Idaho schools task force gets glimpse of the future [Lewiston Tribune, Idaho]

(Lewiston Morning Tribune (ID) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) June 14--Computer games, online quests and self-directed learning modules may eventually replace textbooks and classroom lectures as the most effective teaching tools for Idaho students, educators suggested Monday.

School representatives from around the state got a firsthand look at the possibilities of educational technology during the initial meeting of the Students Come First Task Force.

The 38-member group is responsible for developing policies and guidelines to implement the public school reform measures adopted during the 2011 legislative session. The reforms include a major investment in classroom technology, as well as laptops or mobile computing devices for all high school students.

"This isn't about debating the legislation that passed, but it's not about the minutia either. Your role is to think bigger and set policy," facilitator Lauren Rhim told the group. "We're talking about revolutionary transformation, versus evolutionary tinkering. ... We need to step back and think completely differently about technology in the classroom." Lisa Dawley and Chris Haskell with Boise State University's Department of Educational Technology offered a glimpse at just how different the future of education might be. They discussed their 3D GameLab platform, which allows teachers to design a "quest-based curriculum" that mimics online games like "World of Warcraft," or social media like Facebook.

Rather than tests and due dates, they said, the games let students choose the activities that interest them. They earn "experience points" for completing various quests, which in turn are tied to the formal curriculum and teach students about a given subject. Grades are based on the number of experience points they earn.

One of the factors driving this new approach to education is high dropout rates, Dawley said. About a third of all students nationally don't graduate from high school. Most are earning passing grades when they drop out, yet they're bored and disengaged. Replacing the lock-step, lecture-based approach to teaching with a more dynamic gaming model not only lets students move through the curriculum at their own pace, it keeps them more engaged and helps them track their progress.

"Being a good 21st-century teacher requires understanding 21st century learning," Haskell said.

To date the 3D GameLab platform has primarily been used by teachers or college students studying to become teachers. However, Haskell said one graduate student recently used the platform in his grade school class and "students burned through his curriculum so quickly he ran out of things to teach them." The task force also received a presentation Monday from SchoolNet Inc., which provides learning management software.

The J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Foundation recently donated $21 million to the Idaho Department of Education to pay for the software, which helps teachers, administrators and parents track real-time changes in student performance and teacher effectiveness.

The task force will also receive a presentation this morning on "harnessing the power of technology for the 21st century classroom" from former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and former West Virginia Gov. Bob Wise, the co-leaders of the Digital Learning Now! initiative.

Their presentation should be streamed live over the Internet, beginning at 8 a.m. Pacific Time. The link can be found at www.idahoptv.org Spence may be contacted at bspence@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2274.

___ To see more of the Lewiston Tribune or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.lmtribune.com.

Copyright (c) 2011, Lewiston Tribune, Idaho Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com, e-mail services@mctinfoservices.com, or call 866-280-5210 (outside the United States, call +1 312-222-4544)

[ Back To Contact Center Solutions Homepage's Homepage ]

Related Contact Center Solutions Articles

MetricNet Publishes 4 New Australian Benchmarks for IT Support, Contact Centres
[ Read More ]
05/21/2013

Liverpool Bosch Contact Center Hopes for Threefold Expansion by Year End
[ Read More ]
05/03/2013

Bunchball Unveils Augmented Gamification Tools for Jive Platform
[ Read More ]
04/08/2013

Teleperformance Earns the Multimedia Contact Center Award
[ Read More ]
03/19/2013

Shangri-La Unveils Customer Contact Center in China
[ Read More ]
03/13/2013

B. Braun Uses NextiraOne for UC and Contact Center Support
[ Read More ]
03/12/2013

Contact Centre Australia Generates Job Growth in Wellington, New Zealand
[ Read More ]
03/04/2013

[ View all Contact Center Solutions Articles ]

Contact Center Solutions Glossary of Terms

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O

Featured Whitepaper

Microsoft® Lync® in the Contact Center: Integrating with Customer Interaction Center™ to Provide a Barrierâ€free Customer Experience To implement contact center functionality, organizations using Microsoft Lync Server 2010 can follow the unified communications blueprint of open standards interoperability and integrate to a contact center solution of their choice. Customer Interaction Center (CIC) from Interactive Intelligence is a proven best of breed contact center solution that merits consideration ...

Featured Success Story

Interactive Intelligence all-in-one IP communications software suite integrated with Microsoft Lync helps Bentley save $200,000 annually.

Featured Product Demo

Contact Center Solutions Interaction Analyzer™

Interaction Analyzer™
Real-time word and phrase spotting. Alerting. Analytics. Scoring. Coaching. Watch how Interaction Analyzer turns every moment, of every past and present call, into data that lets you deliver an exceptional customer experience.