Tag Archives: immigrants

Digital Ignorants (Noun)⤴

from @ ICT-Echo

This is a play on words in reference to Marc Prensky's concept of digital natives vs digital immigrants. I would like to propose an alternative classification: digital ignorants. In my mind, these are people of any age who refuse to engage with an aspect of ICT to improve the way they work and live.

My view might be explained by me being a geek or someone who tends to be an early-adopter of new technology. I use my ICT in numerous ways to help me do my job more efficiently. I understand the advantages that an app provides.

One aspect of ICT is the advantages the technology brings. We teach pupils the advantages in terms of speed, volume, accuracy and efficiency. So why is it that adults just won't listen to sound reason? Why is it that when you explain to a colleague that there's a better way of doing something on the computer and that you support it with provable advantages they just ignore you or say they prefer doing it the the slower less efficient manner?

One of my colleague used to say that ICT (and technology in general) was a solution looking for a problem. But in these circumstances it's clear that even with a better solution to a problem users don't want to engage in the more complex or sophisticated aspect of ICT.

I see this with my colleagues but I also see it with my students. The students don't want to engage with the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) in a uniform and consistent way. The majority do, but a minority don't. No matter how much you stress the importance of the VLE as a tool or explain the advantage it brings. This is one reason why I can't accept digital natives as a universal category for young learners. They don't all want to engage regardless of the reasons.

Perhaps I need to understand the doubters rather than the evangelists if I'm to get ideas accepted universally across my students or with my colleagues.