As I am finishing my degree and looking into a future career in education technology, I am inspired and intrigued by the many ways in which technology will shift and transform the way we teach and learn for generations to come. Since I will likely be working on the development and user interface side of new technologies, I am particularly interested in exploring new and innovative approaches that have the potential to reinvent the roles of teachers as well as the role of formal education in general. While we have been using technology in the classroom for many years now, much of what is being done is simply reinforcing traditional pedagogical models and practices (e-books, online lectures, etc.) and therefore cannot truly be viewed as transformative. Instead of exploring these further, I would like to improve my understanding of the ways that teaching and learning have evolved over time and how we can transform education to meet the needs of students today.
As educators, it is our role to help prepare our students to be active, engaged, and informed citizens that are prepared to work and live in their communities. With the evolution of technology, the skills and knowledge required to do so are constantly under debate and are changing so rapidly that it feels impossible to keep up. Our students are now expected to not only retain information but to also develop 21st century learning skills that will help them participate in a more globalized, ever-changing economy and society. These same students will also become the next generation of leaders that will be challenged with developing innovative approaches to address the many goals we need to be working toward on a global scale. As Reimers states, “it is up to educators now to work with our students in making our schools more relevant, around the world, so they truly do what they have always been meant to do, to prepare students to build a future that is better than the present, to truly improve the world” (Reimers, 2016). In order to do that, it is critical that our schools parallel the environment our students will be living and working in. With the emergence of ubiquitous computing, this involves blending formal education with the ubiquitous learning that students are pursuing on their own every day.
What is Ubiquitous Learning?
Ubiquitous learning is the idea that we can learn anywhere at any time, that all learning is meaningful and impactful, and that all formal and informal learning can be interconnected and/or simultanous. It stems from the term “ubiquitous computing”, which refers to the computing devices that we have and carry with us on an everyday basis that have allowed us to transcend the physical constraints of spaces such as computer labs, offices, etc. in order to access our technology. Ubiquitous learning is therefore associated very closely with the use of personal devices, wearable devices, etc. However, ubiquitous learning does not necessarily have to involve constant use of technology; instead it relies on the immediacy and permanency of access to learning materials and the ability to encounter learning in an interactive and collaborative way within the context in which it is relevant at any given time. (Peters, M. 2009, Bruce, B. 2009) People have always learned outside of the classroom in an abundance of informal learning environments; the difference now is that we have constant and ever-present access to information, learning communities, expert input, assessment and support, etc. that allows us to rethink what constitutes formal vs. informal learning.
In the video below, Dr. Cope and Dr. Kalantzis explain this idea further:
While this concept is evolving and changing, it is not necessarily a new idea. In 1939, Harold Benjamin "imagined a 'saber-tooth curriculum' ...based on teaching students skills that were useful in the Stone Age but are no longer needed in the modern world. Even though the skills are irrelevant to present-day life, they are still taught, and then justified on the grounds that they foster the development of skills that might carry over to life. He argued that education should be reactive and relevant to the world students are living in rather than separated and supplementary." (Bruce, 2009; pgs. 21-22) Similarly, John Dewey envisioned a school where students could blend their formal education with their life outside of school. The image below demonstrates what Dewey described:
(Bruce, 2009; pg. 23)
In Dewey's time, however, there was not sufficient technology to seamlessly integrate these learning experiences. The tools, materials, etc. used inside the school did not parallel those used outside and therefore the school would have needed to change drastically to make this vision a reality. (Bruce, 2009)
Today, however, our tools are beginning to become so ubiquitous that this seamless integration may be much easier to accomplish. Just today, I used the same device to write this paper, map my way to an appointment with a colleague, take notes on the meeting we had together, research and track my workout, and access support for a family member in need. I learned something new in all of these activities and the documentation and resources to support that learning are all still at my fingertips, available immediately and permanently. This has become the norm and is only continuing to evolve. The following video from Microsoft gives us a glimpse into how technological innovations will continue to influence the ways in which we connect and collaborate in the future:
As we can see in the world all around us, people with access to ubiquitous computing are already participating in informal ubiquitous learning. People learn by accessing videos online, reading articles, participating in games and online forums, or engaging in what Twidale (2009) calls Over The Shoulder Learning (OTSL), which can "veer unpredictably between teaching, collaborative problem solving, and co-discovery." (pg. 86). While this is true, our current education system does not support or parallel this type of learning and thus creates a divide between our formal and informal education streams and ultimately, our education and our everyday lives. Therefore, in order to truly prepare our students for life after high school or to help them connect their education to their current interests and experiences, we need to rethink our approach.
