EDUCATION:'WHEN A multitude of young men . . . come together and freely mix with each other, they are sure to learn from one another, even if there be no one to teach them; the conversation of all is a series of lectures to each, and they gain for themselves new ideas and views, fresh matter of thought, and distinct principles for judging and acting . . ."
John Henry Newman's The Idea of a Universityasserts that discourse and debate with one's peers are a stronger foundation for any university than a teacher-filled campus dispensing degrees to those who just happen to pass its examinations. One must wonder what his reaction would be today to our current educational system, with its encouragement of learning by rote, deep immersion in narrow topics and intensely competitive solo performances.
Team performance is explicitly encouraged in just one area in the Irish educational system: on the sports field. In almost every other situation, individual attainment is specifically nurtured. However, the ability to work in a group is a critical skill in most careers.
Why is our education system so focused on the individual? Perhaps one reason is its very structure. In our schools, colleges and universities, most staff operate as individuals. Instructors tend to jealously guard their own teaching materials and are not always aware precisely what is being taught by their peers. Discourse and sharing is often regrettably absent.
Newman noted that “you cannot learn to converse till you have the world to converse with”. The internet gives us the world at our fingertips, and sharing is at its heart. Internet browsing emerged from a group of physicists devising better ways to share their scientific results. In the early days of the internet, you could only connect your computer if you shared it with others. Social networking enables us to participate in numerous activities, learn and share.
Sharing of best practice in Irish education is limited. The Department of Education’s Scoilnet initiative publishes an online directory of selected references to interesting teaching materials, both domestic and international. The teachnet.ie initiative of St Patrick’s College in Drumcondra, Dublin, with funding from Citi Foundation, has encouraged certain teachers to contribute materials to a nationally available pool. At this time, however, both initiatives offer only partial coverage of any specific syllabus. One reason for this may be limited IT competence among our teaching professionals.
A decade ago, many of us worried about the “digital divide”; the privileged had access to the internet, while those of limited means did not. Since then, access to the internet has become considerably more affordable. But is there now a digital divide between student and educator? Most of us know how to book an airline seat online, send an e-mail or access our bank account. But how many of us know how to share our work with an online community, upload to YouTube a video of our work, or make a podcast of an interesting discussion? Meanwhile, for the younger generation, the internet is an intrinsic part of life. Some politicians have noted that only 2 per cent of schools have access to broadband, but I believe that regardless of this, the majority of our youth already has access to broadband and the internet is now inherent to their lifestyle and learning experiences.
European news magazine Der Spiegel recently reported an insightful analysis into the “internet generation”. According to it, the majority of German school pupils are actually not web-savvy digital natives. Some may use the internet intensively, but they are not particularly intrigued by it. Interestingly, some German teachers voice an awareness of the advantages of online project work: it enables students to see each other’s work, promoting healthy sharing and ambition.
Distance learning has enabled the UK Open University to become one of the largest educational establishments worldwide. Now, with the advent of low-cost, high-quality digital video recorders, it has become relatively straightforward for the best teachers anywhere on the planet to promote their teaching – and themselves – via the internet. South Korea indeed already has national “star” online teachers. Earlier this month, Bill Gates said: “Five years from now, on the web, for free, you’ll be able to find the best lectures in the world. It will be better than any single university.”
What, therefore, should the future of education in Ireland be? Will any Irish teachers achieve global “star” online status? Will our young people learn solely from Irish-based instructors? How will Irish educationalists work with their peers overseas? Will student project work be evaluated online, and will it be evaluated in Ireland? Will national examinations compete for prestige with easily accessible international alternatives? Will many teachers just become “youth-sitters” or “teaching assistants” while students learn and collaborate online in international classes? Are there opportunities for Ireland to strategically lead, rather than follow?
As Newman observed, if young people come together and converse with one another, they learn. The current national debate on our educational system, including third level, may be missing the most salient point: context. The consequence of the internet is relentless innovation.
