Mart LaanpereHead of the Centre for Educational Technology

Tallinn University, Estonia

Maintaining the status quo◦ Bureaucratic school systems continue◦ Teacher exodus: the ‘Meltdown scenario’

Re-schooling◦ Schools as core social centres◦ Schools as focused learning organisations

De-schooling◦ Learning Networks and the Network Society◦ Extending the Market Model

Chaos theory: extrapolation does not work in predicting the changes in social systems, especially during ‘moments of bifurcation’

The next bifurcation in educational domain: disruptive technologies may radically change the classrooms, schools and related behavior patterns

Disruptive technology: unexpected innovation, replaces the existing mainstream technologies

Previous radical changes in learning environment:◦ Writing (banned by Socrates)◦ Textbooks (16th century)◦ School-classroom-subject system (19th century)

The next change: slate PC instead textbooks?

Diffusion of innovationsDiffusion of innovations

Adoption phases: knowledge > persuasion > decision > implementation > confirmation

Moore’s chasm

Research problem: validity of Rogers’ theory in the context of technology-driven educational change

Catalyst for reform vs. lever (tool, resource) Diffusion of ICT in school: traditional patterns

in most of the cases Implementation success factors: teachers’ &

students’ ICT competencies, infrastructure Equity: ICT in classroom does not widen the

performance gap based on SE factors

OECD/CERI study 2002OECD/CERI study 2002

1997-2000: national strategy Tiger Leap, ◦ Goal: computerisation of schools◦ Programmes: infrastructure, teacher training,

educational software, project-based learning 2001-2005: Tiger Leap Plus,

◦ Goal: integration of ICT into curriculum◦ Programmes: ICT competencies, Virtual Learning

Environments, infrastructure, collaboration 2006-2009: Learning Tiger,

◦ Goal: ‘normalisation’ of e-learning The main goal of every programme should

be to make itself no longer needed

Tiger Leap Foundation: semi-independent public body with small office, experienced programme managers, ‘rented expertise’

Engaging local municipalities (school-owners) Systemic approach: providing infrastructure

is not enough Support at local level: IT managers

(educational technologists) hired by schools Crossing the Moore’s chasm: grants for

innovators, disseminating the best practice, training and digital resources to everyone

Infrastructure: computers/devices, power, peripherals, connectivity (WAN/LAN), security, data protection, identity management

Content and services: communication, information systems, virtual learning environments, digital learning resources

ICT competencies: pupils, teachers, staff Integration of ICT into curriculum Support and management Dissemination, PR, teacher’s communities

In emergence of disruptive technology, the systemic management of change is needed – otherwise we ‘try to connect a jet engine to a horse carriage’ (S.Papert) or will face the risk of reaching only a small group of innovators among teachers

Systemic change management could turn new technology into a catalyst for educational change in much larger scale, affecting school architecture, classroom settings, teaching and learning methods

ConclusionConclusion