“One of the bad things about school is that it’s a paper-based system in a digital society….so given time, with these (laptop) computers everywhere, new ways of thinking and learning will inevitably be developed.”-Doogue, 2004.
We know outside a typical classroom, digital technologies are rapidly transforming learning and communication. Our computers, PDAs, cell phones and GPS devices allow for instant, rich access to many forms of exploration, expression and engagement of ideas. While the printed text remains an important medium, it no longer holds single sway over our knowledge. So why do our classrooms remain almost exclusively reliant on the printed word?
An obvious reason is because that’s the way it’s always been – print essentially made the very idea of education possible, and the ability to read and write text are seen as the keys to learning and citizenship. Print-based classrooms are also rooted in the standardization of children in a classroom, whether it’s the physical arrangement of desks in rows, or grouping students based on age and ability. It’s a mirror of the assembly-line workplace of old – where any individual’s struggle to keep up becomes a problem. Separate learning environments were consequently developed for those with identified learning or physical disabilities. This further divides an already-fragmented school curriculum.
When students taking part in this study were asked what they would most like to see in their classrooms, many said they wanted to have computer access that’s not limited to visiting a lab. When asked why, their reasons ranged from being able to type notes, to being able to print off their homework.
Engaging students in a media-rich environment, however means much more than that.
For teachers and students who have access to a full range of assistive technologies and are connected to a variety of networks, resources and numerous sources of information, learning became much more accessible. Teachers are able to design differentiated tasks for students of all abilities, and in the study, it’s noted children who were identified as having special needs became active contributors to the classroom, as they became more engaged with the learning task at hand.
