Tablet Computer Use: Foreign Academics Warn Of Unready Teachers, Too Young Students

[webfact]

Visitors urge caution in tablet PC use

Wannapa Khaopa

The Nation

Eric Mazur

Foreign academics warn of unready teachers,too young students

BANGKOK: -- Two worldrenowned visiting professors have warned that tablet distribution to Thai first graders may cause problems if the Education Ministry does not give teachers and parents an understanding of effective tablet use and how to handle students using the tablets.

Also, the two professors from the US and Korea, revealed that Information and Communication Technology (ICT), together with leadership by school principals - giving a sense of need for change to teachers and encouraging them to conduct interactive classes - were key points to success in education reform.

"In terms of keeping a balance between mechanical discretion of the devices and how to utilise them for education purposes, or for changing attitudes in such young students, seems to be a big problem," said Dae Joon Hwang, Professor of the College of ICT at Sungkyunkwan University and secretarygeneral of the Korean Council for University Education.

He has contributed to elearning and ICT in Korea, and received Unesco awards for ICT and education.

The government should train teachers how to use ICT in class and utilise it in teaching and learning, said Hwang.

He said he was worried if such young Thai children were ready to use the tablets while parents had not been trained to know the gadgets and how to deal with their children's . "The first graders in primary schools are not old enough to handle all kinds of media or resources to cultivate themselves by using tablet PCs"

"The first thing [teachers] must do is to keep a balance between use of technology and followup in teaching," Hwang said. "Before the nationwide dissemination, you must go through teacher training."

He also asked why not the government did not have a pilot project for assessment, or consider the programme's feasibility, before the nationwide dissemination of tablets?

Hwang said the Korean government had trained parents on ICT before it provided the technology to schools.

He added the government would not be able to track changes in students' behaviour, so some parents should volunteer to keep their eyes open to see what happened to their children in terms of study behaviour or electronic gadgetusing behaviour. Their parents had to have control…and had to understand the effects."

Thailand would have to beware children becoming too attached to their computers, as Hwang said some Korean students had been addicted to computers and their games, and the government had to open clinics to treat them.

"The device is nothing. You have to have pedagogical process. Problems cannot be solved by computers. Computers are just devices that access us to information," said Eric Mazur, Balkanski Professor of Physics and Applied Physics and Dean of Applied Physics at Harvard University.

Hwang said based on the Korean experience, the government must focus on understanding the teaching involved.

Mazur has initiated "peer instruction" - teaching large lecture classes interactively. The idea had attracted a large following, both nationally and internationally. He served on numerous committees and councils, and had chaired and organised national and international scientific conferences.

Both professors had separate interviews with The Nation last week after their keynote addresses on education at the 9th International Consortium for Educational Development 2012 held in Bangkok.

Hwang pointed out that ICT in education and leadership of school principals helped Korea succeed in education reform; while Mazur urged the Thai government to show there was a need for teachers to desire change rather than just being told to change. His peer instruction technique was designed to help improve students' learning.

"It's very important to give people a choice and ownership [of their actions]. You first have to show or convince them there is a need for change. I developed peer instruction not just for reform, but because my students were not learning," Mazur added. "Now, I don't teach by telling. I teach by questioning"

"In watching television or watching a professor or watching any other performance, you are passive. Watching TV or attending a lecture is not all that different," he said.

He allowed students to discuss ideas and learn from each other."Students are able to better explain to other students than a professor [can]," he said.

Mazur said after using his technique, when measuring students' knowledge on day 1 and measuring them at the end of the classes, their advancement was two to three times higher.

Korea provided supplementary econtents for cyber home projects used by 4.4 million students in parallel with teachers' lectures. The contents of the project were in line with the national standard that teachers had used. ICT narrowed the educational gap between metropolitan and rural students, and showed positive impact, Hwang said.

"School principals are really an important part in successfully implementing a national initiative. If they are passive or not aggressive enough in adopting new ideas, schools face a lot of problems. That's why the government tries to educate them in parallel with training teachers because the principals must have bright ideas and active minds to adapt to new things, and it is a must for them to be trained in Korea," he said.

Both professors offered helpful recommendations for Thai education development based on their direct experience, which could help Thailand in educational improvement - if the government considered the recommendations and adoptedk, them correctly.

[colinneil]

Go back to korea thai children are not your business

[Reasonableman]

Go back to korea thai children are not your business

So you are Thai? If not, using your own logic, it is none of your business either.

"Dumb Comment Award of the Day" But it is still early.

[sirchai]

The device is nothing. You have to have pedagogical process. Problems cannot be solved by computers. Computers are just devices that access us to information," said Eric Mazur, Balkanski Professor of Physics and Applied Physics and Dean of Applied Physics at Harvard University.

Thailand would have to beware children becoming too attached to their computers, as Hwang said some Korean students had been addicted to computers and their games, and the government had to open clinics to treat them.

There's a lot of truth in it.

They'll receive treatment by their teachers, no clinics needed........................

[Rionoir]

Bottom line is this was never about education anyway, so save your breath...

