Barriers to Effective Learning via Digital Technologies

There seems little disagreement in the literature that the use of digital tools in education has the potential to provide many benefits for adult learners in terms of improved access, flexibility in time and location, cost-effectiveness (in terms of travel and child-care) and opportunities for self-paced learning. There are also suggestions that using e-learning technologies can help motivate many adult learners to become second chance learners because literacy learning can be embedded into other courses such as computing. 

E-learning can also allow literacy learning to occur in unique and motivating ways that were not part of previous negative schooling that adult learners may have experienced (Davis, Fletcher, & Absalom, 2010).  A report by the Australian Institute of Social Research (2006) suggests there are few clear examples of ICT contributing to improved student outcomes but many documented examples of positive learning benefits that have resulted from the use  of ICT that “illustrate the potential of online learning” (p.10). These benefits include the students’ self-regulation of and active involvement in their own learning, improved communication between students and teachers and access to databases and resources.

What is the digital divide?

For some learners, however, there are considerable barriers to access and participation in e-learning initiatives. The term “digital divide” refers to the gap between those with access to computers, the Internet, and online information and those who lack such access. Used internationally, it refers to gaps between countries that have greater access to information and communication technology (ICT) and countries with lesser access. Although originally used to refer to inequality in physical access (home ownership of a computer or having internet access) it now also includes other factors that enable people to effectively use new technology such as skills, knowledge and social support and access to suitable fast speed broadband (Warschauer, 2010).

Australian and New Zealand Contexts

In an Australian report (Australian Institute for Social Research, 2006) which evaluated the barriers to e-learning opportunities for women, people with a disability and indigenous people, three main types of barriers were identified. These were related to connectivity, capability and content. The greatest deterrent was connectivity: problems with technology and access to the internet and bandwidth (especially in more remote areas), costs related to internet access, the speed of software, and access to up to date equipment. For learners from lower socio-economic groups, connectivity costs, lack of knowledge and confidence in using ICT, and poor literacy skills, all combine to make connectivity a major barrier. While technology is changing literacy practices, poor literacy skills themselves can act as a gatekeeper for accessing technology and using it fully.  Content barriers were identified in the study as those related to the subject content and how these are translated to online learning and the skill and knowledge of educators in providing suitable content for online learning. Capability barriers, which include learner skills, confidence, and recognition of the value in using the internet, are believed to also impact on whether learners can utilise the potential of e-learning. 

New Zealand statistical data supports the existence of a digital divide and reflects international research, which suggests that the expansion of information communication technologies is mainly utilised by households with higher incomes, and households whose members have formal educational qualifications. In Australia and New Zealand, less reliable and more expensive access to digital technologies for those in rural areas compounds this issue.

There are also suggestions (Davis and Fletcher, 2010; NZCER, 2004) that learners from particular cultural backgrounds (such as Maori and Pasifika) may experience their own barriers to e-learning and would benefit from developing e-learning strategies and resources that fit best with their cultural values and practices.  

Digital and Social Divides

It is apparent in our secondary schools that there are still significant numbers of students who do not have computers and/or internet access at home. Migrant and refugee families, in particular, are less likely to have access to digital technology and the knowledge and skills to use them. While students can get access to digital technology at school this is not as readily available as it could be in terms of access when they need it (e.g. homework projects, research) and in many cases, they lack the literacy and technological skills to use any access time effectively without assistance. Without access to either mobile technologies or internet for participation in class blogs and other social media, the digital divide also becomes an instrument of social exclusion preventing these students from participating in the social on-line interactions favoured by their peers.

Conclusion

It would seem that it is the individuals who have the greatest need for access to digital technologies for learning and employment that are the least likely to have computer and internet access at home. However, simply making technologies and e-learning opportunities available will not automatically lead to students becoming self-directed and autonomous learners. More than ever, effective on-going support, as well as digital literacy skill development, is needed if the potential of digital technologies are to be realised in education.  While e-learning and digital technologies have much to offer the adult learner in terms of flexibility and access, and personalised learning, they are not likely to result in positive benefits unless sufficient ongoing support is provided.  Blended learning approaches that provide a combination of face-to-face and online delivery would seem to enable educators to respond to learners’ needs and provide the necessary technical and learning-related support. In addition there needs to be consideration of cultural relevance and how online learning programmes fit with learner aspirations and values.

