Questions, questions...

I was asked to answer some questions on tablet use in schools for a national newspaper in the UAE... here's the uncut version!

When did GEMS schools start embracing digital learning in Dubai?

GEMS schools have long embraced digital learning as an essential element of 21^st Century education and a medium through which we strive to instill our four core values: Leading Through Innovation, Growing by Learning, Global Citizenship and Pursuing Excellence.  GEMS Royal Dubai School was the first in the emirate to deploy iPod Touch devices and iPads across the school, back in 2010.  Since then, the school has been recognized by UNESCO as a leading institution globally for effective digital learning. Recently, GEMS World Academy Dubai and Winchester School Dubai became the first schools in the region to be certified by Common Sense Media, a global leader in the provision of K-12 programmes in Digital Citizenship. 

Every GEMS school has a designated Digital Learning Leader, responsible for ensuring high standards and targeted innovation to improve student learning and this network meets regularly face to face in addition to collaborating online with GEMS schools around the world. It is vital that, as educators, we engage with and model this global and digital approach to professional development and school improvement, as we look to transform learning for our students.     

How many of your schools use tablets in classrooms instead of actual school books?

Although traditional textbooks are still in use in most of our schools, these are becoming more of an examination board and curriculum content guide, as expert teachers plan individualized learning paths for their students, using a vast array of digital content and tools. 

GEMS Kindergarten Starters School in Al Garhoud moved from a conventional textbook approach to a blended approach (e-learning combined with face to face sessions) in December 2012. The school piloted this approach for a period of four months before commencing a textbook-free programme in April 2013.

“The declining costs of computational technology will probably place a tablet in the hands of every learner in the coming years that will transform the way children and adults learn. But it is not as simple as it seems. The answer lies in the way we use these technologies to harness the power of the e-revolution.” Asha Alexander, Principal, The Kindergarten Starters.

What are the advantages of using tablets as learning tools?

Textbooks are often out of date as soon as they are published, so there are obvious benefits to digital versions if they can be updated in real time.  Tools embedded in digital books and third party applications can provide students with an enhanced workflow, enabling learners to access and assimilate information more efficiently.  Furthermore, with a digital device in hand, students are able to collaborate, create, share and evaluate their own work and that of their peers in a seamless and dynamic learning process.  They can access sources of learning ‘beyond the book’ and they have the opportunity to continuously develop digital fluency, a key skill now and in the future.

Publishers are playing catch-up in this area, however, and we should be wary of simple substitution of digital over paper, even if digital versions bring video and simulations to the table. There is no benefit in students and teachers working through a digital textbook in much the same way as they did with the paper version. Real transformation comes from innovative curriculum design and expert teaching, embedding high quality formative assessment of student learning within both the online and face to face environments.  It is important to recognize that the device itself is not the key factor when considering a shift towards digital learning. Whether a student uses a tablet, laptop, smartphone or other device will depend on the suitability of that tool in any given situation. Learning to learn digitally is a key 21^st Century skill and selection of the most appropriate tool by the student is an essential element of this.

What is its impact on children’s learning?

Research shows that student ownership of digital devices transforms the learning process and also increases peer and family engagement, both key factors in raising student achievement.  It is important to recognize that the device itself does not transform learning.  There needs to be a change in mindset and our approach to how students learn and how teachers and parents engage in the learning process.  We cannot simply substitute digital for paper and keep doing the same things we have always done. 

“We need to move away from using these technologies merely as sources of information and computing to unleashing their power to help us think, collaborate and create. This is what we have been doing at our school and the impact is evident with students being excited and enthused by the learning.” Asha Alexander, Principal, The Kindergarten Starters.

What is its impact on teachers and parents? 

The shift to digital, online and blended learning presents a significant challenge to schools, teachers and the families they serve.  Success requires ‘unlearning’ and eradicating many of the outdated approaches that have been prevalent in education for centuries and moving towards a normalization of digital methodologies, whilst maintaining the elements of traditional teaching and learning that research shows still hold true.  Visionary school leadership, effective parent engagement, continuous professional development for teachers, student voice and a transparent, innovative approach to curriculum development, are all key elements in ensuring that digital innovations have real impact on learning.  Schools need to build and sustain effective and transparent partnerships with parents and students, formulating a vision of learning together, which is communicated to all stakeholders and then continuously evaluated and lived and breathed throughout the learning community.

“The fear of the new and the unchartered terrain is not something that draws out the best in everyone. There are many who cling to the comfort of the shoreline while dreaming of riding the waves. Just as in learning a language, the use of the digital technology requires fluency in the use of the medium and ultimately the mastery of a language is one’s ability to use it as a tool for expression of one’s thoughts and ideas. In order for that to happen, we have to place a device in the hands of learners. Mastery comes from practice, from using the technology to meet the needs of the learner. With digital fluency we are helping our children acquire the necessary prerequisites to obtain a job and find their place in the digital society of the future.”

Asha Alexander, Principal, The Kindergarten Starters