the evolving roles of ICT in education - this is for my website

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The evolving roles of ICT in education: comments on the educative experiences of students
There have been a number of theoretical undertakings to initiate frameworks for the roles of ICT in educational settings. Taylor’s model of ‘tutor, tool and tutee’ (cited in Bull, 2009), emphasised the classification potential for software to be utilised in more pedagogical ways in the classroom. His later revision addressed 4 areas of implication for 21st century learners; “access, collaborat[ion], communicat[ion] and experience” (p91). These four elements are evidently ingrained into the educative experience of students, however do not provide an exhaustive representation of the many varied roles that ICT plays in the classroom.
Further to Taylor’s research, Jonassen’s concept of “mindtools” (cited in Finger, Russell, Jamieson-Proctor, & Russell, 2007, p 12) envisioned ICT’s as tools that encouraged deeper levels of cognition and learning. In a sense a dichotomy emerged between the productive functions of ICT’s and tasks requiring students to engage at a deeper intellectual level (Finger et.al.). From the research it is clear that approaches to the roles of ICT in education continue to expand as new technologies extend learning experiences in and out of the classroom.
A reflection on significant change to students’ educative experience is demonstrated by ICT integration statements in the NSW syllabus for the Australian curriculum (NSWBOS website). Amongst other ICT outcomes for learning it emphasises the roles of:
1) Motivation and engagement
2) Access to information, resources and knowledge
3) Local and global collaboration
4) Promotion of critical and creative thinking skills
The inclusion of such elements is indicative of the varied roles played by ICT in the classroom both locally and globally. As well as a model for ICT-curriculum integration, the elements represent the changing experiences of of 21st century learners.
One of the initial key roles of ICT in the classroom has been to enhance student learning through motivation and engagement. Van Dam (2013) claims that “many research studies suggest that active engagement is a prerequisite for changes in the brain” (p32). Initially ICT’s were used mainly for drill and practise style rote learning, and information purposes (Finger et.al., p 11). It had restrictions in the adaptation of deeper learning experiences for higher order thinking skills, but did provide access to engaging ways of information processing and rote learning. Studies on motivation and engagement suggest that highly intrinsically motivated students self-regulate and individualise their own learning processes (Hickey and Zuicker, 2005; Hardreh et.al. 2007; Miller and Brickman, 2004). The emergence

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of the ‘wireless age’ initiated wider access to a range of multimedia and interactive learning tools with higher potential for individualisation and metacognition. Many of these tools encourage students to not only create, but publish their work online for others to appreciate, giving a stronger sense of self efficacy and accomplishment.
There is evidence that engagement with ICT’s has changed educational experiences for students. Swan et.al (2005) found that use of PDA’s increased student motivation in writing tasks with a reciprocal effect on student results. More recently, studies in game based learning (Huizenga 2009; Cheng et.al. 2013) have reported improvements in subject knowledge and attitudes toward learning. For the English classroom, books can be accessed in interactive and multimedia form with study tools that promote analytical and contextual reading (such as ibard) and differentiate for various learning styles. The use of podcasts and blogs for example, act as an extension of students’ inclination for interaction in social media (Lacinda, 2008). They have the potential, if scaffolded, to assist reserved students to gain the confidence needed to attempt future public speaking tasks.
ICT use in the classroom is particularly valued for its role in providing access to information, knowledge and resources. Ainley et.al.’s (2002) framework for the computer as a ‘knowledge tool” discusses the aspects of “information resourc[ing] and authoring , knowledge construction and knowledge reinforcement” (p398). Recent developments in wireless technologies have created immediate access to global knowledge, constructed and authored by both academics and non-academics alike. As a consequence students have become ‘experts’ at information retrieval and Badke (2013) claims that “students, fuelled by their experience with the internet, live in their own information culture” (p68). Along with knowledge sharing communities, the internet has the potential to allow both cognitive and social construction of knowledge. Information sites often use multimedia and interactive formats to target engagement and differing learning styles.
Whilst students are quite adept at accessing information, there is evidence to suggest that they struggle to process, evaluate and integrate the information as knowledge. A study by van Deursen and van Diepen, (2012) found that 72% of students successfully completed information skills tasks whilst only 56% completed the strategic skills tasks. Nevertheless, students are engaging in more authentic information experiences through online and interactive museums, tours and excursions. For the English student, contextual experiences in relation to texts are more accessible (eg, virtual Globe Theatre tours), and discussions on interpretations of texts are available for critical review in collaborative communities such as wikis. As for the indiscriminate nature of Wikipedia, many teachers are now teaching students how to critically examine the site as a tool for resourcing rather than a main resource itself. Thus there is a necessity for students to be more critically connected learners.
The concept of collaboration could be said to diverge into the two key elements of communication and social interaction which actively work together to promote learning.

