Creative Teaching & Learning

Technology Tutorials – Let Battle Commence

This issue’s theme is the Battle of Hastings and this article offers some interactive whiteboard history-based activities for Key Stages 2 and 3 pupils.

Create an account to read this article

£5.83+ VAT

One-off purchase

Purchase and Download today

Register for free

No Credit Card required

Register for free
Access to 3 free articles
Free TeachingTimes Report every month

array(8) {
  ["distinct_key"]=>
  string(10) "post#35958"
  ["title"]=>
  string(29) "Battle Of Hastings - Resource"
  ["categories"]=>
  array(1) {
    [0]=>
    string(32) "Creative Teaching & Learning"
  }
  ["url"]=>
  string(58) "https://www.teachingtimes.com/battle-of-hastings-resource/"
  ["post_date_timestamp"]=>
  int(1180533660)
  ["objectID"]=>
  string(12) "post-35958-7"
  ["_snippetResult"]=>
  array(2) {
    ["excerpt"]=>
    array(2) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(103) "These project plans are designed to be used in association with the Battle of Hastings CD-ROM."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
    }
    ["content"]=>
    array(2) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(430) "... diary entries in the form of anilluminated manuscript.William the Conqueror50HISTORY PROJECT PLANS ■ BATTLE OF HASTINGSteaching & learning ■ april/may 2007History Lesson 4: Let battle commence… (Key Stage 2+ )■ Linked to theHistory Project 4folder on theaccompanying CD.Folder includes arange of informationsheets and imagesto support aninvestigation intothe Battle ..."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
    }
  }
  ["_highlightResult"]=>
  array(4) {
    ["title"]=>
    array(4) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(38) "Battle Of Hastings - Resource"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
      ["fullyHighlighted"]=>
      bool(false)
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(1) {
        [0]=>
        string(6) "battle"
      }
    }
    ["excerpt"]=>
    array(4) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(103) "These project plans are designed to be used in association with the Battle of Hastings CD-ROM."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
      ["fullyHighlighted"]=>
      bool(false)
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(1) {
        [0]=>
        string(6) "battle"
      }
    }
    ["content"]=>
    array(4) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(5698) "them through his laws etc,and (particularly in the north of England) manynoblemen tried to rebel against this King. After aparticularly brutal assault on York Castle, the King decidedto ‘get tougher’ and his rule became much harsher.The History Project 2 folder on the accompanyingCD offers a modern translation of King William’s Laws.Read and discuss these with the pupils.■ What do the pupils think of these laws?■ What would it be like to live in a societygoverened by these laws?Ask the pupils to imagine that they are King Williamand have just taken over the throne of England. Thepage opposite offers a representation of King William.A copy of this page can be found in the HistoryProject 2 folder on the accompanying CD. As theKing, what laws would they introduce?Other ideas: This activity can easily lead to PSHEE/Citizenship work. Laws are fundamentally importantto society. Ask the pupils how William’s laws differ tothe laws we have today? Why are laws important?What would happen if we didn’t have any laws?Aims of the lesson: To gain a better of understandingof life in Medieval England through a study ofMedieval food, feasting and games.Activity: Life at the time of the Battle of Hastingswould have been very, very different to life today –and no study of the Battle would be completewithout an investigation into what life was like for thepeople living in 1066. This is the year that startedwhat is now called Medieval times (sometimes calledthe Middle Ages and the start of the Middle Ages isalso called the Dark Ages).Begin by asking the pupils how we might find outwhat life in 1066 was like? Through discussion, allowthe pupils to understand that we learn about life inthe past through records and artefacts that havesurvived to modern times – diaries, books etc. Remindthe pupils that during the Middle Ages only very richor religious people (such as Monks and Bishops)would have been able to read and write, whichmeans that any written source from the Middle Agesneeds to be read with the writer in mind. Very richpeople would have had a different viewpoint fromthe very poor – which means their writing cannotshow us the full picture. To get the full picture, weneed to look at a range of sources.Explain to the class that they are going to pretendthey are medieval lords, knights, and ladies who keepdiaries (or journals) so that future generations canread about what their lives are like. Allow the pupilsto make up names for themselves as lords, knights,and ladies. Now brainstorm to produce a list of topicsthat the lords, knights, and ladies would write about intheir diaries. Such a list might include:■ Their daily lives in their castles – comfort (or lackof ), space, lighting, furniture■ Activities for entertainment■ Attacks on the castle by other lords and knightsThe History Project 3 folder on the accompanyingCD includes information sheets on Medieval food,pastimes, towns and fashion. Review this informationwith the class and direct the pupils to write at leasttwo entries in their diaries. The folder also includessome pictures of Anglo Saxon and Norman people.Other ideas: Once the pupils have completed theirdiaries, ask them to design a cover in a Medieval styleand/or produce their diary entries in the form of anilluminated manuscript.William the Conqueror50HISTORY PROJECT PLANS ■ BATTLE OF HASTINGSteaching & learning ■ april/may 2007History Lesson 4: Let battle commence… (Key Stage 2+ )■ Linked to theHistory Project 4folder on theaccompanying CD.Folder includes arange of informationsheets and imagesto support aninvestigation intothe Battle ofHastingsCD RESOURCEAims of the lesson: To gain a better understanding ofthe events of 1066 and the Battle of Hastings througha study of the forces employed by King Harold andWilliam, Duke of Normandy.Activity: Just after daybreak on the 14 October 1066,William’s army broke camp and headed to battle. Theywere marching to Senlac Ridge at a place now knownas Battle and the scene was set for the last everinvasion of England. The armies moved onto the field.The destiny of England was in the hand’s of twofighting forces, and their respective leader’s tactics.Harold’s force and planHarold positioned his army atop the ridge behind awall of shields approximately 700 yards in length. Theheavily armed housecarls were placed to the frontwhile the less well-armed fyrdsmen were placed totheir rear. The densely packed formation would havebeen seven or eight ranks deep. Their position wasideally suited to defence, unable to be outflanked dueto the steep, uneven ground on either side – anyassault had to be frontal. Harold raised his standards,the Wyvern of Wessex and his personal banner,Harold’s plan was simple – to remain in adefensive line which favoured his housecarls andfight a battle of attrition. The longer he held, the morereinforcements he could expect to filter onto thebattlefield. If the Saxon line held, victory would betheirs.William’s force and planWilliam formed his army about 150 yards away onslightly lower ground from the Saxon position. Eachdivision of William’s army was divided into threesections of similar composition. The first rank was ofarchers, slingers and spearmen, the second of infantry,and the third cavalry.Williams plan was for a new type of mobilewarfare. His archers were to shower the Saxon linewith arrows before falling back. His dismounted menat arms were to move forward and clash with theSaxon line before the cavalry followed to exploit anygaps created by the fighting. This was to be repeateduntil"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
      ["fullyHighlighted"]=>
      bool(false)
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(3) {
        [0]=>
        string(3) "let"
        [1]=>
        string(6) "battle"
        [2]=>
        string(8) "commence"
      }
    }
    ["categories"]=>
    array(1) {
      [0]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(32) "Creative Teaching & Learning"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Creative Teaching & Learning

Battle Of Hastings - Resource

30 May 2007

array(8) {
  ["distinct_key"]=>
  string(10) "post#34944"
  ["title"]=>
  string(20) "Room for improvement"
  ["categories"]=>
  array(1) {
    [0]=>
    string(10) "Leadership"
  }
  ["url"]=>
  string(51) "https://www.teachingtimes.com/room-for-improvement/"
  ["post_date_timestamp"]=>
  int(1104537601)
  ["objectID"]=>
  string(12) "post-34944-0"
  ["_snippetResult"]=>
  array(2) {
    ["excerpt"]=>
    array(2) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(169) "Many head teachers are busy completing their first Ofsted self–evaluation form – but how much thought is given to the question “what is your capacity to improve”"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(4) "none"
    }
    ["content"]=>
    array(2) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(327) "... later. The reportis drafted two days after that, and then it is all over. Butwhat if the outcome is not what you would have liked?Let battle commence!We are learning that the self-evaluation form (SEF) isthe key to dominating the inspection battlefield. The SEFcan make the difference between ..."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
    }
  }
  ["_highlightResult"]=>
  array(4) {
    ["title"]=>
    array(3) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(20) "Room for improvement"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(4) "none"
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(0) {
      }
    }
    ["excerpt"]=>
    array(3) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(169) "Many head teachers are busy completing their first Ofsted self–evaluation form – but how much thought is given to the question “what is your capacity to improve”"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(4) "none"
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(0) {
      }
    }
    ["content"]=>
    array(4) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(5635) "44OfstedOfstedOfstedOfstedOfsted Self-evaluationManaging Schools Today February/March 2006Many head teachers are busy completing theirfirst O fst ed self-evaluation form – but howmuch thought is given to the question “what isyour capacity to improve”?Short notice has finally become a reality. The Thursdayphone calls have started, resulting in a flurry of last-minuteactivity. The inspectors appear two days later. The reportis drafted two days after that, and then it is all over. Butwhat if the outcome is not what you would have liked?Let battle commence!We are learning that the self-evaluation form (SEF) isthe key to dominating the inspection battlefield. The SEFcan make the difference between a successful and anunsuccessful inspec tion in terms of outcomes. Headteachers are also learning fast that a good SEF cannot bewritten overnight. Furthermore, they have learnt that theinspection demands a battle strategy prepared well inadvance. Hence, many head teachers have taken up thelatest educational craze: seffing!Seffing, done well, will enable the head teacher t oevaluate all aspects of provision, and predict theinspection outcomes. I t will thus shape the final reportin terms of establishing the verdict on the final andmost important aspect that is evaluated in SEF sec tion7: “the overall effectiveness of the school”. Head teachersare learning fr om their battlefield experiences thatthere are certain rules of engagement. Understandingthese rules will enable them to know whether theyneed to apply the one secret weapon that they all holdin their arsenal: the demonstration of capacity toimprove.Rule number one: if achievement and standards (SEFsection 3) are graded inadequate, the school’s overalleffectiveness is most likely to be graded inadequate.Schools can fare better under the new Ofsted regime if they candemonstrate a capacity to improve. Trevor Riddiough explains howSince achievement and standards are the product ofthe other aspec ts of provision, the achievement andstandards grade is the most important evaluation toget right.Rule number two: if the overall effectiveness of theschool is inadequate, and leadership and management areinadequa te as well, the school will require specialmeasures. However, note rule number three: leadership andmanagement can b e satisfactory when overalleffectiveness is inadequate, provided that the leadershipteam has the capacity to improve.So the secret weapon in the school ’s armoury is theo vert demonstration of its capacity to impro ve. Thisparticular aspect is lost in the SEF as it does not appearRoomfor improvement45February/March 2006 Managing Schools TodayOfstedOfstedOfstedOfstedOfsted Self-evaluationuntil the penultimate section: 7c. Because the question“what is the capacity to make fur ther improvement?” isleft until the very end, it is often overlooked or treatedsuperficially. Head teachers ignore this at their peril as thiscould well be their ‘get out of jail’ card. I f this card is to beplayed, it needs to b e played well. This is par ticularly trueif any aspect of the inspection framework (evaluated inthe school’s SEF) is deemed inadequate by either theschool or the inspection team.Capacity to improve depends upon three things:■ the quality of the school improvement plan andwhether its priorities for improvement are correctlyidentified and focused■ the accuracy of the SEF, whether monitoring systemsare in place and rigorously applied■ whether ‘green shoots’ are evident.Schools that  can demonstrate capacity to improve areless likely to get into difficulties during combat.Firstly, the school improvement plan should identifythe most important school prior ities. These shouldrelate to both the current year and the coming threeyears (the strategic plan). The priorities should or iginatefrom the SEF and should all lead to raising achievementfor learners, either directly or indir ectly. Theimprovement strat egies should be realistic and identifythe two or three things that will make the biggestdifference to eliminate the identified weaknesses at thecurrent time. A long list of disparate pr iorities showsno sense of priority. No sense of priority will reflect onleadership and management.Secondly, the SEF should be accurat e. Inaccurate self-evaluation – be it too generous or overly c onservativeThe Thursdayphone calls havestarted. The inspectorappears two dayslater. The report isdrafted two daysafter that, and then itis all overin terms of fail ing t o recognise strengths andweaknesses – will also reflect on leadership andmanagement . Ther efore monitoring systems must besecure and rigorously applied. This means that schoolsshould involve both senior leaders and middle leadersin undertaking a range of monit oring and evaluationactivity, including lesson obser vation, work scrutiny,planning analyses , student per formance analyses.Because of the importanc e of stakeholders’ view s,schools should solicit the views of parents and studentson key aspects of school provision.The outcomes of monitoring and evaluation evidenceshould be compiled into a single quality assurancerecord for the faculty or year t eam or the school.Pr ogress checks of actions, and evaluation of impact,should take place regularly thr ough effective linemanagement that holds the relevan t individualsaccoun table for outc omes and improvement. It isthrough these activitiesthat the scho ol will beable to creat e a profile ofits relative strengths andweaknesses. It is here thatthe school should recordits progress in remedyingthe weak nesses andsustaining"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
      ["fullyHighlighted"]=>
      bool(false)
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(3) {
        [0]=>
        string(3) "let"
        [1]=>
        string(6) "battle"
        [2]=>
        string(8) "commence"
      }
    }
    ["categories"]=>
    array(1) {
      [0]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(10) "Leadership"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Leadership

