A Journey of Networking Learners Down Under: A Reflection on the Evolution of ICT in Western Australian Primary Schools Sue Trinidad Curtin University of Technology PO BOX U1987 Perth 6001
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Abstract The cost of owning a computer has fallen to a level that most Australians can afford (54% of Australian homes have a computer) with the computer becoming a necessary tool, as ubiquitous as the telephone, as Australians enthusiastically embrace the Internet. While the commercial and home computing markets have moved dramatically in the last two decades, research shows that teachers’ adoption of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) into our classrooms is still by the ‘innovators’ and ‘early adopters,’ not the majority of teachers. This paper reflects on the use of ICT in Western Australian primary school classrooms aligning this evolution with the vision teachers must develop on their journey to use ICT effectively into mainstream teaching and learning. .
Introduction The use of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) is being taken very seriously by governments and education systems around the world. Australia is spending an estimated $AUD200 million annually in the education systems to raise the ICT skills of Australians and move towards the information economy (Trinitas 2000). This is testament to the importance being placed on education and training in the use of ICTs and the setting of high priorities to improve learning outcomes to prepare young people for the information economy of the 21st century. Australia’s school systems are moving into a new phase in the diffusion of innovations (Rogers 1995) from a focus on ‘early adopters’ and enthusiasts to the mainstream use of technology, but as one national Australian report states: If schools’ transformation is to succeed, schools and education authorities will have to concentrate energy and resources on the majority from here on – ‘making it easier for all teachers’ (and others) to adapt to new learning environments and ways of doing things. This in turn requires that existing networks, services and infrastructure will have to take greater account of a wider range of users and their needs. (LifeLong Learning Associates 1999)
Copyright © 2002, Australian Computer Society, Inc. This paper was presented at the Seventh World Conference on Computers in Education, Copenhagen, July 29–August 3, 2001. Reproduction for academic, not-for profit purposes permitted provided this text is included.
Ten years after the previous injection of government funds t he Western Australian government through its funding to schools is trying to actively encourage the mainstream adoption of ICTs into schools. All schools are now connected to the Internet and must reach the government required computer to student ratios by 2002. This has involved a commitment of $AUD120 million in a move to encourage schools with ICT uptake into the 21st century. This initiative was in line with a number of other Australian states (Trinidad 1998) and has been the impetus for schools to take a fresh look at investing in ICT and setting up the necessary infrastructure needed to support such use. In 1997, $AUD20 million was used to provide a computer and Internet connection to every Western Australian school. One teacher from every school participated in the ‘Internet in the Curriculum Train the Trainer’ inservice courses, then those teachers in turn trained the staff within their own schools to use the Internet. This money also funded 23 technology focus schools and 100 innovative teachers and their projects. Each of these project teams or individuals had to provide professional development in an attempt to disseminate ICT best practice examples to other schools. In 1998 the Western Australian government committed an additional $AUD100 million to help all Western Australian schools reach the ratio of one computer to five students in secondary schools and one computer to ten students in the primary schools. These computers must not be older than four years by 2002. To receive this funding every school had to provide a comprehensive five year technology plan that included professional development of staff. An online technology resource has been set up for teachers (see http://www.eddept.edu.au/centoff/tisp/) which complements the paper based resources sent out to schools four times a year to help teachers implement the technology in classrooms. Annual audits of teacher competencies commenced in 1999 and show that Western Australian teachers have not reached mainstream adoption of ICT into classrooms. Western Australian teachers remain teacher-centred with adequate access to learning technologies, although of such technologies, just over one third, are still concentrated in dedicated rooms in many schools. A small group of teachers (9%) consider they have achieved leadership status and are able to assist other staff to adopt a higher degree of integration into their teaching and learning programs. Although the vast majority of teachers surveyed (90%) have undertaken professional development activity in the use of learning technologies
at their own or their schools’ instigation (EDWA 2000), with over 50% of the teachers surveyed believing they have the basic ICT skills, in excess of 50% of teachers do not believe they have had enough professional development targeted towards expected use of learning technologies in the teaching and learning programs within their schools. As Western Australian primary schools are becoming ‘technology rich’ the teacher audit statistics highlight that successful ICT uptake is more than simply putting ‘boxes on desks.’ Teachers must progress through a journey to instigate real change in their teaching styles and adopt ICT into their classrooms. There is a need to ‘make it easier for all teachers’ to adapt to new learning environments and ways of doing things. It is also important to build communities of learners who, through the infrastructure, can get help and ‘just in time’ professional development (Williams 1998) to help in their journey of using technology. The argument put forth in this paper is that it does take time for a teacher to complete this journey and to develop a vision of what can be done with ICT. Very often this vision is developed first with the personal use of ICT, then further developed with appropriate professional development providing good models of best practice that allow the teachers to further develop their vision and continue the journey necessary to integrate ICT fully into their classrooms.
