Future Studies and ICT in Education Austrian examples and the work of the IFS Institute for Future Studies, Innsbruck, A

1. Future Studies and ICT in Education Austrian examples and the work of the IFS Institute for Future Studies, Innsbruck, Austria www.futurestudies.org Friedrich Scheuermann mail: scheuermann@futurestudies.org Conference „Future Studies – An Egyptian Perspective“, Cairo, 27-28 June 2005

2. Contents • Intro • Dealing with “the Future” in Austria • Why future studies • Why future of education • Trends • Examples • Key challenges, barriers and limitations • Conclusions

3. The Institute for Future Studies • Founded by Association for Flexible Learning • Applied research • Goal: to design the education of tomorrow by investigating the future dimensions and its impact to private and professional life • Technological, pedagogical and organisational perspectives from a socio-economic background • Areas: Formal education (School, Higher Education, Adult education, Vocational Education), companies, Informal Learning Providers: e.g. Libraries, Museums, “Internet” • Target groups: young, adults, senior, un/low-skilled people • Partnerships: Research networks, European schools, universities, EU Commission and agencies

4. Forecasting – some quotes • This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us. (Western Union internal memo, 1876.) • Books will soon be obsolete in the schools. ... Scholars will soon be able to instruct through the eye. It is possible to touch every branch of human knowledge with the motion picture. (Thomas A. Edison, 1913.) • I believe that the motion picture is destined to revolutionize our educational system and that in a few years it will supplant largely, if not entirely, the use of textbooks. (Thomas A. Edison, 1922.) • I think there is a world market for maybe five computers. (Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943.) • Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons. (Popular Mechanics, forecasting the relentless march of science, 1949.) • 640K ought to be enough for anybody. (Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, 1981, referring to a memory addressing system that can only address 640 K or primary memory in a microcomputer.) • (Source: David Moursund: Planning, Forecasting, and Inventing Your Computers-in-Education Future, 2005)

5. IFS - Approach • Analytical work • to analyse technological, economic or social trends (in order to identify the context of eLearning and potential applications/implementations • to investigate innovation in terms of educational models, tools and instruments • to identify and contrast potentials and limitations of current strategies and implementations by connecting both extrapolated (exploratory) and normative research in order to explore better strategies • to investigate the short-, medium and to a limited extent long term future of learning, education and training • Experimental design and validation • Pedagogical models, instruments and tools • Evaluation, expert workshops • Demonstration • Outlining future potentials in terms of applications / scenarios and contrasting to current practices, guidelines, recommendations, information services, workshops, training

6. IFS - Projects • Analysis • IT-Profiles, qualification, validation/certification (Harmonise, Advocate) • ICT innovation in education (DELPHI, Merlin, Ivette) • eLearning in enterprises (ICT VET) • Experimental design and development • Mobile technologies (Motfal), • eLearning tutoring (eCoach, IseTT), multiple intelligences (MiAPP) • 3D virtual environments for education (Crimcity) • Internet-based operation of telescopes and classroom applications (Eudoxos) • Special education, flexible learning, lifelong learning (Advocate) • Evaluation models for eLearning (Eval3, ICT VET) • eLearning tools for immigrants (Alphatrain) • Models for online collaborative learning (Ikarus) • eBooks on education (Metabook) • 3. Validation • Expert workshops (Ivette-W, Merlin, Advocate, Delphi) • 4. Demonstration • Observatory on eLearning practices (DELPHI) • Multigrade school education (NEMED)

7. Current trends and perspectives • Technology: • Internet access is becoming a given at home and work. • The advances in digital technologies have and continue to enrich the interactivity and media content of the web. • Increasing bandwidth and better delivery platforms make e-Learning feasible and attractive. • A growing selection of high quality e-Learning products and services such as content providers, authoring tools, training management systems, portals, delivery systems and integrated solutions are now available. • Technology standards, which facilitate compatibility and usability of e-learning products, are emerging.

8. Current trends and perspectives • Technology: Internet- Applications • Open source • Open content • Ubiquitous computing • Interactive Web, social networks, social software • Mobile Technologies • Etc.

9. Current trends and perspectives • Pedagogy / Learning: • Paradigm shift : • Shift from teacher-centered to learner-centered • Shift from information transmission to knowledge construction: creative thinking, critical thinking, problem solving, information management, collaborative learning

10. Paradigm Shift • Some significant trends in learning: • Many learners will move into a variety of different, possibly unrelated fields over the course of their lifetime. • Informal learning is a significant aspect of our learning experience. Formal education no longer comprises the majority of our learning. Learning now occurs in a variety of ways – through communities of practice, personal networks, and through completion of work-related tasks. • Learning is a continual process, lasting for a lifetime. Learning and work related activities are no longer separate. In many situations, they are the same. • Technology is altering (rewiring) our brains. The tools we use define and shape our thinking. • The organization and the individual are both learning organisms. Increased attention to knowledge management highlights the need for a theory that attempts to explain the link between individual and organizational learning. • Many of the processes previously handled by learning theories (especially in cognitive information processing) can now be off-loaded to, or supported by, technology. • Know-how and know-what is being supplemented with know-where (the understanding of where to find knowledge needed). (Source: George Siemens, 2005)

11. Current trends and perspectives • Applications • Personal learning, user generated content, ePortfolios • Active learning • Games and simulations • Workflow learning • Mobile learning (Source: www.cetis.ac.uk/members/scott/blogview?entry=20050125170206)

12. Project Eudoxos Source: http://www3.ellinogermaniki.gr/ep/eudoxos/htm/index.htm

13. Project Motfal (Source: http://www3.ellinogermaniki.gr/ep/motfal/)

14. Project Crimcity (Source: http://www.futurestudies.org/crimcity/)

15. Key challenges for European Education • By 2010: half of the net additional jobs will require people with tertiary level qualifications – 80 Mio. EU citizen are low-skilled • Demographic change and shrinking workforce • High degree of innovation requires excellence in Higher Education and research, highly skilled work forces and with permanent update of continuing training • Low level of transnational mobility • Social cohesion and inclusion

16. Requirements • Ensuring equal availability and access to ICT infrastructures • Improving information and media literacy competence • Flexible learning solutions • Educational reform (structures, curricula, teaching) • More research in • pedagogical practises • informal learning • Socio-economic issues (potentials, S/W, visions) • Linking formal, non-formal and informal learning • Approaches to validation of skills • Updating teacher training

17. Conclusion Why do we need to know more about the future of education and learning with ICT ? • Overcoming existing performance problems • Improving educational effectiveness • Achieving better learning outcomes • Ensuring availability and equal access Redefine values and strategies: ICT in education is not a value itself, it is not more an instrument which should be more regarded in the light of the benefits to be achieved for the society.