The Webinar

Here’s my ‘live notes’ from David Puttnam’s opening keynote for the JISC Online Conference:

Old fashioned concept of ‘wisdom’ has disappeared., as e.g. we have ‘professional’ politicians, who’ve experienced nothing else.

Creative advisor in China re digital industries. Started with 5000 years of Chinese history used to set the context for the next 10 days, in order to ensure that the mistakes of history were not repeated.

We’re becoming too complacent, as Chinese not just producing low cost goods, but large numbers of cultural outputs. Renewed investment in ICT and Education are core to ensuring that remain relevant to modern society.

Creativity – builds on history, experience, social needs of the society.

We’ve been looking to the West for inspiration for too long, whereas we should have been looking to the East, whereas those of us thinking we can ignore it living in a fantasy world.

Oxford Economics Report (6 weeks ago) for most stats.

Digital developments. 1911 – a lesson then would be entirely recognizable today – as technology has not been allowed to make changes to pedagogy that it should.

Mind, Brain and Education – studies on absorption, retention & application of knowledge. We wouldn’t go to visit a Dr who we didn’t think was up to date with the latest developments, but within education, few are prepared to engage with the digital world in the way that many (younger) have already experienced – hence why we have lost trust of the 16 year olds, etc.

Debate – digital natives, etc…

Dangerous to think that formal learning is the only way – why are making such heavy weather of technology, when most carry them everyday in their pocket.

robbiepixelman: Students are not just learners but collaborators and facilitators of their own learning, and can often learn at a faster / more effective manner than ‘traditional’ teaching can provide. I think we need to recognise and develop the ‘learner’ as the central focus and contributor to peer learning.

David Kernohan: Not sure we need a digital pedagogy so much as a pedagogy. If we properly understood how and why learning happens we could use technology in a thoughtful way to enhance this.

Education needs proper investment, with staff given PAID time every year to develop appropriate skills (pedagogy/technology).

We need a world class education system to inform world class NHS, pensions, etc – the reverse can’t be possible. Where are the leaders in modern day education? The issues that students are protesting about are not just student issues, but e.g. the irrelevance of much of modern day education.

Digital – ability to use entire suite of assets (video, audio, text, etc.) – the ability to use each tool for the right issue… Students do much informal learning, how do we help them make the most of this?

HelenBeetham: ‘Digital pedagogy’ is perhaps the range of pedagogies we need in a digital age – not a special approach.

Younger generation – the notion of being articulate is not necessarily ‘mainstream’.

Lindsay Jordan: Practice what we preach as educational developers – stop trying to ‘tell’ people what to do. Show them. Conceal the message in the medium.

Sally Graham: Yes we’re often simply using technology to tell and to test!!

Sarah Ashley: Slowly and surely wins the race, I think you have to ease teachers/learner into change, don’t go in full throttle throwing your weight around. Perhaps suggest one small change, and facilitate this, help them as much as possible, then other things will come. What we also forget is teachers are very busy and so it has to be small steps, which are less timely.

HelenBeetham: @MaryAnn yes but when to teaching staff have time to reflect in a scholarly way on their own ideological/pedagogical position Sometimes technology can help with that self-recognition by giving new ways of thinking/seeing

David Baume: “If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.

Clare Killen: Learners don’t necessarily want to be called customers or consumers – some feel this denies their role as co-developers/collaborators in their own learning is expensive, try ignorance.”

Huge problem of changing the notion of students from ‘collaborators in learning’ to ‘customers’ with ‘rights’. Also an issue with the government thinking that a current elite group of universities will be enough to get the British to sail into the future.

Your job is to provide compelling content, and scream if don’t have the tools to complete the job.

Looking forward to @AaronPorter talk tomorrow re value of higher education.

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