Is the use of computers in classroom just an old way of teaching, with a modern wrapping?

I have experienced that the use of computers was looked upon as a robot-like way of learning by many of my fellow teachers. The computer gives you a question. The pupil answers. The computer gives the pupil a feed – back, whether it’s right or wrong. Many teachers have in the recent years criticised the use of computers in classrooms. Some teachers that I know argument with that it is not progress, but just another version of the well-known IRE pattern. The IRE pattern (Power Point, page 47 - 48) was known as the typical way of interacting with pupils in Norwegian classrooms. It starts with the teacher asking a pupil about a topic, just to check if the pupil knows the right answer. In this pattern, the pupil’s answer is evaluated by the teacher. Then the teacher replies with a short comment as "Good," or "No, that's not right." Then the interaction ends. Some teachers saw some advantages with the use of this computer learning activity, such as the pupils were getting a feed – back right away, and that they didn’t have to evaluate the pupils’ tasks. In that manner they would get more time to guide the weaker pupils.

This kind of teaching isn’t the only way to use the new technology. After web 2.0 arrived, there has been an explosion of possibilities for people to interact, collaborate, share their views in blogs, share their products on YouTube, discuss online on different chats, make statements in forums or just contribute on an encyclopaedia like Wikipedia. Why not take an advantage of this technology, and use it in our classrooms?

A visual explanation of web 2.0

I think we should. Many schools in Norway have access to a learning platform were pupils and teachers can save their work, and work with it later on when they're at home (there are of course many other possibilities, but that’s not the main issue in this postJ). In my school, in Oslo, the pupils have got a much better access to computers during my period as a teacher (10 years). This was possible with getting money from Oslo kommune from the project InnsIKT. At the school I am working at we had 3 laptops in 2005 and 15 old stationary computers. Now every teacher has their own laptop, we have Smart Boards in every classroom, we have 15 stronger computers for multimedia use, around 150 laptops and in average 5 stationary computers on each base. In average we have 1 computer for every third pupil. So I think we have the tool to make progress.

The pupils can for example make different wikis on their school’s learning platform. Let’s say the pupils have an assignment about the planets in our solar system. The pupils work in groups. First they start a topic in a forum, in their interactive classroom, on their learning platform. Here their group could start getting links to information. Then the next step could be to discuss what they should bring into their wiki. When they have finished and opened their wiki, the other pupils can visit it, read about their planet and maybe add some important information to their wiki. If the group creates a feed back place attached to the wiki, the group hopefully will get many responses, and not just one from the teacher.

Here you can find an introduction for the use of Wiki on the learning platform Moodle

At the same time they have collaborated and broadened their mind through discussions with their fellow pupils, without being told: “that’s correct/that’s not correct”. With this way of using the technology it’s easier to reflect, discuss and to construct their own knowledge on a subject, instead of being afraid of raising your hand in the classroom, and being corrected in front of all the other pupils. I think it’s easier to speak out your opinion, and therefore more democratic. In the classroom the pupil often doesn’t decide when to speak. This is just a simple example to show how easy it can be for a teacher to get the pupils to collaborate with the use of computers, and this is a task that easily could be worked on at home as well as at school.

Clearly I don’t think there is only one way of using computers in teaching and learning. I have given some examples of another ways to use computers than just the robot – way type I mentioned in the start. With web 2.0 I think we can get a more interactive use of computers. I think it would engage the pupils in a more natural way. When the pupils grow up and get a job there will not be a teacher looking over their shoulder, or asking them to raise their hand when asked to. They will not get corrections on everything they produce or say. They will hopefully collaborate with their colleagues, give feed – back to each other, back up and help each other. And that’s point with our teaching. We are preparing them for the life as grown – ups, and in adult life you have to collaborate with your fellow colleagues.