Subject: [IFETS-DISCUSSION:1215] Response to Bernard Serfontein
From: Kristinka Ovesni (kovesni@hotmail.com)
Date: Wed 21 Feb 2001 - 12:16:10 MET
From: "Kristinka Ovesni" <kovesni@hotmail.com> Subject: [IFETS-DISCUSSION:1215] Response to Bernard Serfontein Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2001 12:16:10
Dear Bernard,
As well as you, I'm fascinate with On-line learning. But, my country is also
(at the moment) undeveloped. In associate with Srdjan Samurovic I have
written an article on thus subjecct which may be viewed at
http://www.spark-online.com/january00/trends/articles/ovesni_samurovic.html
Also, I've wrote another article (not published yet) about this problem New
Technologies in Adult Education based on my expose at workshop "New
Technologies in Education" at International Conference Educational Systems
in Balkan Countries: Issues and Trends, Balkan Society for Pedagogy and
Education, Faculty of Science, University of Istambul, 22-23 September 2000,
Istambul. I hope that this articles will help you.
NEW TECHNOLOGIES IN ADULT EDUCATION
Adult education at the beginning of the XXI century has conquered the
position of the global phenomenon. Many authors as one of its fundamental
goals emphasize the promotion of change in society (Hopkins, 1990; Popovic,
2000). Realization of this goal is inevitably followed by the changes of
existing educational forms, and also adoption of various alternatives in
education. Thus, with softening of strong boundaries between institutional
and non-institutional (i.e. formal and nonformal) education, process of
learning becomes evident, while the process of learning that has previously
been regarded through transmission of knowledge is increasingly taken as set
of self-directed, learner centered, collaborative learning activities. On
the other side digital revolution has caused reevaluation of concepts of
literacy, roles of adult educators, learning activities, but has also
produced a flood of information, broadening of the gap both among learners
and among developed and undeveloped countries. Implementation of the
information technology in the field of education and adult learning balances
between the possibility of fulfillment of the promotion of change in society
as its basic goal that is operational through adaptation and emancipation,
that is "developing of autonomy, flexibility, freedom and independence of
personality and developing critical thinking and a critical attitude towards
social reality" (Popovic, 2000, pp. 52) and its total negation expressed
through phenomena of alienation and oppression.
DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY -- WAY FOR LEARNING IN ITS OWN ENVIRONMENT OR WAY FOR THE
PROMOTION OF CHANGE IN SOCIETY
Numerous modern authors (Brown, 1998; Parker and Rossner-Merrill, 1998;
Gray, 1999; Wonacott, 2000. etc) adopt constructional theory of learning as
basic paradigm of analysis of problems of new technologies in the adult
education. They emphasize the importance of interaction and collaboration
and deem necessary the process of moving of educational focus towards:
§ active, self-directed, centered on learning collaborative activities,
§ towards education accommodated to differences in modality, cognitive
styles and multiple intelligence and
§ displacing of the role of the andragogue to positions of guidance,
facilitation and coaching.
This approach emphasized the importance of acquiring capabilities for using
new technologies. However, in such a manner one does not acquire
capabilities of critical thinking, but the possibility for broader, more
democratic comprehension of itself and its environment is opened.
Digital technology is neither a way for achievement of instant efficiency,
nor a "magic stick" that solves numerous problems nor an inflexible "iron
cage"; rather it is a new sort of educational reality. By placing the
promotion of change in a society as one of the basic goals of this reality
we think that it is necessary to make re-conceptualization of the whole
existing structure of education and learning of adults in which the central
place belongs to learning on media through media as a foundation of the
conception of media literacy. Such an initial foundation open the space for
democratic forming of social reality and active inclusion in the world of
modern reality, its critical comprehension, as well as developing of
autonomy, flexibility, freedom and independence of personality. In such a
manner it is significantly reduced the potential possibility of alienation
of individual from the society, and finally from itself, as well as the
possibility of making new ones and deepening of existing differences among
developed and undeveloped countries.
THORNS ON THE ROSE?
Contemporary authors, especially those from developed countries, as basic
advantages of introduction of new, digital technology in education and
learning of adults state: full, rich information, possibilities to
accommodate differences in modality, cognitive styles and multiple
intelligences, possibilities to realize learning activities that strengthen
construction of meaning i.e. interactive exchange of information,
possibility of control of learning environment, the group process and roles
of the learners, intensive thinking, participation by more learners,
reduction of inhibitions, change of a traditional role of an adult educator
who instead of only performing transmission of knowledge now guide,
facilitate and coach learners (Wonacott, 2000), creating a dynamic climate
in which learning becomes a strategic tool for growth and development (Roth
and Niemi, 1996).
On the other hand Wonacott (2000), as well as Gray (1999) emphasize a series
of shortcomings related to:
1. Learners:
§ prior training for new technologies skills,
§ necessity of existing goals, interests, navigational and metacognitive
skills as well as prior knowledge of subject matter,
§ existing of technophobia among some learners,
2. Adult educator:
§ difficulties to incorporate new technologies in teaching
§ difficulties to change existing roles and staring of guiding and
facilitation instead to transmitting knowledge in a standard way,
3. Media and educational process:
§ economic by nature (expensive, etc.)
§ information (overload, unreliability, out of date, chaotic, slow and balky
technology)
§ inappropriate in areas where memorization and rote learning is need, etc.
