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Ubiquitous Learning How technology is expanding learning opportunities in U.S. homes, schools, and communities
Ask a researcher to comment on the impact of technology in any given setting or situation, and you’ll get a predictable answer: “It depends . . . ” It depends on what you mean by “technology” (a desktop computer? a software program? an Internet connection? an Instant Message? an online library?). It depends on who is using the technology (what are their goals, their backgrounds, their knowledge?) and for what purpose (work? learning? entertainment?). And finally, it depends on the environment (home? workplace? school? community?). Over the past two decades, many EDC researchers have analyzed successful experiments in technology integration, particularly in schools and community settings. This research has focused on the characteristics of both the setting and the technology, and the interactions between them, raising such questions as: How can technology tools be introduced most effectively in various environments? What sorts of pre-existing conditions should be in place in order to pave the way for effective uses of technology, i.e., what kinds of commitments, philosophies, resources, and training opportunities can help ensure that an investment is worthwhile? Not surprisingly, the pre-existing conditions have proven to be the undoing of many attempts at technology integration in educational settings. Numerous schools and community technology centers have invested heavily in technology with little thought or planning, and then watched the computers gather dust in a corner—or get used primarily for entertainment rather than education. In this issue of Mosaic, we interview EDC staff members who design or evaluate educational technology in a wide variety of settings—schools, homes, workplaces, after-school programs, and clubs. The profiled projects represent a continuum of types of technology and technology use, from educational programs where technological tools (such as the Internet) are seen as helpful but not critical, to “ubiquitous computing” experiments in schools where technology (including laptops, hand-held devices, and wireless networks) is omnipresent. Whether technology is essential or marginal to a project, one of the central issues in all of our research is the relationships that trigger and sustain learning. In Union City, New Jersey, for example, a high school teacher quoted in EDC’s study of a laptop initiative talks about the changing relationships among students and between students and teachers: “Project Hiller is more than technology. It is self-reliance, group work, and teacher responsibility. What students need is mentoring and belonging. That is the answer to school reform.” In Maine, EDC’s Pam Buffington speaks about the way the state’s laptop initiative changes the interactions between teachers and staff developers: “School reform is never easy to discuss with teachers. If you ask teachers to change the way they teach, they take it personally. But if you present them with a laptop, the computer becomes the focus of the conversation, rather than the teacher. It’s no longer a personal issue—and discussions about the laptop can open up other topics that were hard to raise before.” EDC’s Tony Streit, who has spent his career working on youth media and technology projects, comments on the way skilled educators help transform young people’s interests into new opportunities for learning: “The key is to look for issues kids care about that have the potential to stimulate higher-order thinking and to bring young people together.” Reflections like these underscore the complexity of technology and the issues that surround its use. The way technology is used in various settings is affected by the relationships that already exist. In turn, the introduction of technology can help to reshape those relationships in both subtle and explicit ways. This issue of Mosaic aims to explain this intricate interplay.
For questions or comments, contact mosaic@edc.org.
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