Horizonau2008:Critical Challenges

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2008 Horizon.au Short List

2008 Horizon.au Short List pdf.gif

Time-to-Adoption Horizon: One Year or Less

Time-to-Adoption Horizon: Two to Three Years

Time-to-Adoption Horizon: Four to Five Years

Critical Challenges

Key Trends

The following concerns were identified by the Advisory Board as the critical challenges to the widespread adoption of the technologies listed in the report during the next five years:

  • Protectionism limits access to materials, ideas, and collaborative opportunities. Security concerns too often go too far. Both policies and firewalls are severely limiting access to – and hampering the utility of – the Internet, the use of digital materials, and many benefits of social networking. Adding to this, the mindset of central network planners and administrators is often at odds with the ever more user-centric nature of Internet applications and tools, limiting innovation.
  • Many teachers do not have the skills to make effective use of emerging technologies, much less teach their students to do so. The technical skills of teachers are too often out of step with those of their students. Related issues are the capabilities of the staff supporting teachers, which suffer from the same problem, limiting the options available for training.
  • Assessment continues to be a significant barrier to adopting new tools and approaches. In a sort of chicken-and-egg syndrome, there is a persistent need to have solid data on the efficacy of new tools and approaches that often limits the experimentation required to gain those data in the first place.
  • Poor quality broadband limits options at school and at home. Public policy and reliance on telecom companies for infrastructure and broadband services has failed to ensure sufficient resources to support the level of quality broadband penetration needed to remain competitive. Metering adds to this by discouraging network use: the more useful the network is, the more it is used, and the more expensive it becomes – a cyclical process that ultimately discourages greater utility of the network because it adds unmanageable costs.



Discussion Area (July-August 2008)

Why are these challenges relevant to teaching, learning or creative expression?

  • Protectionism (or risk averseness...not risk management) is a common issue being faced at the coal-face where practitioners trying to innovate are often (and sometimes unwittingly) prevented simply because content, services and tools may be filtered. Some of the policies that contribute to this are copyright(read Intellectual Property), security, and content filtering (not so much a problem in universities). Given the trend to a more open and collaborative, mobile and personal device brought into formal learning environments these issues must be addressed or otherwise much of the innovative activities will occur outside of the formal learning environment.
  • Teacher Capability - this has been a hard nut to crack...why? Academics/teachers are time poor. They have often seen the integration of technology into the classroom as another 'add on' rather than transforming delivery of learning and so reducing the effort required on their part. For example, why do we have to continue the traditional lecture, tutorial model in universities? Are there better ways using technology to deliver learning? We have been very poor at scaling best practice and particularly in the university(and VET sector) where the view is 'if it wasn't invented here' it is not highly regarded. So this is a cultural change, one that must start at the top of educational institutions. Institutions must themselves become learning organisations, support change and encourage innovative practice that transforms the environment. Unfortunately, I must also say that reward systems in institutions must support this change. This is why leadership is critical to support teacher capability.
  • Assessment of emerging techologies - where is the evidence that this technology improves outcomes in learning is common response by policy makers? I am sure this research/action research is being undertaken in lots of isolated pockets in Australia and around the world....however, we often don't know about it, has local impact, and can be dependent upon the enthusiasm of the early adopter/researcher. We need to draw together this research/investigation so that we know what we don't know and then fund research which is more strategic in nature and value to the education sector.
  • Poor Quality Broadband - there is no doubt that unless you have high speed access to the internet there are limitations to the kinds of tools, applications and services that can be used in the delivery of learning. However, broadband access is generally good in universities in Australia. However, for learners depending on their situation, access to broadband may not be possible at home, work or local library and so this may prevent them from completing online work. Australia still has patchy broadband in rural and remote regions and the current government has policies and allocated funding to improve broadband access. So this issue should improve...however, with a shift towards more mobile devices and mobility the effort for broadband should be on connectivity to mobile devices.
  • your thought or contribution here ...

Please provide links to any local or international reports, papers, or articles that might serve to document any of these challenges, or that illuminate them.

  • your thought or contribution here ...

Please add any other information that may be helpful to the staff as they write up this topic.

  • your thought or contribution here ...
  • your thought or contribution here ...
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