György MOLNÁR

Digital instruction or the digitalization of instruction in modern ICT environment

Introduction

Latest research results and my experience as well underline that the disciplinary mission of digital instruction, in a stricter sense, digital pedagogy, is to reflect all challenges, tasks, and innovation options facing the digital citizens of today’s continuously changing world. In addition to acquiring the so-called key qualifications, the five generations of the digital world should be familiar with all aspects of digital competence if they want to lead a successful and productive life.

Our digitalized world is based on the respective technological developments and the modernization of telecommunication and informatics systems. The related technological revolution and its chief manifestation, the emergence of information and communication technology impacted the social, economic, and cultural sphere. Based upon my more than two decades of personal and professional experience as a researcher and university instructor I view the concept of Information and Communication Technology as a sum of devices, technologies, organizational activities, and innovative processes facilitating efficient processing, flow, storing, coding and transmission of information and the implementation of problem and obstacle free communication. While a standard definition is not at hand, most people are familiar with the basic outlines of information and communication technology.

My research efforts performed in the past years have identified several domestic and international solutions for the direct or indirect application of ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) in the teaching and learning process thereby promoting the development of digital competences. Due to background support provided by web 2.0 and e-Learning 2.0, researchers (Piet Kommers, Pedro Isaías, Morten Flate Paulsen, Miguel Baptista Nunes) have developed several new, frequently mobile ICT-based approaches significantly altering the given learning environment. Such achievements anticipate the extent and necessity of the application of modern pedagogical methods.

The everyday use of new technologies, especially mobile ICT devices have played a significant role in the specialization stage of teacher training programs. Vocational training is a promising field for our research efforts as it not only provides a sound theoretical base, but the inquiries into the concept of Opening up Education can provide an overall structure for applied research in Hungary as well. Consequently, we can rely on a BYOD research program carried out in the education sphere without any direct special material or infrastructure-related requirements.

Information and communication technology tends to have an increasing impact in the education process and the respective learning environment. Accordingly utilizing the means of telecommunication various forms of e-Learning have emerged.

My treatise discusses the role and application options of ICT-based systems and the increasing role of digitalization. My hypothesis is supported by the results of an empirical research effort as well.

Theoretical considerations

In today’s information based society due to the increased value of information, info-communication technology and techniques the concept of the digital gap is being reinterpreted. Accordingly, it not only indicates the capability of device use, but the extent of information flow and information transmission. Consequently, while access to digital devices was an important indicator of digital literacy, it has become the marker of obstacle free information flow and the extent of support provided to the communication process. To define it more appropriately, digital literacy implying the ability of controlling and using of more and more ubiquitous informatics devices is considered a basic necessity. This key competence is not only expected in the labour market, but is an essential requirement of everyday life as well. Accordingly, nowadays virtually every second person possesses or has access to mobile communication devices and the Internet. The penetration of such digital tools entails both a device and service as well. Likewise, two or three mobile telephones or subscriptions per person is an increasing worldwide tendency. The mobile telephones contributed to an unprecedented intensity of interaction (Gocsál, 2015). The Web 2.0 reflects a new participatory culture in which the user is not in a position of a passive observer or reader of web-based content, but he or she can shape such content in an interactive manner. (Szűts, 2014). Therefore, in addition to the consumption of content its enhancement, creation and sharing become applicable. (Dragon 2008). The aforementioned developments taking place in virtual and digitalized space without spatial and temporal restrictions facilitate the extension of the learning environment for digital knowledge acquisition. Thus the learning space is converted into a total panoramic 360° area providing openness, and the options of reflection, problem solving thinking and mobile learning. (Benedek, 2013). The National Curriculum determines the essential components of informatics competence as our digital framework systems addressing student needs are based on the internationally accepted digcomp 2.1 recommendations, the digcomp.edu standards are geared at teachers, and the digcomp.org framework is applicable to the institutions of the educational sphere. Vocational education is in a special position as it is considered an important area for technical and technological innovation, while it is expected to provide effective answers to the high technology challenges of the Industy 4.0 phenomenon. (Karlovitz, 2012).

