Wireless Networks and Education
Wireless networks are becoming an increasingly large part of our world today. It seems as though whereever we go, we find signs for free WiFi hotspots. Phones now are essentially computers with direct access to the Internet or they can create their own WiFi hotspots whereevery they are. So, how do we as educators take advantage of this ability for students to be connected from virtually anywhere in the world?
There are a variety of ideas about how to use these worldwide access to the internet, not just the internet, but also the ability to communicate via texting as well. One study by Librero, Ramos, Ranga, Trinona, & Lambert (2007) in the Phillipines and Mongolia (I know not exactly places that one thinks of as being centers of educational innovation), 80% of people who were survey and had previously dropped out of education said that they would be interested in taking nonformal courses by way of text messaging. Cell phones do have the power to attract people to education, if the education is engaging enough.
As cool as podcast, video on demand, and online discussions are, you do have to have some hardware to access them. Something that I am a firm believer in the power is the Tablet PC (this does tie to wireless networks). The tablet pc, or a convertible pc uses a pent or a stylus to control the cursor as opposed to a mouse. This allows people to treat the computer like a notepad, in many cases being able to annotate, highlight, and edit files just as you would with a piece of paper. Since these are laptop or notebook computers, these frequently have the ability to connect to a network wirelessly, allowing the user to be anywhere there is a hotspot to connect to the network. If a traditional school building were equipped with enough wireless access points, students and teachers alike could conduct there class from anywhere in the building, and still have access the internet, file servers, and anything else needed to conduct class . The key of course is that the access points have to be installed (or teachers have to be willing to allow students to use their phones for the internet access) and students and teachers have to have the hardware.
As the world attempts to move to be more and more environmentally friendly, wireless networks in education have the potential to contribute to this. No more paper assignments, but rather they are posted to shared file server, syllabi are set via SMS, students take notes on a tablet pc, report cards are posted online for students and teachers to access. The sheer quantity of paper that could be save is astounding. How many times have you made copies of worksheets and then realized they were the wrong copy only to have to copy more?
Wireless networks also have the pontential to improve education in general, but it will require investment in infrastructre. If policy makers are not willing to contribute to the infrastructure for such networks and hardware for the students and teachers, then the potential will be lost. Attitudes also have to change, educators need to change their views of cell phones as distractions and learn to recognize the potential for reaching students and raising levels of engagement. Students want to learn, but they want it to be relevant and engaging, wireless devices can contribute to that.
Reference:
Librero,F., Ramos, A., Ranga, A., Trinona, J. & Lambert, D. (2007) Uses of the cell phone for education in the Phillipines and Mongolia. Distance Education, 2, pp. 231-234
Hi, Jon,
You made a valid point in that any technology, wireless or not, must be relevant for it be have a meaningful application to student achievement. I believe some schools try to be first to jump on the bandwagon with new technologies without considering the impact on student achievement. Simply having the technology does not impact student achievement at all. And, if it is not relevant and worth the effort, it will not be utilized.
Jon,
Two points you made ring particularly important to me. The first relates to the money saved on supplies such as worksheets. Expenses for textbooks and other paper reference materials could likewise be saved by giving students access to resources online using wireless technologies. This point is often, I believe, missed by leaders who view the outlay of funds for infrastructure in a negative light without considering other, positive financial impacts.
The second point regards the engagement of technology. In Working on the Work: An Action Plan for Teachers, Phillip Schlecty describes levels of student engagement, and authentic engagement is the highest level. This means that students are engaged in activities that are meaningful and relevant to their lives. Wireless technologies, such as cell phones, are real-world relevant, and any way we can integrate such technologies into our practice is certain to motivate our students to achieve.
Schlecty, Phillip C. (2002). Working on the Work: An Action Plan for Teachers, Principals, and Superintendents. Josey Bass: San Fransisco.