The Digital Education Revolution:

Dr Sarah Howardsahoward@uow.edu.auUniversity of Wollongong

e/merge 2012 July 16 - 18

The role of knowledge and technology practices in a large-scale 1-1 laptop initiative

Plan of paper

1. Digital Education Revolution in NSW2. Conceptual framework: ‘LCT’3. Analysis

– goals of DER-NSW– ‘legitimation codes’ of NSW subject areas– examples of Mathematics and English in NSW– ‘legitimation codes’ of Eastern Cape subject

areas4. Implications for:

– understanding technology integration– future of the field 2

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DER-NSW evaluation• Digital Education Revolution in New

South Wales (DER-NSW) – one-to-one laptop program for all Year 9

students and teachers• Research questions:

– How does the DER-NSW program influence teacher pedagogy?

– What is the influence of the DER-NSW program on students’ understanding, skills, and attitudes?

– What are the consequences of the DER-NSW program on students’ educational outcomes?

Mixed-methods explanatory model evaluation

• Phase 1: Questionnaires– Student A: Access to ICT and knowledge of

ICT (n = 20,421, 2010; n = 3,514, 2011)

– Student B: Beliefs about ICT, learning and integration (n = 18,591, 2010; n = 4,821)

– Teacher : Use of, and beliefs about, ICT in teaching and learning (n = 4,663, 2010; n = 4,253)

• Phase 2: Five case study schools (n = ~40 teachers, n = ~40 students)

• Document analysis (e.g. curriculum, school policy, government policy, etc.)

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Eastern Cape study• Teacher Laptop Initiative (2010 TLI

program) • Research questions

– How does use of technology influence teacher pedagogy?

– What do teacher believe is the influence of technology on students’ understanding, skills, and attitudes?

• Data collection– Teacher questionnaire: Use of, and beliefs

about, ICT in teaching and learning (n = 81)– Teacher interviews on use of, and beliefs

about, ICT in teaching and learning (n = 16, Cape Town; n = 12, Grahamstown)

6Law, N., Pelgrum, W. J., & Plomp, T. (Eds.). (2008). Pedagogy and ICT use in schools around the world: Findings from the IEA SITES 2006 study. Hong Kong: CERC-Springer.

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LCT(Specialisation)

object subject

knowledge

epistemicrelation

(ER)

socialrelation

(SR)

ER and SR can each be stronger (+) or weaker (-)

Two strengths give code for Specialisation

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Specialisation codes of legitimation

+ER

-ER

+SR-SR

elitecode

knowercode

knowledge code

relativist code

LCT in this paper

1. code practices desired by using technology (DER goals)

2. code knowledge practices (e.g. different subjects areas)

3. analyse relations between these codes to help explain differential integration of technology across the curriculum

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Coding the DER-NSW• “enable schools users to discover, access

and share collaborative education materials and information” (DEEWR, 2010)

• Expect pedagogical shift: teacher-centred to student-centred

• Examples of support for Mathematics:– UCreate an audio podcast: episodes in a radio

program, to a tutorial series, to audio blogging.

– UCreate a laptop wrap: creating small websites for the classroom

• Generic emphasis on attributes of learners=> DER-NSW aims for knower code (ER-,

SR+).

Coding knowledge practicesSample questionnaire item:

Sample interview item:1. Do you integrate other computers, laptops or technology

in your teaching?a. What is a typical way you might use computers, laptops or

other technology in your teaching?b. Do you have any concerns about using computers, laptops or

other technology in your teaching?c. Could you tell us about a specific lesson that illustrates why you

do or do not integrate computers or other technology into your teaching?

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www.legitimationcodetheory.com 12

-0.10 -0.05 0.00 0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20

-0.30

-0.20

-0.10

0.00

0.10

0.20

0.30

English

Visual

Music

Geography

History

Science

Mathematics

ER-

ER+

SR+SR-

elitecode

knowercode

knowledge code

relativist code

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Typical structure of a Mathematics lesson

• Review homework (practice) from previous lesson

• Present new concept• Do several examples on the board

(practice)• Set examples for students (practice)• Assess students' understanding verbally

or as demonstration on board• Set homework (practice)

“Math is about practice, practice, practice.”

Code clashes and matches• Low integration overall of technology

practices characterised as knower code

• Choice of technology that facilitates the knowledge-code practices of Mathematics

• Use of potentially knower-code technology for knowledge-code purposes

=> Is the integration of technology in Mathematics shaped by code relations?

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Bipolar English

• Literature = knower code• Composition = knowledge code• Technology integration is greater in

Literature than in Composition

=> different integration may relate to codes of particular practices within a subject area

-0.40 -0.30 -0.20 -0.10 0.00 0.10 0.20

-0.15

-0.10

-0.05

0.00

0.05

0.10

0.15

0.20

0.25

0.30

History/Geography

Science

Mathematics English

16ER-

ER+

SR+SR-

elitecode

knowercode

knowledge code

relativist code

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Implications for the future• integration of educational

technology– low integration may result from code

clash– relates to knowledge practices

themselves– question: how to articulate codes

• integration in /of ed tech research– seeing a missing piece of the puzzle– quantitative and qualitative methods– integrating all kinds of objects of study– integrating research into wider field

Beliefs about integration in NSW

The use of technology and knowledge practices…Mathematics‘Through inquiry, application of problem-solving strategies including the selection and use of appropriate technology, communication, reasoning and reflection.’ (Objectives, p. 11)

PRACTICE: ‘Technology is a useful tool for students to use when graphing and comparing graphs of relationships.’ (Patterns and Algebra, p. 77)

English‘The syllabus requires students to develop skills in composing and responding to texts created in and through different information and communication technologies and to understand the effects of the technology on meaning.’ (Literacy, p. 10)

DEMONSTRATION: ‘A student selects, uses, describes and explains how different technologies affect and shape meaning.’ (Outcome 3 Stage 5, p. 34)