Classroom of the future: what's inside -- Bruce Dixon, ideasLAB

Sixty teachers from three NBN-connected educational institutions have embarked on a project to push the limits of learning in a highly connected world.

Willunga High School in SA, PLC in Armidale NSW and New England TAFE Armidale are all part of ideasLAB. We asked Bruce Dixon from ideasLAB to tell us more.

Q: What will modern learning look like in a highly connected world?

This is the question that sixty teachers from Willunga High School, PLC Armidale and New England TAFE Armidale are currently seeking to answer.

Rather than starting with how technology can improve what we are currently doing, these teachers are starting with the question "what is now possible?"

Working in teams of five, the teachers are undertaking an investigation into the opportunities that being connected to the world could offer for their classes.

We're not just looking at the exciting new tools; we're exploring what these new tools make possible.

Fundamentally, we believe that using technology to learn results in learning that is deeper, broader, more relevant, more creative and more appropriate for the world we now live in.

It is an exciting journey, made possible, in part, by the NBN.

So what is now possible for the modern learner?

Modern learners use technology to learn with others.

For them, learning (like their offline life) is incredibly social. They love to share their passions with others, joining online communities, creating and sharing video and audio that demonstrates their understanding.

They naturally search for and connect to others who share the same passions, commenting on and encouraging each other's efforts, contrasting their ideas and their experiences and developing deeper collective understanding.

Modern learners use technology to solve real-world problems, and they expect the content and products they create will be used by others.

Collaboration is a key part of modern learning: building upon the work of others, remixing and reusing. This has the effect of allowing modern learners to test their solutions as they create them, improving as they go.

Being able to observe other learners as they learn can help the modern learner to make better choices about their own learning, and better choices result in more effective learning. They help others to succeed and they expect others to help them.

How is the NBN being used?

Given that this project is spread across two states, the NBN is integral to its success. For this project, we are determined that geography not be a barrier to participation or interaction.

Over ten weeks, all sixty teachers meet weekly using live meeting software and also in a private online community to share their ideas and discuss their next steps.

At the culmination of the project, each team will present their project learning to the rest of the projects in order to share the new opportunities and associated student benefits that the NBN helps make possible.

Thanks Bruce! Keep us up-to-date on the findings of the project -- sounds fascinating