Restless digital nativesThe impact on learning from the spaces, flows and networks of the internet
Colin CampbellBridging the Gap
Conference Nov 2009
Through the Network (of Networks) – the Fifth Estate
by William H. DuttonProfessor of Internet Studies, Oxford Internet Institute
This space of flows enables a multitude of actors to reconfigure access to information, people, services and technologies.
Questions I’d like to discuss
1. How useful is the term ‘digitial natives’?
2. What can we learn from recent studies into the ways young people are using technology?
3. What are useful habits to adopt in our digital age?
4. Where is learning going?
What I am going to talk about?1. How useful is the term ‘digitial natives’?
Web 2.0, 3.0.... how do you react to videos like the one we just watched?
Digital native?
notions of digital natives vs digital immigrants can inhibit understanding
Digital native?
Digital native?
Digital childhood?
2. What can we learn from recent studies of the ways young people are using technology?
Slide ‘borrowed’ from Ewan McIntosh (apologies)
Slide ‘borrowed’ from Ewan McIntosh (apologies)
Living and Learning with NewMedia: Summary of Findingsfrom the Digital Youth Project
The research was a joint project ofthe University of Southern California and the Universityof California, Berkeley.Research SummaryOver three years, University of California, Irvineresearcher Mizuko Ito and her team interviewed over800 youth and young adults and conducted over 5000hours of online observations as part of the most extensiveU.S. study of youth media use.
Hanging around - people they know
Messing about - video, images, mashing
Geeking Out - special interest groups (beyond their local social network) - critiquing, creating, analysing
increased complexity
higher order thinking
skills
Living and Learning with NewMedia: Summary of Findingsfrom the Digital Youth Project
The research was a joint project ofthe University of Southern California and the Universityof California, Berkeley.Research SummaryOver three years, University of California, Irvineresearcher Mizuko Ito and her team interviewed over800 youth and young adults and conducted over 5000hours of online observations as part of the most extensiveU.S. study of youth media use.
Conclusion
Peer-based learning has unique properties that suggest alternatives to formal instruction, influence of respected peers
There are, of course, idiosyncratic and distinctly varied levels of use of digital tools and social networks
Walled Gardens?
New Millenium Learners 2009
The OECD’s Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (CERI) launched the New Millennium Learners (NML) project in 2007. It has the global aim of investigating the effects of digital technologies on school-age learners and providing recommendations on the most appropriate institutional and policy responses from the education sector.
Cultural capital crucial
No clear links between technology use and academic achievement (with the exception of some writing skills)
Access key to social inclusion
Slide ‘borrowed’ from Ewan McIntosh (apologies)
Slide ‘borrowed’ from Ewan McIntosh (apologies)
Both studies show the dominant use is young people interacting socially online and establishing norms within groups
Access to these spaces important for social interaction
Important difference here from previous generations = digital childhood
Using technology is instinctive but not in itself ‘motivating’ for students
pedagogy has to be adaptable to
accomodate different types and levels of
learner
Discussion ?
4. What are the possible next steps for learning?
Pedagogy
Technology
Giles and musical overload
“I’ve given up trying to keep up but it’s better, I’m just focusing on arranging better events”
Giles, music promoter
You don’t need to know all the stops but you need to be able to fair-adjust
habits and key ‘big’ skills
Howard Rheingold on media litercieshttp://vimeo.com/5659525
#1 Attention
#2 Participation
#3 Collaboration
#4 Network Savvy
#5 Critical Consumption
#1 Global awareness
#2 Information
processing
#3 Self-directed
Slow shift towards inquiry based learning
assessment for learningfixed rubrics and criteria
teacher guidedgroup tasks
Traditional schooling
Contemporary schools
Factory/ industry model class rank
delivered curriculumtransmission
textbook focusfixed curriculum
teacher led
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4126240905912531540#
self-directedpeer-mentoringessential literaciesmutual inquiry
teachers guiding, provokingco-conspirators
complex not complicated
Future schools
Are the ‘geeked out’ and highly web-connected guilty of painting a subjective even idealised picture here?
Stephen Downes: National Research Council, Institute for Information Technology, Canada
“Here's my problem with your ideology, Stephen, which appears to me to be even more radical than constructivism and tries not only to describe or defend a new epistemology, but appears to disrupt social systems as well, in the name of some putative technocommunism that will reign supreme on the Internet with everybody working for nothing and getting everything for free and living happily ever after.”
catfitz on Stephen’s blog
Predicts technology will break the pattern of failed school changes and push
schools into a new paradigm.
Clayton ChristensenHarvard Business School
Where next for learning spaces and
schools?
Digital Allotments
Images (all from flickr)
Trailing Above North Cascades National Park in a Meteor Shower by Fort Photo
Happy Spaceman (Loves Engrish) by Network Osaka
Road Block by giugesco
Shadow Man on the Bakerloo line by Semi-detached
The Things You Own, End Up Owning You by Willie Chiang
