International Perspectives on Educational Technology: A Reflection Paper

PART 1

Background Reflections

Introduction

The reasons to study abroad vary.  Some students go abroad simply to experience a foreign country while others use this experience to enhance their studies.  Students in general who study abroad have a very special opportunity for both intellectual and cultural growth.  Intellectual growth is tied directly to academic course work for specified credit hours.  In commenting on intellectual growth, Woodward (1975) suggests that

The history of intellectual growth and discovery clearly demonstrates the need for unfettered freedom, the right to think the unthinkable, discuss the unmentionable, and challenge the unchallengeable. To curtail free expression strikes twice at intellectual freedom, for whoever deprives another of the right to  state unpopular views necessarily deprives others of the right to listen to those views (p. 4a).

In this paper, participants had the freedom to think, discuss, and challenge the views of others regarding educational technology.  Conversely, cultural growth includes but also transcends the realms of academia and is nested in the smells, tastes, travels, academic settings, formal and informal gatherings—in short, reacting to and interacting with people in the foreign culture.  In short, each country has its own culture based on the unique blend of people, attitudes, practices, values, and beliefs.  Through interactions with people, I was able to appreciate the culture and experience growth in many aspects of the culture of London.  By going abroad to study, I was able to break from American culture and expand your horizons even further.

The purpose of this article is to present a reflection on the summer academy held in London from June 10-22, 2003.  To accomplish this purpose, this article will be organized as in two parts.  Part one will be the reflective paper addressing: background on the academy; reflection on the intellectual and cultural growth experience; and conclusion.  In part two, lessons learned and recommendations for future academies will follow.

The purposes of the summer academy were to: (1) advance the scholarship of all participants, (2) design and/strengthen original scholarship in intercultural educational technology, and (3) prepare graduate students to understand intercultural issues of information technology in education, with a particular focus on the UK.  Participants (students and professors) were drawn from six major universities, including Aalborg University (Denmark), Iowa State University (US), Institute of Education (UK., host); University of Barcelona (Spain); University of Florida (US); and University of Virginia (US).

This collaborative process was made possible through the International Leadership for Educational Technology (ILET) project www.public.iastate.edu/~ilet/, aimed at promoting understanding of and respect for multicultural perspectives in learning and teaching in higher education and as well as in the preparation of teachers (pedagogy) in general.  As a result, this summer academy served as an extension of the ILET program. This is in keeping with ILET’s purpose of supporting education for democracy and broadening the impact of the European (EC) and United States (US) cooperation by ‘training the trainers’ for faculty involved in both open and distance learning.

 In sum, the summer academy was a conduit for ILET in helping to build an international learning community with a collection of expertise and resources pooled by six leading universities and four supporting partners in the USA and Europe to prepare teacher educators for the 21^st century.  Essentially, ‘intellectual bridges’ were formed across the continents.  Reflections on the intellectual and cultural growth that were evident in the summer academy are discussed in the next section of this paper.

REFLECTIONS

Based on the expressed purpose of the summer academy designed for students and professors to form networks and build ‘intellectual bridges’ across the continents, a strong focus was placed on academia.  The rich and diverse group of participants set the stage for intellectual growth and stimulation from the outset.  As a participant, I was not disappointed with this deliberate mix of intellectuals--converged in London having a focus on the international perspectives on educational technology.  Throughout the academy students had the opportunity to meet leaders who are experts in the field of technology and teacher education; pedagogy; multimodalities; blended learning; research methodology; multimedia; cultural studies; and distance education.

 In addition to the diverse cadre of participants from different continents, students were exposed to two dynamic conferences as part of the summer academy: (1) the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (BECTa) conference, which is the leading UK governmental agency supporting Instructional Communications Technology (ITC) in education.  BECTa supports the UK Government and national organizations in the use and development of ICT in education to raise standards in education, widen access to students irrespective of color, ethnic group, gender, or age—to improve skills in using technology, and to encourage effective management of technology in schools http://www.becta.org.uk/index.cfm.  Leaders in the field of ITC provided much intellectual stimulation as participants were exposed to a variety of technology developments and their applications in classrooms across Europe.  As a result, several strategies, concerns, and challenges were highlighted depicting how and why technology has been integrated in classrooms across Europe.