Room for improvement

1 Jan 2005

array(8) {
  ["distinct_key"]=>
  string(10) "post#42937"
  ["title"]=>
  string(28) "CTL_Special Issue with Shell"
  ["categories"]=>
  array(1) {
    [0]=>
    string(32) "Creative Teaching & Learning"
  }
  ["url"]=>
  string(59) "https://www.teachingtimes.com/ctl_special_issue_with_shell/"
  ["post_date_timestamp"]=>
  int(1455729619)
  ["objectID"]=>
  string(12) "post-42937-4"
  ["_snippetResult"]=>
  array(2) {
    ["excerpt"]=>
    array(2) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(313) "Welcome to this free special issue of Creative Teaching & Learning! As you may know, one of our key aims as a magazine this year is to bring our readers some of most exciting and innovative developments in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) education. Inspiring young people in STEM is ..."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
    }
    ["content"]=>
    array(2) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(426) "... technology, engineering andmaths teaching R Advice on teaching the new, morerigorous National Curriculum, includingthe new curriculum for computing R The latest developments in creativeteaching and technology, includingproject-based learning, flipped learning,3D printing and more R Strategies to develop young people’sthinking skills, from time-honouredapproaches to fresh, original ideasdeveloped ..."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
    }
  }
  ["_highlightResult"]=>
  array(4) {
    ["title"]=>
    array(3) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(28) "CTL_Special Issue with Shell"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(4) "none"
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(0) {
      }
    }
    ["excerpt"]=>
    array(4) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(787) "Welcome to this free special issue of Creative Teaching & Learning! As you may know, one of our key aims as a magazine this year is to bring our readers some of most exciting and innovative developments in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) education. Inspiring young people in STEM is so important, not only for the sake of the future labour market but for its intrinsic benefits to the development of thinking skills and positive attitudes to learning such as curiosity, creativity, and the ability to take risks and learn from mistakes. Most young children adore the freedom to imagine, design and invent, but unfortunately, as they grow older, their interest in STEM declines. This especially applies to girls, who are severely underrepresented in this field."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
      ["fullyHighlighted"]=>
      bool(false)
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(1) {
        [0]=>
        string(10) "technology"
      }
    }
    ["content"]=>
    array(4) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(5462) "vehicle weight and frictionare both key to success. The typicalweight of prototype cars – minus theirdrivers – is under 45kg. An average smallfamily car in Europe weighs between1,000 and 1,400kg! âThe current efficiency record stands at3,771km – the equivalent of travellingfrom London to Rome and back on asingle litre of fuel!http://www.shell.co.uk/mtfschoolshttp://www.shell.co.uk/mtfschools11Special Issuen CreativeTeaching & LearningTheBright IdeasChallengeInterested in STEM and creativeteaching? Become a memberof the Creative Teaching &Learning Service todayRelease your pupils’ potential with: R The most exciting innovations inscience, technology, engineering andmaths teaching R Advice on teaching the new, morerigorous National Curriculum, includingthe new curriculum for computing R The latest developments in creativeteaching and technology, includingproject-based learning, flipped learning,3D printing and more R Strategies to develop young people’sthinking skills, from time-honouredapproaches to fresh, original ideasdeveloped by teachers on the ground R A growing library of cross-curricular project plans –with a new project every issue!Subscribe today and every teacher in your school will receive 12months’ access to the entire Creative Teaching & Learning library –that’s over 3,000 best practice articles and more than 20 cross-curricularproject plans on topics such as conservation, democracy, the humanbody, the Victorians, World