A Revolution in Education?

GEMS Education Management Conference

14 June 2012

Outline of Session – A Revolution in Education? Introduction.

Our education system is broken …– Video.

– Group discussion; for and against.

– Presentation.

Flipped classrooms are the future …– Video.

– Group discussion; for and against.

– Presentation

The school of the future?– Video.

– Discussion.2Apr 10, 2023

M-learning and E-learning trends are growing as students and teachers have increasing access to affordable devices and ubiquitous connectivity

Portable technology devices are becoming faster, cheaper, and more inter-operable…

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More tablets and smartphones available

+Increasing broadband and wireless connectivity

Increasing time spent online by “digital natives”

Increasing convergence of multiple devices and operating systems

+

+

Increasing adoption by education institutions of digital technology and e-learning systems

+

=Irresistible shift towards digital learning within and

without the school environment

Online educational content is increasingly diverse, high quality, and open source (free), which is disrupting traditional models of education delivery

Traditional In-school Content Delivery Model

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+

In school:

At home:

+

Content exposure& explanation

=Content mastery

and practice

+

At home:

In school:

+

Content exposure& explanation &

initial self-directed practice

=Real-time content verification, targeted

troubleshooting and practice

Disruptive out-of-school Content Delivery Model (“Flipped classroom”)

+

+

The Drivers of Disruptive/Revolutionary ChangePolitical; funding and the political cycle.

Economic; the ‘knowledge economy’ as the engine of national growth and wealth.

Investors and profit; monetising education as the educational content bubble pops.

Societal; student and parental expectation – pester power and keeping up with the Joneses.

Weakened educational opposition; traditional public sector educationalists have had their say/day, no longer seen as providing credible alternatives.

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Our Education System is Broken …Video (11 minutes) – Sir Ken Robinson

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/ken_robinson_changing_education_paradigms.html

Group discussion (10 minutes). Identify one key point why Sir Ken is right, or wrong – as a group.–Odd numbered groups are Against the motion.

–Even numbered groups are For the motion.

Presentations of key points – 10 minutes.

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Flipped classrooms are the future …Video (13 minutes) – Salman Khan

http://www.khanacademy.org/talks-and-interviews/v/khan-academy--the-future-of-education

Group discussion (10 minutes). Identify one key point why Salman Khan is right, or wrong – as a group.–Odds Against the motion.

–Evens For the motion.

Presentations of key points – 10 minutes.

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School of the future?Video 1 (3 minutes) – Khan Academy Team

http://www.khanacademy.org/talks-and-interviews/v/khan-academy-s--world-changing--plan-for-schools

Video 2 (2 minutes) – Salman Khan http://www.khanacademy.org/talks-and-interviews/v/khan-academy--school-of-the-future

Open forum discussion (15 minutes). Sample questions:–Is this the future of education?

–What are the opportunities for us?

–Where will this model work best?

–How do we implement elements in our provision?

–What can each of us do as individuals to adapt and remain relevant?

–As parents, what would be the most attractive features?

–How about regulation and inspection?

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Building the School of the Future

GEMS Education Management Conference

14 June 2012

Building the GEMS School of the Future Introduction and Aim (10 minutes).

Six of the questions we need to answer – group discussion (30 mins).

Group reports (20 minutes).

Open forum discussion (25 Minutes).

Conclusion.

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The Aim

GEMS Education fully exploiting blended learning; incorporating online technology and digital content

wherever this is the best solution; establishing ourselves at the cutting edge of applied educational

technology in K-12; and building our first school of the future by 2014.

As student habits and routines become more digitally-dependent, demand for more personalized, more flexibly timetabled educational access is growing

Traditional structure of typical 15 year old student’s learning day

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7am 11am 3pm 5pm 10pm12pm8am

Wake-up & breakfast

Arrive at school

Classroom

Break: socialisation

Classroom Classroom Bedtime

Lunch: socialisation

Leave school

Extra-curricula

Team skills

7pm

Homework

Dinner: parental engagement

TV/Internet

Characteristics:•Linear structure, regular routine, heavily timetabled (45 min lessons), largely single site-based •Predominant mode of learning: In-classroom, face-to-face with teacher•Time in school: 7 hours•Time spent socialising/parental engagement: 2.5 hours •Time spent on extra-curricula: 1-2 hours (optional) •Time for self-directed learning (homework): 1.5-2 hours

Potential structure of future 15 year old student’s blended learning day 7am 10am 3pm 5pm 10pm12pm8am

Wake-up & breakfast

Homebased online learning

Intern

Skype-based language practice

Virtual science lab Online

BedtimeLunch: socialisation

Football (1 hour)

