A Story of Disinterest

Recently I visited a couple of schools that left me scratching my head trying to understand what I'd seen. One school had decided to do away with all the projectors in the classroom, replacing them with interactive TV panels. Sure, the projectors had some interesting features, but those features just weren't being used. There were complaints ranging from warm-up times to poor image and sound quality. The new display panels were easy and reliable, and the IT staff were proud they had made such a decisive step.

Not far away, a similarly sized school showed me their similarly decisive step. They had been inundated with long lists of issues and requests revolving around problems with their classroom TV panels. The issues ranged from missing the remote control, to damage and faults. In response, they had identified a new model of projector with some excellent specifications, and importantly the promise of low maintenance.

I told my colleagues this anecdote expecting them to respond with at least a little amusement and mystification. Which school made the right decision? And how could two schools essentially exchange their problems for opposing solutions, especially when faced with similar problems? My colleagues barely raised an eyebrow. The scenario was all too familiar, and they suggested some cynical explanations:  Oh, their warranties must be finishing , one observes. Another says,  new IT manager, wants to make a mark . Even more cynically, they predicted both schools will change back to what they had before in another 3-5 years.

Perhaps there is another explanation. We could, for example, see the scenario above as symptomatic of an underlying issue in how classroom technology infrastructure is acquired by schools. It's a problem I've labeled 'The Great Disconnect', although it's a situation that's been observed numerous times. The objectives of educators are translated into a language of problems for IT departments to fix and technology providers to solve.

The Great Disconnect

The Great Disconnect is the difference between the education objectives of a school and the practical implementation of technology to achieve those objectives.

Schools recognise there is a growing community expectation for technology to be available and used in classrooms; Parents increasingly select schools based on the quality of the facilities*. 'The Digital Divide' is an epithet one doesn't want to be on the wrong side of. Both students and their parents use a range of technologies in their homes and in their social lives. Therefore, the classrooms should keep pace with students' real-world experiences.

There is also an enormous amount of literature discussing the use of technology in the classroom, and the pedagogical benefits of different mediums (such as video) for content delivery. Much of this research looks at the effect of the delivery method on learning outcomes, without drilling down to the specifics of the devices and features available. Contrast this with technology manufacturers who tend to highlight features to solve problems and specifications to have comparable metrics against other technologies. Note the different languages, aimed at different audiences, apparently striving for the same goal.

As to what the specific role technology should play in a school: Often the ideals here become less defined. For example, technology can be viewed as a collection of tools to improve efficiency. In the classroom this could mean simply providing teachers with more efficient means to deliver lesson content without any specific need for students to engage with this technology.

There are also a plethora of other approaches to using technology in classrooms which may also have an impact on teaching methods. Multiple concurrent sources of content delivery can facilitate blended and self-directed learning approaches. Active participation in content creation by students can allow for personal forms of expression. Collaboration facilitated by technology can encourage social and cultural expression. Recording technology can allow for review and practice. Education can be delivered as skill acquisition as much as knowledge acquisition.

The Shiny New Toy

While there is an acknowledged need to employ technology in classrooms, a school may not have a clear position on the specifics of how technology should be used in their environment, and what the expected outcomes should be. There's often a desire to explore some of the learning possibilities I described above, but there is often a lack of clarity on how to achieve the outcome. When that lack of clarity is passed on to IT departments as a problem to solve, then it shouldn't be a surprise when what actually gets implemented can be a confused mess of 'shiny new toys'. **

Certain symptoms begin to emerge over time. Many schools find that teachers simply don't use the technology provided to them to their fullest capability. An 'interactive touch' feature, or a screen-casting tool never gets used. Tools that are break never get reported. Training might help, but apart from teachers being time-poor, the training won't be very effective if there is different technology in every room.

A perception develops that the existing technology is redundant, inadequate, and 'doesn't suit our environment'. The source of the problem is identified as the technology itself. The proposed solution is to replace it all with new equipment, different enough to be presented as a solution, yet similar enough to replicate all the previous uses; and replicate the problems too.

A Holistic Approach

Improved communication, bringing together perspectives from teachers, IT/AV and business managers would certainly address a lot of issues. There needs to be a better understanding from all stakeholders of what the existing technological landscape offers and what needs to happen to translate the use of the technology into actual learning outcomes. The solution should consider more than just the mere presence of the tools to achieve those outcomes. By bringing these perspectives together, and being prepared to implement a methodology that goes beyond IT, a school has an opportunity to maximise their learning outcomes.

* A recent survey by Independent Schools Queensland found  parents are more likely to base their decisions, wholly or to a significant degree, on the appearance of a school and its facilities  70% in 2018 compared with 42% in 2006 . What Parents Want  Key Findings, Independent Schools Queensland, February 2019.

** See also "The Bright Shiny New Toy Syndrome" - Mark Skehan, and "Edtech playground: Helping teachers choose better tools" - Nicole Kreuger for ISTE.