As I was flipping through the channels a few nights ago I came across the "Andy Griffith Show." As Andy and his young son Opie were casually walking down a picturesque country lane with fishing poles in hand, I was struck by the simplicity. Not only was the show in black in white but the storyline and pace of the dialogue were unrushed and strangely refreshing.

As I reflected on this obviously "dated" show, I realized that I was looking into the past. It transmitted a snapshot (albeit idealized) of 1950s American culture. As little Opie went to school, I began to think about how much and how little our educational approaches and assumptions have changed in the last 50 years.

Interestingly, Opie's classroom was not that different from many of the classes I have been in recently across America. The basic assumption seems to be that students should be organized into neat rows, sit quietly and memorize everything that the teacher says to be regurgitated later on a paper and pencil test. (Now before anyone gets too riled up I will confess that I am a part-time, volunteer teacher for my 6 year old daughter's class. And I too organize them into rows or semi circles and I actually expect them to sit quietly and hang on every word I say.) The challenge I see is in keeping up with the times.

If my observation is largely true, we are trying to accomplish 21 st century teaching objectives using 20 th century learning models. In fact, when was the last time there was a significant change in the way people learned? Looking past Opie into the 19 th century, mostly the same. The 18 th century? - same. Even as far back as Socrates many of our learning assumptions are clearly evident. So does that mean that people cannot learn any other way? Or, does it mean we rely on what is familiar to us and are hesitant to change? Perhaps the answer lies somewhere in between.

Short of hooking up the students directly to a machine that inputs the information directly into the brain - something researchers are actually working on - there has to be an organized method of knowledge and skill transfer from someone who possesses it (teacher) to those who do not (students). So I am not advocating that we do away with teachers. I would, however, like to focus on the knowledge and skill transfer methodology that we as teachers employ to teach our students.

We live in a wonderful time in human history with a mind numbing amount of information at our finger tips. This is truly the information age. Although it can be argued that those of our predecessors who were fortunate enough to be educated had a deeper understanding of certain topics like math, history, geography and literature, they would be poorly equipped to survive in our modern society. They simply would not have the breadth of knowledge that our students get today. I heard one teacher comment recently that she was frustrated by the increase in the amount that she was expected to teach in the same period of time.

This takes me back to my belief that we have 21 st century teaching objectives but we are perhaps stuck in 20 th century teaching methodologies. Not only is it impossible to teach the amount of information in a single day using standard lecture techniques but our culture has made our students very sophisticated consumers of information. They have high standards for graphics, animations and multi-media. And they have shorter attention spans and are being inundated with sound bites. The next result is a tough crowd to get excited about traditional, lecture-based learning.

Fortunately, all is not lost. With the advent of the information age has come the proliferation of technology for every imaginable application. Obviously educational technologies will play an increasing role in how we teach.

I would like to propose three ways that educational technology can transform our current learning paradigms.

First, incorporate multimedia into the lecture. Whether you use animations, videos, or 3D graphics, the adage that a picture can speak a thousand words is still true. These multi-media assets can be used for reinforcement outside of class and for review as well. The more interactive the media is, the better. If it is not interactive be sure that it is engaging.

Second, use hands-on exercises. Although some concepts lend themselves to lecture-based learning, the most memorable and impactful learning comes though hands-on experience. Fortunately, technology lends itself nicely to be simulated. By using simulated labs, you can cut down on hardware costs, provide a wide variety scenarios, track progress, and automatically evaluate performance.

Third, use performance-based assessments. Whenever possible, student evaluation should be based on performance. This approach can be not only psychometrically valid but have "face validity" for the students. When tests are performance-based, students are more likely to feel the tests were fair. The emphasis should be not how easy is it for us (the teachers) to administer and grade the tests but what is a better way to assess our students. Again, technology can help through the deployment of only assessments that are performance-based.

Although little Opie was cute and the 1950s era may conjure feelings of nostalgia, we need to embrace the technology that is reshaping our society. If we as teachers do not lead the way then who is teaching whom?

Quinn Sutton
-Editor

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