War II and more.Subscribe online now!http://teachingtimesbookshop.co.uk/product/creative-teaching-and-learning/TheBright IdeasChallenge12Special Issuen CreativeTeaching & LearningCreativeTeaching & Learning Volume 5.3www.teachingtimes.com/zone/creative-teaching.htmCreative Teaching & Learning    Volume 5.2Making thinking visible inthe primary classroomSimple yet effective strategiesto promote high-level thinking inyoung childrenHow to plan for project-based learningA step-by-step guide topreparing a project from firststeps to final reflectionsInspiring thenext generationof engineersWhat exciting possibilities awaityour pupils in science, technology,engineering and maths?Recently in Creative Teaching & LearningComing up in 2016 n  Maths and literacy across the curriculumHow every teacher can become a maths and Englishteacher. Plus, we explore some of the most excitinginternational innovations in core and foundation subjectareas. n  Creating a vibrant curriculum for computingStrategies for teaching the content of the new computingcurriculum, with emphasis on that daunting newrequirement: coding n  Electrifying approaches to scienceSpice up your STEM teaching with ambitious whole-schoolinitiatives or simple, creative activities for the classroom –we explore both! n  Projects for the new curriculumCover the breadth and difficulties of the new NationalCurriculum with exciting projects on water, materials, theVikings, the Romans, the Battle of Hastings, and more! n  Linking learning to real life with project-based learningDon’t miss our brand new series of PBL project plans! Eachproject explores exciting real-world challenges such asstaying healthy, planning a party and protecting the planet.Writers you won’t want to miss! n  Guy Claxton explores simple steps to creating independent and adventurous learners. n  David Leat fights back against ‘objective-led teaching’ and explores ways to let children take the lead in driving learning forward. n  Debra Kidd inspires reluctant readers with a creative cross-curricular project on ‘the tiger who came to tea’. n  James Nottingham explains the Pit, his revolutionary strategy to stimulate deep thinking and resilience.And that’s not all! Improve your practice with information and advice from:Michael Barber  Robert Fisher   Chris WatkinsRobert E Slavin  Karin Murris   Peter WorleyKieran Egan  Hywel Roberts   David Pratt… And many, many more!Subscribe online now!Problem-based learning in scienceWas the reintroduction of wolves a good thing for YellowstoneNational Park? Ed Walsh brings secondary science to life with areal-world dilemma for pupils to explore and solve together.Blending maths and English across thecurriculumThe UK trails far behind other developed countries in terms ofliteracy and numeracy. Where are we going wrong? Lisa JaneAshes says it’s time to break down the barriers between subjectareas at secondary and get all teachers developing these key skills.Project inspireYour plane has crashed on a desert island. How do you survive?How does the community begin to evolve? Join pupils in theirstruggle for survival as part of one school’s thrilling project-basedlearning scheme.Unleash your inner Einstein!From Einstein to Edison, take a lesson from some of science’smost creative thinkers with this selection of strategies to promotethinking skills through STEM.Exploring history throughdramaFind out how, through dramaticconventions and visual resources,this teacher transported his pupilsback to the times of the Romansand the Celts to develop historicalunderstanding and enthusiasm.Powerful everydaylearning experiences? There’s an app for thatThirty pupils, thirty iPads… can it ever work? For Chris Waterworth,it has – and with amazing results. Here he describes the manyvaluable learning experiences in maths, literacy and more, madepossible only by his school’s one-to-one iPad"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
      ["fullyHighlighted"]=>
      bool(false)
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(3) {
        [0]=>
        string(10) "technology"
        [1]=>
        string(3) "let"
        [2]=>
        string(6) "battle"
      }
    }
    ["categories"]=>
    array(1) {
      [0]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(32) "Creative Teaching & Learning"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Creative Teaching & Learning

