Deconstruct the Digital Paradigm to Physical

i wrote this talk a few months ago and

in light of the current

global climate i feel the content is

even more poignant

to the learning environment of the 21st

century student learner

the dreaded c word might have forced

some of you watching

into brand new ways of working from zoom

calls

electronic diary reminders whatsapp

group chats virtual tours

morning and afternoon conferences and an

endless feeling of being connected to

each other

i know within a matter of 24 hours i

went from delivering a practical based

subject

in a classroom to being sat in front of

my pc

delivering online conferences every day

it’s been a bit of a shock to the system

however

i’m here today to inspire the way in

which we build purposeful relationships

with our learners through the use of

digital technology

a relationship that is becoming much

more compulsory

in some education settings digital

technology

is constantly evolving and can transform

the student experience

however there is an urgency for us to

challenge our own misconceptions

misuses or never uses of technology in

the classroom

to really help convey this i would like

you all to cast your minds back

to the last time you had a bad date

that’s right a bad date

bear with me on this one there comes a

time in everyone’s life

when you find yourself on a date that is

so terribly cringe-worthy

even the flashbacks send immediate

chills down your spine

the awkward silences the uneasy feeling

in the pit of your stomach

sat desperately trying not to zone out

wishing the floor would swallow you

whole

sat trying to concentrate on your date

wondering

why did he decide to wear ankle socks

with probes

sounds painful right not to mention

having to relive the ordeal

over and over and over

while sharing with friends in the

compulsory post-date debrief

where you find yourself saying i just

want to find someone and have that

connection now i’m sorry if i’ve

unearthed the painful experience for

some of you watching

however i know in some way you can all

relate to that

innate tension an awkward date can bring

on the other hand a good date just feels

right

and can be an unforgettable experience

where the conversation free flows

to the point where you forget to check

the time or even send a text to friends

to confirm you haven’t been catfished

a great date just feels right and the

same should be said

for any experience with our student

culture

we should have to seek to create rich

and memorable experiences

to create a great educational date

whether it’s a two-hour lecture or a

random tutorial

we should strive to connect with our

students at every opportunity

so why do we as educators battle

students habitual relationship with

technology

why do we create classroom tensions when

trying so hard to stop this natural

digital partnership

the truth is

it’s a result of our own digital

insecurities

and the thought of trying something new

with technology creates those very

feelings i mentioned a moment ago no one

wants to take on a blind date with

technology

for many reasons one there is a fear of

the unknown

two it’s hard to break personal habits

three

you question your abilities causing

self-doubt

four you’re afraid of losing control and

five

poor connection i hate to admit it but

we are out of touch with our students

and their digital capabilities

and even more out of touch with our own

if we apply this dating concept to

educational experiences

it’s not to say we should shy away from

the tension the bad

experiences create we should however

harness this energy and use it to

nurture better levels of connectedness

we should seek to tackle our individual

skills

and finding engaging ways to better

prepare ourselves

for the tech savvy audiences we are now

faced with

as a millennial i see this tension with

technology regularly

not only in my own practice but from

those around me

i’ve experienced training sessions with

the classic talk and chalk

and i’ve even witnessed death by

powerpoint i’ve also seen teachers

shy away from harnessing the power of

digital technology

through fear of failure but worst of all

i’ve seen the teacher

who feels the need to use powerpoint

just because

and overuses the fade zoom or floating

function

on every single slide emphasizing every

single word sound familiar i hate to say

it

but we have knowingly created an

unbalanced relationship with technology

as a teaching culture we need to shift

our insecurities

and tackle this we have to start to

shift the balance in power

and see the point of view of our

students

this i know can be difficult we

naturally feel we know best

however the desire for a constant state

of connectivity

is being sought more and more and in

particular by generation z learners

to best meet their needs we have to let

go and explore the unexpected in digital

technology

the use of technology is instinctive and

we should generate

meaningful social experiences

as the sophistication of digital

technology evolves

there is a need to redesign practices in

education

collaborative practice is needed to

transform the 21st century

student experiences and we can do this

using unorthodox practices to spark

ideas

and create rich experiences students

choose to swipe left or swipe right

in search of meaningful relationships

and we must use the natural social

environment

to examine their digital desires to help

an alternative

more collaborative approach in education

the impact of technology is driving

change and we should ensure the student

experience

is organic valuable and their learning

needs are better met

the recent completion of my master’s

thesis saw an investigation

into the digital landscape through the

perspective of the uk makeup artist

makeup is a creative and specialized

subject area

where limited research currently exists

which is why i was so passionate to

explore the industry

my aim within the research was to assess

the shift in learning cultures

tailored to the needs of the student

makeup artist

as the creative industries in the uk

progress there is a need to adopt a

responsive approach in curriculum

design for long-term sustainability

now you may think students are driven by

social media likes

and sharing content however the research

indicated

the rise of social influences and

self-taught artists

were undermining the industry the

over-saturation of social platforms

was deemed to devalue the professional

status of the trained makeup artist

findings also confirmed students desires