Learning Hub

Debating skills (1 hour)

7pm

Study Log

Dinner: parental engagement

TV/Internet

Characteristics:•Non-linear structure, far less routine, flexibly timetabled, largely home-based, with multiple off-site learning experiences •Predominant mode of learning: Activity-based, guided online, self-directed, “flipped classroom”, + face-to-face with educational mentor for topic navigation •Time in Learning Hub: 5 hours•Time spent socialising/parental engagement: 3-4 hours •Time spent on extra-curricula: 2 hours •Time for self-directed learning (homework): 5-6 hours

11am

Parent time

Tuition and self-study (2 hours) Return

home Parent/child work review

Login to work-skills programme

Online Self-assessment

9pm

A student’s age is a major factor in determining how self-directed and digitally-dependent their mode of study should be

13

14-19 year olds5-8 year olds 9-13 year olds

Heavy focus on class based

learning

Likely to be moving away from

class-based learning

Heavy focus on class based

learning

Heavy focus on supervised e-

learning

Some supervised e-learning

Some supervised e-learning

Some unsupervised e-

learning

Heavy focus on unsupervised e-

learning

Unsupervised e-learning unlikely

to be appropriate

Class Based Learning

E-Learning on Site (Supervised)

E-Learning at Home (Unsupervised)

The 14-19 age group would be best suited to a blended learning approach combining some class based learning with e-learning on site and at home. We anticipate that pupils up until that age benefit most from supervised and directed learning programmes in the classroom.

The 14-19 age group could be incentivised to partake in a blended learning programme as a way of better preparing them for the independent study skills required at university level.

Some components of e-learning for the 9-13 age range could be provided but could not substitute the classroom learning needed

Different modes of learning by age range

A student’s learning style and level of wealth also will determine how achievable certain blended learning styles will be

Student Archetype

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On-line Mary

Learning Style Level of wealth Suggested Markets?

Fully remote, predominantly self-directed.

A mix of modules studied both remotely (as above) and face-to-face within the Learning Hub.

All learning takes place in the Hub, whether independent study, central lectures, project work, etc. This would be the approach we would need for GEMS residential schools.

Picky Jane

Hands-on Tom

Learning Hub Operational Model?

Low

Low/Medium

Medium

- Small physical space needed where few drop-in tuition classes happen

- Online-only learning support can be locally provided by teachers, parents or self-help groups or through full 1:1 tuition (higher cost)

- Large physical site to accommodate several learners for long hours

- Significant levels of in-school infrastructure and instructional aids needed

- Need considerable teaching staff resource to conduct multiple subject lessons

Developing

Middle-income

Developed

- Large physical site to accommodate several learners on shift patterns

- Some in-school infrastructure needed

- Few, high quality teachers matching student shift patterns, with online learning support staff

e.g. Kenya or Ghana

e.g. India or Oman

e.g. UK or UAE

Group Discussion – Six questions Parents. Do we appeal to all parents or target niche groups? Either way,

what are the implications for us? What would be attractive to these parents; what would stop them joining us; how do we best reach out to them; what are the implications for parental engagement; what can we start doing now?

Age-related Factors. How should the School deal with students of different ages? Should we concentrate on a longitudinal progression (using each educational stage to prepare for the next); should we instead keep each stage self-contained; what are the challenges and opportunities at the different stages?

Teaching Staff. What sort of teachers and leaders do we need? Some, perhaps most, of our teachers will face significant difficulty adapting to teaching in the School. Do we re-train all; only re-train those who can adapt most readily; or do we recruit those with the appropriate competences and experience? How do we continue to value all our staff fairly, whether or not they are employable within the School?

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Group Discussion – Six questions What should the physical structure of the School be like? How much of

the current GEMS model should be retained; how much changed? Will there need to be separation by age, gender, curricula, choice (potentially ranging from 'traditional' full-time schooling, to those attending the bare minimum of in-school activity)?

What curriculum should the School adopt, or should it be multi-curricula, or curriculum agnostic? What are the relative advantages and disadvantages of the different curriculum we now use? Is there a more suitable alternative out there? For these students, how do we get the balance right between preparing them for Higher Education, for employment, for life?

What are the implications for our existing schools? Where can we innovate now, within our existing schools? How do we start adjusting the selection and training of staff? How do each of us remain aware of potential developments? How do we best lead our teams into this brave new world? What can we start working on now?

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ConclusionIt is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."Citizenship In A Republic“ speech by Theodore Roosevelt, Sorbonne, Paris, 23 April 1910.

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