COGNITIVE DYNAMICS AND LEARNING STYLES OF DIGITAL NATIVES.
The cognitive dynamics and learning styles of these digital natives, although little known - studies are just beginning - are abruptly different from those of previous generations. For them, the alphabetical code is just one of many codes that can be used.
In their heads, the digital code is native, that is, a code in which the weight of the visual variable, that of the sound variable, that of the image - fixed or moving - are at least equal, if not greater, than that of the text. The digital code is the first one they come into contact with. The book is not something that is immediately present in their direct experience and often appears only when they go to school. If the teacher explains the volcanoes, they don't expect a drawing on the blackboard, but to see what you can see, hear what you can hear, represent what you can represent, possibly with a graphic quality equal to that of video games. This configures dynamic learning diametrically opposed to that by absorption of the traditional school. The digital revolution allows you to use simulations, to learn how to solve problems through video games, in a word, to learn through doing. The pedagogical setting of a Dewey, a Montessori, a Freinet, finally within everyone's reach.
NEUROSCIENCES AND DIDACTIC SETTINGS.
The differences in learning styles are confirmed by neuroscience. Studies on neural plasticity confirm that the neural activations that are given in the brain in the face of different stimuli - for example just the vision of a screen in black and white rather than in color - are different. If a child "reads" on the computer, different neural areas are activated, which if he reads the paper. Let's not talk about when he plays video games! Of course, what is the change in the learning styles of digital natives is all to be understood, but we must think of a redefinition of the didactic setting that meets the cognitive styles of these, which is less related to the form of transmission and more focused on interaction. It is necessary to create learning environments, knowing that in 10-15 years time something similar to the iPad will probably be the children's file.
WHAT CONTENT FOR THE DIGITAL SCHOOL?
Within a few years, most of the content will be stored in digital form. It can be assumed that in 2020-2025 the Italian situation will be more or less similar to that of the United States, i.e. that the production of digital content will be roughly tripartite. A good half of the digital content for the school will be produced by scholars and methodologists of education, validated by publishers and sold in a digital market place, downloadable through digital devices. The textbook, therefore, will not die, nor will the publishing houses fail. Another 25% of the content will be produced by the teachers themselves. Lessons and didactic materials stored in digital format will accumulate in the databases of the individual schools and will be linked to the need to customize the learning, but also to characterize the individual territories. Finally, there will be free content available on the web (Khan Academy, BBC school to give examples), with video lectures, materials, exercises, organized by subject.
CENTRALITY OF TEACHING
After the great binges of technology, in the United States, in England, in Northern Europe, now we are going back a bit. There is a growing awareness that however digitally increased, there is always a need for didactics, i.e. that one cannot ignore school, personal contact with teachers, and validated content. In Italy, without having been binged, we risk suffering the wave of return, increasing immobility. Ferri's hope is that this will not happen.