Design Rationale

In the words of Ken Robinson, as educators,

          'Our task is to educate their (our students) whole being so they can face the future. 

We may not see the future, but they will and our job is to help them make something of it.'

This statement holds true for educators throughout history, but in the 21st Century, a time of rapid technological and social change, our perspective on how to achieve this task needs to evolve. With the ability to be immersed in anywhere, anytime learning, and construction of knowledge through collaborative, social networking as key characteristics of learning in the digital age, 'our ability to learn what we need for tomorrow is more important than what we know today' (Siemens, 2005).

These considerations provided the premise for my presentation: that e-learning will enable the students we teach to develop the skills needed to flourish in the ever changing era as well as be prepared for the changes yet to come. Contemporary learners create, investigate and communicate with ICT, while applying social and ethical protocols when using ICT (Queensland Government, 2012, adapted from MCEETYA, 2005). The importance of these skills and ways of working are evident in the Australian Curriculum, with ICT capability being identified as one of the general capabilities on which the curriculum has been based (ACARA, 2013). From the detail within the organising elements of the ICT capability, it was evident that, for the use of new and emerging technologies to be effective, there needs to be a change in pedagogy towards using Web 2.0 tools to transform the educational environment. Digital tools have now been available for a considerable time, but with the recognition of user collaboration as a key element of Web 2.0 tools, it is important to recognise that 'the importance of the ‘C’ in ICT: communication (of ideas, concepts, methods, practices, knowledge) is
a fundamental component of the kinds of pedagogies that link closely to embedded, integrated uses of e-Learning, and link to positive achievement outcomes for students over time' (Wright, 2010).

The main message of my presentation, that digital pedagogy needs to be embraced and embedded in all learning environments for the benefit of students and teachers, is extremely relevant for my current context. Many classrooms utilise various forms of digital technology for a range of tasks. The Australian Curriculum and Education Queensland C2C resources provide extensive digital/online learning tasks. Most schools have purchased a wide range of digital tools. Yet having access to resources and tools doesn't automatically improve student outcomes and prepare our students for contemporary learning. The next step is to support educators to use these tools and skills to transform the learning environment. The IMPACT Model developed by Glen Watt (Brisbane School of Distance Education, 2010) provides a framework that focuses on learning outcomes rather than the tools as the guiding principle of lesson design for educational online projects. By providing the opportunity for students and teachers to be involved in educational programs such as Project 600, it is possible to support teachers to develop digital pedagogy, as a key component of these projects is to build the capacity of teachers as well as improve student learning outcomes.

By supporting teachers through the process of developing an understanding of e-Learning and moving towards 'a way of working with ICT' (O'Neill, Kember and Heffernan, 2008), successful pedagogical change is more likely to be successful. As Couros (2013) states 'Innovation will come from our ideas for teaching and learning, not from a technology.' In this way, we can prepare our students for a future that can't be imagined.


References

Robinson, K. Aronica, L. 2009, The element, how finding your passion changes everything, Viking Adult, retrieved 20th Sept 2013 from http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/43940.Ken_Robinson

Siemens, G (2005). Connectivism: a learning theory for the digital age, International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, p.6, retrieved 25th Aug 2013, http://www.itdl.org/Journal/Jan_05/article01.htm

Queensland Government (2012), A contemporary effective learner, retrieved 17th Sept 2013 from 
https://classroomconnections.eq.edu.au/topics/Documents/2012/september/engaging-and-challenging-students.pdf

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (2013), General capabilities in the australian curriculum, pp. 60-61, retrieved 20th Sept 2013 from www.acara.edu.au

Wright, N (2010), e-Learning and implications for new zealand schools: a literature review, p. 39, Ministry of Education, New Zealand, retrieved 22nd Sept 2013 from www.educationcounts.govt.nz/publications

Couros, G (2013), Leading innovative change series – learning first, technology second, blog post, retrieved Sept 19 2013 from http://georgecouros.ca/blog/archives/4110