telelearning network of centres of excellence (canada) thérèse laferrière (laval university),...
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TeleLearning Network of Centres of Excellence (Canada)
Thérèse Laferrière (Laval University),
Mary Lamon (OISE/UT),
Alain Breuleux & Robert Bracewell (McGill University),
Gaalen Erickson (U. of British Columbia),
Ron Owston (York University),
TEACHER EDUCATION IN THE NETWORKED CLASSROOM
TeleLearning Network of Centres of Excellence (Canada)
About the TeleLearning•NCE
A Pan-Canadian research network linking researchers and members of the public and private sector communities
80 researchers participating in an integrated national research program merging key developments in the areas of education, social sciences, computing sciences, and engineering
Research projects explore new models of learning, new technologies, socio-economic issues, and pedagogies
Outcomes include software tools, online resources, pedagogical and organizational know-how
TeleLearning Network of Centres of Excellence (Canada)
Theme 1: Learning models
Theme 2: Social and political issues
Theme 3: Technology
Theme 4: K-12
Theme 5: Post-secondary
Theme 6: WorkplaceTheme 7: Educating educators
Research Themes
TeleLearning Network of Centres of Excellence (Canada)
1. To point to emerging practices in networked classrooms
2. To address issues to teacher education
3. To suggest a comprehensive framework
Theme 7: Educating Educators CECS Symposium
TeleLearning Network of Centres of Excellence (Canada)
Classrooms where learners have either low or high access to the Internet (and/or intranet) at any point throughout their schooling experience
Face-to-face and on-line interaction
Networked classrooms
TeleLearning Network of Centres of Excellence (Canada)
The broadcast modeThe interactive-tutor modeThe classroom-project modeThe daily-newspaper modeThe simulation modeThe collaborative-space modeThe collaborative knowledge building mode
Networked classrooms
TeleLearning Network of Centres of Excellence (Canada)
The good news is that the constructivist perspective is reflected in the roles taken by teachers and learners in networked classrooms (Becker & Riel, 2000)
Early adopters in the U.S.
TeleLearning Network of Centres of Excellence (Canada)
• Sites: Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City
• Micro-level model: Collaborative knowledge building
• Meso-level model: The professional development
school (PDS) supported by
telelearning tools
Participants in TLNCE design experiments
TeleLearning Network of Centres of Excellence (Canada)
Tools
Roles
Rules
Activity Systems Theory (AST)
TeleLearning Network of Centres of Excellence (Canada)
• Tools: ICT competencies
• Roles: less reproduction-oriented
• Rules: teamwork and collaboration skills
Early results
TeleLearning Network of Centres of Excellence (Canada)
• Student engagement
• Authentic learning
• Release of agency
• Collaborative knowledge building
Early results (cont’d)
TeleLearning Network of Centres of Excellence (Canada)
Science Student Teachers’
Collaborative Knowledge Building
Mary Lamon, OISE/UT
Marlene Scardamalia, OISE/UT
TeleLearning Network of Centres of Excellence (Canada)
Purpose
There is a large gap between theory and practice in education. They are two separate cultures (Bereiter, in press). The goal of our pre-service science education courses is to bridge this gap.
TeleLearning Network of Centres of Excellence (Canada)
Theoretical Stance: Knowledge Building
• Authentic problems
• Idea Diversity and improvement
• Knowledge transforming discourse
• Community Responsibility
TeleLearning Network of Centres of Excellence (Canada)
Theoretical Stance: Knowledge Building
• If pre-service teachers are going to become knowledge building teachers they too need to learn how to participate in a knowledge building community during their education.
TeleLearning Network of Centres of Excellence (Canada)
Implementation
• Our course “Knowledge Building in Science” is co-taught by a researcher and a teacher to bring theory and practitioner knowledge together.
• Successful elementary and secondary knowledge building classrooms provide a model for other communities.
• Encourage simultaneous knowledge transforming discourse on a science domain and on teaching and learning issues.
TeleLearning Network of Centres of Excellence (Canada)
• Both elementary and pre-service teachers encountered a similar and deep problem of understanding in biogeography
• In both cases, students became deeply involved in understanding evolution. We are not sure that a consensus emerged but better theories did.
• Pre-service teachers constructed individual portfolios. Qualitative analyses showed that most gained a deepening understanding of teaching and learning science in knowledge building classrooms.
What We Found
TeleLearning Network of Centres of Excellence (Canada)
A student’s note on her experience in knowledge building
TeleLearning Network of Centres of Excellence (Canada)
• This course is an elective. Follow up data on these teachers’ practices comparing them to pre-service teachers who did not take our course would provide more compelling evidence.
