A comment on one of my previous posts brought up the notion of cheating in a technology based classroom, which is not a topic I have seen widely discussed in edtech circles, yet certainly needs to be explored. Since the whole edtech concept is still in its infancy, my attempts to personally address that topic have led to a few concrete answers awash in a seemingly unending list of questions.
One fairly simple aspect of cheating, as far as classroom policy is concerned, is plagiarism. Technology does not change its definition, and while technology makes it easier for students to commit, it also makes it simpler for teachers to detect through Google phrase searches or fee based plagiarism detection services such as turnitin.com.
The lines become blurred; however, when considering other forms of what traditionally have been considered cheating. Considering that education is experiencing a paradigm shift regarding planning, instructional strategies, curricular focus, and overall philosophical approaches, it would seem appropriate to seriously reconsider, and possibly redefine the idea of cheating.
Our students now live in a world where virtually every piece of information is literally at their fingertips. Whereas in the past an English teacher might provide students with a list of vocabulary words with the assessment being a quiz at the end of the week, the teacher would expect students to memorize the list and answer the quiz items from memory, without the help of any reference materials. With that being the case, finding the definition by using a smartphone or tablet to access a dictionary website would be considered a form of cheating.
Realistically speaking, that memorization situation would be incredibly unlikely in the modern world for which we are supposed to be preparing our students. A more likely situation would be that students are consuming information (be it written, oral, or through a multimedia format), and they encounter a word that they do not understand. They would then immediately acquire the answer by accessing information on the internet.
Subsequently, if they find the information and can assign relevance to it within their daily lives, then they will remember it for potential future use. If the word seems wholly irrelevant outside of their life's context, then they will dispose of it until they encounter it again in a situation with more personal meaning. This method of processing information is much more consistent with what happens in the life of a professional.
I envision similar situations in other subject areas as well. In a history class, inspiring students with a passion for history and an understanding of how today's world is inextricably linked to the past can ultimately fuel a desire within students to seek that information on their own, which far surpasses rote memorization of facts and figures that are forgotten as quickly as they were learned. In this type of authentic learning environment, students are developing a much deeper understanding of events, creating personal and cultural relevance, and being coached on how to be a learner, instead of simply being scrutinized for possible cheating as they regurgitate seemingly meaningless information.
Similarly, math and science teachers have a significantly greater ability to connect concepts and ideas to the real world through technological means such as computer modelling, virtual field trips, Skype in the classroom, as well as a growing variety of STEM initiatives, grants and collaborative opportunities. Consequently, students accessing online information is done to gain knowledge and understanding in an applicable context as opposed to accessing information for cheating on an isolated assessment.
Essentially, what needs to be instilled in today's youth is the desire to find answers when faced with a challenge. When encountering an idea or concept that is confusing or unknown, the students that have the intrinsic motivation to seek the answers and see the solution through are the ones that will be more likely to experience success in the future. It would be a great disservice to our students (and ironically hypocritical) to prevent them from accessing information that they willingly seek.
From an educator's standpoint, teachers need to embrace the idea that continues to pop up in edtech discussions, that teachers are no longer the experts. While that concept makes many teachers anxious, it can and should be seen as an exciting opportunity. Since we are no longer the "gatekeepers of knowledge", we can shift much of our energy into getting our students excited about learning. In doing so, we can return to an ideal that originally guided many of us into the profession.
Thanks for reading. Follow me on Twitter @mrtessier33
No comments:
Post a Comment