CTL_Special Issue with Shell

17 Feb 2016

array(8) {
  ["distinct_key"]=>
  string(10) "post#42699"
  ["title"]=>
  string(27) "What will education become?"
  ["categories"]=>
  array(1) {
    [0]=>
    string(16) "Digital Learning"
  }
  ["url"]=>
  string(57) "https://www.teachingtimes.com/what-will-education-become/"
  ["post_date_timestamp"]=>
  int(1446743171)
  ["objectID"]=>
  string(12) "post-42699-0"
  ["_snippetResult"]=>
  array(2) {
    ["excerpt"]=>
    array(2) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(261) "Bryan Alexander, who spoke at BETT last year, is a researcher, writer, speaker, consultant, and teacher, working in the field of how technology transforms education. Here he looks at the future of the educational landscape...
e-Learning Update issue 54"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
    }
    ["content"]=>
    array(2) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(341) "‹‹ PREVIOUS PAGE n  NEXT PAGE ››This month’sfeaturese-learning UPDATE n www.teachingtimes.comWhat will education become?Bryan Alexander, who spoke at BETT last year, is a researcher, writer, speaker, consultant,and teacher, working in the field of how technology transforms education. Here he looks at thefuture of the ..."
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
    }
  }
  ["_highlightResult"]=>
  array(4) {
    ["title"]=>
    array(3) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(27) "What will education become?"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(4) "none"
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(0) {
      }
    }
    ["excerpt"]=>
    array(4) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(261) "Bryan Alexander, who spoke at BETT last year, is a researcher, writer, speaker, consultant, and teacher, working in the field of how technology transforms education. Here he looks at the future of the educational landscape...
e-Learning Update issue 54"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
      ["fullyHighlighted"]=>
      bool(false)
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(1) {
        [0]=>
        string(10) "technology"
      }
    }
    ["content"]=>
    array(4) {
      ["value"]=>
      string(5644) "‹‹ PREVIOUS PAGE n  NEXT PAGE ››This month’sfeaturese-learning UPDATE n www.teachingtimes.comWhat will education become?Bryan Alexander, who spoke at BETT last year, is a researcher, writer, speaker, consultant,and teacher, working in the field of how technology transforms education. Here he looks at thefuture of the educational landscape…curricula.  New technologies challenge every aspect ofhigher education, from classroom practice to scholarlypublication.How can scholars and administrators cope with these pressures?How can students and their families’ best navigate the shiftingeducational landscape?  And what will the university look like next?Guessing the future is usually a mug’s game, but I believe in twoUniversities and colleges are under enormous stressat the present time, whipsawed between powerfulforces.  An ever-growing global population seekstertiary education in unprecedented numbers, whilethe same population clamors against the upwardspiral of university prices.  We expect campuses toprepare students for a rapidly changing twenty-firstcentury, without allowing institutions to let go of prior http://www.teachingtimes.com‹‹ PREVIOUS PAGE n  NEXT PAGE ››This month’sfeaturese-learning UPDATE n www.teachingtimes.comfuturing methods that help us better prepare forwhat comes next.  We can analyze the present fortrends that look likely to drive future developments.We can also create stories of possible futures– scenarios – that let us imagine ourselves intransformed circumstances.I will focus my discussion on the United Statesas a case study.  This is partly due to the huge sizeof America’s tertiary education sector, as well asbecause it is my primary zone of work.Looking into the present for trends can be anoverwhelming experience, especially given thelarge number of information-gathering tools wenow have: RSS feeds, Twitter updates, podcasts,YouTube clips, to name a few.  