Never mind the technology, where’s the learning?

Phew, what a week in Torquay at the Naace conference - stimulating sessions and debate! The ‘talk of the conference’ was the keynote address by John Clare, Education correspondent for the Telegraph and a fierce critic of the educational value of ICT in schools and the expenditure that has taken place in the UK over the last few years. While I expected discussion on his session to have died down by coffee time the next morning, I was still hearing comments on the Friday morning after the conference was over! It seems that he had not in fact entered the ‘lions den’, as I heard of no-one rejecting the general points he made out of hand. Indeed Naace members were prepared to listen, and happy to be challenged on their belief that ICT advances education. However, when it came to questions at the end, at no stage did he attempt to engage in ‘the debate’, which he claimed had hardly taken place:

“… and we might also agree that education can only benefit from opposing sides testing each others convictions now and then. Where ICT is concerned, it really is only now and then. For never, I believe, has such a major initiative been so little debated. It’s in that spirit that I want to argue this evening that what ICT has to offer education has been grossly exaggerated.”

In essence, he refused to enter into any sort of real dialogue with the audience.

As an ex-history teacher, I felt uneasy that it was me that was listening to the excellent “propagandist” (an accusation he made of others) whose argument was based on selective quotation from researchers and academics that advocated the use of ICT in teaching and learning; turning careful considered caveats into evidence that even the “techno-evangelists” did not believe their own findings. Even suggesting that there were more devious motives by individuals, companies and agencies than a real commitment to preparing children for life in the 21st century.

” … that its [ICT] introduction has been driven not by any research evidence of its effectiveness, but by commercial pressures and a distorted funding regime … “

No one was exempt from this tongue, software houses that “inflict upon them [children] a diet of the educational equivalent of junk food” and produce, “essentially anti-educational products”, government agencies that, “are whistling in the dark” and respected academics who are, “the principal propagandists”.

He was careful not to rubbish all uses of ICT in schools, he moderated his attacks by saying that there were some uses where computers might prove useful.

1. Children need practice for using them in word processing, spreadsheets and making sensible use of the internet;
2. Some software does have the power to illuminate teaching, in particular, simulations and modelling in Science and Maths;
3. Interactive whiteboards can be a useful classroom aid, but teachers will never have the time or skill to scratch the surface of their potential;
4. Drill and practice software … can if teachers know what they are doing, help children master basic skills;
5. Applications such as dsylexia screening, pupil voting systems and screen based assessments that analyse individuals’ strengths and weaknesses can help to improve teachers’ effectiveness;

Like every good “propagandist”, by seeming reasonable in part, he appeals to our liberal nature, and this makes it harder to dismiss his claims as unreasonable. But the fact that he could offer no real alternative weakened the strength of any argument he might have been making and made me question whether he truly believed what he was saying, or simply sought the alternative viewpoint to be provocative and sell newspapers (although I will admit he has always been consistent in his opposition [see links below]).
Why learn when you can surf? Education Telegraph 05/02/2003

Internet in schools fails to improve results News Telegraph 10/01/2003

Listen to the complete podcast of John Clare’s keynote below: