Beyond speculation and futuristic visions that have little or nothing to do with reality, the “School of the Future” is under permanent revision, which requires urgent decision-making and even more so at the present time, the one we meet.
This professed digital transformation requires urgent decisions and paradigm shifts that allow adaptation to new scenarios without leaving anyone on the road disconnected.
The educational system must respond to this new digital society model, in continuous transformation, accelerating the digitalization process ... so that the new companies in this uncertain economy can be in a position to provide certainty and sustainability in the coming years.
In less than two months, almost the global educational community has been closed all around the globe. Some countries and educational communities have tried, with more or less luck, to adapt to the new scenario, through online classes, email communication or chats groups ... applying imagination above the method. A chaotic and uncertain scenario, where nobody can give realistic answers, provide us with tested solutions in a new transforming environment for Uncovering the great pending dilemma of digital transformation in education and its impact on the new reality.
Most governments around the world have temporarily closed educational institutions in an attempt to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
These nationwide closures are impacting over 91% of the world’s student population. Several other countries have implemented localized closures impacting millions of additional learners.
The figures of the crisis in education are dramatic: 1,579,634,506 affected learners, 90.2% of total enrolled learners, 191 country-wide closures.
The worst that this situation entails is an unwanted effect: the widening of the digital divide that already exist in education.
During these hard days, the entire educational system has been left in evidence, as it is unable to provide a quality and efficient response to the members of the educational community, from teachers to tutors, students and parents. And this has been replicated across the world.
On the one hand, we find homebound students with availability of digital devices, broadband, access to digital content and resources, and some technological support from their closest relatives. On the other, students at home without an internet connection, or availability of access to resources or communication with the educational center, or with their teachers, beyond messaging or telephone. And teachers, far removed from technology, trying to fill this deficiency with the help of tutorials, friends ... etc. And with a lack of monitoring, evaluation and coordination tools for their activity and their educational centers or institutions.
Finally, teachers, students and parents have been facing with a new unknown and unpredictable situation, and just waiting for the next tsunami. No rules, no methodology, connectivity, pc´s or tablets available for all…on-line platforms…and they, all together with public and private institutions, were looking for solutions to implement in an equality and safety environment.
Many “futuristic” in their futuristic world visions, are talking about unrealistic scenarios and solutions that are far away to provide real solutions for a dramatic real-life present situation. We cannot and should not allow these solutions to be trivialized. We are talking about our future and the future of our children and citizens.
In summary, a highly touched scenario and a lack of availability to face more complex challenges, which has shown that, despite the investments of past years and the excess of literature on the matter, we were not prepared to face this new context,
But previously to implement any new idea, concept, definition or context for future education…we do need to identify clearly our starting point as a reference. And we need a clear strategy and commitment from the agents involved to guarantee this minimum situation.
Starting point and urgent scenario:
1.- Solve the problems of connectivity and availability of broadband. Without internet access in schools or homes, no change is possible.
2.- Availability of adequate devices to access communication, content and collaborative platforms.
3.- Training of the members of the educational community, and very particularly of the teachers, in digital competences and its efficient use.
4.- Efficient use of technology, methodologies, content and resources appropriate to each context and scenario and its evaluation methods. Here we would include the identification of work methods and multidisciplinary teams capable of adapting to variable digital contexts, face-to-face, on-line ... and exchanging roles.
We cannot substitute the presence in the classroom with in an on-line conference or virtual platform, using the same old methods with new tools. On-line learning, blended learning, virtual learning, immersive learning…future learning…old methods and receipts, already well known for many years, into a new paradigm. The issue is not to include new tools or devices in the existing ecosystem, to reinforce it or support it across the network or virtual platforms.
REIMAGINING XREDUCATION…the New Smart Digital Ecosystem…
Speakers: Alex Gibson ( Technological University of Dublin, Advisor TechIreland VRAR ), Karen Alexander ( Rutgers University, ILRN, XRconnectED ), Lucia Binotti ( University North Carolina /ILRN / Founder of Amirabilia ), Tim Jackson ( Broadstairs College / Educators in VR) presented and moderated by Carlos Ochoa (ONE Digital Consulting)
The panel intends to develop, from a current starting point, in the midst of the crisis of the educational model by COVID19, what have been the errors and problems with which the current educational system has been found to give a quick, urgent and effective response to students, teachers and tutors from the different organizations involved; and how we imagine a new ecosystem where the digital transformation must be the umbilical cord that must help design this new ecosystem and what will be the role of immersive technologies in this new educational universe.
I have tried to create a very interesting and solvency team, with a great advanced experience in innovative tech around VR in Education and balanced between Europe and USA, we will have contributions from Italy, Ireland, USA and Spain.
The session will be presented and moderated by Carlos J. Ochoa.
