I’m currently on vacation in Ha Giang Province, northern Vietnam. It has given me plenty of time to do the assigned readings and contrast them against a remote rural environment. Here many children don’t attend school, they help in their parents’ shops, sit idly in traditional dress waiting for tourists to come around and charge admission to the most picturesque viewpoints, or simply rub their bellies and ask for handouts as people pass by. Still, many do attend school as we see them walking home in their uniforms in small groups, similar to how their parents would have 25 years earlier. It’s a society that still deals in cash, there isn’t a visa sign or credit card terminal to be found, they’ve totally bypassed that technology, but you can instantly pay for things digitally by scanning QR codes if you’ve got cellular service.
I think the most salient point in all the readings is a line from Selwyn et al., (2020) who wrote “For every recently installed holographic display, there is likely to be a 10-year-old plasma screen flickering away around the corner.” I don’t expect the classrooms of tomorrow to look anything like they do today. Macgilchrist et al., (2020) envisioned a future where multiple tech companies offered AI/AR environments for learning, but I wonder if the shift will be significantly greater than that across all of society and not just in the classroom. I sincerely believe that personal AI assistants will change how we live, and in turn, what we learn. There will surely be multiple AI offerings available as there already are, and each one will develop its own niche and target market to truly champion the individual and their needs. I’m eager to pull on that thread and to ponder what that means not only for me but the world as a whole.
References:
Macgilchrist, F., Allert, H., & Bruch, A. (2020). Students and society in the 2020s. Three future ‘histories’ of education and technology. Learning, Media and Technology, 45(1), 76–89. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2019.1656235
Selwyn, N., Pangrazio, L., Nemorin, S., & Perrotta, C. (2020). What might the school of 2030 be like? An exercise in social science fiction. Learning, Media and Technology, 45(1), 90–106. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2020.1694944
10/25/2023
Hi Matt,
Thank you for your descriptive introduction. I could almost picture the setting. I was particularly intrigued when you stated ” I sincerely believe that personal AI assistants will change how we live, and in turn, what we learn” . I agree with you that what we learn will change in the future. Looking back in history for example, people used Comptometers in the 1950s to help with basic arithmetic and had to learn how to use them. Now, no one needs that training because that technology is not being used anymore. Comptometers: http://www.vintagecalculators.com/html/operating_a_comptometer.html
– Ano
10/26/2023
Hi Matt, what a fascinating juxtaposition you described with the analogue money vs. QR code technology. Do you see this as an example of the privilege that is usually assumed when discussing tech in education? You have mentioned you work for a private school (apologies if that’s not completely accurate); do you see the same division of have and have not where you work? And if so, do you think its reasonable to expect access to advanced tech in education only at a privileged level, both where you are and in society as a whole?
01/16/2024
Thanks for the thoughtful question Jessica. I think that education should be freely accessible to anyone who wants it, and networked digital tech as the vehicle to get there. As demand for connection increases, the number of people without internet decreases everyday.
As long as there is money and capitalism, it will perpetuate a class system and a divide. Is that a good thing or bad thing, I don’t know, but I do believe that regardless of circumstance, humans have always formed their own hierarchies, so if it’s not bank accounts it will be something else. Society is ultimately responsible for deciding what we collectively value most, and that has evolved over time as we have. Individuals have the personal autonomy to subscribe or not, but as a social species it’s a lonely road to go alone.
To answer your question, I don’t see a wealth gap at our school because tuition is prohibitively expensive. At the same time the students learn that 2+2 is 4, a sentence either is grammatically correct or not, and E will always equal MC squared regardless of how you learn it. The curriculum is the mostly the same as you would get in Canada, or Finland, or Australia. The privilege that these kids enjoy has more to do with the environment to assist in their learning: the abundance of clubs, activities, facilities and professional educators etc… Does the psychological safety of knowing Jimmy doesn’t have a weapon in his locker help the kids focus in class, absolutely, but they’re still insecure and often distracted wondering if anyone noticed their zits, or if Sally likes them or not.
If you can replicate or provide all the various conditions for learning at home, or another connected environment, there’s fewer barriers to absorb curriculum and move it online. Even still, and drawing upon my own experience, I’ve learned as much from Youtube in this degree program than the curated reading lists, but one is free and offers no validation, while the other is behind a $30,000 paywall that confirms comprehension and awards credentials. There will seemingly always be some EdTech that is bigger, faster and stronger (or in this case better and more immersive or engaging) than the rest, and they’ll be able to charge a premium for it, but a rising tide lifts all boats and the more people who can read, write and think critically, the better off society will be.