Textbooks in a web 2.0 world

This post from an education.au blog, caught my attention because students do not have textbooks where I work. The philosophy of teaching and learning is based on the premise that an innovative and engaging curriculum can, and should, be designed and implemented by the individual teacher without relying on a single text or set of skills to be learned. The teacher draws on their areas of passion, experience and expertise to design a unique and rich learning experience for the students which may be referenced to a range of texts and resources, but ultimately relies on the response of the students to construct their own meaning and understanding.

Of course, as a part of this process teachers are continuously required to ask the question 'what is important for the students to know and be able to do?' Teachers must ensure that the curriculum we are crafting is relevant, meaningful and strategic in the sense that students can logically build on their knowledge and understanding over time. We refer to the framework documents, progress maps and syllabus resources provided by our governing bodies which provide necessary guidance on the 'what' to teach 'when' elements of the curriculum, but the 'how' part of the process is determined by the teacher. The use of textbooks can restrict this most important element in the teaching and learning process because, by simply reading and completing prescribed exercises from the text, the exchange of knowledge and concepts between teacher and student remains impersonal or out of context.

Web 2.0 is about people creating communities, collaborating and building knowledge which is relevant to the individual. But how do young people decide what is relevant? They may have access to a huge amount of information, but can they discern what is true, meaningful and worth knowing? When there was a single textbook which supposedly contained all of the knowledge that was important for someone to know in that particular subject, the job of the teacher may have been simpler. It seems obvious that this is no longer possible and that, as teachers, we must become more adaptable and innovative in the way we teach. So along with flexible timetables , a focus on relationships and learning to learn (thinking/problem solving skills); the effective use of technology and the emerging (ed) web 2.0 applications are sure to be critical elements of the post-textbook classroom.

Check out the 8 big questions related to the future of the textbook here.