The Journey a Teacher Must Travel As long term projects like the Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow (ACOT 1995) studies show, teachers must travel through a journey to integrate ICT fully into their classrooms and their teaching programs. They begin at the entry stage where teachers do not use technology in their classrooms themselves, they rely on a specialist/support teacher to do it for them. Many schools
Figure 1: Diffusion of Innovation Adapted from Daniels 1999 and Rogers 1995
and teachers stay at this level as one teacher becomes the expert or ‘early adopter’ supporting the school computing program while the other teachers remain teaching as they always have. During the second stage, adoption, teachers use one or two software applications they find useful for themselves, but don’t use them as part of their lessons for their students. For example, the use of the Internet by the teacher is to prepare lessons but not applied to classroom lessons such as Webquests. The adaptation stage is where teachers begin to assign simple activities for students such as typing work and peer editing. Direct instruction is usually the primary mode. The next stage appropriation occurs when teachers leverage the use of technology for the things it makes uniquely possible. This is the stage where higher order thinking, collaborations etc. begin to be accessed. Management structures are beginning to loosen up and student tasks are more open-ended and multi-disciplinary. The ultimate stage is innovation. At this stage students are engaged in learning activities that may or may not resemble traditional practices. Students have many options when approaching a new learning unit and can extend beyond the traditional boundaries placed by teacher knowledge, truly constructing their own knowledge. The ACOT project shows that this journey is enhanced when teachers and students have had unlimited access to technology in the classroom and are able to look at different approaches to teaching and learning. In fact teachers who have had regular access to technologies in their classrooms over several years experienced significant changes in their instruction, but not until they had confronted deeply held beliefs about schooling.
The
Technology Journey into the Millennium in Western Australia
New
With ‘technology rich’ schools in Western Australia, what strategies will be needed to help the majority of teachers start to use ICT or to ‘cross the chasm’? (Daniels 1999; Rogers 1995). Using the adoption curve for educational innovations (see Figure 1) teachers can be divided into five groups of Innovators (2.5%), Early Adopters (13.5%), Early Majority (34%), Late Majority (34%) and Laggards (16%). Daniels shows, through this version of the model, that there is a chasm between the ‘early adopters’ and ‘early majority’—a chasm, which he states has potential fatal consequences for innovations. One of the reasons that many teachers baulk at crossing the chasm and baulk at the prospect of the innovation is the fear of not covering the content. Those teachers have not had a chance to develop a vision of what can be done with the technologies or view models of how curriculum can be
enhanced with the use of ICT. Such teachers cling to the content and resist moving on their journey because it is not easy to change.
was chosen as a case study example for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) organisation project (see http://www.edna.edu.au/edna/publish/tefa/html ).
The EDWA (2000) statistics on teacher use of ICT in classrooms show that only 9% of Western Australian teachers consider themselves as leaders or change agents who can assist other teachers in the classroom integration of ICT. Leaders in technology are those people who are innovators and early adopters with a vision of the future, who extend their limits to achieve their goals. To develop a vision of what can be done with ICT takes time for a teacher to complete this journey, to gain confidence, to ‘have a go’ and cross the ‘chasm.’
