The instant nature of this medium has revolutionised telecommunications and has brought about a quality of "pervasive play" where accessing screen content becomes immersive and "identity-forming" Wilson & Thang (2007. p. 946). Generating meaning is 'game-like' and hence attractive to youth cultures internationally.
Press campaigns typified by reports such as this one appearing in the Brisbane Times in January 2010,
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/lifestyle/back-to-school/technology-in-the-classroom-20100119-mhn3.html contend that incorporating mobile media and other cutting edge technologies in the education process is now essential to academic success.
This piece discusses digitization of the classroom including the breakthrough trial of mobile media in West Australian public schooling. Students and teachers can access free online learning materials in a range of electronic formats using mobile media in the classroom. The goal is to make the learning process more appealing and entertaining for users by assimilating their informal information gathering techniques. Other positive benefits cited include the enabling of national and global communication with other school communities and the ability of educators to streamline their evaluation with online assessment tools.
The report glowingly describes what technologies the contemporary classroom will deploy and how but where is the evidence or explanation of exactly how the deployment of this technology will improve academic results. Without evidence the claim of nexus between the tool and the achievement is speculative and invokes Monty Pythonesque images of the machine that goes ‘bing’, looks mod, but what does it do? While engaging youth with motivating lessons using Web 2.0 technology is positive, my concern is that articles like this create unrealistic expectations in the school community. The promise of better, easier achievement on the back of the introduction of miracle technologies is uncertain.
"Our society tends toward a breathless techno-enthusiasm" (Else, 2006) where we have unprecedented access to information but take less time to think about the complexity and relevance of digital messages. Information overload or "data smog" (Shenk 1997) caused by infinite messages require teachers to assist their students with deciphering authentic and relevant sources. The issue of deciphering and authenticating information sources made available by new digital media is not addressed in the article.
Respondents harbour other reservations. For example, Thoughtspace (22 January, 2010) who wrote:
"This seems a staggeringly expensive resource and energy wasting compared to existing methods" I read into this comment a concern about cost shifting. that is, shifting the cost of accessing learning materials onto the consumer in the form of purchasing mobile media devices and their attendant internet access cost. This may not be equitable as not all families will be able to afford these costs. I share this concern but note that earlier more tangible learning materials were not always affordable to some families.
Blaming teachers for lack of technical skills and professional development is a common catch cry by the public, academics and media commentators. This is also expressed in the Comments of the news article. Professional development is available, frequent and a requirement of teacher registration in Queensland. Many teachers have competent computer skills, the problem has been with the maintenance of equipment and the buildings that were not equipped for the infrastructure of the technology. For example, prior to the DER and Building Education Revolution (BER), in 2008, my classroom was not able to be cabled for my Interactive White Board to access the Internet so this device was reduced to being a data projector. Access to maintenance personnel is limited in the state school system with computer technicians contracted to service up to five schools in one district. This results in once-a-week visits to repair equipment.
Thoughtspace comments about the redundancy of technologies and the constant need to upgrade facilities and appliances due to latest technological innovations. This is an expensive but one could say a necessary step in order to be part of a digital economy. Evidence of the need to upgrade is reflected by educational institutions such as Queensland University of Technology, Education Queensland and private sector schools rebuilding their libraries in 2010 to accomodate wireless technology.
The positive point of the news article cited is that the DER and the BER that was instituted by the Federal Labor government have assisted public schools to upgrade their facilities to accommodate twenty-first century technology. The longevity of these technology tools and the maintenance of these gadgets remains problematic.
References:
Aguado, J. & Martinez, I. (2007) From mobile phones to mobile media:Current developments in mobile phone-based cultural consumption Mobile Media 2007 University of Sydney, NSW, Quest Publishing Services. p 47
Baron, N. (2008) Always On: Language in an Online and Mobile World Oxford University Press, London, UK.
Else L. (2006) I'll have to ask my friends Interview with Sherry Turkle New Scientist. London. Sept 16-22, Vol. 191, Iss. 2569: pp. 48-49
Shenk, D. (1997). Data Smog: Surviving the information glut Harper Collins Publishers. New York, USA.
Wilson T. & Thang F. (2007) The hermeneutic circle of cellphone use: four universal moments in a Malaysian narrative of continuing contact Sage Publications, Los Angeles, CA Vol 9 (6);pp. 945-963