Posted: August 12th, 2007 by Alison Ruth

Categorised as:  innovation  Learning  NewTech 

I was reading (rereading for the umpteenth time) Grandon Gill's 5 (Really) Hard Things about Using the Internet in Higher Education.  It's from eLearn Magazine published early last year.  There are some interesting points that I'd like to think about, because I'm sure many of us are overwhelmed by the changes in what we do.

Gill's 5 Items include
1.        Lack of models
2.        Disruptive, evolving technology
3.        Other people
4.        Settling ourselves
5.        Adjusting to change
The complaint that the models of our own learning do not prepare us for the current models is perhaps a bit overstated.  I think that education is an (r)evolutionary discipline.  We shouldn't be restricted to using just the models with which we learnt.  That would, perhaps, be too restrictive.  Each successive generation of students brings in fresh ideas, new ways of looking at things and that should enhance what we do.  We shouldn't simply maintain a status quo.  Knowledge, along with technology, is increasing.  Those of us in the tech fields really have our work cut out for us, but many of the new tools are making that easier.  Which is Gill's second point.  Keeping up to day.  Things like RSS (which I've mentioned before) can keep a constant stream of information appearing at our fingertips.  Things like tagging, tools like Del.icio.us help us keep things manageable.  Google provides alerts tailored to your needs, search is almost a thing of the past.  Keeping up is no longer about trying to find that elusive piece of information.  It's more about remembering where you put it!

I think I do agree with his third point.  Explaining to other people about what we are doing is sometimes rather difficult.  I'm almost convinced that everyone around me is questioning why I blog and why I use wikis.  They are a lot of work.  They do take different skills, but, at the same time, they rely on the same justifications for any change.  Sometimes change just is, sometimes it's the stuff that engages learners.  Without change, the university/college/school system may as well shut its doors.  There will be nothing to learn.  Pushing the boundaries of knowledge is what we do.  I just tend to do it in more technology dependent ways in the hope that students will appreciate knowing where we're going, not just where we've been.

Which is perhaps why I disagree with the fourth point about settling in and "adjusting to a new rhythm of life".  Gill states that the methods we traditionally use, the lecture and the tutorial (in the Australian scenario) allow us to settle and have a "very pleasant routine".  I think I'd like to teach where he is.  I don't think that routine is the stuff of tertiary education (sorry folks, no settling here).  If things become routine, where is the challenge?  Where is the value in learning?  This is the point where I could get all philosophical and say something inane like 'life is about change, change is about learning, learning is breaking out of your routine'.  But you get my point.  Change is the business we're in.  Out of those comfy armchairs people, there's learnin' to be done!

Which is his final point.  Which I just made.  How can we settle to a "new rhythm of life" while we're also "adjusting to our new role".  Our new role is about incorporating change which demands that we not settle.  I don't believe 'our new role' will every allow 'a new rhythm' except perhaps one that accepts change and goes with it.

I am an agent of change.  Fear me! :D


Reference:
Gill, G. 2006, 5 (Really) Hard Things about Using the Internet in Higher Education, eLearn Magazine, Online

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