As an educator teaching other teachers to use the technology, I have been exposed to the latest ICT and can model this technology use with my students. Being part of the technology community of the local Educational Computing Association of Western Australia (ECAWA) and on-line network ECHALK has also allowed me to be involved in a valuable network of teachers helping teachers use technology. This network has been a way of professionally developing myself over the years. My philosophy and vision of how technology can be used is based on the fact that people must see how they can use the technologies to help them accomplish goals that they themselves define as crucial to their own success. The most successful teachers are ‘orchestrators,’ who integrate and coordinate activities with other means of instruction. They use technologies, from low-end technology and antiquated computers, to multimedia, robots and the Internet to achieve classroom aims. These teachers are passionate about what they want to achieve and do so because they have a vision of where they are and where they want to go. These teachers use the technology in their classrooms as they are the ‘innovators’ and ‘early adoptors’ of ICT whose journey is driven by a vision of what can be achieved with the technologies. I have watched many of my students make this journey over the years.
Without information about good practice models to follow it is often hard to implement ICT realistically into the classroom. When educators are asked to adopt new teaching combinations involving technology, they are being asked a lot. Most are busy people who may not have observed others teach effectively using technology. It is unrealistic to expect anyone to replace quickly, easily and without help habitual behaviours based on years of using the same teaching. When the requested new behaviours are only described not modelled, a major commitment of time and energy is needed. Asking someone who has become a successful professional teacher to adopt new ways of teaching is to ask that person to return to a subordinate, insecure, learning role. The support and incentives need to be good for teachers to want to change! Reflecting on My Own Personal Journey On reflection there have been a number of critical elements to my own journey as a teacher using technology over the last 15 years. They are: • access to up-to-date technology • vision • time • modelling • access to a community of learners. My vision of what can be done with ICTs has been shaped by watching my own children grow up using the developing technologies at home and by having access to up-to-date ICT in my workplace. Another critical factor has been having the time to reflect and affirm where I am and where I want to go using ICT. The courses that I provide for students at the pre-service and post-service levels have developed over the years from being very skill-based (knowledge instruction) to more studentcentred, outcomes based and aimed at building a community of learners (knowledge construction) (Albon and Trinidad 2001). When comparing the six stages of development that a teacher must travel from the ACOT (1995) project, I am moving into the innovation stage. This move has been encouraged by course restructuring, being able to mentor peers, and being involved in a project that looks at innovative teaching methods. Such incentives have helped me to really reflect on my own teaching and to put into practice innovative technology models. The compulsory course that all training teachers have to complete during their four year teaching degree at Curtin University of Technology in Western Australia,
Two former students, now primary teachers (Harrison 2000a, Harrison 2000b), discuss how they have integrated ICT into their classrooms in Western Australia over the years. These two teachers would be classified as ‘early adopter’ teachers who continue to support their individual school computing program with whatever equipment they have had access to. As early adopters they were put in charge of school computing programs becoming the school ‘experts’ while the majority of teachers continued teaching as they always have, that is, without technology supporting the teaching and learning. Both teachers have developed their own personal skills in ICT through higher education courses, joined the community of learners via professional bodies like ECAWA and ECHALK and had the time and vision to develop themselves and their students on their journey. Harrison (2000a) talks about the development of students’ writing skills over the years as she has constructed a Year 4–7 writing program to enhance her school English programs, using first the computer word processor then on-line projects on the Internet. Harrison (2000b) describes the development of electronic portfolios using first KidPix Studio then HyperStudio. These electronic records of student progress are burnt onto CD-ROMs as evidence of students achieving outcomes. Both teachers have made the journey over the last decade as ‘early adopters’ from the entry level to the adoption and innovations levels as teachers who have grasped innovations with enthusiasm and are typically well ahead of their colleagues. The rapidly advancing technologies enable more innovative ways of teaching and learning to occur in our classrooms as teachers develop the vision and models of
what ICT can do. Many teachers have made this journey over the last decade in Western Australia, having been driven by the passion and vision to use the technology in their schools. There have been barriers (lack of up-to-date technology, little support, funding or direction) but those barriers are being removed as the general populous, world-wide, becomes interested in ICT. The Web and online communications are, to a large extent, responsible for this increased interest, especially in Australia.
