Contextualizing the IT Revolution to Effective Learning - ‘the Cyber
Space Concerns’
By Mr. Charles Clarance
Principal (Dr. MPS World School Agra)
Moderator at ALL INDIA EDU
LEADERS CONFERENCE, New Delhi.
At the very onset I would like to draw your attention to my key words
of the Topic and that is Effective learning. The world learning in itself was a
paradigm shift that modern educators evolved to the process of education. We then added the word effective to multiply
its efficacy.
The use of computers or the digitalization of Education because it is a
new industry and permeates our life should not be the reason for incorporating
it in the effective learning process. The second danger I perceive that it
should not do more harm than good. If it teaches students to learn more that
they can handle then our problems will be manifold. As educators we know to
unlearn is more difficult to learn. The third important hurdle or angle that
must be taken into consideration is the financial aspect. Will the usability of
digitalization be cost effective? I must remind the august gathering here of
the kind of marketing that is done by the digital content vendors in term of
software and hardware. The cleverly
marketed product is pressed down on educators by a whole team of carefully
manicured marketing strategist. The educators may fall prey to the glamour of
digitalization without fully comprehending its utility. I have been exposed to
redundant and terribly slow products that kill the creativity but have been
installed as a marketing strategy to display on billboards. Having cleared my
conscience on the predicament at hand I launch it to the plethora of using
cyber space to enhance effective learning processes.
Learning is a process of self evolving depending upon the needs of the facilitators
as well as the learners. The word facilitator may please be read as advance
learner. Have mutually agreed that every learner has his /her own space and
pace the digital content actually adds true meaning to the classroom that caters
to all with its limited restricted environment and usually generalized the
learning capabilities. The Digital content acts as a highway on the journey of
self exploration. Once a teacher has enabled the students to relish the Solar System.
The student only needs the IT tools to quench his or her thirst on the topic.
These tools will work in the same way for all subjects. Our education system
had given very little importance to research in the early stages of learning. IT
efficacy will help students to network with all possibilities to enhance their capabilities
and will enrich classrooms with added information.
The Cyber world may also give unlimited space to exhibit talent and
vent ideas. Classrooms may take on a completely new meaning as learners may create
classrooms of their own without limitation of geographical boundaries. The
possibilities are immense but let us not throttle the possibilities due to any
fears of danger of the cyber space. As humans we are known for our adaptability
and the cyberspace is going to be no exception. Let me end by saying unless we
do not explore we will not break new
ground.
