It is and has been commonly accepted that technology is key to connecting experts and novices in ways that aren’t possible in a face-to-face world. Throughout the ages, technology has accomplished just that aim. We have reached a point in the evolution of technology where we can now shed old models of instruction and adopt new models, supported by technology, that scaffold and support how people learn.
However, what we have seen in the present time period is not the shedding of old models of instruction, but rather an assimilation of new technology into old models. In fact, the presenters noted that professors and teachers are often strongly influenced by methods from the face-to-face classroom. The learning sciences offer great opportunity for educators to become part of the shift, part of the change, part of the transformation of what we call “teaching/learning.”
In particular this session challenged attendees with this question: “Can technology help us reinvent how we prepare people for healthly and productive lives?” Key points from the session:
- Increased access to learning opportunity is a moral imperative that makes a far-reaching difference in people’s lives
- Digitally-based courses and delivery offer powerful ways technology can expand access
- Some of the difficult in transforming learning and teaching is that students, administrators, and funders EXPECT education to look a certain way i.e. teachers presenting information
- Much of the time (calendar year) spent in formal education settings is less than time spent outside the school setting
- A blended environment leveraging both formal and informal learning creates a more powerful design for teaching and learning
- One of the major challenges faced will be how educators respond effectively and efficiently to rapid change
- Given the continuous and rapid pace of change, the importance of expertise becomes critical. People must navigate at the edges of their existing knowledge and skills, called adaptive expertise, and this requires the letting go of the “old ways” or “unlearning”
- Adaptive people need adaptive organizations
- Book: The new division of labor: How computers are creating the next job market (Levy and Murnane), explores the value of technology-enhanced learning as seen in the evolution of the stock exchange industry
- Digital natives are already self-directed learners, they are already influenced by learning opportunities afforded by technology outside formal learning.
- Students capacity for independent learning is essential to their future-success.
Our challenge as Education Technology Professionals seeking ways to transform learning is to find the answers to this key question:
How can technology, aligned with guidelines from the learning sciences enable the blending of formal and informal AND break down silos and develop an integrated approach to learning?



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