This workshop was performed in two groups with participants representing the ed tech industry, governmental institutions, and business organizations. In the first part of the workshop that was based onbased on stock photos of the “future classroom”, participants in both groups identified one set of images that focused on a technology and another that depicted human collaboration and interaction with technology. A third category, also noted by participants in both groups, where three images of a more dystopian kind that stood out against the other images that were generally depicted smiling people and well-functioning technology. This optimistic and tech-centered imagery was discussed as typical to the stock photo genre. One participant also reflected on the purpose of these images which is to quickly communicate to the reader that the article is about school digitalization. This is done by combining symbols for school with symbols for digitalization into a “visual hybrid to communicate school plus digitalization”, as in the “strange images of students sitting in their benches with VR headsets”. Compared to these staged images, the participants though that the images showing collaborative activities were much more realistic and better illustrated the complexity of the classroom, highlighting that it involves not only digital technologies but also a combination of analog and digital techniques “which is how these environments actually look” as one participant put it.
The “visual hybrids” showing a combination of classroom environments and technology were also criticized by the participants as “tech porn”, an overly optimistic image that does not show chords, uncharged and broken computers, or other central aspects of school digitalization. One participant reflects on the consequences of this for the public understanding of digital technologies in school, saying: “What does it mean if this is these are the image used to illustrate the future school? The articles [that the images are used to illustrate] might be good, but these images will give the wrong idea of what the future might look like”. What is missing from these images, according to one of the groups, are other kinds of teaching environments, including outdoor and physical education, as well as analogue teaching material such as printed books and representations of an active teacher.
The other group added that many products and important aspects of future education are difficult to visualize which might explain why many of the images seem to depict the present rather than the future, saying: “What is the future really, and what is the present? This happens daily, it is not the future at least not in Sweden but perhaps in other countries”. In contrast to these less future oriented representations, each group made their own map of the future classroom which is described below.
A place in-between home and society
One of the groups created a mind map with the three terms home – school – society at the top, connected with arrows marked with learning and wave like formations indicating that learning takes place within and across all these spaces. The group wanted to highlight the importance of the home environment for learning, but also other kinds of environments such as outside spaces and labs that are also represented in the map in words and images. As illustrations, the groups used some of the stock photos “the once we liked which were not that many” as one participant explained, since they did not contain the kind of variation the group was after in terms of methods, environments, materials, and approaches. Digital technologies can be one part of making education more varied but in what ways is hard to predict. “We can imagine directions but where we end up is affected by how the technology is developed” as one of the participants put it, explaining that before the tablets were introduced, it was hard to imagine learning with an individual device that could be taken out of the classroom. In the same way, there might be other options available in the future that are not bound to a physical device but more immersive.
One member of the other group questioned the emphasis on the home environment and reminded that it has been a long-standing ambition in Swedish school politics to detach homes and parents from schoolwork to give all children equal opportunities for learning, regardless of home conditions. The groups agreed with this and explained that giving some children the possibility to study at home should also be seen as a step towards equity since some children learn better at home. In line with this individualization, they also suggested that education should move away from traditional subject and more towards general competences like problem solving, empathy, and the ability to learn new things.
At the same time, they emphasized the importance school as a physical place with an important support and care function in society. These things need to be taken into consideration of schools become more hybrid and individualized which is represented in the map with a drawing of a drone delivering food to students studying at home. They also discussed transportations to and from school as an important aspect of education. The school building is central not only for the students but also for teachers which should be taking into consideration when designing new school building, by for example including spaces for collegial learning and discussion such as teaches lounges.
A student centered classroom
The second group started with a drawing of the student, surrounded with “some things that cannot be taken away” such as children’s need for movement, being together with others, to socialize and to have somewhere to stay during the day when their parents are working. These aspects are at the heart of education and cannot be negotiated, but other aspects can be developed further such as individualization, possibilities to develop responsibility and agency and an increased focus on what it means to be human in a digitalized world. Some of these aspects, such as individualization, can probably be utilized using digital technology such as learning diagnostics.
The groups also emphasized that what is possible to do is also conditioned by financial factors. This means that although groups of 30 students and 6–8-hour school days might not be optimal for learning, schools are designed this way to be economically sustainable and to make it possible for both parents to work full time. Education is also connected to economy and societal development since it is about providing young people with competences and knowledges are needed in the future, such as problem solving and creativity, as weigh this against the cost of education. This is illustrated by the graph in the bottom left corner, that shows a bell curve of student results that the participant suggested could be shifted with more individual supervision but since this would be much more expensive it needs to be balanced against other needs in society.
One participant also criticized what they perceived as a one-sided focus on technology in the set-up of the workshop and emphasized that “it absolutely does not matter [what technologies we use] – we will use whatever tools and material needed to meet the needs” which is also written at the bottom of the map. Another participant added “And what these needs are 2040, we have absolutely no idea” although the groups agreed that that pens papers, books, paint, clay and “some kind of digital devices” would be still be used.
Summary and insights
- School digitalization initiatives need to recognize and take into account the messy aspects of digital technology, including material aspects and human labour.
- Learning should become more individualized and focused on developing problem solving, empathy, creativity, and the ability to learn new things rather than subject specific knowledge.
- Digital tools can be used to boost individualization by allowing more hybrid solutions and learning diagnostics but is not a goal in itself.
- Schools should be designed to utilize different kinds of activities and include spaces for collaboration and peer learning (both for students and teachers), laboratories, spaces for movement and outdoor learning.
- Home and society need to be recognized as part of education and support functions in schools, such as student health, need to become more hybrid.
- Schools are a part of society and educational development needs to take financial aspects into account.