Subject: Incompatibilites
From: Cathy Burke (cathy@windses.free-online.co.uk)
Date: Wed 19 Jan 2000 - 22:35:45 MET
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2000 21:35:45 +0000 From: Cathy Burke <cathy@windses.free-online.co.uk> Subject: Incompatibilites
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I was interested in Andrew's contribution which talked about the
incompatibility of ICT within the culture of school.
The writers he referred us to, and another more recent contribution
R.McClintock 'Pedagogy and Power' see
http://www.ilt.columbia.edu/Publications/texts/mcclintock/pp/chapter1.html
together with colleagues who have written creative and inspirational
work on the Social History of the Classroom - (Images and Silences: the
social history of the classroom, (eds) Grosvenor, Lawn and Rousmaniere
)have enabled me to reflect on the difficulties I have experienced
personally in attempting to embrace and harness the potential of the Web
in traditional undergraduate courses.
McClintock suggests that we are living through an historical era in
which few have yet come to terms with the full challenge of these
technologies . Attempts to implement ICT into a system which has evolved
around the technology of the book for the past 500 years repeatedly
disappoint as we attempt to use them in the classroom . The classroom -
meaning any formal or institutionalised learning situation with the
recognisable symbols and signs both in the hardware and software of
learning, that is in the physical shape of that space and the power
relations effected within.
McClintock says, 'A tool (in this case the book) is not just invented
and used; it may determine the shape of the school. Its use involves a
number of problems that must be resolved. The inter relatedness of
technologies creates complex problems that effect how schooling is
designed or evolves.'
Positioning the networked computer as a tool in the narrative of the
technology of learning, which fundamentally challenges the primacy of
the book and everything which derives from that, has helped me to begin
to reflect on my role as tutor or facilitator in introducing networked
learning to undergraduate courses.
Rather like the traditional Russian doll , the work stations are
encapsulated within the social technology of the ‘classroom’ which in
turn is organised within the ‘department’, the ‘school’, the ‘faculty’,
the ‘University . So while the whole world of knowledge production,
construction and exchange has turned upside down through the
introduction of these technologies, nothing much else has changed and
the Institution and the social mind is organised around the educational
system produced by the technology of the book.
The book acts as a container of authorship. One of the effects of the
book as a sanctioned text is its determination of worthwhile writing.
Individualised writing is one of the principal products of the education
system and its effect is to create barriers and boundaries around
personal writing. In an academic course - as opposed to some creative
writing classes - the resistance of individuals to collaborative peer
review and remark is intense. The process of constructing a discussion
archive can be seen to be extremely threatening in that it at a stroke
breaks through the boundaries we have learned to erect around our
efforts. Collaborative and cooperative exchange within any learning
context makes the utmost sense ; however, the resistance and anxiety of
some to participate could be explained by the notion of the computer as
a glorified book and the domination of the classroom setting.
. My recent experience of introducing an on-line element into a
traditionally taught undergraduate module hopefully helps to illustrate
these points. Having created a series of linked web pages as a week by
week course reference point, I had envisaged a situation to arise
whereby the course could be accessed at any time in the week either from
home, if students had access to a networked computer in the home, or via
computer workstations on Campus. Thus, I had imagined that the weekly
face to face would have gradually withered as a necessity., only
functioning as a space to provide further technical guidance and to
distribute and collect papers. But I found myself week by week
performing the role of tutor and guide, enabling and prompting actual
discussion of the content of the course - discussions which were rich
and informed and which, as `i was acutely aware, were dissipated and
never archived as a collective resource, as was originally intended.
To understand this, I could point to low levels of technological
confidence in the group of learners; I could point to the fact that this
was a group new to on-line learning who's primary motive for study was
social and political; I could reflect that my own level of confidence in
the format which I had engineered was low and that my taking up the
traditional role of 'sage on the stage' for large sections of the weekly
class was an insurance device to prevent failure of the module. However,
I am coming gradually to an entirely different conclusion.
When persons of any age or gender walk in to a classroom a fundamental
learned phenomenon occurs ~ we take up roles as teachers, learners,
caretakers, parents, governors ... Thus a certain behaviour or ritual is
expected and the taking of roles fundamental. The classroom which
contained the computer workstations on which we worked are neatly
arranged in rows, all facing front and on the wall are whitboards. We
took up our places. We each sat at a computer. I sat down, next to my
students, facing front. We all felt awkward - this was wrong.! The
classroom dictates a certain discourse which in the act of sitting
alongside my students, I was disturbing. I soon jumped up and performed
my tasks - my roles
Arguably, the potential of the course as designed was constrained and
limited by the social technology of the classroom which has evolved over
time around the central technology of the book.
best wishes to all
Cathy
--Catherine Burke 7 The Windses Grindleford Hope Valley S 32 2HY Tel: 01433 631907
Dr. Catherine Burke Lecturer in Education: Child & Family Studies, Bretton Hall College West Bretton WF4 4LG 01924 830261
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