 Some of the strategies that have been used in schools across Europe included, curricular changes accommodating technology usage in the classroom by teachers and students; technology resources being placed in the schools; professional development activities for teachers.  With these strategies came concerns.

Concerns included, sustaining the curricular changes that were made as well as sustaining the professional development activities in light of the fact that technology changes very rapidly leading to potential challenges.

 Challenges highlighted included: identifying in what locations the responsibility for technology integration lies; providing sustained professional development activities; fiscal conservation and restructuring; replacing the traditional pedagogy with current methodologies that are compatible with technology infusion demands; and conducting research for the advancement of technology infusion in the classroom.  Upon close examination of the strategies, concerns, and challenges highlighted, one realizes that, to a large extent they mirror the same strategies, concerns, and challenges that are experienced in many teacher education programs across the Atlantic, as practitioners try to integrate technology in the curriculum in the most effective ways that positively impact student learning. 

The second conference participants were exposed to was the annual graduate student Doctoral Conference.  This conference is designed for doctoral students to share their research as well as works in progress.  Because the structure of the UK doctoral program is such that students generally work individually and only consult with their supervisors, this conference also served to galvanize the UK students in meeting other students in their program.  There is a marked difference between doctoral studies in the UK and US.  In the US, doctoral students generally have a series of course work to do.  Hence, cohorts of doctoral students are common in the US when compared to the UK.  Participation in both conferences indicated that the intellectual growth was tied to but also went beyond, yet complemented learning in classroom.

In class learning

The class settings were similar to the structure used in the US.  Room arrangement was important in that participants were always seated in a formation that was conducive for direct communication.  Speakers facilitated intellectually stimulating conversations requiring learners to scaffold their new understanding on previous information in a new learning environment in and out of the classroom.  Scaffolding was facilitated by: (a) using the Socratic style of interaction; (b) modeling the thinking process; (c) providing feedback; and (d) showing a high level of affective support and nurturance (Tu, 2003).   These skills were also transferable to learning outside the classroom.

Learning beyond the classroom

Everyone knows that learning does not stop at the classroom door.  Student learning about “International issues on educational technology” was not confined to the walls of the classrooms at the IoE.  Significant intellectual growth for me resulted from visiting (1) The City Learning Center (CLC) and (2) Godwin Junior School in Forest Gate.  Prior to visiting these learning organizations, we were forewarned that these sites were the exception rather than the norm in their ability to integrate technology in the classroom as part of the public education system in London.

The City Learning Center (CLC) is nested in the heart of a high school.  At this center students attend classes in the CLC and learn how to use technology effectively as a learning tool.  In addition, community members can go to the CLC in the evenings to learn how to use technology so they, in turn, can help their children with their assignments.

The specialized ICT facility is used by pupils from other schools in the district as well as by adults during the day and evening.  There are three learning areas and a seminar room, with a total of 60 computers.  Each space has an electronic whiteboard and the seminar room has video-conferencing and refreshment facilities.  The environment is conducive to learning with technology.  Those attending courses at the CLC are issued with identification cards for security purposes.

Godwin Junior School is a “Beacon” school because of its successes in all areas including technology integration.  As we moved from one classroom to the next the intense focus placed on students and student learning was obvious.  Students’ work dominated and decorated all the inner walls of this unassuming school.  Throughout the grades, students and teachers remained focused and on task.  I observed through our visit in each classroom that did not cause any interruptions—as I anticipated.

This was amazing to me so I asked the principal why this was so and his response was “they are accustomed to having visitors in the school and in their classes.” Having taught in the Caribbean and visited elementary school class in the US, I could see the difference in students and teachers’ response to visitors attending their classrooms.  The culture engendered in this beacon school made the school and classrooms accessible to the community and visitors who were both welcomed within its walls.