We have constructed a virtual visit to this pre- service database: http://kf.oise.utoronto.ca/VirtualTours/
• This study occurred at a micro level. I will leave to my colleague the need for a meso level of analysis of pre-service education and professional development.
Limitations of the Study
TeleLearning Network of Centres of Excellence (Canada)
Emerging tool use, roles, and rules of interaction
• Tools: de-synchronization of the classroom
• Roles: more responsibility to the learner
• Rules: de-localization of learning artifacts & de-privatization of teaching
The meso level: The issue of scalability
TeleLearning Network of Centres of Excellence (Canada)
• Effective new practices come from protected environments
• Majority of teachers are ‘private practice’ (Becker & Riel, 2000)
• Fidelity of innovations (Fishman, 2000)
• Systemic approach to innovation (Blumenfeld, Fishman, Krajcik, & Marx, 2000)
• More comprehensive theoretical approaches
Issues in scalability of new practices
TeleLearning Network of Centres of Excellence (Canada)
Envisioned Professional Development Activity System
ProfessionalCOLLEAGUES
TEACHER
reciprocal sharingof expertise
Online resources and tools
Networked classroom COMPETENCE
visibility of interests, thinking, and competence
TeleLearning Network of Centres of Excellence (Canada)
Existing Professional Development Activity System
COLLEAGUES?
TEACHER
teachers as novices;others as experts
documentation,remote f2f workshops
Networked classroom competence
do it alone,conceal ignorance
TeleLearning Network of Centres of Excellence (Canada)
Design experiments
• The networked elective course/practicum • The networked large classroom course/practicum• The networked all-inclusive cohort• The networked professional development school• The networked professional development schools• The networked community of practice
TeleLearning Network of Centres of Excellence (Canada)
• Contributions in electronic fora were as follows:
• Socio-affective contributions : 20% • Metacognitive contributions : 10% • Sociocognitive contributions: 70%
• Online problem setting was more multifaceted or informed than individual or small-group face-to-face conversations.
• Online dialogues were referred to in other courses and assignments.
Findings (networked elective practicum, 1999)
TeleLearning Network of Centres of Excellence (Canada)
2000 pre-service teachers, 700 field-experience hours, 150 schools, online support and collaborative reflective practice (3rd-year cohorts, over 400 student teachers) Findings
Online collaborative problem solving and inquiry into innovative classroom organization and management(B. Ed. in Sec. Ed : 15%; B. Ed. in El. Ed.: 30%)
Largest setting, 2001
TeleLearning Network of Centres of Excellence (Canada)
• Graduating student teachers see the value of remaining connected after graduation (ID &PW).
• A knowledge-building community is emerging, in
which pre-service teachers,beginning teachers,
graduate students, and teacher educators participate.
They prepare presentations,reports, case studies,
and articles. But they are a tiny fraction of the whole.
General observations
TeleLearning Network of Centres of Excellence (Canada)
Lessons learned for adoption of new practices
• Importance of mediational constructs, and exemplars
• Reduction of differences through successful innovative practices
TeleLearning Network of Centres of Excellence (Canada)
• The teacher remains the principal organizer aiming at developing a learning community in his or her classroom
• The teacher becomes the expert learner, providing metacognitive guidance to students’ efforts. Under proper resources and guidance, knowledge building communities emerge.
Building competence in the networked classroom
TeleLearning Network of Centres of Excellence (Canada)
Networks can foster a hybrid culture between research and teaching practices :
Educators and researchers develop practices that are aligned Set joint research agendas Coordinate research activities (e.g. data collection) Develop new processes to interpret data in a
distributed environment, from diverse perspectives
Develop a community of interpretation (interpretive community)
Building knowledge on the networked classroom
TeleLearning Network of Centres of Excellence (Canada)
Recommended: A strengthened professional development continuum
Design & knowledge-management issues :
• Implementation
• Sustainability and scalability
• Accreditation of knowledge building oriented & networked communities of practice.
TeleLearning Network of Centres of Excellence (Canada)
“Beyond software and hardware, there is a further technology that can very directly address educational challenges. It is a technology of use… Without a successful technology of use, there is a serious possibility that the infusion of expensive new electronic resources into the schools will have little, or even a negative effect on educational outcomes” (Marlene Scardamalia, Building a Knowledge Society, TL-NCE Research proposal to the Government of Canada).
Building competence in the networked classroom