[Buchholz]

Who cares what two world-renowned visiting professors have to offer on Yingluck's tablet program?

We already have our own world-renowned visiting posters on the forum that say it's the greatest advancement since the invention of the wheel.

.

Edited July 30, 2012 by Buchholz

[Skywalker69]

Go back to korea thai children are not your business

So you are Thai? If not, using your own logic, it is none of your business either.

"Dumb Comment Award of the Day" But it is still early.

Yes it´s still early.

[Sayonarax]

Go back to korea thai children are not your business

Please do fill us in. Why do you think hes talking non sense?

[MaxLee]

Children at this stage Are to young to be able to control themselves. If you give an interactive first grader a computer device or something that looks like it do you think you will study???

You've got to be kidding me. These kids have no self-control that is required to actually discipline themselves to self-study with this those tablets.

And besides these things will make them fat as they will sit in the classroom all day with only their machines and make them straight away attention deficit disorder thinking people.

I mean they are kids. They have to be active, they have to go out and do some physical activity, and not sit in front of their electronic machines for half a day, man. No wonder that kids these days are becoming fat, especially if you give them another computer device like tablet.

Last thing this policy will make kids social a****es who disrespect other people...

[simple1]

Go back to korea thai children are not your business

So you are Thai? If not, using your own logic, it is none of your business either.

"Dumb Comment Award of the Day" But it is still early.

You will probably find the poster is summarising the Thai government response

[Phatcharanan]

Go back to korea thai children are not your business

As another poster has pointed out, 'Dumb post of the day'.

The professors advice is educationalist, not nationalist.

[MunterHunter]

Go back to korea thai children are not your business

So you are Thai? If not, using your own logic, it is none of your business either.

"Dumb Comment Award of the Day" But it is still early.

You will probably find the poster is summarising the Thai government response

Either way, its probably the dumbest comment the world has known since Yingluck's Dad suggested to Yingluck's mum they have an early night and a bit of a cuddle.

[Thaddeus]

Go back to korea thai children are not your business

So you are Thai? If not, using your own logic, it is none of your business either.

"Dumb Comment Award of the Day" But it is still early.

You will probably find the poster is summarising the Thai government response

Actually sounds like a Thai teacher I know.

[simple1]

The Australian government implemented similar roll outs of notebooks. My wonderful Thai stepson, whilst at school, typed in a search for porn. This triggered an automatic alert to the teacher and I was contacted and requested to attend the school and stepson was reprimanded. You can only hope the Thai education department will implement similar technology as well as lock down the tablet configuration so that the students cannot load games.

[noitom]

This is old news already. What's the point? A final attempt to throw the tablet program in the garbage and "prove that PTP was wrong to offer?" This topic has been discussed ad nauseam in this and I am sure other forums since its inception.

[SuneeTH]

This is old news already. What's the point? A final attempt to throw the tablet program in the garbage and "prove that PTP was wrong to offer?" This topic has been discussed ad nauseam in this and I am sure other forums since its inception.

Thailand never allowed student to use calculators; as it inhibit Thai student ability to calculate.

Tablet is worst that calculator. It also inhibit Thai student the ability to read books.

[chrisinth]

"He also asked why not the government did not have a pilot project for assessment, or consider the programme's feasibility, before the nationwide dissemination of tablets?"

I think out of the entire article, the above is the key question. Would also have to agree that teachers education for the use of the tablets is of great importance. You would not expect to be taught how to drive by an unqualified driving instructor would you?

And yes, I know it isn't a very good example because of the driving skills in this country..............

But as stated in an earlier post, this is not about education, this was a political promise.

[lungmi]

Go back to korea thai children are not your business

Yes, Thai children love to stay ignorant.

[LucidLucifer]

Thailand never allowed student to use calculators; as it inhibit Thai student ability to calculate.

Tablet is worst that calculator. It also inhibit Thai student the ability to read books.

Yet when you go into any small shop the first thing the person serving you will do is reach for a calculator, even for adding the cost of two low priced items. If there was a no calculator policy to encourage them to use mental or written methods, it has failed miserably.

Have you considered that providing children with tablets will give them greater access to information, and therefore encourage them to read and learn more? Anything that may encourage more Thai people to read will be beneficial, as it isn't exactly something they are currently renowned for.

[KireB]

Who are these foreign 'experts' to form an opinion about Thai learning devices? They cannot understand Thainess: 'this is Thailand and we do it this way whether is well thought through or not'. Cancelling their visas will be the number one item on the Foreign Minister's to-do list. Maybe he will even make a formal complaint at the US and Korean embassies.

[simple1]

Thailand never allowed student to use calculators; as it inhibit Thai student ability to calculate.

Tablet is worst that calculator. It also inhibit Thai student the ability to read books.

Yet when you go into any small shop the first thing the person serving you will do is reach for a calculator, even for adding the cost of two low priced items. If there was a no calculator policy to encourage them to use mental or written methods, it has failed miserably.

