We have heard the old adage that money makes the world go round! If you were anywhere the recently held Learning and Technology World Forum in London then you would be forgiven for holding that belief. What was clear to me was at annual gathering of world education Ministers , some 60 odd from across the globe had gathered once again to sample the delights of how the world is changing in the area of education and sharing of ideas. Three themes underpinned the event around Leadership, Skills&Education and Workforce fit for the 21.Century.
To cap it all the representative of the OECD controversially questioned much of what was being said by articulating that there was no evidence that technology in the form of ICT was having any impact on learning outcomes. This must be a hotly debated and disputed area; as the UK ICT industry is worth over £52 billion and given the recent world economic crises there was a clear impetus of the hosts to play up the role of technology in education. There were delights from the speakers from around the world, who talked about the transformation of their schools enabled by technology. Good stories from Brazil, United Arab Emirates, Cuba, Tunisia and including Uganda. What was striking about the two and half days of carefully choreographed events to engage and share experiences, was the challenges of engagement and innovation in the area of learning. In an age where YouTube, iPod, broadband and mobile technologies dominate the technological sphere, the pedagogy and teaching in our classrooms and colleges has failed to sufficiently keep pace with the challenges posed by technology. Interactive white boards and online reporting were seen as the signs of success in schools by Britain whilst in Uganda providing electricity pains still the Government in remote areas as well as access to universal education. The gap between the technologically advanced world and those in the doldrums of development was stark as were the challenges posed to the ICT industry to help bridge the digital divide.
I went to interview David Lammy (UK Member of Parliament for Haringey) during the Forum as the Minister responsible for the Higher Education and Innovation who informed me that British Government has invested over £5 billon since 1997 on ICT. His responses were measured and assured me that there was indeed a clear demonstrable skills agenda for change and engagement through using ICT to rise to the challenges of 21.Century economy. David Lammy was focused on social mobility and to see the prestigious universities in the UK playing their part in raising standards, adapting in the face of changing demand of the global economy and reaching out to disadvantaged areas to provide access to their ‘elite’ institutions. Time will tell if the measures put in place deliver the kind of outcomes that are needed to keep pace with the rapidly changing world.
What seems to be clear is that there is great appetite to facilitate this technology fest as it is there for all to see. This then leads to the week long British Educational Technology (BETT) for some serious marketing and selling by the predominantly UK ICT industry.
The likes of Microsoft, Cisco and Intel were the big multinational sponsors behind the World Forum supported by the UK Government Departments.
Technology undoubtedly is a great emancipator and if used in – appropriately in the case of blackberry then can become an oppressor. We owe it to our learners that we provide them with the right tools and the right skills to rise to the challenges of today and those on the horizon of the future. Predicting the future is beyond technology and this is a challenge for us mere mortals.
Semra Eren-Nijhar 