Internet-based communication conquers physical distance as all essential information is only a click away and access into the virtual space is free of any temporal or spatial restrictions. In the network-based learning process supported by social media and Web 2.0 services the user takes the role of the creator, editor, or sharer of content. Consequently, traditional institutions have to be ready to meet these challenges.

In the context of the information-based society the main features of knowledge undergo a fundamental change as it becomes more practical, multimedia-oriented and transdisciplinary. A shift can be observed in the knowledge acquisition patterns as lifelong learning becomes dominant blurring the previous modern age-inspired dividing line or border between children’s and adults’ learning while formal and traditional educational institutions give way to open learning environments. Formal and traditional knowledge transmission becomes obsolete as presenters will rely on multimedia-based presentations. One of the essential requirements of modern and effective instruction is the inclusion of digital content as texts are enhanced by videos, animations, and e-Books. Such developments and trends lay the foundation of e-Learning-based virtual learning environments along with facilitating the implementation of massive open on-line courses in institutions committed to quality education.

Methodological digitalization

The changes brought on by ICT use in the pedagogical profession inspired several researchers and authors including myself.

In addition to the role changes the generational differences appear significant. The well-known terminology developed by Prensky distinguishes two groups, young people born into the world of modern devices known as digital natives and pedagogues not fully familiar with the use of digital technology, or digital immigrants. (Prensky, 2001).

Instructors of teacher training programs are often wondering what kind of skills should be developed in our fast changing world in order to enable prospective teachers to use devices effectively in the future. (Benedek, Molnár, 2013)

Elemér Hankiss attributes the uncertainty of teacher roles to the “shop window aspect” of teachers’ lives. While society expects pedagogues to transmit and inculcate a system of norms, the abundance of information and the impersonal network-based communication frustrates adherence and adjustment to the given norms.

The integration of ICT into teacher training programs is an urgent and well-known task. Device and technology oriented training schemes emphasizing traditional teaching functions and roles cannot prepare teachers to meet the requirements of the experience-based learning approach.

The concept of Flipped Classroom is one such solution in which students prepare at home and apply the theoretical knowledge in specific practice-oriented lessons. (Márta Hunya: Modern School 2015/1)

In the following section we introduce a few publications both by Hungarian and international researchers concerning the challenges of the teacher training process.

The volume titled Best practices in the scientific workshops of teacher training edited by Krisztina Károly and István Perjés contains several relevant essays. Victor Bakos writes about computer assisted Geometry instruction, Attila Buhály discusses the digitalization of instruction in his treatise titled “Seminar 2.0”, Zsuzsa Gonda surveys digital texts found in the National Curriculum, in the classroom and in the teacher training process, while Mária Laczkó explores the perspective of literature and grammar teaching in her article titled “Digital world, digitalized teacher of Hungarian language and literature” (Károly - Perjés, 2015).

The connection between vocational teacher training and ICT is characterised by unique features. In our study we rely on some of these research results.

The establishment and introduction of a comprehensive and complex definition of the term “competence” was the driving force behind the publication of a thorough comparative analysis of vocational training and vocational teacher training programs titled Competence oriented modular vocational teacher training. The 222-page volume includes 22 project case studies with several references to the ICT and other competences of vocational teachers. Section 4.5.3 of the summary study describes the ICT competence circle and analyses such concepts as media competence and e-Tutor competence. (Kadocsa - Varga, 2007).

Digitalized and digital systems in education

The electronic educational framework systems are one of the main components of digital systems. Educational framework systems entail integrated electronic learning environments incorporating selected Web. 2.0 internet-based services according to unique pedagogical considerations. Their primary goal is the promotion of blended learning, or the combination of the traditional and the virtual learning environment, in other words the enhancement or augmentation of the former with the latter. (Námesztovszki, 2013). The functions of integrated electronic learning framework systems cover the following areas: