Digital Pedagogy
The annual summit of the Irish Technology Leadership Group is taking place in Cork this year. At the panel discussion on how best to close the gap between education and skills for Ireland’s Tech industry, Sean Cottrell (director of IPPN) suggested that the answer lies in investing in digital pedagogy. Basically, he is suggesting that subjects at primary level and up to junior certificate at second level could be delivered by means of technology. This concept is not new; one of its star practitioners is The Khan Academy.
But as with all new or emerging ideas, timing is everything. And it would seem that it is time to start having this kind of discussion in Ireland. This Christmas past, how many young people under the age of 15 received smartphones, iPads and other tablets as gifts. Rather than simply using them to play games apps, why not turn these devices into a conduit to engage young learners? As The Khan Academy has proven in the field of mathematics, you can deliver the “standard” lecture or lesson via the medium of video, leaving the teacher to engage fully with each student during class time. Students learn at their own pace and from each other, as well as from their teachers. This approach to teaching is referred to as the “flipped classroom”, that is, children follow lessons delivered via video at home, whilst completing homework and assignments in class!
The typical classroom is home to a group of children whose learning capabilities and aptitudes vary along a spectrum of ability. The flipped classroom concept could offer a solution to managing classes containing widely divergent student abilities. Teachers get to spend time working with struggling students, whilst star performers can move ahead and learn at a pace that also suits their particular needs.
Sean Cottrell may very well be right. The future of Ireland’s Tech industry may depend on how we educate and engage learners at primary level and through second level!