Hardly any other society is as critical of digital media as it’s the case in Germany. This attitude also slows down the use of digital media in school. And this despite the fact that new technologies can noticeably improve teaching. In addition, children and young people must also learn how to use the new media consciously.
Why are the reservations about digitalization so strong in Germany? Under what conditions could this change? How effective is digitally supported learning really? In his book, Tim Bastian presents the advantages and disadvantages of digitalization in school education.
Bastian describes how computer technology has developed over the last few decades and the importance it already has for teaching and learning processes as well as for the development of lessons. It clarifies how a learning-effective and reflected work with digital media works.
From the content:
- social media;
- Digital dementia;
- hypertext;
- Teacher;
- Media Literacy
Table of Contents
1 Introduction: Problem definition, research interest, methodological precedentgo
2 Hypertext systems – features, structure, potentials, objections
3 Empirical studies on the effectiveness of digital media
3.1 Meta-analyses
3.2 Tablet use in schools and lessons
3.3 Reasons for the overall low effect sizes
4 Concerns and objections against digital learning at school
4.1 Fundamental criticism: Manfred Spitzer and Rolf Lankau
4.2 Parallels to the criticism of the hypertext structure of the 80s and 90s
4.3 Summary and evaluation
5 Conditions for success and failure for digital teaching
6 Insights and backgrounds on learning in schools of the future
6.1 Franz-Stock-Gymnasium Arnsberg
6.2 Community School Alemannenschule Wutöschingen
6.3 European School Otto-Hahn-Gymnasium Monheim
6.4 Schools of the future – reasons for their success in the use of digital media
7 Conclusion – Results, Desiderata, Outlook
Objectives and Research Themes
This thesis investigates why Germany lags behind in the integration of digital media in school settings and determines the necessary conditions for successful digital transformation. The research aims to shift the focus from a purely technical perspective to a pedagogical-didactic approach that supports learning processes while managing risks.
- The historical development and theoretical implications of hypertext systems.
- Critiques of digital learning in schools, including socio-psychological and neurobiological perspectives.
- Conditions for the success and failure of digital teaching, emphasizing personnel and organizational development.
- Case studies of schools that successfully implement tablets and digital tools in their daily curriculum.
- Development of pedagogical strategies to overcome digital backwardness in schools.
Excerpt from the Book
Hypertext systems – features, structure, potentials, objections
Hypertext is a mostly short text with a net-shaped, dynamic structure connected by links. The construct is structured like a spider's web, the individual hyperlinks form the threads and connect the digital spider web with each other. The links can run in all directions, cross each other or return to the exit. Ted Nelson first coined the term 'hypertext' in his work "A File Structure for The Complex, The Changing and the Indeterminate". Early visions of hypertext date back to 1945, when Vannevar Bush, an engineer and technical advisor to the American government, presented a draft of an associative link for the meaningful structuring of information. The aim was to develop a comprehensively flexible knowledge database in non-linear form and thus also to facilitate the findability of published research results and to contribute to the development of better typewriters. On the basis of this idea, the hypertext format of the Internet was later built.
The difference to conventional texts, which are committed to linearity and a fixed sequence, is obvious. Due to the diverse cultural and social contexts, there were differences in the way of reading, but in the end all texts followed the same concept. The two central properties of hypertext are therefore the nonlinear or non-sequential structure and interactivity. The literary scholar George Landow, one of the best-known interpreters of hypertext systems, sums it up as follows: "hypertext (is) as multisequentially read text". The nonlinear arrangement of the text units makes it possible to flexibly and self-directedly search for a path through the text, to explore, to process cognitively and to reassembling the information nodes in each case. A text unit provides several links to choose from, otherwise the text would be linear.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: Problem definition, research interest, methodological precedentgo: Introduces the research topic of digital media in German schools and outlines the motivation to identify success factors for digital education.
2 Hypertext systems – features, structure, potentials, objections: Explores the conceptual foundations of hypertext, its non-linear structure, and early potential for knowledge construction.
3 Empirical studies on the effectiveness of digital media: Reviews meta-analyses and studies regarding tablet use, highlighting the ambivalence and overall modest effect sizes of digital media in classrooms.
4 Concerns and objections against digital learning at school: Discusses critical positions, such as those of Manfred Spitzer and Rolf Lankau, regarding the potential risks and pedagogical drawbacks of digitization.
5 Conditions for success and failure for digital teaching: Outlines organizational and pedagogical prerequisites, such as teacher training and media development concepts, required for successful integration.
6 Insights and backgrounds on learning in schools of the future: Presents real-world examples and case studies of schools utilizing tablets successfully within structured pedagogical frameworks.
7 Conclusion – Results, Desiderata, Outlook: Synthesizes the arguments and suggests that while digitization is a challenge, it holds great potential for a human-oriented understanding of education if implemented correctly.
Keywords
Digitization, School Education, Hypertext, Tablets, Media Literacy, Learning Effectiveness, Educational Reform, Pedagogical-Didactic, Digital Education, School Management, Constructivism, Media Development, Student-Centered Learning, Educational Policy, Educational Technology
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this thesis?
The work examines the status of digital media in German schools, analyzing why progress is slow compared to other countries and defining the necessary conditions for a successful, pedagogically sound implementation.
What are the central thematic fields covered?
The thesis covers hypertext theory, empirical effectiveness of digital tools, critical sociological viewpoints on digital media, and practical frameworks for school development.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to determine which specific success conditions must be met to correct Germany's digital backwardness in school learning processes while addressing valid concerns regarding risks.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The research combines literature review of empirical studies and meta-analyses with qualitative case study reports from schools and interviews with experts.
What topics are discussed in the main body?
The main body moves from theoretical hypertext foundations to empirical findings, critical debates on "digital dementia," and practical school development models using tablets.
Which keywords characterize this work?
Key terms include Digitization, School Education, Hypertext, Media Literacy, Pedagogical-Didactic, and Constructivism.
How does the author view the "digital dementia" criticism?
The author views apocalyptic warnings as one-dimensional, suggesting that while risks are real, they can be managed through media-mature education rather than total avoidance.
Why are empirical findings often considered outdated?
The author notes that technical progress happens significantly faster than educational research, making findings based on data from several years ago less applicable to the current rapid development of digital tools.
What role does school management play in digitization?
School management is identified as a critical success factor; their role as "process promoters" is essential for anchoring media concepts at the organizational level and engaging the teaching staff.
- Quote paper
- Tim Bastian (Author), 2019, Using digital media sensibly in the classroom, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1176140
