We have already explored how young people are spending around 18 more minutes per day reading online over print, youth attitudes to work in that 90% of 19-25 year olds ‘agree’ and ‘strongly ‘agree’ that ‘you have to work hard to be successful’ as well as noting that the past 10 years of high speed internet have significantly impacted upon literacy. The combination of these facts hint at some potential changes within the sphere of education. In a society where information and knowledge is increasingly networked and instantaneously available, there is a large concern that many “don’t think that kids should be allowed to piggy back off the work of others” as Justin Neizey succinctly articulates the fear of the web moving further into education. Yet with annual discussions about whether secondary school exams are getting easier and the recent news that Denmark is planning on trialing internet use in school exams there is a clear discussion about the increasing approach of digital into the realm of education.

The increasing speed of the internet and spread of digital devices entering the consumer market over the last ten years has allowed many apps and solutions to emerge which change how children learn and function within the educational system. Amazon’s Kindle may very well make the days of lugging around a heavy bag of textbooks disappear. The digitization of knowledge has placed it in one accessible place through a digital interface and this is being taken up amongst academics. A school in Boston is effectively digitizing it’s library, rather than buying new books. Remote education is also taking off as services like StraightLine offer ‘all you can learn for $99’. While iPhone apps like Smart.fm attempt to teach you anything on the go.

All of this is culminates with the recent Danish trial run of allowing students to have full internet access during exams, which poses some interesting questions that have been being answered by the internet for quite some time already. No longer do young people use a slow version of Encarta ’96 to help them with their homework. The readily accessible world of Google has allowed many answers to be gathered instantly and with complex computational knowledge engine’s like Wolfram Alpha kicking to gear, the dynamics of education and acquiring knowledge have most certain shifted from 10-20 years ago.

The impact that this will have upon how students minds will work within education and therefore how the educational system, are beginning to be discussed due to a crescendo of instantaneously accessible knowledge. The developmental molecular biologist and research consultant John Medina, has noticed a shrinking database of knowledge within his students. This is to say that they are largely confident of where they are able to find the knowledge they need to solve a particular problem, without necessarily taking the data deep within their memory. The transitory nature of browser windows and increasing network of knowledge are key factors here. If most exams in school are based upon the notion of memory, which they are mostly, then surely what the nature of exams will have to be changed in some ways. How will our minds change if they become less geared towards remembering things? Len Kendalls believes that “our ability to process data and allocate it correctly will trump the skill of recalling it” as the internet provides more information instantaneously. Perhaps education boards will have to change how exams and tests are given in order to meet this new functionality of the mind. There are already signs that people want to change how students are learning, as Big Picture are doing through adding real life experiences to the educational process.

Perhaps a great example of this new realm of education can be examined and judged to some degree is the discussion about how Google Wave can be used educationally. The collaborative, editable, real-time features of Google Wave will allow collaborative note taking and is enhancing the argument of screen over blackboard, where the students would be able to collaboratively edit each other’s and possibly even add thoughts to the teachers projected screen at the front of the class. While some argue that this may make students lazy as they could potentially take credit and knowledge from others, it may actually encourage more active learning as opposed to passive learning. Active learning through online collaboration may actually enhance ‘mental acrobatics’ and train the brain to think critically. This active/passive can also be put forth in the suggestion that assigning less importance to memory is negative. Google Wave’s playback feature will also allow teachers to see how the notes and ideas developed and what roles particular students took in the discussion. Three students experimented with just that in a lecture; the resulting notes were said to be “more complete” than if Wave hadn’t been used.

This is supported by Sarah Newton’s statement that “a strong relationship [with a teacher] can do ten times more than any rewards or punishment can” suggesting that are the more active and engaging education can become the better. While digital and the web may at the moment offer a more passive way of learning for young people, the education systems of the world will have to begin to take digital into account as they decipher how to improve ways of examining students in order to improve digital education to the point where it allows mass-collaboration and therefore active learning. If you’re into exploring education and Google Wave below are a few educational waves to peruse:

• Higher Ed Directionary (meta)
  
• Software Roles in Education - a structured, goal driven exploration
  
• Wave for notes – about note taking
  
• Student-side Class Management: a Wave Temple