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Altered Reality: Does Our Educational Research Match Our Reality?
@joe_edtech
The other day I was reading a really compelling article called, "The Impact of Technology and Theory on Instructional Design Since 2000," which is actually a chapter out of a larger work entitled Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology (full citation below). In the article, the authors suggest that we have already gone through "Four Ages of Educational Technology," and they are, "the Age of Instructional Design, the Age of Message Design, the Age of Simulation, and the Age of Learning environments" (p. 89).
In a recent post, I talked about the author's "Age of Instructional Design," so I won't belabor that point here. But let's take a quick look at the other "Ages." Of the "Age of Message Design," the authors claim that "Lesson content and heuristics for performance are seen as best embedded or situated within an authentic task" (p. 90). In the "Age of Simulation," the authors assert, "emerged in response to the wide availability of technologies that allowed for the development of digital models that students could directly experience, which encouraged interaction that is learner centered" (p. 91). Finally, the "Age of Learning Environments" reflects "the shift from the design of instruction to the design of learning environments with learning being more dependent on the learner. Such environments cognitively and/or physically situate content and skills within complex, adaptive educational scaffolding spaces both face to face and online" (p. 91).
The descriptions for the 3 later Ed Tech Ages are fabulous if in fact we are describing future hopes and expectations for classes that are transformed through the use of instructional technology. They are delusional if they are supposed to be descriptive of current common practices. There is no doubt in my mind that there are individual programs or teachers who have developed authentic student centered learning environments, but we are kidding ourselves if we think that is currently the norm in K-12 education. Frankly, it can't be the norm as long as our national leaders (right and left) cling to the high stakes, standardized testing, industrial age model of education.
For a peek into what education could be in a post industrial world, watch the amazing RSA lecture given by Sir Ken Robinson, linked here.
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What do you think? Am I the delusional one thinking that there could be something after high stakes testing?
Warren, S. J., Lee, J., & Najmi, A. (2014). The impact of technology and theory on
instructional design since 2000. In J.M. Spector, M.D. Merril, J. Elen, M.J.
Bishop (Eds.) Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and
Technology. (pp. 89-99). doi:10.1007/978-1-4614-3185-5
I was thinking about your question just the other day...really, before I read this! I once saw an interview with Bill Clinton in which he said something I thought was very profound because it concisely described my experience: when we are under pressure, our instinct is to fall back to the most conservative position even though we know it doesn't work. Think about it. When education was under pressure -- our schools are failing, our students trail behind their international cohort -- we moved increasingly toward standardized testing. As a result, schools and educators, under pressure, moved to less student centered classrooms and more drill and kill -- the most conservative position. Research tells us that those methods don't work. It takes great courage to do what educational research has shown works in the face of the pressure placed on public education. As leaders, it is our job to have that courage and to instill it in our teachers.
ReplyDeleteSo no, we haven't gotten there yet. But I think there will be something after high stakes testing. I just won't be in the field long enough to see it. There will be courageous leaders (like you) who often work against the grain to make it happen.
Thanks for posting this, Joe. I needed to be reminded of the courage it takes as I work to help leaders in KZ transform their educational system.
Thanks for your reply and your support! I hope KZ is treating you well.
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