Tag Archives: digital participation

Enhancing Teachers’ Take-up of Digital Content: Factors and Design Principles in Technology Adoption

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The Enhancing_Teacher_Takeup_of_Digital_Content_Report commissioned by Education Services Australia (a merger between Curriculum Corporation and Education.au) and written by Professor Michael Gaffney has recently been published.

The Executive Summary explains:

  • Although digital uptake in schools increasing, many teachers do not use technology in their classroom

To ensure this is changed, the following points are recommended:

1. Contextual factors
1.1 Governments and education authorities have clear goals and policies for adoption.
1.2 The timeline for adoption by governments and education authorities (ie the political timeline) associated with policy development, program delivery and evaluation reflects the timeline for adoption by schools and teachers (ie the educational timeline) associated with finding, assessing relevance, take-up and refinement of the use of digital content.
1.3 Schools have the infrastructure necessary for adoption, including available, suitable and affordable technological tools.
1.4 Teachers and students appreciate the relevance of the digital content and how it relates to the curriculum, and see links to current teaching and learning practices.
2. General change factors
2.1 Leaders in government, education authorities and schools encourage a culture of inquiry and openness to change.
2.2 Government and education authorities provide an appropriate balance of pressure and support for change.
2.3 The capabilities and technical skills of teachers and students are recognised as assets rather than liabilities.
2.4 The technological tools are reliable, useful and aligned with the school culture.

1. Contextual factors

  • 1.1 Governments and education authorities have clear goals and policies for adoption.
  • 1.2 The timeline for adoption by governments and education authorities (ie the political timeline) associated with policy development, program delivery and evaluation reflects the timeline for adoption by schools and teachers (ie the educational timeline) associated with finding, assessing relevance, take-up and refinement of the use of digital content.
  • 1.3 Schools have the infrastructure necessary for adoption, including available, suitable and affordable technological tools.
  • 1.4 Teachers and students appreciate the relevance of the digital content and how it relates to the curriculum, and see links to current teaching and learning practices.

2. General change factors

  • 2.1 Leaders in government, education authorities and schools encourage a culture of inquiry and openness to change.
  • 2.2 Government and education authorities provide an appropriate balance of pressure and support for change.
  • 2.3 The capabilities and technical skills of teachers and students are recognised as assets rather than liabilities.
  • 2.4 The technological tools are reliable, useful and aligned with the school culture.

3. Innovation-specific factors

  • 3.1 Digital content is readily accessible, links with the curriculum, and does what it purports to do.
  • 3.2 There is a clear implementation path for adoption and it is linked to whole-school planning.
  • 3.3 Government and education authorities allocate resources strategically and equitably, and have processes to promote and monitor the use of digital content.
  • 3.4 Teachers and students have the resources to use digital content (including access to hardware and software, ‘how to’ guides, and expert technical and educational support).

4. Systemic factors

  • 4.1 There is awareness and consensus among government, education authorities, school leaders, teachers and students about their philosophy of educational technology and the value of digital content, as well as the means by which the use of such content can benefit students.
  • 4.2 The adoption process is designed and implemented so that the efforts of governments, education authorities, school leaders, teachers and students are aligned (through attention to the contextual, general change, innovation- specific, and systemic factors noted here) to achieve effective integration of digital content into teachers’ pedagogical practice.

This is a must read document (only 26 pages) for all Australian educators interested in raising digital participation in classrooms across the country.

Digital Particpation

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The UK’s FutureLab organisation have produced two informative videos on digital participation in schools.

Running at just over 7 and 9 minutes each, the videos look at incorporating technology into the curriculum in primary and secondary schools respectively.

The most interesting aspect is that students appear on camera to give their feedback on what they had been learning and why they liked using specific technologies. Teachers explain how teaching styles were different and how students excelled by using technologies not normally used is the classroom. The fact of students using technologies outside of the classroom (at home) was also acknowledged.

Components of digital literacies such as

  • Creativity
  • Critical thinking and evaluation
  • Cultural and social understanding
  • Collaboration
  • Finding and selecting information
  • Effective communication
  • E-safety
  • Functional skills

were discussed. Well worth viewing.

Reading and Writing the World: School Libraries as Sponsors of Transliteracy

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Let’s begin with what is transliteracy? Watch this video for a definition.

So looking at that definition, we really need students to be transliterate. The brilliant Buffy Hamilton has agreed to share her presentation on how school libraries can help students become transliterate:

This visually stunning and thought provoking presentation signals exactly where school libraries come in:
  • Transliteracy is the ability to read, write and interact across a range of platforms, tools and media from signing and orality through handwriting, print, TV, radio and film to digital social networks (slide 16)
  • Participatory librarianship is about inviting and creating spaces for inviting and engaging participation sparking conversations, knowledge construction and creation (slides 21-24).

Many pertinent examples of ways that school libraries can support transliteracy are included and all are important and achievable. It may take time for everything to come together in your school library. It may mean little steps with one or two colleagues. But one or two steps forward at a time soon turns into a run when students become inspired by creating and publishing digital objects. You can read more about this topic at the Libraries and Transliteracy blog.

Thanks to Buffy Hamilton for sharing her work. It is also worthwhile accessing Buffy’s Unquiet Librarian blog.