There were many places of entertainment where cultural expressions are evident in London, which is in addition to popular clubs and bars that some students like to frequent.  I experienced a number of culture shocks as I decided to learn as much about the British culture as I could.  First, seeing a bar in the student union at IoE was unusual for me.  However, I had no idea if this was an exception or the norm in institutions of higher education in London.  Second, the air was thick and filled with smoke both in and out of many buildings.  Later I learned that the restrictions on smoking in public places were not the same as the restrictions in the US.  Third, I observed that some young people were very expressive in showing their sexual emotions, which was embarrassing to me at times.  However, I learned to deal with this form of expression.  Fourth, I observed that people walked and/or biked a lot in London.  This makes sense, because parking can be a problem in the crowded city.  In addition, the reliable transportation system allows people to hop on and off then walk to their final destination.  I was able do a fair amount of walking to and from my flat in London, too, so I returned home a few pounds lighter.

The flats in which most participants for the summer academy stayed were located within walking distance from the IoE, and it was a pleasure walking for 15 minutes to the institute each morning.  As I walked from place to place, I was grateful for the constant reminder at each cross walk to “LOOK LEFT or LOOK RIGHT” before crossing the street.  The reminder in the tube station to “MIND THE GAP” was also welcoming and helped to ensure my safety as well as the safety of others.  Like any other major city, traffic in London at the peak hour slows to a crawl.  At this time one can also see the richness and diversity (salad bowl) of people with their different ethnicity, colors, and heard different languages as people went to and fro.

Language

Language is a powerful cultural tool in every society.  For me, there were subtle and stark differences in British English versus American English.  Although both cultures speak ‘English’ some vocabulary were different which added interest and beauty of being in another culture.  For example, as I proceeded to take the tube from the airport to Square I observed a sign which read “187 stairs down to Victoria line, lift is on the left.”  While waiting at the lift the operator bellowed the oxymoron “lift going down.”  This caused me to smile.  I had to think quickly to realize that the lift was the elevator.  In a second instance, I wanted to have some photocopying done and I was instructed to go to reprographics room.  All in all, the language did not pose a huge barrier to me, considering that in my formative years, I was taught British English.  However, currently, I am being schooled in American English which caries it own unique vocabulary.  I learned from the contexts in which the unfamiliar words or phrases were used.  Speaking slowly helped others to understand both my accent and American English especially when I toured London and got the chance to meet many people.

My travels in London

As part of the cultural experience I was able to see many of the tourist spots—through the “London Eye” where one gets a panoramic view of approximately 25 miles around London.  From the London Eye you can see the many bridges of London stretching gracefully across the Thames River serving to connect the south to central London.  One can also see many historic and national buildings of importance, such as The House of Parliament, West Minister Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, The London Tower, Shakespeare Globe, and Monument Street, to name a few.  In my subsequent travels by bus and sailing up the Thames, I got a closer view of many significant sites in and around the metropolis of London. 

I experienced feelings of nostalgia as I walked the streets of London, rode the double-decked bus on a guided tour, and cruised up the Thames.  First, as I strode through London for two weeks it felt quite familiar.  The layout of some parts of London reminded me of Kingston, Jamaica.  Many street names were the same, the use of space, as well as the architecture.  This similarity was evident because Jamaica was a British colony.  I did not feel like a stranger; I felt at ease because some of the sights were somewhat familiar and alive in my imagination since I journeyed straight from Kingston, Jamaica to London.  

Second, on the guided bus tour, it was also nostalgic to learn the history behind the nursery rhyme of “London’s Burning, London’s Burning, look yonder, look yonder, fire, fire, fire, fire , and we have no water…”  I sang this nursery rhyme ever since I was in pre-school but did not know the relevance and meaning behind it until I got this study abroad opportunity and learned of the Great Fire of London in 1655, when parts of London did burn.

Finally, I sailed up and down the Thames on the River Cruise, enjoying the historic sites which initially were far-flung places.  Suddenly they became visible, real, and dreams started to come true.  In the words of (Morely, 1995) “I experienced through television and books many of the sights across London that I never thought I would witness first hand” (p. 200).  This was very evident as the River Boat passed under London Bridge and again I experienced feelings of nostalgia as I remembered and heard the nursery rhyme “London Bridge is falling down...” playing on the boat.  Similar feelings of nostalgia were felt as we cruised past the House of Parliament, and I remembered the nursery rhyme which alludes to it as well.  It is very pleasant to walk, ride the bus, or sail up the River Thames in order to enjoy the sights, smells, sounds, and crowds of people in London, especially when it is sunny.

