Just found this great picture on informal learning, just wanted to share that with you.

 

Last monday the Dutch SCP published the "yearbook of ICT and society; the digtal generation" (is in dutch). This book contains some very interesting articles on the Net-generation in The Netherlands. Dutch TV has allready covered on this report: http://www.rtl.nl/(/actueel/editienl/)/components/actueel/editienl/2006/20/leerlingen.xml

 

I've received the report today and have just read an article on the disconnect of educational institutes with the ICT use of the Net generations. "Gladly", I can say that the results of research in the Netherlands don't differ very much with that of US and UK research (Levin & Arafeh, 2002; Selwyn, 2006).

 

In chapter 7 Brummelhuis argues that educational institutes are currently struggling with their ICT developments to close the gap with the ICT use of the Net-generation.

 

Also, Brummelhuis notes an emerging shift from ICT implementations with a technology push towards a pull based on educational needs. "In order to realize long term changes in educational quality improvements by means of ICT, a educational pull is more endurable than a technolgy push". Characteristic for a educational pull is that it contributes to solving a defined educational problem; ie the real need.

 

Our knowledge society requires people to have ICT skills. Brummelhuis divides this into to major skills:

- Instrumental skills (how to work with the machine)

- Information skills (skills that allow the utilization of knowledge in the own life environment)

 

It appears that students in most cases allready have enough instrumental skills. Just as Levin & Arafeh have reported with their study in the States, Brummelhuis reports that the use of ICT in the home situation is far more important for the development of instrumental skills than the use of ICT in school. This also accounts for the development of ICT attitudes.

 

Interesting is that Brummelhuis argues that not all students profit equally of the home environment. Espcially lower educated and immigrant students lack behind in instrumental skills compared with higher educated students. Brummelhuis doesn't state clearly if there's a correlation between this home situation and the lack in instrumental skills.

 

There more work to do when it comes to information skills. Students mostly have enough instrumental skills but lack a great deal of information skills. 

 

"The ability to judge the quality and reliabilty of information is a skill which becomes more and more imortant for learning" (See also Brown, 2000). This skill is becoming a new kind of literacy which everyone needs to have in order to function in our information society.

 

Brummelhuis also adresses strongly the lack of ICT skills with teachers and argues that ICT-skilled teachers are the foundation for solving the digital disconnect with the students of the Net-generation.