Keynote at the 2014 Advancing Learning Conference in Barrie Ontario on May 22, 2014

1. Advancing Learning, 2014
What Could go Right?
Story of Connect Your Passion
Dr. Jason Dewling
VP Academic and Research
Olds College
@oldscollege
@JasonDewling

2. Advancing Learning, 2014
The premier Canadian integrated
learning and applied research
community specializing in
agriculture, horticulture, land and
environmental management.

3. Advancing Learning, 2014
Start with a BIG idea!
What are you going to do to
change the learning experience
in your institution?
B
I
G
Bold
Innovative
Game Changing
?

4. Advancing Learning, 2014
Get Ready to Take the Plunge
http://vimeo.com/92878236

5. Advancing Learning, 2014
Story of Connect Your Passion
What did we do?
Why did we do it?
How did we do it?
What are the early results/feedback?
What are you going to do in your sphere of influence?

6. Advancing Learning, 2014
Story of Connect Your Passion
What did we do?
Why did we do it?
How did we do it?
What are the early results/feedback?
What are you going to do in your sphere of influence?

7. Advancing Learning, 2014
Three Key Elements
Upgrade of
Bandwidth and
Wi-Fi access
Mobile Learning:
iPad one-to-one
integration
Gamification of
Entrepreneurship
Curriculum

8. Advancing Learning, 2014
Power of Bandwidth
Last year’s
bandwidth
Women’s
Gold Curling
Women’s
Gold Hockey

9. Advancing Learning, 2014
Olds College shall be the premier Canadian
integrated learning and applied research community
specializing in agriculture, horticulture, land and
environmental management.
First and only fully
integrated iPad learning
environment in Canada

10. Advancing Learning, 2014
First and only Gamified Entrepreneurship
course in the World

11. Advancing Learning, 2014
Discover Entrepreneurship

12. Advancing Learning, 2014
Story of Connect Your Passion
What did we do?
Why did we do it?
How did we do it?
What are the early results/feedback?
What are you going to do in your sphere of influence?

13. Advancing Learning, 2014
Digital Learner was at the Centre
Future Proofing for the Digital Generation

14. Advancing Learning, 2014
Pedagogy is the driver,
Technology is the accelerator.

15. Advancing Learning, 2014
Eighty per cent of millennials own a smartphone,
compared to just half of boomers and 36 per cent
of Canadian adults overall. (Source: cbc.ca)
“ “

16. Advancing Learning, 2014
Instant Generation
This is an instant generation. Digital learners want
the answer in one Google search.
One of the basic premises of Adult learning:
“Learn something when you need to know it.”

17. Advancing Learning, 2014
According to Top Hat
of students say that technology plays a role in
their decision in choosing a post-secondary
93
%

18. Advancing Learning, 2014
In his book, Rewired, Larry D. Rosen, Ph.D, notes
that “From iPods to smartphones to Facebook,
today’s youth are more plugged in than ever before,
and it’s increasingly clear that they do not respond
to traditional teaching methods- textbooks and
lectures – in the same way as previous generations.”
“ “

19. Advancing Learning, 2014
Gaming the Millennials
In the most recent SCUP Email News, William G. Flynn
and Jeff Vredevoogd shared 12 views on Emerging
Trends in Higher Education:
Advancements in technology will drive ongoing changes
in all aspects of college and university life and offer new
opportunities to enhance and broaden learning
experience

20. Advancing Learning, 2014

21. Advancing Learning, 2014
Prove It
Typically, the education sector wants you to prove it
before you do it.
There is still a rigid hangover from traditional
educational practices when schools were trying to
make us photocopies of each other. It is based on
conformity and linearity. Standardized tests, etc.

22. Advancing Learning, 2014
Games are Serious Business
1 Billion gamers worldwide (only 500 million 2 years ago)
Everything on Wikipedia: 3 weeks of Angry Birds, 7 days of Call of Duty
Average Call of Duty gamer plays one month of FT work a year
US: 99% of boys and 94% of girls under 18 play at least 8 hours a week
92% of 2 year olds are gamers

23. Advancing Learning, 2014
Gaming and Education: Prove it!
10 positive emotions of gaming
Creativity, Contentment, Awe and Wonder, Excitement,
Curiosity, Pride, surprise, Love, relief, Joy
Gamers simply said, “what would make me want to
keep playing?”
What if we asked this of learning? “What would make
us want to keep learning?” How would you answer?

24. Advancing Learning, 2014
Story of Connect Your Passion
What did we do?
Why did we do it?
How did we do it?
What are the early results/feedback?
What are you going to do in your sphere of influence?

25. Advancing Learning, 2014
How?
First answer
Why?
Key to success
is not in the
intellect, idea, or
concept….it’s in
the execution.
Think Big,
Build simple,
Act now
Internal
Champions
?

