Creating a cosmopolitan society through Technology and Education

In “Education and its cosmopolitan possibilities” (2008) Rizvi discusses the impact and changing patterns which globalisation has had in creating a cosmopolitan society and the role it has played in education and the student learning process. The 21^st century has been famous for its rise in technological advancements and creations which has altered and changed the lives of people all around the world. Information communication technologies (ICTS) have played a major role in this change, for example with the I-phone revolutionising the social, cultural and economic way of life. ICT’S have also shortened the gap of time and space as students can interact and converse with students from all over the world without travelling or using the phone. As students can now communicate with other students from all over the world it increases their cross- cultural understanding and mutual respect for different ethnicities, religions and practises allowing them to be more accepting , creating what Rizvi   (2008) describes as “cosmopolitan learning” (p.111). The high speed of internet access has excelled trade and communication activities across international boundaries, and as a result people are more connected now than ever before providing as Rizvi notes, cultural knowledge and exchange.  With this view in mind, education methods have changed over the years with teachers using technology as a source of both instruction and communication for their students, for example in my high school we used email to converse with teachers if we had any questions or issues.  “Students left to their own devices” by Lina Morris ( SMH, 8/10/12) talks about the ‘electronic scratchpad’ called the boogie board tablet which is used as an alternative to paper in helping children with poor muscle control in improving their handwriting skills and spelling. Morris describes the boogie board tablet as a cheap technological educative tool which motivates and engages young learners; it helps share ideas and promotes collaborative learning and group work. The boogie board tablet is an example of the increasing use of technological tools in education which if teachers use responsibly and usefully can enhance the quality of education. Teachers should not use technological tools without any purpose or aim; it becomes a quality tool if it creates a positive learning environment such as forming new ways of communication and understanding amongst peers which will help promote the importance of a cosmopolitan society (Rizvi, 2008 p. 107).

To conclude I want to note the importance which technology has had in improving education as it has introduced new methods of learning such as that described by Morris ( SMH, 8/10/12) that can enable students to build a cosmopolitan society through accepting the new and the unfamiliar and listening and tolerating the ideas and beliefs of others.  Rizvi illustrates “Kant’s view of cosmopolitanism thus implies a particular form of moral education, designed to teach students the universalism of moral theory and understanding” (2008, p. 106). This quote symbolises the importance which technology has had in advancing a cosmopolitan society as cross national and cultural interaction has provided students with the knowledge of how to communicate and respond to people of various traditions and customs, for example what is a morally appropriate or inappropriate topic of conversation. As people from over the world can learn to understand and respect another’s customs and beliefs and also learn to share commonalities it will build a cosmopolitan society.

On the other hand I must point out that although ICTs have been positive in developing cross-national understanding and respect it can also have negative effects such as helping political uprisings or protests ( Rizvi , 2008 p 101) . Social media sites such as Facebook can also be places for people to bully, verbally abuse and start fights which places pressures on schools to monitor, block and restrict access to these sites in classrooms. However some schools cannot afford the high costs of the monitoring instalments and programs which emphasises inequality between the rich and poor schools. In saying this, the government should fund and distribute these programs to schools who cannot afford it (SMH, 8/10/12).

The constructive and effective use of education technology tools revolutionise the teaching and learning for students, enabling and educating them to use ICTs appropriately outside of school which will help them create a cosmopolitan society as they engage in cultural, social, political and economic exchange with people and nations all around the world.

• Reid, C & Sriprakash, A. The possibility of cosmopolitan learning: Reflecting on the future directions for diversity teacher education in Australia. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 40 (1), 15-29, 2012.
• Rizvi, F. (2008). Education and its cosmopolitan possibilities in B. Lingard, J. Nixon & S. Ranson ( eds.), Transforming learning in schools and communities: the remaking of education for a cosmopolitan society (pp. 101-116). London: Continuum
• Wadham, B. Pudsey, J .Boyd, R. Culture and education, Pearson Education Australia, Chapter 1: What is culture? pp. 1-33
• Morris, L, The Sydney Morning Herald, October 8^th 2012, Students left to their own devices: while technology could revolutionise learning, budget constraints are impeding its intake: accessed on the 13^th of October 2012.  http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/students-left-to-their-own-devices-20121007-277h7.html