Teaching and Teacher Education

in a Digital Age

Julie Hughesj.hughes2@wlv.ac.uk

The University of WolverhamptonHoD Post-Compulsory EducationESCalate Academic Consultant

HEA National Teaching Fellow 2005

26th February 2010

E-portfolio teacher and teacher educator – FD, PGCE and M level with teaching mentors - 2004 to now.

Started with 15 students (2004) now working across teams, partners, stakeholders and professional bodies.Approx 1200 students and 50 staff this year.

E-portfolio mentor – supporting individuals and teams at local, regional and national levels - across disciplines.

E-portfolio learner – used ep for appraisal and CPD – recently attained QTLS with an e-portfolio application.

E-portfolio embedding. Curriculum development – revalidation and pedagogy shift.

E-portfolio researcher – using e-portfolio to mentor and data-gather- using ep as a writing tool/companion with both students and colleagues.

INCEPR III – 10 US and Canadian HEIs and 2 UK HEIs

E-portfolio consultantJISC & ESCalate

Intro to me

What might a blended learning community look/feel like? What the FD students say...

Rollercoaster – the pedagogical being is fragile...it is brittle, liable to shatter suddenly’ (Barnett, 2007 p.29)

The PGCE blog lifeboat – HMS Hardwork.

Being an eportfolio learner gave me the opportunity not only to explore new ways of learning, but to become part of a community that has supported and encouraged each other throughout our journey to becoming new teachers. The blog ...allowed us the safe space to shared thoughts, feelings, anxieties, laughter and tears and because it was a shared space we could see the value in the perception of thoughts and opinions of others in the group. (It)... provided a reassuring glow of a nightlight that was always there.(Hughes and Purnell, 2008)

(What) Digital Age?

The proliferation of the personal computer and the Internet has

precipitated far-reaching changes in society. Electronic communications and digital networks are transforming the

way we work and are reshaping personal communication and entertainment.

(Garrison and Anderson, 2003)

Office for National Statistics

Technology has undoubtedly shaped the way we now learn. But I think the

changing patterns of learning reflect more profound changes in society.

Across many aspects of public services and private activities, people are

demanding a more personal approach. One that puts them in charge. One that gives them more say in what,

how, where and when.

John Denham (January 2008)Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities

and Skills

The implications for teaching/training/mentoring

In teaching and learning currently, we tend to use technology to support traditional modes of teaching...We

scarcely have the infrastructure, the training, the habits, or the access to new technology to be optimising its use

just yet. (Laurillard, 2007)

Are you using technology for telling or for talking?

Old wine in a new bottle?

LLL workforce skills gaps

Skills shortages identified by lifelong learning establishments include general IT user skills and IT professional skills.

Information and communication technology (ICT) is a basic requirement of operating in the modern electronic environment. It is obvious that without an appropriately e-capable and e-confident workforce, learning delivery will suffer as the learners become more technically competent.(LLUK, 2008, p.12)

So none of us can ignore technology now – it is part of the learner’s world and is therefore a fundamental part of our world.Ministerial Foreword to Harnessing Technology

Jim Knight MP Minister for Schools and LearnersBill Rammell MP Minister for Lifelong Learning,Further and Higher Education

All education and learning professionals should have the skills and capabilities they need to use technology to meet the needs of learners.(BECTA 2008, p.29)

What do Ofsted say about teachers’ use of technology? Virtual learning environments: an evaluation of their development in a sample of educational settings (2009)

(VLEs) allow learners and staff to access a wide variety of learning materials...such as notes and handouts, practice tests, power point presentations, video clips and links to useful internet sites.

The survey, carried out in a range of settings, including schools, colleges, work-based learning and adult and community learning centres, found that the concept of VLEs was still relatively new, and represented only a small aspect of learning.

Over three quarters of those surveyed who had a VLE showed aspects that were good, however none had a VLE that covered every subject area comprehensively.

Of those surveyed, colleges were found to be making the most use of VLEs, while primary schools the least.

HMCI Christine Gilbert, said:

“Our survey shows that Virtual Learning Environments can help to enthuse learners, by allowing them to reinforce lessons seen in the classroom, catch up on missed work and improve their knowledge.

“However, Virtual Learning Environments are still in the early stages of development. More sharing of good practice amongst peers, collaborative working and further promotion of the benefits to learners will help develop the initiative more widely.”

2004-5 Ofsted Inspection of Teacher Education in 13 HEIs and 30 FE providers

Support for trainees in developing ICT competence is often constrained by the lack of suitable resources.