References:

Australian Institute for Social Research. (2006). The digital divide: Barriers to e-learning.: University of Adelaide. Retrieved from http://www.umic.pt/images/stories/publicacoes/barriers_digitaldivide.pdf

Davis, N. E. & Fletcher, J. (2010). E-learning for adult literacy, language and numeracy: Summary report. Ministry of Education. Retrieved from http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/publications/tertiary_education/7697

Davis, N. E., Fletcher, J., & Absalom, I. (2010). E-learning for adult literacy, language and numeracy: a case study of a polytechnic. Ministry of Education. Retrieved from http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/publications/tertiary_education/76970

New Zealand Council for Educational Research. (2004). Critical success factors and effective pedagogy for e-learning in tertiary education: Background paper for ITP New Zealand. Retrieved from http://elearning.itpnz.ac.nz/files/NZCER_Final_Report_Critical_Success_Factors.pdf

Snyder, I., Jones, A., & Lo Bianco, J. (2005).Using information and communication technologies in adult literacy education: New practices, new challenges. Retrieved from  NVCER website http://www.ncver.edu.au/publications/1608.html

Warschauer, M.(2010). Digital Divide. Encyclopedia of Library and Information Sciences, Third Edition, 1: 1, 1551 — 1556. Retrieved from http://www.gse.uci.edu/person/warschauer_m/docs/digitaldivide.pdf

Teaching Teachers about Technology

There is relatively little literature on the use of  e-learning or digital technologies (ICT) in adult literacy teaching and learning. While it would seem that educators are generally positive about the integration of digital technologies into teaching and learning programmes and view them as having potential to change learners’ lives, they are less positive about their ability to successfully integrate them in into their practice in a way that enhances teaching and learning.  Research in the K-12 sector suggests that, to be effective, there needs to be alignment between the technology integration strategies and teacher experience and knowledge (Moriarty, 2011).  In other words, instructional planning  for  ICT integration needs to build on the knowledge, experience, and priorities of educators so that technology supports and expands the teaching and learning programme  (Harris & Hofer 2009; Langille, 2004).

There appears to be  widespread acknowledgement  in the literature of the time and opportunities educators need to spend on professional development to gain the knowledge and expertise they need  for the successful integration of technology into their practice. Unfortunately, there are  few suggestions on how this might happen  given that learning institutions and programmes need to continue operating while  professional development takes place.

There are also concerns that training and PD to date has focused mainly on the development of ICT skills, rather than the how and why technology  should be integrated into practice. IN many  areas, including New Zealand school, there has been pressure on educators to use new technology without much attention to the reasons for it in terms of context and learner needs, and this has led to surface-level adoption of digital tools.  

“A great deal of skills training has taken place in recent years, and yet there is a persistent lack of integration of technology into teachers’ practice.” (BECTA,2009,p.6)

The rapid speed with which available technologies and associated software and applications has advanced has meant that many educators have moved (or have been forced to move) from one new application to another without having sufficient opportunity to master their use or examine purposes for which they are being used.

Key characteristics of effective technology integration in adult literacy practice as outlined by Dillon-Marable (2005) involve ensuring that the integration of technology forms part of standard practice rather than a separate set of activities and aligns levels of technology with learners’ literacy and technology skill levels. The technology should support learner to learn independently and collaboratively, provide learner choice and meet needs for learning and further learning goals.

Some of the successful PD initiatives reported in the literature have enabled educators to participate in formal and informal learning with peers.  One of ICT's main strengths is its capacity to support informal learning. Self-learning and informal peer-learning are two important mechanisms for obtaining skills and competences. Electronic networks of interests or professions can also provide important platforms to access and share information, to collaborate and collectively develop skills and competences. Collaborative learning in communities of practice around technology and its integration into teaching practice allows educators to share personal knowledge and experiences and allows for individual choice around choosing what they need to learn, as well as building in opportunities for critical reflection (Moriarty 2011; BECTA 2009).

I was a teacher - facilitator in a secondary school ICT PD cluster project a few years ago and many of the challenges described above were those we faced and continue to face in the secondary sector. The lack of time and opportunity for teachers to “get their heads around” new technology applications before being introduced to something new was, and continues to be,  a constant source of complaint and stress - just another thing teachers “have” to do.

At the time of the school’s involvement in the project, there was pressure (as part of a ministry funded project) to produce measureable outcomes in terms of the use of ICT in classrooms, and this saw teachers adding some aspect of technology into teaching practice, in sometimes quite random fashion, in order to get that box ticked.

Since then, however, there has been a move away from whole school PD and “one size fits all” approach, towards the establishment of both inter-school and intra-school learning groups where teachers meet face-to-face and/or online, in groups (chosen by personal interest, or teaching area, or need to know) and work collaboratively to learn about new technology and share expertise and experiences. This year, my group is investigating blogging tools and Facebook as ways of engaging and communicating with students and, the wider community.