However, all aforementioned limitations and advantages are mainly held at
the didactic level, although they deserve deeper researching attention. On
the theoretical level one opens the problem of creating of adequate concept
that will unite in a satisfactory manner existing theoretical knowledge and
application of digital technologies. On the practical level numerous
problems appear, whose solving, even at the starting level of implementation
of the modern digital technology requires trained adult educators and
detailed development of educational plans, but also the existence of
adequate technological resources.
Undeveloped countries have "chronic disease" of impossibility of adequate
and complete eliminating of even basic illiteracy. Functional literacy in
these countries is still on the level of abstractly given goals, while in
many of these countries the problem of media literacy is still been debated,
mostly on the theoretical level. Potential modernization of economy depends
on the possibility of application of digital technology. Developing
countries, and especially undeveloped countries have most frequently
inadequate or insufficient human resources in the field of education and
learning of adults. Available adult educators frequently are volunteers with
insufficient andragogical knowledge, and in cases when they are adequately
professionally trained they frequently does not show interest for
self-improvement, because this does not bring adequate material
compensation, and sometimes requires additional material investment. On the
other side, population of illiterates is constantly increasing, and is made
of persons that are not capable or that are not motivated enough to
undertake activities of learning of foreign languages, or do not have
financial possibility of obtaining expensive digital technology.
Multiplication of inadequately professionally trained manpower leads to
deepening of poverty through impossibility of incorporating of contemporary
production technology and further, to global poverty of undeveloped society.
Such societies are frequently not capable to provide adequate financial help
to the field of adult education. In such a manner, application of digital
technology becomes a sword that can turn out either way - on one hand it
becomes means for "liberation" and on the other hand, means of subtle
"constraining" (Ovesni, Samurovic, 2000).
The process of introduction of new technologies into adult education
requires both vertical, and horizontal planning. Vertical planning assumes
making of new and reconstruction of existing connections and relations on
local, national, regional and international level with paying appropriate
attention to respecting of cultural, religious, theoretical, ideological,
economical and differences in tradition. Horizontal planning, on the other
hand, is not only related to the aspects of learning (activities,
information, role of adult educator) but also to a disciplinary and
professional connecting. For both kinds of planning one notices the
necessity of founding on a pluralistic, democratic basis. On the contrary,
introduction of new technologies in the field of education and learning of
adults will result in opening of possibilities for special submission and
alienation, thus making a room for the development of one new, non-tolerant,
uniform, opposite to pluralistic, universal and unique goal of education and
learning of adults - the promotion of change in society.
CONCLUSION
Introduction of new, digital technologies to the field of education and
learning of adults does not mean civilizable advancement per se. Modern
technology is neutral; it embodies the values of a particular society; it
represents a new sort of educational reality. However, placing of this
technology into focus of education and learning of adults that has for its
basic goal adaptation and emancipation may lead to making and fostering of a
critical comprehension of democratic social reality. In such a way, with a
careful solving of both theoretical and practical questions, by placing of
the so-called vertical and horizontal plans one can avoid traps of deepening
of the gap between developed and undeveloped countries, alienation and
oppression.
REFERENCES
1. Brown, B.L. (1998), Distance Education and Web-Based Training, ERIC,
Information Series No 379, The Ohio State University, Columbus, at: URL:
http://ericacve.org/majorpubs2.asp?ID=20
2. Feenberg, A. (1995), Alternative Modernity: The Technical Turn in
Philosophy and Social Theory, University of California Press, Berkeley.
3. Gray, D.E. (1999), The Internet in lifelong learning: liberation or
alienation?, in International Journal of Lifelong Education, Vol. 18 No 2,
pp. 119-126.
4. Hopkins, P.G.H. (1990), Adult education as an Agent of Change - Despite
State Influence, in: Pöggeler, F. (ed.), The State and Adult Education,
Peter Lang, 23, Frankfurt am Main.
5. Ovesni, K., Samurovic, S. (2000) Constraints on Adult Education in the
era of "Digital Revolution" (Digital Technology as a Sword that can turn out
Either Way),
http://www.spark-online.com/january00/trends/articles/ovesni_samurovic.html
6. Parker, D. and Rossner-Merrill, V. (1998), Socialization of Distance
Education: The Web as Enabler, in: Maurer, H. and Olson, R.G. (eds.), WebNet
98: World Conference of the WWW, Internet, and Intranet, The proceedings,
Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education, Charlottesville.
7. Popovic, K. (2000), Adult Education Institutions within the Context of
Political Change, in: Cooke, A., MacSween, A. (eds.), The Rise and Fall of
Adult Education Institutions and Social Movements, The proceedings of the
Seventh International Conference on the History of Adult Education, Peter
Lang, Offprint, Frankfurt am Main.
8. Roth, G.L. and Niemi, J. (1996), Information technology systems and the
learning organization, in International Journal of Lifelong Education, Vol.
15 No 3, pp. 202-215.
9. Savicevic, D. (1998), Koncepcija globalizacije i njen uticaj na
obrazovanje, Andrago{ke studije, Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 115-129.
10. Wonacott, M.E. (2000), WEB-Based Training and Constructivism, In Brief,
no. 2, National Dissemination Center for Career & Technical Education, The
Ohio State University, Columbus.
Sorry for long contribution, but I hope that it would be useful for Bernard
and other colleagues from undeveloped countries.
Sincerelly,
Kristinka Ovesni, M.A.
Faculty of Philosophy
Department of Pedagogy and Andragogy
University of Belgrade, Yugoslavia
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