|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
HUMAN LEARNING -
NATURAL DRIFT TO LOOSE COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Entered
20/02/2003 HUMAN
LEARNING -UK STUDY FINDS LITTLE BENEFIT IN COMPUTER-AIDED LEARNING Despite £1 billion investment in supplying England's schools with computer terminals and internet connection, in some subjects national test scores have fallen, causing increasing concern. -
UK Study comissioned by the Department of Education, project managed
by British Educational Communications and Technology
Agency who hired independent academic consultants
to undertake the study. Key Findings 'No
consistent relationship between computer use and English marks improved 'a meagre three marks', due more to word processing usage than anything else. Science marks declined with computers used in classroom by 11-year-olds. Foreign languages, where computer usage was lowest, made the greatest progress -eight tenths of a grade. Simply low usage rate of computers in school classrooms and school study areas:
Researchers were dismayed at how little computers were in practice used at GCSE level. ____________________________________________ - DEBRIEF - ICT cannot be said to be an 'ineffective learning tool.' It has shown a positive yet insignificant association in improving student grades so far. However, the 'quantity' of ICT usage alone does not equate to better student grades. The researchers are realising that the missing variable in the study was the quality of computer usage, not so much the frequency. They concluded that, 'It therefore seems likely that the type of use is all important.' The researchers suggest that furthering ICT skills amongst teachers could well improve the way ICT is used amongst their students, thereby providing the right type and depth of teaching interventions. One could also say that as students become more versatile with ICT-aided learning they too will assist their own grade improvement. One could also say that 'the tribe has spoken' and that ICT for the student has been personally evaluated and found limiting in their overall knowledge acquisition needs ! Nevertheless, the Education Editor of a major UK newspaper is rightly unsympathetic at government efforts to improve learners' standards through additional ICT resources. The cost to benefit ratio has to date been poor. I would like to think that researchers will move to the next phase and further carefully examine the quality of skills in all participants. The implications for workplace training are significant. If the dedicated education system that a country like the UK prides itself on can't get it right, then training professionals in corporations who have substantially less expertise in people development (!) would certainly not get it right by just dumping an e-learning system in front of employees and hoping for the best ! Yet,
many organisations seem to be making the same mistake. Making
it available does not translate into making it useable and making
it productive !!! I have a tennis racquet in the corner of my room... but that does not make me a better tennis player. It's BOTH the quantity and quality of my tennis court practice that makes the difference. Without the requisite proper work practices, an isolated e-learning system continues to collect dust ! Vendors must assist organisations with formal HR policies in areas of Staff Development and not leave it to other internal or external professionals. Monthly online learning tools usage must be part of each employee's job description. It has got to be 'part of the business.'
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
TOP
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
