Svet vre. Države, razen redkih, so prezadolžene. Ljudje so na ulicah. Nezaposlenost raste. Tudi mladi in šolani so brez dela. Zmanjšujejo se socialne pravice. Kaj je narobe? Kje so resnični vzroki in kakšne so rešitve?
Herbet Simon, dobitnik Nobeleove nagrade za ekonomijo, je že leta 1976 dejal: »Obstaja le model realnosti.« Pa vendar, se učimo iz modelov, ki smo jih oblikovali v preteklosti. V šolstvu govorimo o vzgojno izobraževalnih modelih. Iz izkušenj gradimo nove, ki naj bi reševali probleme, s katerimi se soočamo. Starih modelov ne gre le popravljati, ampak potrebujemo predvsem nove inovativne modele. Kako do njih?
Veliko je novega, tehnološke rešitve na čelu z računalnikom, ki ni več le pripomoček, ampak nam narekuje, kako se stvari delajo od znanosti in umetnosti preko poslovnega sveta do šole. Tehnologija omogoča nove povezave med ljudmi. Gre za bliskovito izmenjavo informacij po svetu, ki vpliva na vrednote ljudi in omogoča nove vergige vrednosti. To so nekako danosti od zunaj. Znotraj pa se tako posameznik kot šolski sistemi in države soočamo z obstoječimi modeli, ki ne ustrezajo več sodobnemu človeku in organizaciji družbe, v kateri živimo.
Je model, ki predvideva, da gredo prvošolci v šolo s tabličnim računalnikom prava rešitev? Mislimo, da je. Vendar ta model zahteva spremembo drugih obstoječih modelov, npr. poslovnih modelov založnikov učnih gradiv. Seveda ostajajo temeljni cilji vzgoje in izobraževanja. Že podcilji pa so prej naravnani na izobraževanje za industrijsko družbo, kot za družbo znanja. Govoriti, da se s tabličnim računalnikom v šoli nič ne spreminja, je nesmisel. More in mora se veliko spremeniti.
Naše dojemanje sveta dohiteva tehnologijo z zamikom. Z drugimi besedami lahko rečemo, da človek sam pri sebi zaostaja za tehnološkimi inovacijami. Tehnološke inovacije se dogajajo zunaj nas. Inovacija 'poslovnega' modela pa je notranja stvar posameznika, ustanove, podjetja, korporacije, države ipd.
Spremembe moramo ponotranjiti in jih udejaniti v svojem neposrednem okolju. Ker pa so spremembe prelomne, ne zadostuje le 'lepotno' spreminjanje modelov, ampak ustvarjanje prelomno novih inovativni modelov tudi na področju vzgoje in izobraževanja.
Inovativnost je domena človeka. Naša glava pa ne more biti inovativna, če je prazna. Torej ne gre, da bi vse imeli na računalniku oz. omrežju, učenje pa bi zanemarili. Seveda se postavlja vprašanje, kaj in kdaj se učiti ob novih tehnoloških možnostih, da bomo najbolje izkoristili 'računalnik', ki ga imamo med obema ušesoma. Na ta in podobna vprašanja bomo iskali odgovore tudi na letošnji že 14. konferenci Vzgoja in izobraževanje v informacijski družbi.
The world and people are at their feet. A large number of countries is heavily indebted. Even the young and the educated are unemployed. The rate of unemployment is rising. Social rights are shrinking. What is going on? What is wrong? What are the real causes and solutions?
Herbert Simon, Nobel Prize winner in Economics in 1976, said that only a model of reality exists. Still, we learn from the models we created in the past. In education we refer to education models. From experience we build new ones that are supposed to solve the problems we are facing. The old models need not only to be fixed but also above all replaced by new innovative models. How do we arrive at these models?
There are many novelties, technological solutions based on computers are no longer mere aids but provide us with new directions in science, art, business, and schools. Technology also enables new relations among people. Rapid exchange of information worldwide has an impact on people's values and makes new value chains possible. These are external factors. On the inside, individuals as well as school systems and countries are faced with existing models that no longer fit the modern human and the society we live in.
Is a model, which predicts that first graders take tablet computers to school, the right solution? We believe it is. However this model requires other existing models to change, for instance publishing houses' business models for textbooks. Of course there are basic educational goals. Then again, already their subordinate goals are better suited for the education in the industrial society than the knowledge society. To claim that tablet computers in schools do not change anything does not make sense. A lot has to change and it can change.
Our perceptions of the world are catching up with the technology with a delay. In other words, humans are intrinsically lagging behind technological innovations that are occurring on the outside. Innovation of a 'business' model occurs internally within an individual, institution, company, corporation, country etc.
We need to internalize the changes and directly implement them in our environment. Since the changes are disruptive, a mere 'face-lift' does not suffice. Needed are new disruptive and innovative models, including in the field of education.
Capability to innovate is a human domain. Our head cannot be innovative if empty. It is not an option to store everything on the computer or Internet and forget about learning. Naturally, the question that arises is, what and when to learn with all the new technological advancements in order to best put to use the ‘computer’ between our ears. This question along with similar questions will be addressed also at this year's already 14th conference Education in information society.
Vladislav Rajkovič, Mojca Bernik, Tanja Urbančič