Have you considered that providing children with tablets will give them greater access to information, and therefore encourage them to read and learn more? Anything that may encourage more Thai people to read will be beneficial, as it isn't exactly something they are currently renowned for.

Reading??? to serious - mai sanook

[jaltsc]

The tablet is nothing more that an instrument to store and retrieve information. If the information is useful then it will benefit the user when it comes time to retrieve it. It comes down to nothing more than" Useful information in,..Useful information out. Crap in, Crap out." What needs to be addressed is who is teaching the students how to best use these tablets in order to maximize their learning experiences. If the teachers have no proper training on the tablets uses, then the students would be no better off than if they were using a piece of slate on chalk.

[simple1]

When I was living in Australia I tried for seven years to get my Thai stepson to engage with reading. Initially was going OK but then moved to another school that had other Thai kids. No matter what approach I tried just completely lost interest in reading & eventually failed his final year exam & now if a minimum salary job; yes in a Thai restaurant. Sorry to say in Oz the overseas born Asian students who excel and come in the top percentile are usually Chinese and Vietnamese - very rare for a Thai. As had been said many times there needs to be a fundamental overhaul of the Thai education culture that at the moment seems to be years away.

Edited July 30, 2012 by simple1

[hkt83100]

Thailand never allowed student to use calculators; as it inhibit Thai student ability to calculate.

It didn't work out. Go to a shop and buy whatever for 70 Baht. If you pay with a 100 Baht note, watch the cashier using the calculator for "computing" the change.

[abhaya]

I agree with this article 100%. If the teachers are taught these are a teaching tool and not a substitute for teaching, than you will have a generation of kids of are good at facebook and video games but not much else.

[softgeorge]

What would worldrenowned visiting professors know about education? Where did they buy thier degrees? I bet it wasn't from a Thai university like the Thai renowned proffessors. Has a Thai ever listened to a farang? These tablets have elevated Thailand to the world HUB of education excellence.

[LucidLucifer]

When I was living in Australia I tried for seven years to get my Thai stepson to engage with reading. Initially was going OK but then moved to another school that had other Thai kids. No matter what approach I tried just completely lost interest in reading & eventually failed his final year exam & now if a minimum salary job; yes in a Thai restaurant. Sorry to say in Oz the overseas born Asian students who excel and come in the top percentile are usually Chinese and Vietnamese - very rare for a Thai. As had been said many times there needs to be a fundamental overhaul of the Thai education culture that at the moment seems to be years away.

I've had similar experiences with Thai students in the UK.

It's also true that children of all nationalities that engage in reading from a young age are always the ones that then go and achieve their potential. There are of course exceptions, but without reading, all aspects of learning are a struggle.

The need for home support and encouragement with reading cannot be underestimated. Teachers can only do so much in the time they have each day with the children. It's not just an overhaul of the education system that is needed, but an entire attitude change of the whole populace. Not an easy task.

[Woodcaulk]

"He also asked why not the government did not have a pilot project for assessment, or consider the programme's feasibility, before the nationwide dissemination of tablets?"

I think out of the entire article, the above is the key question. Would also have to agree that teachers education for the use of the tablets is of great importance. You would not expect to be taught how to drive by an unqualified driving instructor would you?

And yes, I know it isn't a very good example because of the driving skills in this country..............

But as stated in an earlier post, this is not about education, this was a political promise.

Of course they had a pilot program....its called cell phones, pickup trucks, and rice subsidies for Issan farmers.....Thaksin by proxy and his PTP are in the seat of power so it obviously worked just as intended.

[David006]

When I was living in Australia I tried for seven years to get my Thai stepson to engage with reading. Initially was going OK but then moved to another school that had other Thai kids. No matter what approach I tried just completely lost interest in reading & eventually failed his final year exam & now if a minimum salary job; yes in a Thai restaurant. Sorry to say in Oz the overseas born Asian students who excel and come in the top percentile are usually Chinese and Vietnamese - very rare for a Thai. As had been said many times there needs to be a fundamental overhaul of the Thai education culture that at the moment seems to be years away.

I've had similar experiences with Thai students in the UK.

It's also true that children of all nationalities that engage in reading from a young age are always the ones that then go and achieve their potential. There are of course exceptions, but without reading, all aspects of learning are a struggle.

The need for home support and encouragement with reading cannot be underestimated. Teachers can only do so much in the time they have each day with the children. It's not just an overhaul of the education system that is needed, but an entire attitude change of the whole populace. Not an easy task.

As a younger man..just loved "reading"....NOT..come on guys , kids anyplace don't like school unless it perks interest...

think that the use/and access to internet is great..trouble is so much stuff is in English ..consequently boring and too hard for young kids anyplace. Personally don't have time for academics with red sealed bits of paper in nice frames and their @!#$%^&* pious opinions..........

[Soutpeel]

WOW much debate on instructing pupils how to play Angry Birds, after all thats all these tablets will ever get used for

Tablet issue in Thailand has nothing to do with education it was buying off voters thats all...populist promises

Edited July 30, 2012 by Soutpeel