|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Interview with: Claudia Urrea
Claudia Urrea, a
PhD candidate in the Media Lab’s Future
of Learning group, studies how the use of robotics and other digital
technologies can be used within rural communities to improving learning
and the community itself. Since 1990, she has focused on educational and
technology projects in the US, Latin America, and Thailand. What are some concrete ways that digital technologies can help rural students in developing countries learn? Digital technologies are superb media for allowing expression, design, control, and communication, but not all of them foster the kind of educational experiences that will bring significant change to people’s lives. I believe that digital technologies can be used to enable and encourage people to produce their own content -- to create rather than consume media -- as well as to collaborate and communicate with others who share the same interests, goals, and needs. These kinds of technologies are important within my research program for many reasons. People using them are responsible for their own learning; they can work at their own pace; and they have the tools to reflect upon their communities. They therefore see themselves as active participants and creators of their own realities. However, change is not simply about access to digital technologies. There is a danger of technocentric thinking -- the tendency to think of computers as agents that act directly on learning. In addition to digital technologies, other important elements to the success of this work for rural communities include a relevant curriculum, the new learning environment, and appropriate teacher development programs and participation. Students in rural communities use digital technologies in many different ways. For example, they use technologies to create projects to understand issues related to the needs and problems of the community (better transportation, water sanitation, preservation of scare resources, etc.); community assets (agriculture, livestock, recreation, etc); or to learn about the technology, per se. It is important to mention that this research initiative is impossible to understand without talking about the constructionist approach behind it, which is our main philosophy of work at the Future of Learning group at the Media Lab. What impact can the constructionist approach to education have on these communities? In Seymour Papert's view, computers should be seen as more than just tools, but rather as potential carriers of new ways of thinking about teaching, learning, and education. The constructionist view is that computers both allow us to match subject matter to learning style and permit us to learn without teaching or instruction. The constructionist approach builds on the theories of developmental psychologist Jean Piaget, who asserted that knowledge is not simply transmitted from teacher to student, but actively constructed in the mind of the learner. The constructionist approach shares similar principles as the participatory-research approach: empowering the community members with active involvement, designing, and making decisions about their own lives. Community members are encouraged to participate in decision making, implementation, and evaluation of projects. This gives them a sense of ownership and responsibility for their lives and communities. In addition, it gives them skills that they can use well beyond the timetable of development projects. The collaboration between members of the school and the community will make a big impact on the ways in which people in the community see themselves and are seen by the developing world. The intervention afforded by constructionism takes into account the importance of local knowledge and culture, as well as people’s interests and different learning styles. It therefore has the potential to lead to appropriate actions in rural communities. What ideas about teacher development are emerging from the Future of Learning group? Even though many people agree that learning needs to change drastically to meet the needs of a constantly changing society and world, few question current practices or dare to implement solutions that will bring significant change in the ways people learn. The Future of Learning group focuses mainly on drastically redefining the conceptual framework of education. With this goal in mind, members of our group develop their own ideas and projects and collaborate with others in order to make sure their ideas are plausible, doable, and testable. In the past, research considered the child to be the main learner within a learning environment, giving less or not enough attention to the teacher. I strongly believe in the important role that the teacher plays in the implementation and development of research programs that aim to bring change in the way people learn, and therefore, the way they improve their own lives. I propose a new theory of change that articulates why and how change in teacher development can be facilitated. I start with the following principles:
This initiative will work through a strategy that identifies four main areas as key points for action: 1) integration and dissemination, 2) learning environment transformation, 3) continuous development, and 4) support and follow-up. Technology will be used to evoke conversation, to set common goals, to trace and document work, to support communication and collaboration, and to sustain the teacher community.
|
|
|
Copyright ©2003 Massachusetts
Institute of Technology