Prof Louis C H Fourie Chair in Information Systems University of the Western Cape Bellville

1. Leadership and the role of ICT policy in enhancing education (in a world of changing technology) Prof Louis C H Fourie Chair in Information SystemsUniversity of the Western CapeBellville Walter Sisulu University e-learning conference East London Health Resource Centre 3-4 November, 2009

2. Agenda Introduction E-learning in an Education 3.0 world A world of social networking Leadership and ICT Policy Conclusion

3. The Changing Face of Education in the 21st Century

4. Running a successful business is like doing a jigsaw puzzle. The problem is that the pieces and the picture are both changing.Cyril J. YansouniChairman and CEORead-Rite Corp.

5. A Complex, Dynamic System Several new economic forces have created a complex, dynamic system which exhibits increasing volatility and enormous growth potential! Technology The Internet Deregulation A Complex Dynamic System Globalisation eCommerce Industry Transformation Competition Work, organisations and the workplace DB page 5 - 6

6. We are currently undergoing a deep and prolonged revolution based on digital technologies creating many new challenges for learning…

7. But….The reform and reshaping of social systems and institutions has tended to lag behind in periods of rapid technological change

8. It is not the development of technology per se which poses such a challenge to education systems and educational institutions

9. but the changing ways in which people are using technologies to communicate and to learn and the accompanying social effect of such use

10. Profound innovations in technology tend to be reflected in older paradigms

11. for example the ‘virtual classroom’ or the ‘Virtual Learning Environment’

12. Education needs to be transformed… "Learning is what most adults will do for a living in the 21st century." – Perelman "I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think." - Socrates Source: http://www.etni.org.il/quotes/education.htm

13. Source: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/125/322112273_1fd19bade5.jpg

14. ‘Digital natives are always connected’ - Prensky Source: http://www.prensky.com

15. E-learning in an education 3.0 world

16. Education 3.0 entails a world where the organization of education is no longer based on scarcity

17. Three characteristics of Education 3.0 The role of students in making choices regarding their way of learning Students are socially networked producers of reusable learning content which is available in abundance under licenses that permit the free sharing and creation of derivative works Institutional arrangements permit the accreditation of learning achieved, not just of courses followed

18. Drivers towardsEducation 3.0 • Digital natives entering higher education • Growing abundance of free and open educational resources • Reusable content and software • Social networking and the blurring of the distinction between work and play

19. Drivers towardsEducation 3.0 (cont.) • Changing attitudes towards learning • New ways to assess & recognize learning

20. Impediments of Education 3.0 • Digital immigrants who do not understand what has happened in the World • Its off the radar screen! • Institutional arrangements based on scarcity • Institutions as island states

21. Impediments of Education 3.0 • Lack of knowledge of how to have quality assurance when you are not in control • Financing arrangements for Higher Education • Digital divide issues in Africa & developingworld • Bandwidth

22. The emergenceof the personallearningenvironment

23. Personal Learning Environments (PLE)‏ Learners take control and manage their own learning Autogogy - the way a learner self-learns Communication Create oppor-tunities for personal learning Content Autogogy Manage own learning Set own learning goals Global infrastructure People network • A way of learning, not a particular technology

24. The future of eLearning?

25. Event-based learning LMS is king Evolving standards WYSIWYG Content + Presentation Push Technology Workflow learning LCMS with an LMS! Mature standards Dynamic content creation Content – Presentation Pull Technology Yesterday vs. Tomorrow

26. The New Learning Expectations … • Much more sophisticated as an online user • Expects on-demand online environment • Wants snippets of information they need … not courses! • Wants to know what learners like them used and liked • Wants a platform for open discussion and opinion • Does not have to be entertained … just needs the facts

27. Web 2.0: the Social Web “The social web is transforming the way people use the Internet to do business, access information and connect with each other. It has revolutionised the way we are entertained, and altered forever the way we learn”. Steve Wheeler, University of Plymouth, 2008

28. There are over 110 million active users of MySpace (2008)

32. Net Generation students “Only by understanding the Net generation can colleges and universities create learning environments that optimize their strengths and minimise their weaknesses” (Oblinger and Oblinger 2005)

33. The reaction of institutions to the rise of social networking has been at best bewilderment, at worst downright hostility A refusal to engage in these issues results in learning becoming increasingly irrelevant to the everyday lives of students

34. and particularly irrelevant to the ways in which (young) people communicate and share knowledge

35. Web 2.0 allows younger people to be active co-creators of knowledge

36. people learn through legitimate participation

37. We have to review the industrial learning model including the organisation of institutions, our pedagogy, curriculum and policy

38. Leadership and ICT Policy

39. Government ICT policy

40. Government • Most governments now recognise the central role of ICTs in human development and in the development of a technological and knowledge-based economy. • They formulated ICT Policies • Lack on the implementation of the policies

41. ICT in Education Policy Any effort to integrate ICT into the education system requires the leadership of the government and the education ministry, working together with other relevant ministries

42. Why e-Learning? • A country’s capacity to take advantage of the knowledge economy depends on how effectively it can become a “learning economy.” • This requires drastic shifts in formal education systems to promote life long learning. • The application of ICTs (and e-learning) can provide essential support to this change process

43. University ICT policy

44. Three pre-conditions for the formulation of an ICT policy • A thorough understanding of the changing educational environment, preferred technologies and needs of the learner. • An appreciation of the financial, resource and operational requirements. • A commitment by the leaders of the institution. • An integrated support service.

45. What constitutes Good Policy? • A careful analysis of the current context. • The type of society and economy that is being built. • The research and analysis of international and local developments and trends. • An outline of the key issues.

46. This approach could be used to reflect emphasis on blended learning (rather than just e-learning) using a multiplicity of technologies. An ICT policy following a holistic approach • Kelly, Phipps & Swift developed a blended approach to e-learning accessibility • This approach focuses on the needs of the learner • Requires accessible learning outcomes, not necessarily e-learning resources

47. This is an approach (and policy) where the learner’s e-learning systems need to be under the control of the learners themselves.

48. This approach (& policy) recognises the role of the individual in organising their own learning

49. The future of e-learning is learner-centric(Adler & Rae, Jan., 2002, e-learning Mag) • The future entails having a personalised learning environment that reflects the individual style and learning needs of the student, and is instantly available. Not only will it be one point of learning entry for everything you need to learn, but it will continue to learn as you learn and modify its behaviour based on interacting with you over time.

50. “Learning is not the product of teaching. Learning is the product of the activity of learners.” • - John Holt http://www.flickr.com/photos/tzofia/