for further exploratory talk

and shared inquiry overall

findings saw students question the

progression of the makeup industry

however confirm the need for both

practical and digital skills

to work as a mutual partnership

this creative conversation led to

discussions of an online space

dedicated to the growth of the industry

and future talent

as opposed to the amateur findings also

indicated

students are inspired by contact with

industry professionals

and the use of dialogic exchange should

be cultivated

to foster meaningful learning

experiences

students want to have direct digital

contact with inspiring individuals

within their subject area however away

from social platforms

findings really reinforce the need for

creative conversation

at educational level to enable change

involving students in predictive

dialogue is a necessity

if we break this down into dating terms

our students want to feel connected to

each other

and us as educators also

students are actively finding that

connection i mentioned earlier

with like-minded individuals from their

subject area

when i say meaningful dialogue i mean

that our students want to be part of

important

future focused conversations and they

want to feel heard

we must ensure to design our student

experiences with a collective approach

and remember it takes two to tango and

for once

i mean that as a positive transferring

dialogue into tangible experiences

was found to balance the relationship

triangle between the student

teacher and technology that we have

created

teaching staff must engage in

multi-level dialogue

to constantly refine and develop their

own digital capacities

to provide students with the most

up-to-date and forward-looking skills

understanding students perceptions could

further develop the curriculum

an educational responsibility that

should enable currency to flourish

ultimately ensuring a visionary

curriculum is delivered

another significant finding was the

generation divide

highlighted by student participants it

reinforced the need to pay closer

attention

to cohorts and their preferred methods

of engagement

data indicated the digital knowledge of

students

was in line with those of industry

professionals however

concerningly was surpassing those of the

subject educator

whilst this was a small portion of the

research this indicates a further

analysis

of industry practice when designing

creative curriculums

is needed we need to accept

the traditional university model is

diminishing

and there is an urgency to create

synergies and ensure technology

is on our curriculum agenda

as generations divide and tech abilities

become broader

we must be confident to embed technology

within the student experience

in dating terms we need to pay more

attention to our students

and their tech abilities whether you’re

on date one or further into the

honeymoon period

we are very quick to find faults and

actually

we do need to actively take more notice

of our students

and ourselves we need to pick up on the

red flags in our work life

just as much as we naturally do in our

personal lives

we also need to hold our hands up and

admit it if we can’t keep up with our

tech

tuned students

any digital device can transform and

absorb with its sheer connecting

potential

therefore increasing virtual opportunity

and creative conversation

are vital to shift the power from the

individual to the collective

instead of saying can you put your phone

away time

and time again we must positively

immerse students

digitally we must shift our perspective

and encourage students to disconnect

from social media

and evolve the physical mechanisms a

mobile device holds

let’s turn a phone into a compass a

musical instrument

or even a performance platform let’s

empower students to work collectively

in the physical and the digital

i know you are probably thinking it’s

easier said than done

and you may have attempted to try

something different in the classroom

and it failed miserably however use

those mistakes to reframe your ideas

and try again adopt a positive mindset

and develop creative solutions to evolve

your original idea

i know you might be thinking well laura

hasn’t really shown us a fancy piece of

new technology

so she doesn’t really know how to apply

this but when i was planning for my talk

today

i really thought about the purpose and i

really didn’t want to be that person

who used technology for the sake of it

if i rewind to eight months ago at the

time of writing this talk

it was already clear at that point that

the education sector required further

investment

in digital delivery methods to engage

and connect with students

to stay relevant reviewing today

covert 19 has forced many industry

sectors to adapt

and a fortunate and welcome byproduct of

the pandemic

has meant that the education sector is

now heavily reliant on technology

to deliver the student experience i know

in my practice i now face struggles in

keeping students connected

and whilst we have perhaps shifted from

one extreme to another

overnight in our uses of digital

technology

when the balance is finally restored

within the education sector

it’s safe to say that the digital

foundations will have improved

it really will be the definition of

evolution

all healthy relationships are under a

constant state of evolution

we must consciously find a balance to

form strong partnerships

with this in mind it really is important

we begin to embrace the fear of the

digital unknown

and craft existing curriculums that

evolve with the students knowledge

this should be an obligation and

commitment to the development of digital

education

to those of you watching who might have

sat through an awkward lecture

or training session where technology

went horribly wrong

we are sorry and even more sorry that we

can’t promise it won’t happen again

however we are all human and we all get

those first date nerves

especially when all eyes are on us

to the students watching please don’t

ghost us

you wouldn’t give up on love so easily

so unblock and don’t be afraid to

reconnect

i’m asking you to reboot and give

technology a second chance

in dating terms the second date is your

opportunity

to show who you really are without the

awkward silences

the distractions and the overthinking

and if you find yourself in a moment of

awkward silence

think about our date today and my advice

ignite purposeful student dialogue

anticipate the future of education

explore meaningful uses of technology

and involve with the student culture

thank you

you