Applications
When it comes to applications in the classroom, I believe that we have the potential to truly transform what formal education looks like and what the role of teachers and schools are in the learning experience. The reality is that ubiquitous computing is not going anywhere, so it is crucial that we react to the ever-changing influences that it has on student's motivations and learning styles. Specifically, Peters (2009) mentions a new learning style brought on by wireless handheld devices that may influence the teacher's role in supporting students in the 21st century:
This new learning style "promotes 'fluency in multiple media' where 'each medium, moreover, is valued for the types of communication, activities, experiences, and expressions it empowers, evading functional fixedness and over-reliance on one preferred medium.' Further, these new learning styles 'capture learning based on collectively seeking, sieving, and synthesizing experiences rather than individually locating and absorbing information from a single best source' and 'value active learning based on experience (real and simulated) that includes frequent opportunities for reflection' (Dieterle et al. 2007, pg. 53). ” (pg. 64)
This, of course, requires a skillset that is not always emphasized in current curricula or in education technology in general. However, if we effectively utilize technology in learning, we can help students “to collaborate, communicate, negotiate, think critically, and gain multiple perspectives through dialogic co-construction of meaning with individuals from different cultures” (Gibson, Rimmington, & Landwehr-Brown, 2008, p. 12).
I recently took a course with Professor Burbules, where he described a new model of a school as a "hub" with spokes in all directions where students could participate in other learning opportunities (coffee shop, home, library, construction site, etc.). In some ways, it looked similar to Dewey's model, except with the technology to support it. In this model, the school is a space to connect and collaborate and the teachers are available as guides and resources to help students filter through information, prioritize projects, expand their perspectives, and challenge their biases. The school would value all learning opportunities equally and the technology would provide the necessary tools to tie all these learning experiences together in a meaningful way. As Yang (2006) describes, "the ubiquitous learning environment provides an interoperable, pervasive, and seamless learning architecture to connect, integrate, and share three major dimensions of learning resources: learning collaborators, learning contents, and learning services" (pg. 188). In my mind, this looks a lot like the graphic below:
Limitations and Considerations
While I believe in the potential of ubiquitous learning, I will also acknowledge that there are many concerns, limitations, and considerations that need to be addressed when considering such a drastic change to the way we conduct our formal education practices. As Burbules and Callister (2000) warn, there is need for “a ‘post-technocratic’ perspective: that is, one that takes seriously the limitations of any technology to do what we want without simultaneously doing things we do not want” (Burbules and Callister, 2000). Similarly, Peters (2009) brings to attention that "ubiquitous learning offers great possibilities but also presents uncharted educational dangers; its technological forms and corporate development must also be subjected to wider philosophical scrutiny and its emergence, development, and adoption in public education must proceed with an understanding of wider questions developed from philosophy and political economy." (Peters, 2009, pg. 69) A few of the most critical concerns that come to mind for me in my research are: lack of stakeholder buy-in, insufficient or inequitable infrastructure development, lack of regard for privacy and control, and the abandonment of personal connections and in-person collaborations.
First and foremost, for any educational innovation to be successful, we must believe in its power and be willing to embrace it with an open mind. It is always easiest to rely on practices we have always done or to shy away from technological shifts that seem scary or overwhelming. However, without teacher, administration, parent, and student buy-in, these practices are sure to fail. Therefore, we must start by exploring our options, discussing potential downfalls, and addressing any concerns. Making a shift like this would require a significant loss of control over the classroom and will therefore be extremely challenging. In order for there to be any success, there must be ongoing training and support so that teachers feel as if they are safe in their pursuits of uncharted territory.
Second, there must be infrastructure to support this type of learning environment. The following graphic and website provide further information regarding infrastrucure needs:
https://tech.ed.gov/netp/infrastructure/
With infrastructure design, we must also be dilligent in our efforts to promote equity whenever possible with regard to access to this type of educational technology. Otherwise, we could continue to further performance gaps that already exist by adding an additional barrier to success.
