The conference committee would like to thank all of you who posted questions, voted or followed the blog for this event. We have just come out of the live link. So without further ado, from one virtual sphere to the other, NIK PEACHEY’S question was asked live from the conference floor and transmitted live to Professor Howard Gardner at Harvard:
THE QUESTION
Nik Peachey
With the opportunities now offered by the Internet to access information, collaborate, create and communicate, should we now be looking for a new model on which to base our schools, one which reflects the changing post industrial nature of our societies and the growing need for creative, inquisitive independent thinking individuals? If so, how do you envisage this being realised?
PROFESSOR HOWARD GARDNER’S RESPONSE
Professor Howard Gardner began his response by explaining that Digital Media is changing the world in the way that for example writing brought about a change 3000 years ago. He also explained that young people in the 1950s and young people of today are fundamentally different.
Moving on he stated that independent thinking cannot be stopped particularly in social media regardless of government resistance or the attempt at control due to the powerful effects of social platforms or for instance third party photography as was the case with the recent events of the Arab Spring.
With regards to education he expressed the idea that Students will use computers and that teachers would be foolish not too. However he had two reservations particularly it seemed related to the Internet and virtual learning:
- Reservation 1 -With just one source before it was easier to differentiate between work backed by evidence as opposed to rumour and made up stuff. Now with multiple sources, for example hundreds of new blogs, Facebook etc. if we are unable to be detectives and differentiate between evidenced and rumour based opinion we are no better off than when we had just one source.
- Reservation 2-For young learners of 5-10 years he felt wary about closing schools in favour of solely virtual environments due to the fact that young people (5-10 years) especially need to learn with educators in the flesh. However he did go on to state that as learners got older they seem to learn better online. Teachers of the future would most probably be like coaches advising learners to watch this, or read that in athletic coaching sessions. However he predicted that this change would happen over a period of 20-30 years.
He also introduced the importance of the synthesizing mind for educators and learners. Educators need to be able to synthesize different sources and put them together. Before educators had only one source to consider but now there are more. He concluded his answer to your question Nik by stating that educators need to teach learners to synthesize internationally.
I would question reservation 1. The variety of different sources of information now available to us, does force us to raise questions about the validity of those sources and to question their accuracy and credibility, but I believe this is a good thing and a positive development. In the past when we had limit sources which were considered to be the ‘authority’, we were less likely to question them and too willing to accept them as fact. This made societies much easier to deceive and control. Being forced to constantly question bias and differentiate the credible from the questionable forces students to become much more discerning readers and pushes their analytical thinking skills from a much earlier stage.
I absolutely agree with reservation 2 and still believe that even at higher levels there is still huge value in the kinds of social interactions that take place within the face to face educational environment, but I would like to see those environments adapting so that the nature of the classroom and the scheduled class / school day could become much more flexible. It would be great to see and end to students in uniform sitting in rows facing a teacher and a move to a much more egalitarian and collaborative environment and I think technology and in particular advances in augmented reality that give studets teh ability to learn from their environment can help to make this possible.
I think the point about the importance of synthesizing information from multiple sources is vitally important and fundamental to the way we need to adapt the way students study and the kinds of digital literacies they need to develop to be able to do this. I think more than ever it is the role of the educator to raise questions, not to provide answers. Students should be developing the skills to find their own answers and these answers may well differ from student to student. In order for these changes to happen though we need to have a fundamental shift in the way students are examined and assessed.
Many thanks for answering my question
Best
Nik Peachey
I think both you and Howard Gardner have touched on a very important issue which educators can play a part in. And that is to help learners become responsible citizens who look at the plethora of information on the Internet with a critical eye. This is important for individuals so that they can be aware of what is really happening in the world and it is also important for communities so that the individuals who make up those communities can make well-informed decisions in their best interest.
However, I need to remind myself that although educators should play a role in helping students “differentiate the credible from the questionable”, the context that students/users find themselves accessing information in may push them to become discerning about the quality of the information that they are accessing. I think if educators keep in mind the potential that the Internet hold for students to apply critical thinking skills themselves, then this can be a step towards the more egalitarian and collaborative learning environment that you mention.
I agree fully and in fact, hold deep reservations about the authenticity of information which becomes viral within days and sometimes minutes.
I think there is an enormous sheep-like-mimicry which occurs on a large scale and well this has showed us amazing results of good…revolutions fought and won… exposure and truth…the fact is that we do not live in an ideal world and not all information is true information. In my opinion, without question, this new “power” of the masses while incredible is still subject to manipulation – the leopard might change the spots do not? I have seen too many cases, in the last couple of years of how when a story is juicy or appears to look like a car crash then even in rational, intelligent acquaintances, their critical thinking skills completely goes out the window – there is, it seems, a perception of truth based on the statistical sharing.
This is an incredible danger. It means that all that needs to be done in order to create a cover-up, tell a lie, sell a product covertly, etc etc is get enough of the “right” people to spread it and then let the masses copy it and share it.
I think, today, the very most important skill that needs to be taught in schools is the ability to assess and judge information prior to that quick little share button!
Karenne
Yes the Internet has magnified the power of rumour exponentially. As educators we need to be fully aware of the dangers and ready to help our learners become aware of these dangers. The Internet is a powerful tool that can help us create better, more informed, more tolerant, wiser communities but it needs to be used responsibly and as you say educators have an important role to play here.
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