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Solomon and Schrum (2007) assert that “communication is a key motivator for students and drives their use of technology” (p41). Certainly, students are engaged in active social communication with over 600 million active users of Facebook per day (Facebook newsroom). Traditional sociocultural approaches to collaboration emphasise the role of both discussion and physical interaction between individuals and groups. As well as the content of the discussion, non-verbal cues and interactionist connections to the physical context (Williams and Sheridan, 2006, p86) are viewed with equal importance. Online collaboration through social networking and web 2.0 tools have allowed various aspects of communication at both local and global levels. Whilst still maintaining a context for the social interaction, non-verbal cues have been lost or re-adapted into symbolic cues such as emoticons.
In the educational environment, collaborative ICT technologies have taken on the roles of administrative tools, forums for knowledge sharing and platforms for digital and virtual interaction. Administrative software such as tassweb, sentral and iwise, along with learning management systems such as moodle and blackboard, have changed the way that administrators and teachers can communicate with parents and students. Whilst such systems have been associated with student ‘disempowerment’ (sclater, 2008), one study found that university students “value tools and activities for efficient communication more than interactive tools for innovating existing practices” (Lonn and Teasely, 2009, p686). It is not clear whether this perception is reflected amongst secondary school students, however HSC students might find the organisational and communication features more appealing.
Knowledge sharing as an aspect of collaboration is diverse in approach and can converge social networking and web 2.0 tools to change students’ learning experiences. For English classes, the use of blogs and wiki’s have created learning communities around contextual or thematic studies of literature. One study reported that when using blogs for sharing information, students applied themselves to editing their punctuation and spelling more carefully as peers were quick to comment on inconsistencies (Handsfield et.al., 2009). In this sense, positive peer pressure influenced their attitudes and sense of self-efficacy resulting in behavioural changes in their application to the task.
Further to the use of blogs and wiki’s, Web 2.0 applications change the educative experience through the use of more interactive and immediate digital and virtual applications for learning. Multimedia presentation platforms such as ‘Prezi’ integrate collaborative construction tools that force students to engage in “emergent, creative collaboration” (Zhang, 2009). The non-linear format encourages students to make ongoing decisions in their correlation of ideas, knowledge, concepts and representation. In the English classroom, collaborative representations of themes and interpretation of texts encourages discussion and critical response to the ideas of others. Applications such as ‘Voicethread’ allow individuals to post tasks for collaborative feedback by peers. This

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approach correlates with the co-constructivist model of feedback (Askew, 2000), with both creator and responder conducting productive dialogue for critical discussion.
Perhaps the most significant role of education in the Australian curriculum is to develop Independent, critically aware thinkers who both evaluate and create shared knowledge. According to Starkey (2011) the secondary school context appears to be slowly evolving from a focus on … prescribed ‘knowledge’ towards a focus on critical thinking skills, knowledge creation and learning through connections” (p19). Critical and creative thinkers in an ICT environment tend to draw together the previously explored elements. In essence they:
 Individualise the learning process through engagement and motivation
 Are able to make educationally valuable decisions when accessing resources and knowledge
 Collaborate in socially constructive ways to analyse and create knowledge
The utilisation of such skills envisions a deeper application of life-long learning in a global knowledge economy.
In terms of the classroom experience, there is evidence to suggest correlation between technology rich classrooms and highly developed critical thinking skills. McMahon (2009) reported that “students with better developed programming skills, developed within a technology-rich environment, score higher on critical thinking exercises” (p269). Critical thinking skills were not specifically taught on this occasion, however it was suggested that the higher order processing required may have stimulated areas of cognition that unlock critical thinking skills. For the English teacher, student creation of websites based around thematic studies has been used to demonstrate their understanding and interpretation. Students are required to consider mechanical functions of website design and layout and the deeper metaphorical connections they wish to communicate. The end result is a multimodal representation of their critical understanding of key elements of the topic.
The role of ICTs in the classroom is constantly developing as new technologies and applications emerge. The varied applications are consistently being emphasised in curriculum changes and application of theoretical frameworks. There is significant evidence that ICT has changed the educative experience of students in a number of ways through increased motivation and engagement, global access to resources, collaborative learning experiences and enhanced emphasis on critical thinking.

