By Slavoljub Hilčenko
Nov. 28, 2015Though it may seem that approaches to teaching and learning are slow to change, particularly here in the Eastern Europe, some teacher-researchers are wholeheartedly embracing digital blended learning methods, e-resources, online communities and functional interactive software. It may seem to us that no incentives, encouragements or support from the government may actually spark up the enthusiasm of some to develop just the opposite – an innovative fully-functional software that is research underpinned and adjusted to children’s cognitive, affective and behavioral needs. The newest generations, we are told, are digital natives and have been brought up on tablets, apps and hours of animated video content therefore their media literacy skills, awareness and expectations are very different and influence their attitudes to learning as well as their identity, cognition and behavior. Researchers have consistently proved that children’s learning strategies are not merely left to an individual to develop but are nourished and develop in “tribal communities“ or their families, schools, wider communities and speech acts. Therefore, the educational system has got to develop a very different culture of learning to the one in place at the moment. One such country where change is taking place at a slow pace is Serbia with it educational system fully entrenched in factual learning, authoritarian teacher roles, extensive writing practices and little if any encouragement for individual voice and fulfillment. PhD S. 
from the University of Novi Sad, has well-researched primary school children’s cognitive learning strategies and the outcomes of his research have consistently proven to be better if children of today are given opportunities to learn Math or Environment through carefully developed animated content with interactive comprehension follow-up tasks.
According to 
, “the flawed education system ignores the cognitive resources of our children at the very age when visual, auditory and motor stimulus should be provided in abundance. The society at large as well as the governing bodies to not perceive human resource as the country’s only opportunity for future development and states that future investments, efforts and encouragement of the IT sector as it relates to education software should be one of the Serbian government’s top priority.”
has actually developed and published an array of educational DVDs to encourage both parents and teachers localy and abroad to embrace the modern technologies and develop positive attitudes to children’s time spent on the computer provided that the software is appropriated to their needs, cognitive maturity and underpinned with pedagogical research on media literacies. We would like to see many more lecturers stepping forward and confronting the stagnant waters of the educational system in the Eastern Europe and according to some, parents are more that ready to see just such changes!
Author:
PhD. S. 
, University of Novi Sad, associate professor at the Vocational College for Education of Preschool Teachers and Sport Trainers in Subotica, Serbia.
Paper link:
http://www.sciencepublishinggroup.com/journal/paperinfo?journalid=192&doi=10.11648/j.ijeedu.20150403.14
Camille 