The two day faculty-development seminar I’ve just finished attending in Juneau had four primary strands:
- Creating and Facilitating a Community of Learners
- Technology Strategies
- Managing Online Learners
- Assessing Effectiveness of Teaching Tools and Strategies
I enjoyed this chance to share with colleagues and learn more about what they are doing. The topic of Communities of Learners is a natural fit with my interest in social software and I had a chance to discuss a bit of my own thinking and experience and where it meshes with current thinking by others like Stephen Downes.
But I left feeling more keenly than ever the frustrating tension between incrementalism and revolution in education. We know that things can and need to be better, but educators living in fear of their administration– and beholden to a tenure process that rewards keeping one’s head down and being consistently average– are unwilling to try anything new until it has been proven.
There is no place to prove (or disprove) educational methods or technology except in the classroom. I understand being cautious– I don’t understand being fearful. Given the woeful underperformance of students when it comes to perhaps the most important skill they should be learning– critical thinking– what are educators so afraid of? And why should be burden of proof always be settled on the “other”?
comment:
Chris, I share your frustration with the rate of change in educational processes. I am frequently tempted to indict individuals working in the field who are not open minded enough to see things my way, but you’ve given me a few other things to think about here. Wholesale or rapid change (revolution) may either be the result of an ideological shift imposed on a group through a policy directive (NCLB, standards, accountability, etc), or it may also come as a cultural transformation that is rooted in communities of practice. I think we would both agree which is preferable for all participants. Incrementalism is safer because nobody gets badly hurt in the short term, but is it fear or judicious caution that is operating? Students are as unprepared for rapid change as are administrators. Constructivist pedagogy, in my experience, fails for want of fertile soil as much as unsuitable climate. And with those for whom it works it is pure magic. Too bad we can’t bottle that!
As to proof and methodology, educational research is contested territory at this time. There are huge disagreements about what even constitutes valid evidence. Contemporary theorists argue that validating research data is more of a social process than has been conventionally thought since the interpretations and inferences drawn from research are what is most significant. Qualitative and quantitative research methodologists each point to the shortcomings of the other.
Looking at the forces that drive educational change is an interesting topic. I think there can be no doubt that social, cultural, and political pressures are all operating simultaneously. Figuring out which of those will be the most influential is one of my big interests right now, since I can’t imagine a world in which the administrators finally win.