罗伯•奥尔, executive director of Virgin Media Business, explains why edtech doesn’t necessarily require radical change to make a positive difference to learning
每年, schools spend vast amounts of money on enhancing the education technology at their disposal, a process that is leading to seismic shifts in the classroom. Textbooks – once a classroom staple – appear to be on the way out after Pearson, one of the world’s largest education companies, announced that it will be phasing out print textbooks and moving its resources to digital platforms.
The education company’s move is yet another example of how technology is changing the classroom. It is facilitating a shift from a more traditional, instructional structure of teaching towards collaborative, 交互式学习.
Students are unlikely to be phased by this news. Printed textbooks – particularly those necessary for higher education courses – can often be expensive and hard to find. 作为数字原住民, today’s students are comfortable using on-demand subscription services for their entertainment needs, so it makes sense for educational tools to be accessed in the same manner. 此外, the digitisation of these tools has the potential to transform the process of everyday learning, improving collaboration and enhancing accessibility to the latest learning materials.
Immersing the classroom through connectivity
New technology isn’t just driving a shift towards online resources, it’s also facilitating new immersive experiences, 如提供的 两代情. This British technology company launched ClassVR in 2018, a range of virtual reality (VR) headsets designed specifically for use in the classroom.
通过VR教具, pupils can experience famous historical buildings such as the Colosseum in all their ancient glory. Technology can breathe new life into the classroom and unlock students’ imagination. 然而, 如果不包含在内, the technology will only extend the void between advantaged and disadvantaged pupils.We need to ensure that every pupil is benefitting from the classroom of tomorrow. We must strive to make technology the great educational leveller, raising standards of education for pupils regardless of background. That means ensuring the latest educational technology is available to all students, 不管他们在哪里上学.
New connectivity infrastructure should be scalable, 考虑到未来的考验, so that educational institutions are ready for the technological demands that each new generation of students may throw at them.
改变不一定是破坏性的
2018年8月, 时任教育部长, Damian希德, challenged the technology industry to launch an “education revolution” for schools, 大专院校. The terminology used by the minister may have inadvertently caused teachers to worry that Silicon Valley startups were about to invade their classrooms. But technological change doesn’t have to be disruptive; it can cut costs and increase accessibility.
One way this happens is through improving connectivity. Aside from providing the basic connections all schools need, enhancing connectivity can directly support the use of innovative technology like augmented and virtual reality, live streaming and one-to-one student-to-device ratios in the classrooms. Educators must ensure the correct infrastructure is in place to support digital learning materials and maximise the pupil experience.
这种改变不一定是激进的. 它可以是增量的. New connectivity infrastructure should be scalable, 考虑到未来的考验, so that educational institutions are ready for the technological demands that each new generation of students may throw at them.
正在取得进展
The good news is that these improvements are already underway. LGfL is more than doubling the capacity of its Ignite National Education Network to transform capacity at thousands of schools. 多于1.2 million school children at approximately 3,000 schools across the UK are set to benefit from connection speeds of up to 1000Mbps at no additional cost. Moves like this ensure schools are ready to embrace the potential of digital learning and help prepare students for a digital world.
Getting the underlying networks right and ensuring the correct foundations are in place – in a way that’s accessible to all – is crucial to ensuring the classroom revolution transforms learning experiences across the country.