• The Future of Learning tech

    Jun 15.09 | Learn   

    In The Transformation of Learning with Technology authors Bush/Mott argue that much of current technology implementation in educaional settings perpetuates current teaching models instead of launching new ones.  And that without radical change real benefits of technology in teaching will not be realized.  The shifts include moving from a teaching to a learning focus and from teacher-centric to student-centric models.  They make a good case for the validity of this argument, but unfortunately don’t offer suggestions on what this shift will look like.  Here are some of my thoughts…

    Take the best parts of services such as  LinkedIn (profile, group affiliations), Google Apps (collaborative documents), Zotero (research), OpenID (common login across instutions) and mix them all together into one learning focused tool.

    • The company running is non-profit, open-source and community-based.
    • Individuals would create accounts and affiliate themselves with various member institutions — sort of like Facebook when it first started (requiring you to have an email address at a university/college to join.)
    • Through an open API member institutions would provide content to their students.
    • This would include course materials, school events calendars, and other services, with the goal to minimize the need for students to login directly to campus services or a course management system.
    • Functions of the site could include tools for college applications, such as a place to collect recommendations, test scores and monitor the application process (although if you needed a university email address to join this would be a problem — maybe institutions could issue affiliate/pre-student accounts?).
    • Learning tools would include a personal course schedule, collaborative document editing, discussion forums, etc.
    • Students would control what they have on their pages, what groups they join and what applications get installed on their account, just as they do on sites like Facebook or LinkedIn now.
    • Funding would come membership fees from the schools as well as premium level services from students (like with LinkedIn now.)

    Facebook has very neatly captured the social side of campus life — what is needed is something similar that focuses on learning.  The models are out there, we just need to act on them.

    Schools would give up a lot of control, but also quite a bit of expense.  Students would have a tool that they control, and could follow them across a range of schools (high school, undergrad, grad), a range of courses, and open up possibilities such as collaboration with students in other programs at other schools.   It would be a win for all concerned but would require some substantial changes in how school’s view delivery of student services and learning resources.

    Any takers?  Let’s talk.

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    • Author: Randy

    In my day job I serve as Information Technology Director for the Yale School of Drama. Otherwise I garden, play guitar, build stuff out of wood, take photos, play around with technology and have been blogging since 2003.

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Randall Rode's online home for thoughts, notes, and experiments with a wide range of technology topics. Visit the about page for info on my recent projects and professional background. I welcome your comments!

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