Good old-fashioned education? High-tech cutting edge use of learner driven e tools? Truth is slippery and elusive as always. And there is no difference with the topic of young people, computers, learning, eduction, schools and all that goes with the growing upness of our young people.
There is a sight called ‘Educational Insanity’ (kinda cool name for a site) and there you will find what Jonathan D. Becker, J.D., Ph.D. has to say about this. I have cut and pasted some findings from research that he quotes. Main points are these:
- Teachers niche in the ecosystem – English teachers were much more likely to use computers than their peers.
- Teacher / Ecosystem Interaction – teachers who reported feeling pressure and support from colleagues were more likely to use computers more. Also, where there were too many competing invading species (other “programs” or “innovations”), computer use suffered.
- Teacher-Computer Predisposition for Compatibility – teachers who found computers to be more compatible with pedagogical beliefs and practices used computers more.
- Opportunities for Mutual Adaptation – teachers that had more time to “play around” with computers used them more for teaching/learning.
Whatever your view, computers look like they are here to stay.