However, having sufficient time to consolidate skills, as well as give consideration to the hows and whys of ICT integration into instruction, continues to be a source of frustration. Increasingly, teachers need to spend a considerable amount of time in developing expertise and deeper understandings of digital technologies. Those that do not, are likely to remain at the surface-level adoption stage, distancing themselves even further from their learners’ worlds, as well as sometimes being a negative influence in PD sessions and staff discussions around  ICT integration

References:

Daly,C., Pachler,N., & Pelletier,C, (2009). Continuing professional development in ICT for teachers: A literature review. BECTA Report. Retrieved from WLE Centre: http://www.wlecentre.ac.uk/cms/files/becta/becta-ict-cpd-literaturereview.pdf

Dillon-Marable, E. (2005) Integrating Computers in Adult Basic Skills Education. Putting Research to Work: Practical Strategies for Georgia’s Adult Educators 1 (1): 1-5.Retrieved from http://literacy.myweb.uga.edu/documents/RB_Computers.pdf

Harris, J., & Hofer,M. 2009. Grounded tech integration: An effective approach based on content, pedagogy, and teacher planning. Learning and Leading with Technology 37 (2): 23-25. Retrieved from International Society for Technology Integration: http://www.iste.org

Jacobson, M. (2011). Teaching in a Participatory Digital World. Education Canada 51 (2). Retrieved from Canadian Education Authority: http://www.cea-ace.ca/education-canada/article/teaching-participatory-digital-world

Langille, L. (2004). Adult Literacy Educators’ Perceptions of Technology Integration. Retrieved from National Literacy Adult Database:  http://www.nald.ca/library/research/adtlitti/adtlitti.pdf

Moriarty, M. (2011). Finding Our Way: Digital Technologies and E-Learning for Adult Literacy Students, Educators and Programs Literature Scan: 2005-2011.Retrieved from AlphaPlus website: http://alphaplus.ca/en/web-tools/online-publications-a-reportsgroup1/finding-our-way.html

Mobiles for Learning in Africa...Too Good to be true?

Traxler,J.(2010,3 May) Mobiles for learning in Africa…. Too good to be true?” (video file)

Retrieved from http://unescochair-elearning.uoc.edu/blog/2011/05/03/vii-intl-seminar-john-traxler-mobiles-for-learning-in-africa-too-good-to-be-true/

John Traxler, University of Wolverhampton, depicts the crucial factors of mLearning today. He is a Reader in Mobile Technologies for e-Learning and Director of the Applied Innovative Digital Technologies Research Group at the School of Computing and IT at the University of Wolverhampton

The movement for 'mobile' learning is in some respects a reaction to the limitations of 'static' learning. “Many of us involved in mobile learning think that it takes us further than 'static learning'. We had large, static, and impersonal computers, institutions, and infrastructure in place for eLearning, and now mobile learning gives us learning that can be personal, portable, and flexible”.

In other parts of the world, the mobile learning movement is growing out of different environments. In Africa, mobile learning is partly a way of dealing with the challenges of poor connectivity, mains electricity, and PC availability on the one hand, and on the other hand, has been stimulated by the enormous spread of mobile phones networks. Mobile learning across the world is facing challenges of breaking through from short-term pilots and trials to deployment that is large-scale, sustained, and sustainable, and is equitable, accessible, and inclusive

Traxler’s involvement in a number of projects (such as a  project in Kenya using SMS to support in-service teacher training)has led him to such questions as:

•       How do we reduce one ‘digital divide’ without creating or increasing others?

·         How do we know what to try to change and what to try to preserve when working with local, official, or traditional systems and institutions?

·         How do we strike a balance between short-term outcomes and benefits on the one hand and sustainability and maintainability on the other?

·         How do we define realistic and achievable exit strategies for our projects?

·         How do we transfer and generalise what we learn?

In his conference presentation (see link above) Traxel reminds us that all technologies have embedded ideologies, and sometimes also embedded pedagogies which may put in danger pre-existing (prior to the technological landing) learning communities or systems that may be fragile compared to the steamroller power of technology. A deeper look at the local context, institutions, and needs should be taking place.

On line learning in Australian contexts

This report highlights some of the structural and practical issues around increasing higher education access for all in the Australian context. Although not specifically about adult literacy and numeracy education, it highlights many of the same issues, such as the need to boost on-line delivery of learning, to re-think how we teach and why, and to restructure courses to provide more flexibility for students.

In terms of pedagogy, Elliot believes that we are failing to utilise the  potential digital technology to  enhance teaching flexibility, student participation and interactivity. One of the main reasons for this, according to Elliot, is that our pedagogy is still grounded in the 1960s.

 Elliot believes today’s students want borderless unstructured learning spaces describes four main intersecting strategies that would make learning more accessible to students currently unable to access provision due to barriers such as geographic isolation, employment or family responsibilities. The four strategies suggested are using digital technologies to deliver teaching on-line, changing our  pedagogy including assessment practices, providing more flexibility in course structures and maintaining open attitudes to diversity. Elliot believes digital teaching technologies can  be  means of  improving access and equity in educational opportunities.