We can managethat overflow first by creating top-level analyticalrubrics, then by tracking potential trends over timefor their robustness.My opening rubric is the broadest: the non-technological contextfor higher education.  This includes economics, demographics,governmental policy, leading education issues, and others.  In theAmerican setting ,several economic factors loom large.  We’rewitnessing the transformation of our labour force from manufacturingto service (there are relatively few information jobs), and thatworkforce accustoms itself to multiple careers in a single lifetime,multiple employers (often simultaneously).  Many jobs now face thespectre of partial or total automation, eliciting debates about thefuture of work: how many people can a cybernetic society employ?Which careers will survive the full deployment of robotics andartificial intelligence?Meanwhile, state governments have divested from their twentieth-century high investment in public universities, leading these institutionsto effectively privatise themselves, and thereby drive up tuitionrates.  Students take out loans, the total amount of which passed$1 trillion.  Many states are also seeing their under-18 populationsdwindle, while the proportion of over-65 people increases steadily.Conversely, another population, visiting students from other countries,increases steadily.  Also growing is the proportion of faculty who areadjuncts – i.e., part-time and untenurable, and who now constituteroughly three quarters of the American professoriate.A second rubric complements this first: technology.  Again, weface the challenge of too much information, so we must focus onmajor trends that have proven themselves over the past severalyears.  These include: the shift of computing from sedentary to mobileplatforms; the triumph of social media; 3D printing; augmentedreality’s expansion to cover the Earth; the continued growth of thatenormous culture industry, computer gaming.  Policy enters intotechnology at several points, most notably a reborn anxiety aboutinformation privacy following the Snowden revelations. http://www.teachingtimes.com‹‹ PREVIOUS PAGE n  NEXT PAGE ››This month’sfeaturese-learning UPDATE n www.teachingtimes.comCombining technology and educational contexts yields a thirdfield: teaching in the digital world.  A brace of trends have provenpersistent, and include the durability of the learning managementsystem (virtual learning environment to Europeans); the battle over openaccess in scholarly publication; learning’s migration to mobile, always-on devices; continued digitisation of materials.  MOOCs (MassiveOpen Online Courses) obviously loom large, connecting with issuesof competency-based learning, accreditation, sustainability, and openlearning.  3D printing has begun to enter multiple points of the collegecurriculum, driven in part by academic inventions.We can select many of these trends and weave them into a singlemega-trend, or fourth rubric: the higher education bubble.  Thiscontroversial theory holds that American higher education is about toovershoot, as consumer demand starts to undercut overinflated prices.Evidence for this model includes escalating anxieties aboutstudent debt, undergraduate education’s quality, the collapse of thelaw school market, several years of slightly dropping numbers ofenrolled students, and bipartisan political demands that universitiescut costs and improve their accountability.  The bubble concept runsinto one important objection, the persistence of the college premium(lifelong earnings boost).Given these trends and rubrics, we can extrapolate them"
      ["matchLevel"]=>
      string(7) "partial"
      ["fullyHighlighted"]=>
      bool(false)
      ["matchedWords"]=>
      array(3) {
        [0]=>
        string(10) "technology"
        [1]=>
        string(3) "let"
        [2]=>
        string(6) "battle"
      }
    }
    ["categories"]=>
    array(1) {
      [0]=>
      array(3) {
        ["value"]=>
        string(16) "Digital Learning"
        ["matchLevel"]=>
        string(4) "none"
        ["matchedWords"]=>
        array(0) {
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Digital Learning

What will education become?

5 Nov 2015