Can the grammar of schooling be changed? Asunción Martínez Arbelaiz a, * , José Miguel Correa Gorospe b a University Studies Abroad Consortium, Plaza Elhuyar 1, 20.018 San Sebastian, Guipuzcoa, Spain b Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, Oñati Plaza 3, 20.018 San Sebastián, Guipuzcoa, Spain article info Article history: Received 8 October 2007 Received in revised form 10 December 2008 Accepted 22 December 2008 Available online xxxx Keywords: ICT integration Out-school programs Grammar of schooling abstract In this article we propose that the grammar of schooling [Tyack, D., & Tobin, W. (1994). The ‘‘grammar” of schooling: Why has it been so hard to change? American Educational Research Journal, 31(3), 453–479.] is responsible not only for the well-known and world-wide difficulties in integrating ICT into formal edu- cational settings, but also for the replication of traditional models when this integration occurs. In clear contrast with this domain, in out-of-school projects ICT is integrated in innovative and truly ‘‘disruptive” [Blin, F., & Munro, M. (2008). Why hasn ´ t technology disrupted academics ´ teaching practices. Understand- ing resistance to change through the lens of activity theory. Computers and Education, 50(2), 475–490.] ways. To exemplify this integration, we have selected and described two successful, although different in nature, out-of-school projects. The first one, Pincel y Ratón, seeks to develop creativity in children and to educate them to use ICT in a reflexive and useful manner. The second project, Menosca, pursues children’s understanding of their historical and social environment through the use of GPSs, digital pho- tography and web-page design. Both experiences underscore the multiple and varied possibilities that ICT affords for meaningful learning when the constraints inherent to the school setting do not seem to apply. By contrasting the formal and the out-of-school experiences, it is possible to unveil and bring to consciousness the principles and rules of the ‘‘grammar of schooling”. We propose that becoming aware of the features of this grammar, i.e., philosophy, course design, time and place, tasks, resources, outcomes and products and assessment, is the first step toward change. Ó 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction One of the most valued benefits that Information and Communications Technology (ICT) affords over traditional teaching practices is its capacity to extend the student’s learning beyond the actual limitations of the classroom. This enhancement of the student’s learning refers not only to the place, but also to the time and people that are involved in the process. Research studies suggest that ICT supports project- based authentic learning (Means & Olson, 1994), collaborative learning, community building, critical thinking and interdisciplinary teach- ing and learning. In pioneer classrooms around the world, students complete projects involving ICT that very often relate to aspects of real life (Schneiderman, 2002; Chapter 6), eliminating the boundaries between the classroom and the world ‘‘out-there”. In addition, thanks to ICT, students can take virtual trips and thus, ‘‘visit” foreign countries, ‘‘see” different places and get in contact with other realities outside their classroom walls (Bergin, Mitchell, Korper, Curley, & Rottmann, 2007; LeLoup & Ponterio, 2000). ICT can also extend the learning process beyond the school time limit. The effort invested in developing the skills and knowledge nec- essary to perform in complex and ever-changing situations that the incorporation of ICT entails, pays off once the compulsory years of schooling end. It is assumed that students’ conceptual knowledge will fade with time but ICT-related knowledge and skills will probably continue evolving. Thus, one of the main and lasting benefits of teaching and learning with ICT is that it can develop strategies and skills that accompany life-long learning. Several projects have reported that ICT promotes exchanges and interactions with people outside the classroom, which helps the devel- opment of not only linguistic competence, but also of intercultural competence (Furstenberg, Levet, English, & Maillet, 2001; Liaw, 2006; Liaw & Johnson, 2001). The processes and products of both students and teachers are now visible and shared with people outside the class- room and, consequently, can receive feedback from experts and non-experts. Sometimes unexpected comments and new ideas arise during this interaction, thus enhancing the meaning and value of these practices. 0360-1315/$ - see front matter Ó 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2008.12.016 * Corresponding author. Tel.: +34 943015352. E-mail address: marti298@terra.es (A. Martínez Arbelaiz) Computers & Education xxx (2009) xxx–xxx Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Computers & Education journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/compedu ARTICLE IN PRESS Please cite this article in press as: Martínez Arbelaiz, A., & Correa Gorospe, J. M. Can the grammar of schooling be changed? Computers & Education (2009), doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2008.12.016