Once again, the message is clear – teacher pedagogy needs to change if integration of ICT is to enhance learning opportunities. While technology has the potential to provide learning opportunities outside of institutional settings and traditional structures, educators themselves still need to have an understanding of how to harness the possibilities afforded by the technology to provide the programmes learners seek and in the way they seek them. New e-tools and technologies already provide users with opportunities (via  informal learning) to be self-directed, to collaborate with others  in sharing of knowledge, and to participate in  communities of practice. Many students already use technologies for their own purposes and in doing so are active constructors of knowledge. The challenge for us as educators is to  utilise the capabilities of  ICT technology to facilitate the integration of those  same learning practices within our own context.

Elliot, A. (2011). Increasing higher education access and pathways through ‘normalization’ of flexible pedagogies and course structures. Paper presented at the 2011 Barcelona European Academic Conference, Barcelona, Spain. Retrieved from http://conferences.cluteonline.com/index.php/IAC/2011SP/paper/viewFile/538/545

What is the future of mobile learning?

Mobile learning proponents suggest there are currently two types of learning technology that are coexisting: traditional web and mobile; but that we may soon see convergence or extinction of one as the other takes over.


With the advent of iPad and other tablet devices there is uncertainty as to whether or not these will become the dominant devices of the future. Tablets are more portable than laptops, they still lack the ubiquitous quality of a mobile phone. Users must make a conscious decision to carry a tablet with them whereas mobile phone usage is less deliberate – most people are rarely without them as they fit into a pocket or purse. “This gets to the heart of just-in time learning – a person needs information when they least expect it.”


Comparisons with phones and tablets are even less important when we consider that both are capable of rendering and interacting with the same content with the only difference being screen size. The suggestion then is that, if the content is available and usable on any device, then designing anything device-specific becomes pointless or obsolete.


It is suggested in this article that mobile devices would most likely be considered a performance support tool rather than a learning tool with the contextual nature and immediacy of the mobile device making the true intent really to support rather than to teach. The writer cites an example of workplace training in the chair manufacturing industry. The company previously spent a lot of time teaching sales people volumes of information about sizes, specifications, pricing and inventories. Not only was it challenge to store all the information in paper form it was also difficult for the trainees to remember it all. They found that by putting the information onto handheld devices, it made it readily available, current and easily updated, searchable enabling staff to use these devices with customers. It also increased performance because all of the information became immediate and at the sales peoples’ fingertips.


The writer suggests that in that context, mobile learning may always be considered performance-supporting. The ultimate goal is to deliver necessary information to someone who needs it in the time, place and context they require. Sound familiar?

ASTD stands for the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD)

This article was retrieved from http://www.astd.org/LC/0711_ASTDmobilereport and is an
an excerpt from Mobile Learning; Learning in the palm of your hand (ASTD Research Vol3, no 1). (sorry - no dates or names )

comments on Sanders (2006)

Sanders raises some very important issues regarding use of IT in education. I found myself nodding away as I read (I do that sometimes much to the amusement of anyone observing me at the time) when I reflected on the ICT projects/contracts most secondary schools have undertaken over the past few years. For those not familiar with these..teachers were all issued with laptops and had to undertake professional development within schools and between schools, and with other external providers to learn how to use the computer itself, navigate the web, learn to use the software and other digi tools such as write-one tablets, smart boards.

For many, this was a steep learning curve and because of the funding and the reporting requirements there was a lot of pressure on teachers to produce the goods in terms of demonstrating how they were using the new technology in their teaching. While I understand that we had to start somewhere and that in some instances, nothing would happen without a compliance requirement this process left teachers feeling extremely stressed and negative about the use of digital technologies. Even those who were quite committed to the project, became (and continue to be) frustrated by inconsistent/unreliable/slow internet connections, limited access to computers in classroom teaching, continual introduction of new software and new tools without adequate learning time with what is already there.Overall, all there was little evidence to suggest that students learned any better as a result of introduction of new technologies although teachers reproted increased interest and engagement possibly attributable to the novelty factor and more variety in learning activities.

Essentially, all most of us have done is what Sanders describes as transferring traditional F2F teaching to the web without actually creating anything truly different and better. Teachers do not have the time or the skills to do that (nor I suspect do many adult educators) and still produce the goods they need to in their daily working lives.

We need to be aware that the process of learning the new technology can often interfere with the learning that is the focus of a course especially when we think in terms of adult learners. Many migrant ESOL learners are not familiar with computer technology at all and don't have access to it in their daily lives. Moreover, those in more rural areas have unreliable and slow internet connectivity at best.

While I believe that there are many advantages in using digital technologies in education,there are also obstacles. Our focus must be on the learning and how,and if so, what technology can be used to enhance the learning for any particular learner at any one point in time.

First Post

Hi everyone
I have been away for a few days since this paper started so am enjoying reading all your comments and discussion to date. As I am starting a bit behind the eight ball I will take some time now to look at the readings and your discussion before making comments. I also need to play around with this blog ............could be a long day!