How technology has changed the way we learn...

In order to explore how technology has changed the way we learn, we first need to look at how we used to learn. We could take any point in human history as our point for comparison, but there is a paucity of evidence for how we used to learn, say, 10,000 years ago. For the sake of this discussion, an arbitrary time frame of 40 years has been chosen. It just so happens that this block of time overlaps nicely with the period that the author of this blog has been in existence.

By 1974, technological advances already available in the classroom included the chalkboard, the pencil and the OHP; advances that were consigned to history lessons included the magic lantern and the slate. A device that still held sway in some classes was the ferrule (Dunn, 2011)

A ferrule - part pointer, part punisher.

The last 40 years have seen great technological advances in society generally. These advances have been particularly impressive in the field of computing. Almost all of the new technologies that are available to teachers and learners now are in some way reliant on electronics and computing. Taking computers as an example, we can explore how technology has changed learning styles.

Bridget Somekh (1997) has described three ways of viewing computing technology in the classroom. The computer can be seen as a tutor, with the expectation that learners will be taught by it; the computer can be a tool used to carry out tasks that would previously have been done in another fashion; or the computer is a device upon which tasks that would otherwise be impossible can be carried out.

To flesh out Somekh's categories, we shall look at examples of each of the modes of understanding computers in the classroom.

For the computer as a tutor, we can picture online quizzes, or learners being taken through a series of online lectures. In this mode, the computer effectively replaces the teacher while it is being used.  This way of using a computer is not particularly different from more traditional teaching methods, only the style of delivery is changed. However, it does remove the need for large amounts of paper and bulky textbooks.

For the computer as a tool to carry out tasks that would previously have been done in a different way, think of word-processing programmes or art software. This use of the computer makes sometimes quite complicated tasks more straightforward, and can free up student time for other learning. 

The final way of viewing computers sees them as a cognitive tool. Learners are able to write software, carry out complex maths, draw graphical representations of large structures that they can manipulate and explore in a virtual environment; they are able to communicate with teachers and peers across the globe. This way of using computers is the one that changes the learning process the most.

Richard Ager, in his turn-of-the-century textbook, provides several examples of how ICT can augment the role of a teacher. In the field of literacy, he shows that talking books can provide immediate feedback to children learning to read; in numeracy he explains that database and graphing software allows learners to explore situations that would otherwise be beyond their reach; for geography, mapping software has opened up opportunities for teachers and learners alike.

It is clear that the classroom, and indeed any learning environment has been changed by the advent of broadly available, powerful technology that just a few decades ago would have been unthinkable, apart from for the most ardent futurologists. It is important to recognise, however, that without passionate teachers to work alongside these technologies, many of the benefits they bring will not be realised.


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References

Ager, R. (2000) The Art of Information and Communications Technology for Teachers

Dunn, J. (2011). The evolution of classroom technology. Available: http://www.edudemic.com/classroom-technology/. Last accessed 4th Dec 2014.

Somekh, B. (1997) Classroom investigations: exploring and evaluating how IT can support learning in Somekh, B. and Davis, N (eds) Using Information Technology Effectively in Teaching and Learning 114-126. London:Routledge