Mobilizethis on Territory FM

A radio interview describing the upcoming Mobilizethis - Youth Symposium

Is the Digital Desire Overrated?

Ok folks … let’s mobilizethis …

On October 03 this year, Milanda Rout of the Australian, published an incredible article claiming that preliminary research by Maton and Bennett shows that the "digital desire" is over-rated. (The .pdf of the article is avaialble on our wiki - under Debate this).

Hmmm … actually not much research is quoted in the news article but at least some anecdotal evidence is cited and they don't want essay questions sent to them by Facebook (does anyone?). They want to keep their social identity separate and keep to face to face lectures. Does research suggest then that can we dismiss an entire obligation to address the implications of the knowledge era and proliferation of social networking and web 2.0 tools … or I dare say the levelling of the educational playing field to a more egalitarian turf?

“It's all happened before” referring to 1960’s "alien like" youth radicalism and the freedom movement, is yet another wise piece of evidence intended to comfort those who would like to dismiss the digital interest. Other's would argue we haven't seen anything like this, not even remotely ... this is way beyond clothing fashion and hair cuts (Kevin Kelly, 2007 and Marc Prensky, 2001);

Hmmm … essay questions SMS’ed or sent via Facebook. Back to the lecture halls. Hmmm … synchronous broadcast of lectures … is this what we are discussing here? I think not. That’s not mobilizing anything other than digital immigrant self justifications to continue outdated delivery practices and strategies. We cannot dismiss the implications for an entire rethinking of the teaching and learning experience. Current and emerging student demographics are not going to passively sit back and be recipients of more shovel-ware and content delivery approaches. As Kelly (2007) projects " A simple extrapolation suggests that in the near future, everyone alive will (on average) write a song, author a book, make a video, craft a weblog, and code a program."

Alex Haye's tossed out some additional resources on these issues:

Ivan Illich's account of the value for de-schooling.

Here's some articles that have appeared in the media recently and some web links that kind of get into the nitty-gritty of where we need to be looking now and not in the distant future ; in fact fueling this discussion:

Digital Literacy In A Knowledge Economy
Talking Technology
Mobile Active

Jacinta Gascoigne has some great comeback on the perception that Facebook is a closed community and the value of social networking in an industry and community sense.

I agree with the article from the point of view that “something is happening … but to say digital desire is over-rated and to support that with non-cited research evidence? … shame … shame …

On October 19th we have the opportunity to gauge digital interest level … if nobody shows up … well point taken, but I have a feeling that we are going to cram the rooms physically and virtually!

I’m for free food, free access, free thought, free speech … so join the debate!

What are you for, what do you think? Express yourself in person or online at mobilizethis07 http://mobilizethis.wikispaces.com and definitely get your vote counted in our online survey right on the CDU homepage.