Along the same lines with regard to equity, we also need to remain aware of the power and control that can severely influence educational practices in the name of capitalism, conformity, and the maintenance of existing power structures. As Peters (2009) mentions,"Ubiquitous learning cannot be considered outside its relationship to informational or digital capitalism;" and "the question, therefore, of who owns and designs mobile learning systems is of paramount political and philosophical importance, for 'how a system is designed will affect the freedoms and control the system enables' (Lessig 2001, 35)" (Peters, 2009, pg. 65). In order to counterbalance this, there will need to be equitable representation and consideration for all communities so that all learner's needs are met and so that privacy concerns are not violated in the process.
Lastly, with more digitization of learning, collaboration, and communication, there are emerging concerns regarding interpersonal relationships, personal connections, and embodied interactions with the world and with each other. If ubiquitous learning is used to design models in which students only interact online and/or participate in independent learning paths that do not involve human interaction, we could be on a path toward further isolation and disconnect. However, this does not have to be the case. There are many ways that people interact and support each other online that sometimes are more meaningful than those that occur in person, and "as long as we continue to affirm our bodies, the Net can be useful to us in spite of its tendency to offer the worst of a series of asymmetric trade-offs: economy over efficiency in education, the virtual over the real in our relation to things and people, and anonymity over commitment in our lives. (Dreyfus 2001, 106–7)" (Peters, 2009, pg. 67) Again, it all comes down to attention and awareness of how these new practices are implemented and how they are influencing ourselves and our learners.
Conclusion
Overall, I truly believe that modeling education after real-world life and work is clearly beneficial to our students and more and more so lately, that includes the use of ubiquitous technology. When I look back on my formal education, I know my experiences in the classroom were not always useful for my life and I found myself frequently questioning the necessity of certain lessons or activities. I still to this day will argue that the best lessons I ever learned in school were the ones in which I was asked to collaborate, innovate, communicate, problem-solve, etc because those skills transcended any knowledge I forgot over time. As Tony Wagner explains in his TED Talk, the world is no longer concerned about what we know, but what we do with what we know. I believe that ubiquitous learning has the potential to help us grow these skills and to develop into lifelong learners who feel connected and engaged in the learning we choose to participate in and see value in the learning that we must participate in. I acknowledge the fears and concerns that many have regarding a shift like this one, but ubiquitous learning is happening whether we choose to acknowledge it or not and I believe that as long as we are intentional in our design, we can use it to rebuild our education system into one that is meaningful, relevant, and transformative.
References
Bruce, B. (2009). Ubiquitous Learning, Ubiquitous Computing, and Lived Experience. In Cope B. & Kalantzis M. (Eds.), Ubiquitous Learning (pp. 21-30). University of Illinois Press. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.proxy2.library.illinois.edu/stable/10.5406/j.ctt1xcnks.6
Gibson, K.L., Rimmington, G.M. & Landwehr-Brown, M. (2008). Developing Global Awareness and Responsible World Citizenship With Global Learning, Roeper Review, 30:1, 11-23, DOI: 10.1080/02783190701836270
Peters, M. (2009). Notes toward a Political Economy of Ubiquitous Learning. In Cope B. & Kalantzis M. (Eds.), Ubiquitous Learning (pp. 62-71). University of Illinois Press. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.proxy2.library.illinois.edu/stable/10.5406/j.ctt1xcnks.9
Copy
Reimers, F. (2016, July 21). Empowering Global Citizens to Improve the World. Huffington Post. Retrieved August 6, 2018, from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/fernando-reimers/empowering-global-citizen_b_11099352.html
Twindale, M. (2009). From Ubiquitous Computing to Ubiquitous Learning. In Cope B. & Kalantzis M. (Eds.), Ubiquitous Learning(pp. 72-90). University of Illinois Press. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.proxy2.library.illinois.edu/stable/10.5406/j.ctt1xcnks.10
Yang, S.J.H. (2006). Context Aware Ubiquitous Learning Environments for Peer-to-Peer Collaborative Learning. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 9(1), 188-201. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.proxy2.library.illinois.edu/stable/jeductechsoci.9.1.188