particularly like the next snippet,“Whenever new technology is introduced into society there must be a counterbalancing human response…” (Naisbitt 1984, p.35 quoted in Roblyer & Doering, 2014, p.20). My student comments that, “is especially pertinent for students taking distance-learning options. Students may start to miss the human interaction of being in a classroom, so it is important to create on-line discussion groups to bring the social aspect back into learning. (Armitage, et al., 2007)” Food for though when planning eLearning, blended learning or really any learning. Nothing replaces a good teacher, not even google! To conclude however, the message remains the same, that the general categories of barriers to the adoption of technology include: reliability; lack of time to learn the new technologies; uncertainty that using technology really matters; and lack or support or training, as my own research showed in 2009 (Peace, 2014) when investigating student teachers take up of new technologies in their teaching.

I saw this table below on a student's blog too, made be go off on a tangent to see where that came from too!

Click to read full paper

Ager, R. (2000) The Art of Information and Communication Technology for Teachers. London: David Fulton Publishers

Roblyer, M.D., and Doering A. H., (2014). Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching [New International Edition] Essex: Pearson

Peace, M. (2014) Web 2.0 and Classrooms (in Teaching and Learning with ICT in the Primary School. Younie, S. Leask, M. and Burden, K.) London: Routledge

Groff, J., & Mouza, C. (2008). A framework for addressing challenges to classroom technology use. AACE Journal, 16(1), 21-46. (Image)

What is education for?

I decided to embed this clip after watching it on one of my first year student's blogs.  I think I will ask the next group the same question, and ask them to blog about it? 

So what do I think about education?

The online dictionary definition that Google offered me, says it is :1. the process of receiving or giving systematic instruction, especially at a school or university, or 2. an enlightening experience. In 2009 Michael Gove said ‘I believe that education is a good in itself – one of the central hallmarks of a civilized society – indeed the means by which societies ensure that everything which is best in our society is passed on to succeeding generations.’

One of the biggest challenges we have as a society is sustainability; in a world so uncertain, so vulnerable, so stimulating, we cannot prepare the young generation with the traditional methods, seated between four walls. Knowledge is key but anything we do is based on who we are. Can we see how a transformed education will impact our society of tomorrow? Or how it might shape different leaders, different priorities for our planet? Or even what form a transformation needs to take.

Student’s say that they want a curriculum, which prepares them for adult life, with clear relevance to their lives in AND outside school.  Schools need to prepare learners for the real world. But what does that mean? Academic knowledge and qualifications are a vital part of it. They are not the whole story.  My eighteen year old son, and many of his friends, have decided not to go to university next year after their A levels.  Striving for good results is still paramount for him, but he then wants to get a real education, in the real world, take a gap year.  He wants to find his way, and make his own discoveries.  I can’t say that I am disappointed, although I concerned about what he will do with this gap year.  All I can say is thank goodness for technology, as I know that technology will help us stay connected, let us share moments, discussions, pictures, thrills and disappointments as the year unfolds and the education evolves.