My stay in London was short, but it gave me a steadfast and enduring belief in the importance of understanding different cultures and adapting oneself to the mystifying, and somewhat imponderable ways of others.  Therefore, the short study abroad experience provided me with a reservoir of learning experiences I will be able to draw from in the future and will simultaneously serve me well for the rest of my international adventures.

However, if my remaining path in this life does not take me to another foreign land, and even if I never study, work abroad, or become a citizen of another country, the small global village we currently live in will certainly make me an ambassador, a friend, an acquaintance, a neighbor, an in-law, a loved one, a boss, or even a teacher to others from a foreign country.   In fact, as the world turns, we simply no longer live in monocultures.  Therefore, according to Winston (2001), “learning to accept, enjoy, and respect the differences in others and their cultures is the very basis of civility, without which life is dreary at best, tumultuous and violent at worst” (p. 1).  This study abroad experience has broadened my horizon and helped me appreciate another culture so that I can be a better world citizen, capable of promoting civility among all whom I come in contact with.

So, looking around and seeing the handsome and historic architecture, the allies and passages, the cyclists going about their businesses, speeding cabbies, the police on horses, and the big red double-decked buses were all dreams and fantasies come true.  For me the experience was euphoric and sent me on ‘walk-o-thons’ each day to become immersed in the beauty of London.  I made few friends, and now I have several memorable adventures of London that remain etched in vivid techni-color in my memory.  But, like all pleasant, positive, and exciting adventures, the two-week period of study in London passed more quickly than I ever dreamed.  All too soon, I was back at Heathrow Airport going through the tight security making my way back to Ames, Iowa.

Homeward bound       

In between sleep, watching a movie, and eating during the long eight hour trip back to the US I pondered: why did I go abroad to study?  There is so much to learn, a wealth of talent and riches within my learning community at Iowa State University and there is not enough time to do all that I need to do.  So why bother to become engaged with a study abroad activity?  Although rhetorical, I cannot help but emphasize the value of studying abroad as I am currently a foreign student studying in the US.  Why go abroad?  Based on my learning experiences from the past five years of studying in a foreign country three major strategic reasons come to mind.

First, the opportunity was at a convenient time in my program of study; second there is access to people who are experts in the field, and third, access to facilities, equipment, collections, archives, and libraries needed to enhance one’s learning experience.  In both areas, I was not disappointed.  For two weeks I had the opportunity to work with a number of experts, in a different university setting, context, and culture.  According to Winston (2001), gaining access to people is richer, wiser, and wider than access to a single mentor; it means gaining access to several people, including access to a research team, and/or gaining access to a new kind of intellectual community.  I do agree with Winston (2001) because I gained that access and opportunities to network with experts and to use state-of-the art facilities, making my study abroad experience beneficial.

I think that now more than ever the once mundane political, economic, and cultural aspects of London will hold my interest and fascination for a long time.  Although, I delved neither deeply nor with any tenacity into the history and culture of London, I have both anecdotal and experiential understanding of some aspects of the culture and its people.  I do not profess to be an expert on that part of the world however, I am more knowledgeable about London, having gained both cultural as well as intellectual growth in the area of international perspectives on technology in teacher education from multiple perspectives.  Because of this experience of studying abroad, my intellectual and cultural growth has helped me to further develop into a far more complex, interesting, and motivated learner.  In that, now I have

• developed a broader and richer educational base from which I understand the international perspectives on educational technology
• recognized the value of critical thinking
• understood the key components that contribute to the successful integration of technology in schools, and
• learnt how to adapt and benefit from the knowledge and skills of international experts with varying styles   

Finally, studying abroad requires a lot of creativity, much patience, respect for a different culture, and an appreciation for diversity of peoples, smells, food, music, fashion, travel and language.  The two weeks spent in London were well spent as I was able to explore IoE, the City Learning Center, one local school, and conversing with a diverse group of international participants on issues related to educational technology.  I enjoyed the cultural feast of going around London, meeting people, and experiencing the reality of a culture that has a rich and fascinating history.

Windsor Castle