Lesson Plan: Professor Chris Dede

We asked our Facebook fans to tell us what one question they would ask an Ed School faculty member if given the opportunity. Among the responses was one was from an assistant principal in Cumberland, R.I.

Jay Masterson: What is the best way to make the initial technology investment that would be the foundation for future, efficient, and manageable maintenance for public school systems?

Professor Chris Dede: Educational decisionmakers are facing the complex challenge of making long-term investments in technology infrastructure at a time when devices, applications, and media are all rapidly evolving. As discussed in the 2010 National Educational Technology Plan, several trends can guide the choice of what to do — and what not to do.

First, many types of powerful online learning environments now require broadband access. Ensuring that students in and out of school can utilize wired or wireless broadband is a key investment for educators and communities to make.

Second, mobile wireless devices are an emerging infrastructure that simplifies the technology support that educational institutions must provide while repurposing devices (e.g., smart cellphones, e-readers) that people — including children — already own. As I wrote in an article coauthored by two executives from Qualcomm and published in the March/April 2010 issue of Educational Technology, “mobile wireless devices and ubiquitous tools have the potential to transform teaching and learning in K–20 schooling. When this potential is realized, students will benefit from 24/7 access to digital curriculum that is highly personalized with respect to level, pace, and learning style. Teachers will benefit from digital participation in communities of practice with global reach and from dashboards that actively display real-time data regarding their students’ progress.”

The imminent release of smartbooks — devices that look and act like laptops, but are scaled-up cellphones rather than scaled-down computers — will further empower this emerging infrastructure. “Cloud computing,” or virtual servers on the Internet that replace local and organizational servers and network management, is also an important component of this.

Third, open educational resources, based on the same type of bottom-up contributions that characterize Linux and Wikipedia, are complementing proprietary materials and software. I believe commercial services will still be needed for complicated or customized situations, but open educational resources offer low-cost (though higher-maintenance) alternatives for teachers.

Overall, this is a very exciting time in reconceptualizing educational infrastructure.