.tipping point:
.a critical case study
Review
In this presentation, we’ll look at a specific case in which a significant shift in technology use for education occurred. The objective is to understand factors that instigate technological and pedagogical change, and establish connections to one of our course foundational topics for further illustration and analysis.
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Sections
The case study is divided into four sections:
.1.Technology
A literature review of the selected technology: smart classrooms.
.2.case
The case of SMART Education (Cheolil & Kye, 2019), one of the leading strategies of ICT education in Korea, in which a shift from traditional to smart classroom environments took place.
.3.causes
Analysis of specific circumstances that led to the SMART Education strategy.
.4.course
.connection
An inquiry into how the causes and effects of SMART Education relate to one of our course foundational topics.
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.1.technology
Smart Classrooms
The smart classroom is a classroom environment that combines advanced forms of educational technology with active learning approaches to facilitate customized learning experiences (Li et al., 2019). According to Yi et al. (2021), “a smart classroom is the most typical product in the current process of technology and classroom integration” (p.462).
.2.CASE
SMART Education
In 2011, The Korean Ministry of Education and the President’s Council on Informatization Strategies jointly established and announced ‘A Road to the Power of Talented Individuals! SMART Education!’ (Cheolil & Kye, 2019). This central government-driven policy for improving the national education system of the Republic of Korea aims at ensuring Self-directed, Motivated, Adaptive, Resource-enriched, and Technology- embedded (SMART) Education.
.3.causes
Causes
SMART Education was created to increase the national competitiveness of the education sector. It was observed that Korean national education policies had limitations in fostering 21st-century skills, as its primary focus was on managing the college entrance system (Cheolil & Kye, 2019).
Need for change of focus (Kowk 2014).
Click to enlarge.
.4.course connections
Usability
The case of SMART Education is a good example of usability in relation to Woolgar’s (1990) idea that interface design influences the behaviours and identities of users. The SMART Education project was initiated to transform students by having them immersed in a highly technological environment (the smart classroom), in order to develop 21st-century skills. This development bridges the gap between the accelerating socioeconomic changes and skillsets of the people of Korea for international competitiveness.
references
Bogiannidis, N., Southcott, J., & Gindidis, M. (2022). An exploration of the lived experiences of a visual art teacher in a smart classroom. Contemporary Educational Technology, 14(1), ep329. https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/11366
Cheolil, L., Kye, B. (2019). Classroom revolution through SMART education in the Repulic of Korea: Case study by the UNESCO-Fazheng on best practices in mobile learning. UNESCO.
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Hsiao, H., Chen, J., & Liu, T. (2016). Building a smart Classroom—A case study of spreading inquiry-based nature science courses for elementary school in taiwan. ICT in education in global context (pp. 211-227). Springer Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-0373-8_11
Issa, T., Isaias, P. (2015). Usability and human computer interaction (HCI). In Sustainable design: HCI, usability and environmental concerns (pp.19-36). Springer, London.
Jenkins, H. (2001). Convergence? I Diverge. MIT Technology Review.
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Kowk, C. (2014). Smart Education in Korea. Samsung Electronics.
Li, Y., Yang, H. H., & MacLeod, J. (2019). Preferences toward the constructivist smart classroom learning environment: Examining pre-service teachers' connectedness. Interactive Learning Environments, 27(3), 349-362. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2018.1474232
Song, S., Zhong, X., Li, H., Du, J., & Nie, F. (2014). Smart classroom: From conceptualization to construction. Paper presented at the 330-332. https://doi.org/10.1109/IE.2014.56
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Uneso (2011). Strategy for SMART Education in Korea. Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.
Woolgar, S. (1990). Configuring the user: The case of usability trials. The Sociological Review, 38(1), 58-99.
Yi, S., Yun, R., Duan, X., & Lu, Y. (2021). Similar or different? A comparison of traditional classroom and smart Classroom’s teaching behavior in china. Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 49(4), 461-486. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047239521988999
Zhang, Y., Li, X., Zhu, L., Dong, X., & Hao, Q. (2019). What is a smart classroom? a literature review. Shaping future schools with digital technology (pp. 25-40). Springer Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-9439-3_2