Knowledge Networks 8: Knowledge Ecology

 

The Changing Knowledge Ecology

School simply doesn't work for many students, they are tired of over assessment and being tested on every element, they do not see the relevance of much of what confronts them and much of the teaching that they experience is tired, lacking in leadership and/or inspiration. They are often presented with work that is inappropriate in content level, context and presentation (narrow media type, usually text). What is often referred to as the "knowledge ecology" of schools can now be much more appropriate, dynamic and media rich. With the advent of huge repositories of learning objects in a wide variety of media, and a range of options including reading age, context, and a multiplicity of combinations to suit individual student learning styles, the concept of school is about to experience a radical make-over. . . . . well at least that is the theory. Nevertheless a large number of potential barriers still need to be become porous before this new paradigm truly takes effect and becomes the norm in education learning and teaching practice.

What is very important here is that the shift to e-knowledge is not about putting courses online but rather it is about providing knowledge elements and a web based software interface to allow students to manipulate those web based elements, and in the process develop understanding based on core knowledge. It is without doubt that courses can be offered in a more cost-effective manner via "online courses", but more cost-effective will not mean better teaching and learning, or a greater understanding of the concept being communicated. And while it is true that having these learning elements available on databases will make lesson creation much more flexible and appropriate, it will happen only if teachers are able to use clever questioning and incorporate these new technologies effectively. When this happens we truly will see a more knowledgeable, thinking and innovative society. If the material that students trawl for their information resources are predominantly of one media type then the format in which they present their new-found knowledge should theoretically be of a different type. Manipulating one information type into another, forces knowledge acquisition, and better enhances the prospects for understanding concepts as well as content.