Digital Affects on Adult Learning & Education

EDU 630
Chapter 10 - "First Reader" Posting

This chapter expands on the idea, highlighted in Chapter 1, that technology is a major variable affecting adult learning.  Our ability to access information has facilitated learning in a way that is particularly meaningful to adults: it is just-in-time, relevant, and self-directed. However, as the chapter also points out, the flood of information can also be overwhelming, inaccurate, and misguided. Which leads to the ever-growing need for educators to help learners become critical consumers of information by challenging and changing the roles of educators in the online learning process [1].

Online learning is an undeniable trend in education. Adults are accessing the Internet in unprecedented numbers to find information on everything from recipes to medical advice. However, not all web sources are equally reputable or reliable, nor all learners adequately web savvy in their ability to access the accuracy, reliability and validity of various web sources.

According to Valerie Bryan in her 2013 article entitled, The Power, Peril, and Promise of Information Technology to Community Education, educators need to help learners evaluate new information for credibility, relevance, and accuracy; assess information for its currency, objectivity, and purpose; confirm that qualified experts have provided information; and participate in the dissemination, examination, and adoption of information to expand the knowledge base [2].

In their article entitled, The Role of the Adult Educator in Helping Learners Access and Select Quality Health Information on the Internet, researchers Melissa Wright & Adelia Grabowsky document the gap between what is available online and many learners' reading abilities; review the criteria for evaluating web-based information as well as good sources of information, and examine what adult educators can do to assist learners with locating, evaluating and using web-based information [3]. According to the researchers, key skills learners need to develop for savvy web consumption include (1) developing effective search strategies, (2) critically evaluating information, and (3) finding reputable information.

Wright and Grabowsky further advise learners to behave like investigative reporters when accessing websites by finding out the "who, what, where, when and how"

• Who is responsible for creating the website? Are the author's qualifications and credentials prominently listed? Are the affiliations clear? What motivated the creator of the website and who funded it? What voices have been privileged versus excluded and for what purpose?   
• Why does the website exist? Does it aspire to educate or inform, is the intent to sell something, was it created simply as a forum to 'rant' about a particular subject?
• What is the information that the site seeks to collect from you and how will it be used or if it requires registration or plug-in software.
• When was the site's information last updated? If it is not easy to find or the date indicating an update, then users should be wary. 
• How does the site review and select information. Websites should reveal how and by whom its content is selected. Editorial or review boards should be listed with credentials and any claims made should be backed with evidence and reference information.

How technology is changing and challenging the roles of educators 
Technology is affecting what we learn, how we learn and how we teach. The access of online resources is challenging our broad ideas of education and educators, and requires us to revisit how we facilitate sense-making, coaching and credentialing. Today, people work, learn and study whenever and wherever they choose. Traditional higher education is under unprecedented pressure to meet learner demand for new educational models and delivery formats in a cost-effective manner, all the while keeping pace with the deluge of new information, software tools, and devices.

In response to this, the updated 2014 Horizon Report featured six technologies, adopted over a period of time, to watch including:

Time to adoption: 1 year or less
(1) Flipped classroom - refers to a model of learning that
      rearranges how time is spent both in and out of class to
      shift the ownership of learning from the educators to the
      students. In the flipped classroom model, valuable class
      time is devoted to more active, project-based learning
      where students work together to solve local or global
      challenges, or other real-world applications, to gain a
      deeper understanding of the subject.
(2) Learning Analytics - research that uses data analysis to inform decisions made on
     every tier or the education system, leveraging student data to deliver personalized
     learning, enable adaptive pedagogies and practices, and identify learning issues in time
     for them to be solved.
Time to adoption: 2-3 years
(3) 3D Printing - one of the most significant aspects of 3D printing for education is that it
      enables more authentic exploration of objects that may not be readily available to
      universities.
(4) Games and Gamification - Educational gameplay has proven to foster engagement in
      critical thinking, creative problem-solving, and teamwork - skills that lead to solutions for
      complex social and environmental dilemmas.

Time to adoption: 4-5 years
(5) Quantified Self - describes the phenomenon of consumers being able to closely track
      data that is relevant to their daily activities through the use of technology. For example,
      the emergence of wearable vices on the market such as watches, wristbands, and
      necklaces that are designed to automatically collect data are helping people manage
      their fitness, sleep cycles, eating habits and now learning preferences.
(6) Virtual assistants - employ artificial intelligence and natural language processing to
      provide people with support for a wide range of daily activities such as discerning the
      best driving routes, arranging trips or organizing emails.

The higher education sector has reached a critical point where it must address the innovations that have changed the way its learners, and the rest of society seek and engage with knowledge. Students are turning to the Internet to acquire information and news, and are spending more time there than sitting in classrooms. 

According to the Horizon Report, adapting higher education systems to current technological trends requires progressive leadership and the ability to envision how formal institutions will remain relevant in a time when quality learning materials are more accessible than ever. The future of higher education is being shaped by those who acknowledge how online learning will redefine the value of a degree, and are open to exploring alternative means of proving skill acquisition through certificate, badges, and e-portfolios. Institutional leaders must take these options seriously if they are to make decisions that will keep a university education relevant in a time when it is widely acknowledged that a college degree does not guarantee a direct return on investment. Determining how to develop the most effective online learning scenarios and integrate them with face-to-face learning is among the most critical considerations related to this issue [4].


Resources:

1. Merriam, S. & Bierema, L. (2014). Adult learning: Linking theory and practice. Jossey-Bass. San Francisco, CA.  
2. Bryan, V. C. (2013). The power, peril, and promise of information technology to community education. In V. Bryan, & V. Wang (Eds.) Technology use and research approaches for community education and professional development (pp. 1-23). Hershey, PA: Information Science Reference
3. Wright, M. & A. Grabowsky (2011). The role of the adult educator in helping learners access and select quality health information on the Internet. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education. No. 130, 79-88.  
4. Johnson, L., Adams, B., Estrada, V., & Freeman, A. (2014). NMC Horizon Report: 2014 Higher education edition. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium.