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
Great post Jude. I agree, it's time to embrace technology and live in the world of our youth. I've found it hard to change i.e. basically resisting technology and being proud of my stance! pretty ridiculous when I think of it. But my eyes have been opened.
ReplyDeleteReally interesting and will get article - thank you. Re 12 week semesters - she has a good point. We used to study one paper for a whole year - great thinking time - but we would find it too long now. Academics complained about condensing a year's work into 12 weeks. I guess Elliot is thinking you could do it at your own pace - "using digital technologies to deliver teaching on-line;", but delivery means a transmission model - self paced learning from computer based modules, which have never worked. It also means learning in isolation, as everyone is going at their own pace. It's a great idea, how can we reconceptualise it to take into account all of the learning methods we believe in?
ReplyDeleteReally like the Bear vs salmon videos. Great idea to have a lol after reading and posting a comment!
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