The initial training of FE Teachers (2008)There were a few occasions where teacher trainees’ use of information technology was restricted to PowerPoint for presentation purposes. These teacher trainers did not take the opportunity to demonstrate innovative use oftechnology to enhance learning or to exploit the potential of a virtual learning environment by, for example, supporting subject-specialist development and promoting other forms of peer group interaction.

LLUK examples

Institute for Learning (IfL ) Learner Voice – student reps and NUS

Learner Voice: what makes a brilliant teacher?

As part of our strategic aim to promote the professional status of teachers and trainers, IfL has collaborated with national organisations representing learners to develop a model of the ideal teacher and trainer.

By talking to students representatives of the National Learner Panel (NLP) and the National Union of Students (NUS), IfL are gaining insight into learner views of the attributes and skills a brilliant teacher.

Attributes of a brilliant teacher

Knowledge – both of the subject and the learner, the experience of learning providers is of real importance to students. This applied not only to teaching practice but also keeping up-to-date with their field of expertise.

Knowledge of ICT and technology was mentioned frequently as was a desire to see teachers and trainers engage in their own continuing professional development (CPD).

Defining effective practice in a technology-rich context

Effective practice can be defined as employing a range of pedagogic skills to bring about the best possible learning for the widest variety of learners. This process undoubtedly draws on specialist skills and knowledge but in a digital age must also include the ability to ‘design, plan and orchestrate learning activities which involve the use of technology as part of a learning session or programme’. (JISC, 2009, p.10)

E-learning theory – nascent discipline

We must acknowledge that pedagogy needs to be

‘re-done’ at the same time as it needs to be ‘re-thought.’

(Beetham and Sharpe, 2007)

Learners cannot therefore be treated as bundle of disparate needs: they are actors

not factors, in the learning situation. (Beetham, 2007)

We need ‘a dialogue between theory and practice, as well as between learning and

teaching’ (Beetham & Sharpe, 2007, p.3)

E-learning is often talked about as a ‘trojan mouse’, which teachers let into their practice without realizing that it will require them to rethink not just how they use the particular

hardware or software, but all of what they do. (Sharpe and Oliver, 2007)

We are witnessing ‘a new model of education, rather than a new model of learning’ as ‘our understanding of e-learning matures, so our

appreciation of the importance of theory deepens…we see how learning can be socially situated in a way never previously possible’.

(Mayes and de Freitas, 2007, p.13)

Give pedagogy back to the teachers.(Laurillard ,2008)

Digital Age Learners?The world has changed so why haven’t we?The current generation of young people will reinvent the workplace, and the society they live in. They will do it along the progressive lines that are built into the technology they use everyday – of networks, collaboration, co-production and participation. The change inbehaviour has already happened. We have to get used to it, accept that the flow of knowledge moves both ways and do our best to make sure that no one is left behind.

(Demos, 2007)

Using Web 2.0 technologies leads to development of a new sense of communities of interest and networks, and also of a clear notion of boundaries in web space – for example personal space (messages), group space (social networking sites such as Facebook) and publishing space (blogs and social media sites such as YouTube).

There is an area within the boundaries of the so-called group space that could be developed to support learning and teaching.

Commissioned by HEA/JISC 2009

Digitally Inexperienced

Digital SocialitesDigitally Reluctant

Digitally Experienced

Experience of technology

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HighLow

Low

High The typology

Defining Generation Y: towards a new typology of digital learnersHartley et al. (2008)University of Bradford

Beware of generalisations!

•Generation Y •the Millennial Generation •Generation Next •Net Generation

Digital immigrant/native (Prensky 2001)2009 - Digital wisdom

the emerging digitally wise among us, youth and adults alike, (should) embrace digital enhancement and to encourage others to do so. With our eyes wide open to enhancement’s potential harm as well as its benefits, let us bring our colleagues, students, teachers, parents, and peers to the digital wisdom of the twenty-first century.

Myth busting – MoLeNET 2009

20 000 learners, 4000 staff, 115 college& 29 schools

• all young people automatically understand new technology and require no training to use them;

• allowing the use of mobile technologies, particularly phones...in colleges would make it difficult for teachers to control classes and would encourage inappropriate behaviour.

MoLeNET project 2009

Can we harness and exploit some of the skills and practices? Pursuing the creation of ‘learning spaces’ (Savin-Baden 2007) mental and metaphorical – academic and social (but not idle chat).

Garrison, Anderson and Archer (2000)

Learning Literacies for a Digital Age (LLiDA) 2009Commissioned by JISCExecutive Summary, Conclusions and

Recommendations

Learners can, under the right conditions, become more critical, evaluative, self-aware, self-confident, skilled and capable in the use of technologies;

Learners can also, under the right conditions, develop a wider and more effective range of strategies for their own learning;

Skills acquired iteratively, through practice within authentic tasks and as needed are better retained than those taught one-off, in isolation, and through instruction;

Although some of these capabilities may be 'generic', the consensus is that they are best supported in 'communities of practice', 'communities of inquiry', or 'learning groups' focused on tasks of value and interest to the learner.

