Transforming education
Will digital learning, in the form of online and hybrid schools and courses, “transform” education?
Is “transforming” education even a viable goal?
These are fair questions, which I’m going to explore over this and two subsequent blog posts.
First up: why “transform” is a loaded word, courtesy of Larry Cuban. His recent title captures his view succinctly:
“Transform” Public Schools: Stop Using an Over-hyped Word
His case is conceptually simple:
“When it comes to school reform…the word “transform” hits the jackpot of over-hyped words in reformers’ vocabulary.
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In the world of school reformers, “transform,” implies not only dramatic changes but ones that make better schools. Also implied is that “better” means fundamental or radical, not incremental or tinkering changes. Moreover, these fundamental changes are instituted speedily rather than slowly.
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This post, then, is about this over-used, pumped-up word and its implications especially how meaningless it has become in policy-talk. Keep in mind that historically there have been proof-positive “transformations.” One-room rural schoolhouses in the 19th century changed into brick-and-mortar age-graded schools with scores of classrooms by the end of that century. A few decades later, reformers launched the innovative comprehensive high school. Previously about 10 percent of students had graduated high school in 1890; over a century later, about 85 percent graduated the comprehensive high school. Those are “transformations” in school organization and structure that strongly influenced teachers and students in schedule, curriculum, and instruction (see here and here).”
Some readers might be surprised to learn that I agree with Cuban on this issue, in general terms. I took his column’s advice and did a quick Google search for “technology transform schools” and got a list of articles that were indeed mostly the hype of educational technology transforming classrooms, the types of articles and arguments that have been around for decades.
But I believe online and hybrid learning are different, because of the way they allow teaching, learning, and educational relationships to transcend time and place. Although I’m not sure of how quickly these changes will happen (Cuban alludes to the idea that transformations must be relatively quick), I do believe that online and hybrid schools and courses are demonstrating a path to education transformation.
Cuban’s post ends with this:
“Yes, I have gotten allergic to the word “transform” when it is applied to schooling. That allergy has prompted me to ask any policymaker, researcher, practitioner, high-tech entrepreneur, venture capitalist, or parent using the word, certain questions about what they mean.”
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“So, if readers want to end the promiscuous use of a word leached of its meaning in policy-talk, I suggest asking these questions. To do so, may lose you an acquaintance or colleague but, in the end, both parties gain a larger and deeper sense of what the words “transform schools” mean.”
The questions:
What does “transform” mean to you?
What are the problems to which “transformed” schools is the solution?
What exactly is to be transformed? School structures? Cultures? Classroom teaching? Learners?
Transform to what? What are the outcomes that you want to achieve?
How fast should the “transformation” be?
How will you know that the “transformation” will be better than what you already have?
These are great questions that can and should be answered by those of us who believe the various modes of digital learning can be transformative.
Challenge accepted.
I’ll propose answers to each of these questions in next week’s post.