Digital Democracy in Higher Education: Bridging the Gap

Susana Juniu, Ed. D.Montclair State University

SITE International ConferenceMarch 1-6, 2004

Atlanta, Georgia, USA

“Technology is not a passing trend” (Means)

It has changed the way we live, socialize, and educate

Uses of Technology

My Evolution

1997 – First Web Page

1998 – Online Textbook

Web-Course Meeting WebpageWeb-Course Meeting Webpage

PowerpointPresentation

Online Chatting

Electronic BookLibrary

Self-Assessment

PowerpointPresentation

Online Chatting

Electronic BookLibrary

Self-Assessment

2002 - The Project

Equipment

iPAQ 3850

PC Expansion Pack

Memory Card

Wireless card

Modem Card

Keyboard

Bag

Data Projector

Wireless Access Point

Equipment

iPAQ 3850

PC Expansion Pack

Memory Card

Wireless card

Modem Card

Keyboard

Bag

Data Projector

Wireless Access Point

Imaging the iPAQs

Create folders and subfolders

Imaging the iPAQs

Create folders and subfolders

2002 - The Project

2003 – Electronic Portfolio

2003 - Blackboard

“How you use technology is more important than if you use technology”

John D. Ross

How is it that using technology makes sense?

When and How to use it?

The process Inquiry - Challenge

Studying the Facts and Looking for Solutions

Putting Thoughts into Action

Uses of Technology

Traditional New uses

lectures, computer based instruction, and instruction about computers.

authentic, student centered, collaborative and result in the assimilation of information.

Uses of Technology

Technology in the Classroom

Productivity Tools

vs

Cognitive Tools

vs

Productivity Tools Cognitive Tools

ToolsProductivit

yTools

Cognitive“Mindtools”

(critical thinking devices) Results in

EXCEL SPSS

ACCESS

SpreadsheetStatistical Computation Data Storage

Conducts queries to answer problem of investigationSort and Regroup data and perform calculationsCompare and contrast categories of dataLook for relationships between categoriesMake projections from given dataMake hypotheses based on the data

Learning by Reflecting

INSPIRATIONOutlinesFlow Charts

BrainstormingConcept Maps

POWERPOINT

iMOVIE

Presentation of facts

The user designs and constructs a product to share with peers

Learning by Constructing

and Visualizing

Learning from Computers vs Learning with

Computers

The use of technology should shift, from the traditional role of "technology-as-teacher to technology-as-partner" (Jonassen, 2000).

Ways of Being with Technology

Reasoned Center

Ambiguous

PedagoguesInformationTechnology

Concerns on new technology to use, how powerful and fast are

these tools

SkepticalSuspicious

TrueBelieversPromote

Concerns on what technology makes sense in schools

and move from traditional to participatory

Concerns on seeing evidence that technology is helping

students learn

FacultyUser

Source: Mitchman, 1990; Milliron & Miles, 2000

Challenge Challenge

PedagoguesInformationTechnology

Concern about new technology, how powerful and fast are these

tools

SkepticalSuspicious

TrueBelieversPromote

Concern about what technology makes sense in schools

and move from a traditional to a participatory classroom

Concern about seeing evidence that technology is helping

students learn

FacultyUser

Source: Mitchman, 1990; Milliron & Miles, 2000

Challenge Challenge

School AdministrationPolicy Makers

Challenge

Reasoned Center

Ambiguous

Separation of thoughts from action

This is not intentional

Resulting in a waste of efforts

Separation of knowledge

These structures work in isolation and not jointly to support each other's

efforts

Fragmentation of Knowledge

Putting the Thoughts into Action

Faculty Users

Pedagogues

InformationTechnology

School Administrators

Democratic Community of Learning

Democratic Community of Learning Challenge:

The challenge frames the discussion based on issues, concerns, inquiries, and problems

Dialogue Sharing experiences, explore, and discuss issues

about technology in the classroom Analyzing issues Searching and identifying solutions

Actions Putting the thoughts into action

Ongoing Educational Development based on Project-based learning models

Empowerment: Briding the Gap

Ongoing Educational Development

“Knowledge can not be transferred”

Dewey, 1916

Create a learning environment that: Promotes learning by doing Facilitates problem-solving activities The faculty, pedagogues, and IT will work in

teams to explore real-world problems and to identify solutions to their inquiries

Developing partnership of partnership of learninglearning to determine pedagogical (pedagogues) uses of emerging technologies (technical support) in the classroom (faculty user)

The purpose is to

link theory with experience

to generate intellectual content and suitable applications for the

classroom

TheoryExperienceKnowledge

CommitmentLanguage

Bridging the Gap

Team Work

The combination of doing and learning and the value of a team work have the potential to bring changes within the individual and the educational system. Most importantly it

facilitates an understanding of each other’s role in the process of education.

To teach is to move from being a spectator to being an active participant in the democratic process of making decisions, arguing, and discussing ideas (Freire)

[Educators are models to students, and to be models of change they need to experience changes themselves and be active participants in the educational process]

Thank You

Questions

Move From

Move

Cognitive

To

Productivity

The Role of Technology

Technology does not cause change Technology supports change What can change?

The nature of learning, and The role of the teacher

Goals of Education

Acquisition and retention of knowledge and skills An understanding of one’s acquired knowledge and

skills An active use of one’s acquired knowledge and skills

(Transfer of learning) Help students learn to solve complex problems and Accomplish complex tasks

Source: Moursound, D. (1999). Project-based learning using information technology. Eugene, OR: Iste Publications.

Ongoing Educational Development

Project-based approach to learning Integrates subject matter as a problem Learners pursue answers across disciplines Real or contrived situations Culminating project