Pedagogy shift - (e)-portfolio ways of being

When teachers began developing portfolios over a decade ago, we knew what we were about – with process writing and collaborative pedagogies and, not least, portfolios – was pretty ambitious; it was, in fact, nothing short of changing the face of American education. (Yancey & Weiser, 1997, p.1)

Baume (1999, 2003 p.4) conceptualised the developmental portfolio as, “a compost heap…

something refined over time, enriched by addition, reduction and turning over.“

Messy, non-linear – getting your hands dirty!

E-portfolio-based learning (JISC 2008)

Behind any product, or presentation, lie rich and complex processes of planning, synthesising, sharing, discussing, reflecting, giving, receiving and responding to feedback.

These processes – referred to here as ‘e-portfolio-based learning’ – are the focus of increasing attention, since the

process of learning can be as important as the end product.

The use of ...e-portfolios... can promote more profound forms of learning which can improve understanding of

the self and the curriculum, engage and motivate learners – individually and as part of a community of practice, personalise learning and promote reflective

practice (JISC 2008, p5).

JISC 2008, p.11Adapted from Hartnell-Young for BECTA

A dialogue-based pedagogy and model of/for reflective learning.

Talking not telling.

Education as dialogue – reflexive learning conversations with self and others

Dialogue is: collective, reciprocal, supportive, cumulative

and purposeful.

A meeting of minds and ideas as well as voices; and it is therefore mediated

through text, internet and computer screen as well as through face-to-face interaction.

(Alexander 2006a, p15 & b in Coffield, 2008)

The journey reflected again– what it feels like to learn in these spaces

that’s because it’s still ongoing, it’s still ongoing…I think it’s like invisible, I know it’s really strange - I can’t describe I just think it’s invisible this. You think you haven’t moved on but ….you have. Bev (FD 2007)

It’s like emptying a big jigsaw and building it slowly in pieces. Finding pieces of work that fit together and building from there and then maybe trying a different area afterwards. There's no logical, symmetrical or linear route but emphasis upon drawing out the best points and building upon them. Claire (PGCE 2004)

Final thoughts – back to the students of course – the potential

In the second semester we began to share our critical incidents via Pebble Pad. This has proved much more beneficial to me because it meant that I could compose myself, think about the incident and then tell my story. I found the distance to be liberating because I could subdue the feelings of inferiority I had when listening to my peers. I could write down my experiences in my own time, set at my own pace, rather than at the set time given in the face to face discussions. Amy (PGCE 2008)

Help is only just a click away (FD anon)

But it’s not just developing like um a learner, it’s developing as a person. (FD anon)

I belong here. (FD anon)

References Alexander, R. (2006a) Education as dialogue: moral and pedagogical choices for a runaway

world. Hong Kong: Hong Kong Institute of Education in conjunction with DialogosAlexander, R. (2006b) Towards dialogic teaching: rethinking classroom talk. Diaglos UK LtdBarnett, R. (2007) A Will To Learn. Being a Student in an Age of Uncertainty. Berkshire:

Open University PressBeetham, H. & Sharpe, R. (2007) (Eds.) Rethinking Pedagogy for a Digital Age. Designing

and delivering e-learning. London: RoutledgeCoffield, F. (2008) Just suppose teaching and learning became the first priority...London:

LSNGarrison, R. and Anderson, T. (2003) E-learning in the 21st Century. A Framework for

Research and Practice. London: RoutledgeHughes, J. and Purnell, E. (2008) Blogging for beginners? Using blogs and eportfolios in

Teacher Education. Sixth International Networked Learning Conference Proceedings, Halkidiki, Greece, May 08.

JISC (2008) ‘Effective Practice with e-portfolios: Supporting 21st Century Learning’.

Laurillard, D. (2007) Comment on the text 48b. Conole, G. and Oliver, M. (eds) (2007) Contemporary Perspectives in E-Learning Research. Themes, Methods and Impact on Practice, London: Routledge. P.48.

Savin-Baden, M. Learning Spaces. Creating Opportunities for Knowledge Creation inAcademic Life (2007) Maidenhead: McGraw Hill.

Sharpe, R. & Oliver, M. (2007) Designing courses for e-learning in Conole, G. & Oliver, M. (2007) Contemporary Perspectives in E-learning Reseach. Themes, methods and impact on practice. (Eds.) London: Routledge pp.41-51

Yancey, K.B. (1998) Reflection in the Writing Classroom. Utah: Utah State University Press.