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September 28, 2021

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Liberating effect of tech in education

THIRDCENTURY BC philosopher Xunzi once wrote, “Not having heard of it is not as good as having heard of it. Hav­ing heard of it is not as good as having seen it. Having seen it is not as good as knowing it. Knowing it is not as good as putting it into practice.”

While Xunzi was speaking primarily of the Confucian way of life, the act of cementing one’s learning by putting it into practice is certainly not a novel con­cept in the realm of education. Adults the world over may remember with varying levels of fondness the various dissections that took place in their biol­ogy classes, the history trips to ancient ruins, or the journeys to local sites of interest to collect data for geographical analysis. Mathematics lessons may have involved venturing out into the wider school community to measure the di­mensions of various spaces, while many of the arts and other STEAM-inclusive (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) subjects are by dint of their very nature full to the brim of practical learning activities.

With the world of educational tech­nology rapidly shifting, accelerated further by the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent moves to online and hybrid learning systems, these practical expe­riences and subsequent cementing of knowledge in students have taken on new and exciting forms.

With a class set of virtual reality headsets, for example, teachers are no longer constrained by budget, time or pandemic-induced travel restrictions. Suddenly, the world is quite literally at our students’ fingertips. They can wan­der the lively streets of Pompeii and see for themselves how the home of an aris­tocrat may have looked, and then feel the fear at the distant sounds of an erupting Mt Vesuvius — and live to tell the tale. Physics students can don their headsets — or perhaps a 3D-printed casing for their mobile phone that will give them an equivalent VRexperience — and cre­ate a detailed simulation to test theories that may be difficult or even impossible to create in the classroom. And where else could a student perform open heart surgery at the tender age of eleven if not in the virtual world? Entire universes of new experiences are available, and now more than ever students can put their learning into practice.

Even better, advances in modern tech­nology aren’t just limited to enhancing the practical learning experiences of our students. Teachers and support staff now have a myriad of tools in their hands enabling them to support their students on a more personal level than was ever possible. Students who might once have been left behind due to difficulties with auditory processing can benefit from having live subtitles appear on a slide­show, while EAL pupils can scan a QRcode to benefit from these same auto­matic subtitles appearing in their own language on their mobile device.

Digital wellbeing

Artificial intelligence can diagnose literacy difficulties in children much earlier than may have been previously possible. This is done without adding to a teacher’s workload, often even re­ducing the need for time spent on data collection. In turn, teachers can dedi­cate more time to using collected data in meaningful ways, such as planning interventions and developing even more personalized learning pathways.

And what about wellbeing?

Technology is often seen as the harbin­ger of doom when it comes to wellbeing. Tales abound of the negative effects of too much screentime, or of the way cy­berbullies can now digitally chase their victims home, leaving little time for mental reprieve. Yet among the difficul­ties that modern students face, we see more technology companies recognizing the need to support digital wellbeing. Imagine being able to monitor what your children look at on their devices — not checking website by website, like some modern-day Big Brother, but checking if they are searching for mental health support or something more concern­ing. What about their screentime — or your own? What if your device could keep track of how much you use it, the amount of time spent on responding to emails outside of dedicated work hours, and even recommend “focus hours” where all of your notifications are muted so you can focus on getting your tasks done? Advances in technology benefit us all; not only teaching our students about time management and positive digital wellbeing, but also doing the same as their teachers and other support staff, and perhaps even their parents as well.

Well-known technology and gaming companies are quickly recognizing the benefits of shifting toward education, benefiting students who are likely al­ready using their products while once again supporting the adage that true knowledge comes only with practice. Game platforms have been adapted to address educational needs and enhance education, often releasing the “Education Edition” and removing combat and nar­rative, to replace this with character-led guided tours and museum-style exhibits. Rather than remaining a tool of enter­tainment, students can learn through play, once again going deeper than previ­ously would have been possible.

Modern classrooms are a far cry from those of old. Traditional lessons may have given students a firm foundation in knowledge, with certain subjects lending themselves better to practical elements, but never before have students had the opportunities that modern tech­nology provides them. No longer are we teaching our students how to merely understand the world around them: 21st century learners are learning how to in­teract with the world, past and present, preparing to enter a world filled with opportunities and technologies we can’t yet imagine.

It simply starts with education tech­nology: Where we end up is a future even the most advanced data can’t predict.

(Amelia Rubin is an education technology coach at Dulwich College Shanghai Puxi.)




 

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