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References
Ainley, J., Banks, D., & Fleming M. (2002). The influence of IT: perspectives from five Australian schools. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 18, 395-404, retrieved from http://cerg.infotech.monash.edu.au/~ajh/research/cerg/piavee/resources/ict_in_australian_schools.pdf
Askew, S. (2000) Feedback for learning. Retrieved from http://0site.ebrary.com.library.newcastle.edu.au/lib/newcastle/docDetail.action?docID=2002543
Badke, W. (2013) Teaching Information Cultures. Online Searcher, 37 (2), 68-70. URL: Onlinesearcher.net
Bull, G. (2009). Tutor, tool, tutee: A vision revisited. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 9(2), 89-94.
Cheng, Y.-M., Lou, S.-J., Kuo, S.-H., & Shih, R.-C. (2013). Investigating elementary school students' technology acceptance by applying digital game-based learning to environmental education. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology. 29(1), 96-110.
Facebook newsroom. Key Facts. Retrieved 16th April 2013 from http://newsroom.fb.com/Key-Facts
Finger, G., Russell, G., Jamieson-Proctor, R., & Russell, N. (2007). Transforming learning with ICT: Making it Happen. Frenchs Forest, Australia: Pearson
Handsfield, L. J., Dean, T. R., & Cielocha, K. M. (2009). Becoming Critical Consumers and Producers of Text: Teaching Literacy with Web 1.0 and Web 2.0. The Reading Teacher, 63(1), 40-50. doi: 10.1598/rt.63.1.4
Hardreh, P.L., Crowson. M., Debacker, T.K, White. D. (2007). Predicting the Academic Motivation
of Rural High School Students.The Journal of Experimental Education, 75(4), 247–269
Hickey, D.T., and Zuiker, S.J (2005) Engaged Participation: A Sociocultural Model of Motivation With Implications for Educational Assessment. Educational Assessment, 10 (3), 277–305
Huizenga, J., Admiraal, W., Akkerman, S., & Ten Dam, G. (2009). Mobile game-based learning in secondary education: engagement, motivation and learning in a mobile city game. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 25 (4),332–344. August 2009doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2729.2009.00316.x
Lacina, J. (2008). Learning English With iPods. Childhood Education, 84 (4), 247. ProQuest Research Library
Lonna, S., Stephanie D., Teasley, B., (2009) Saving time or innovating practice: Investigating perceptions and uses of Learning Management Systems. Computers & Education, 53 (3), 686–694 doi: dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2009.04.008
McMahon, G. (2009). Critical Thinking and ICT Integration in a Western Australian Secondary School. Educational Technology & Society, 12 (4), 269–281.
Miller, R.B., & Brickman, S.J (2004). A Model of Future-Oriented Motivation and Self-Regulation. Educational Psychology Review, 16 (1), 9-33
NSW Board of Studies. Integrating ICT capability. NSW Syllabuses for the Australian Curriculum. Retrieved April 15th, from http://syllabus.bos.nsw.edu.au/support-materials/integrating-ict/

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Sclater, Niall. “Web 2.0, Personal Learning Environments, and the Future of Learning Management Systems” (Research Bulletin, Issue 13). Boulder, CO: EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research, 2008, available from http://www.educause.edu/ecar
Solomon, G., & Schrum, L. (2007). Web 2.0: new tools, new schools. Eugene, Oregon: ISTE
Swan, K., Van ‘t Hooft, M., Kratcoski, A., and Unger, D. (2005). Uses and effects of mobile computing devices in K-8 classrooms. In L. Schrum (ed), Considerations on Technology and Teachers: The Best of the Journal of Research on Technology in Education pp(67-82). Eugene, Oregon: ISTE
Starkey, L. (2011). Evaluating learning in the 21st century: a digital age learning matrix. Technology, Pedagogy and Education, 20 (1), 19-39. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1475939X.2011.554021
Williams, P., & Sheridan, S. (2006). Collaboration as One Aspect of Quality: A perspective of collaboration and pedagogical quality in educational settings. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 50(1), 83-93. doi: 10.1080/00313830500372067
Van Dam, N. (2013). Inside The Learning Brain. T+D, 67(4), 30-35. Retrived from http://0- web.ebscohost.com.library.newcastle.edu.au/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=269749d3-30b2-4d45-87d5- 21da618b4f69%40sessionmgr15&vid=6&hid=23
Van Deirsen, A.J.A.M., & Van Diepen, S. (2013). Information and strategic Internet skills of secondary students: A performance test. Computers & Education 63, 218–226. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2012.12.007
Zhang, J. (2009). Comments on Greenhow, Robelia, and Hughes: Toward a Creative Social Web for Learners and Teachers. Educational Researcher, 38(4), 274-279. doi: 10.3102/0013189x09336674
Other references
Blackboard – www.blackboard.com
iBard. Apple corporation. https://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/ibard-romeo/id540455463?mt=11
iwise. http://www.iwise.com.au/
Moodle. www.moodle.com
Sentral. www.sentraledu.asia/
Tassweb – www.tassweb.com.au
Voicethread. www.voicethread.com
Wikipedia – www.wikipedia.com