26. Advancing Learning, 2014

27. Advancing Learning, 2014

28. Advancing Learning, 2014
Enabling Technology
When you change the method, you should change
the content. Don’t just use technology to replace old
school ways of engaging students.
Technology can enable teachers to do higher order
things…use technology to replace the basics.

29. Advancing Learning, 2014

31. Advancing Learning, 2014
Story of Connect Your Passion
What did we do?
Why did we do it?
How did we do it?
What are the early results/feedback?
What are you going to do in your sphere of influence?

32. Advancing Learning, 2014
On the Gamified Course
22% students indicated they used what they learned in the
app to write a business plan, do a project or start a business.
34% said the app made them think they could be an
entrepreneur and another 26% said the knowledge they
learned could help them in the workforce.
Female/non-gamers enjoyed it the most
22%
34%

33. Advancing Learning, 2014
High School Feedback
56% m. 44% f
26% declared non-gamers
90% rated ease of use high, very high
94% completion rate
78% would now consider entrepreneurship
96% would like to have courses offered through mobile

34. Advancing Learning, 2014
On the Bandwidth and Wi-Fi
It’s an
expectation
that we have
good Wi-Fi
It’s an
expectation that
we have great
bandwidth
It has enabled
much more use
of video, cloud
based work,
real-time
collaboration
Flipped
Classroom is
no longer a
theory…it is
practice

35. Advancing Learning, 2014
Faculty: Prove it mindset!
Meeting early in the process: Are you all in? Giving
them ownership helped with "buy in"
Overall, most faculty are happy with the process but we
still have to do deeper integration. SAMR...stuck at AM
Different way of engaging the learners. Can enable
creativity in the classroom if used right.
It's changed the way we engage the learner with the
curriculum.

36. Advancing Learning, 2014
Like the idea of having an iPad
Use it for personal use as well as for school...camera, banking,
social
Would like to have more on their phone
Like the immediacy of searching and very happy with Wi-Fi and
bandwidth
Would like to see deeper integration
Students: Use it Mindset!

37. Advancing Learning, 2014
Top 10 Learnings on Connect Your Passion
1
Answer the question of “Why” change the way we engage the
learners: this started a year before we introduced mobile learning.
We've conducted extensive training on the digital learner.
My experience is that a faculty member’s love for their students
outweighs their fear of change.
2
Meaningful engagement and consultation: faculty, staff,
administration, student “buy in”
3
Empowering faculty and students in the decision
making process

38. Advancing Learning, 2014
Top 10 Learnings on Connect Your Passion
4
Ownership of the device was also critical
5
Reliable IT network for Wi-Fi and connectivity
6
Faculty mentors: People who understand and can “walk
alongside” them in their experience
7
Ongoing training and support: Appy Hour

39. Advancing Learning, 2014
Top 10 Learnings on Connect Your Passion
8
Don't attempt to impose a solution, don't use the hammer.
Appropriate use of technology was emphasized
9
It’s ok to build the plane as you’re flying it.
http://vimeo.com/51038789
10
Stress and support learning groups: Peer to peer learning
has been most effective.

40. Advancing Learning, 2014
Nobody can think of everything, don’t be afraid to say
‘I don’t know.’“
“
- Sir Ken Robinson

41. Advancing Learning, 2014
Story of Connect Your Passion
What did we do?
Why did we do it?
How did we do it?
What are the early results/feedback?
What are you going to do in your sphere of influence?

42. Advancing Learning, 2014
What is the role of Mobile? In education, in society?
Will reading even be necessary in the future of education?
Harvard Publishing recent posted an article on the “unbundling of a
degree”…are credentials necessary?
Will biology and technology be integrated?
Will the three R’s be something else? Will we need to know all
three or will Siri help us?
Information is no longer king, critical thinking and internet search
skills are king

43. Advancing Learning, 2014
Dr. Sugata Mitra, visiting professor at MIT
On the curriculum of tomorrow:
Reading comprehension
Information search and retrieval skills
How does a person form a belief? (Truth and untruth)

44. Advancing Learning, 2014
When you Ask the Questions of:
How to motive? How to fascinate? How to engage?

45. Advancing Learning, 2014
Questions for you!
"Single most important thing we do is to have our students have a
meaningful learning experience…what motivates this
generation?" Dr. Sugata Mitra
If you are not asking these questions in your institution, then who is?
What is your BIG idea? Bold, Innovative and a Game-Changer?

46. Advancing Learning, 2014
Enjoy the Ride!

47. Jason Dewling
Olds College
@JasonDewling
Thank You!
Steve Jobs
“Once you realize that everything around you in life was
created by someone no smarter than you, you realize that
you can do something that will influenced the experience of
life for others.”