Reinventing education: New technology does not guarantee a new learning culture

Abstract

Analyzing the contradictory relation between a media-theoretical and a media-pedagogical point of view, some basic problems regarding a new learning culture using Web 2.0 online tools are discussed. Against this background, data and findings from an empirical investigation (evaluation of an in-service teacher training e-learning project 'Reinventing Education' in the state of Brandenburg in cooperation with the IBM Foundation) are presented that point to the principal problems of implementing e-learning projects in educational systems. Conclusions show the necessity for significant changes in the approach of in-service teacher training projects in order to meet the requirements of new media in coherence with a new learning culture. These changes have to address the quality of knowledge to be acquired (competencies which allow a knowledge transfer instead of skills and superficial abilities), collaborative instead of individual learning, and ICT as a tool for knowledge construction instead of a tool for collecting information.