A Catalyst for Change Australians have always had a reputation as innovators and early adopters of technology in their homes. In Australia today’s students are part of the I-generation growing up with ICT (54% of Australian homes have computers). The ‘I-generation’ is one of the main catalysts for change. National research in Australia (MCEETYA 1998) shows that while schools regard ICT as a high priority and are providing computers for students, a major finding was that the school is an unlikely venue for students to first acquire advanced ICT skills. Australians are avid consumers of technology. Nearly 40% of Australians own a mobile phone and we were among the first to own as many VCR’s as televisions. We are enthusiastically embracing the Internet with young Australians leading the way; those aged 12 to 24 are the leading users of the Internet, with 82% reporting having accessed the Internet in March 2000. The presence of children in an Australian household appears to be an important factor in the decision to acquire Internet access. In May 2000, 36% of households with children had Internet access, compared with 16% of ‘couple with no children’ households and 8% of ‘single person’ households (ABS 2000). This home use of ICT has had an impact on the skill levels of those students choosing to become teachers. Data gathered between 1996 and 2000 shows that first year students choosing to become teachers in Western Australia have advanced ICT skills, with very few students not having used a word processor and all having previously used a computer before for playing games (Trinidad 2000). What does this mean for the new generation of students training to become teachers? It means they have already started on the journey of using ICT and the chasm is not as wide. These new teachers have developed personal skills in using ICT but now need to develop the vision through models of good practice in the use of ICTs in their own teaching and learning. The strategies our university and a number of other Australian universities have developed integrate ICT usage across the four year teacher education degree. The importance of teacher professional development and training is emphasised through a Department for Education, Training and Youth Affairs (DETYA) project currently underway in Australia. This project is aimed at developing ‘models of teacher professional development for the integration of ICT into classroom practice’ providing clear directions and models for Australia in teacher development in phase 1 and fostering the development of online professional networks to facilitate collegiality, information sharing and collaborative activity in phase 2 (DETYA 2000). Phase 2 will build on
the already valuable education network in Australia, EdNA (http://www.edna.edu.au). Such projects will enable Australia to move forward beyond ‘teacher bashing’ (Cooley and Johnston 2000) to looking positively at what can be done with the technologies in our classrooms to enhance teaching and learning. As Cooley and Johnston (2000) state: Until recently, a compelling vision for the integration of technology into teaching and learning had not been articulated, and many K-16 educators rejected technology. Now that educators have begun to embrace Web-based teaching and learning, we must move beyond the teacher-bashing cycle and provide them with appropriate infrastructure, professional development, and technical support. We are now poised to realize the long-awaited transformation of education through the effective integration of technology into teaching and learning.
Conclusion In Western Australia, as with Australia more widely, government funding initiatives are encouraging mainstream adoption of ICT into our education systems. While many current teachers have some way to go in their personal journeys across the chasm to mainstream use of ICT in their own teaching, there are exciting times ahead as the ‘I-generation’ moves into the workforce. These young adults interact with ICT effectively and effortlessly performing tasks such as downloading MP3 files, sending emails, making web pages and playing network games. While in the past, teachers who have used ICT in their classrooms have been seen as ‘early adopters’ the new generation of teachers will be the ‘majority’ using ICT as a natural part of the world they have grown up with. What our current teachers and the next generation of teachers will need, though, is to develop a vision through models of best practice in the use of ICTs in their own teaching and learning. This must be done through visionary pre-service and professional development programs. What will it be like in ten years’ time in our education systems—quite different I predict as teaching and learning evolves with technology from knowledge instruction to knowledge construction!
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