The digital practitioner: profession, practice and technology in challenging times

1. The digital practitioner: profession, practice and technology in challenging times Nigel Ecclesfield Fred Garnett Geoff Rebbeck http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ALT-C-2011-lsis-survey ALT-C 2011

2. The presentation What we’ll cover • The background to this workshop • Theoretical and research perspectives • Our recent research on practitioner attitudes to technology • The practitioner and provider “narratives” • From training to professional development • Implications of this work

3. ALT-C 2011 Background to the ideas Thinking and models Becta NIACE Sero Terry Anderson Fred Garnett Jane Salisbury Lynne Gorney

4. Caroline Haythornthwaite • Learning as a relation that connects people • A student learns from a teacher; students learn together from a teacher; novices learn from each other • Learning as production as well as consumption • An individual contributes content to a discussion, wiki, collaborative artwork • Learning as an outcome of relations • A community holds a knowledge of its history, and information resources for dealing with new situations • Learning spaces • Affinity spaces (Gee), third places (Oldenburg), geo-community spaces (libraries, community centers, churches), online learning communities • Crowd and community spaces • Online and face-to-face spaces

5. Technology Enhanced Learning and teaching TEL-TLRP • Re-configuring the role of the teacher • Re-configuring the role of the education institution • Re-configuring forms of assessment • Re-configuring the curriculum • Re-imaging web 2.0 technologies • Stability • Interoperability • Integration of technology for lifelong learning

6. TEL-TLRP Conclusions “educational technologists need to consider how web 2.0 can be shaped and designed along educational lines, and how education can be re-imagined in the light of new technologies. Educators should now be striving to work with technologists to shape the learning technologies of the near future. Learners require web 2.0 technologies that are fit for purpose alongside pedagogies and practices that are too.” p26

7. From engagement with the formality of current learning to participation in the ecology of learning? How do practitioners engage learners in ways that move them beyond their role as consumers of information in specific curricula?

8. Unitec – Auckland - foundations

9. UNITEC - Auckland • Work by Thomas Cochrane reported in ALT-J – July 2010 on BSc in Product Design • Pedagogically designed learning contexts using the Open Context Model of Learning (PAH continuum) • High level of pedagogic integration • Lecturer modelling of the pedagogical use of tools • Regular formative assessment • Choice/use of appropriate technologies in each context • Technological and pedagogical support

10. Kalikuppam experiment (Mitra) Follows on from the Hole-in-the-wall studies 10-14 year old Tamil speaking children in a remote location were encouraged to learn basic molecular biology (self-organised learning) Outcomes compared with public and private schools Stage 1 – without “mediator” (Self-organised learning environment) Stage 2 – with “mediator” – “grandmother” (in LGC terms, a “more able person”) (Self-organised mediated environments) Stage 3 – principles applied in UK – retired teachers as mediators

11. The Research Practitioner Attitudes to Technology • Survey of 820 practitioners in 15 providers of further education in England • Research instrument developed from original work at Thanet College asking about attitudes to technology-in-action • Using Survey Monkey, the structure of the instrument was changed to incorporate free text responses to provide opportunities for respondents to expand on their responses • Individual and provider profiles generated by the survey along with practitioner narratives ALT-C 2011 -

12. Key Findings and issues Looking to the future • Learners and learning are the most important aspects of practitioner use of technology – “the ethic of care” (Jephcote, Salisbury and Rees) • The enquiring mind – We’re becoming the digital indigenous • Moving beyond the boundaries – wider influences • Web 2.0 technologies – understood for personal use, but not yet for teaching – the “digital natives” are now part of the teaching body and need to develop their use of technology to support teaching and learning • The diversity of technology in learning and teaching - there are no fixed answers • Emotive and narrative responses to technology – “a hundred flowers blossom” – adapting and developing technology for different contexts • Mashing CPD and staff development together – individual, organisational and national dialogue ALT-C 2011 -

13. Structure of questionnaire 19 questions in 6 sections • About yourself and the context of your work • VLE, learning platforms and texting • On-line discussions • Using different media and formats in my work • What I do • Personal development, collaboration and reflection, which included a self-rating question using the typology devised by the project team ALT-C 2011 -

14. ALT-C 2011 Example of question I use social media • I am not sure what social media are • I don’t see social media as having any educational value in my circumstances • I have used social media for personal uses • I have contributed to social media forums • I have initiated an activity in social media • Social media helps me to develop my work • Groups in social media are relevant and helpful for my work • I use social media regularly for myself and others, with the purpose of supporting students and College life

15. e-Maturity and e-Confidence Recognising transformation the distinction between e-confidence, based on the capability of practitioners and their managers in an institutional setting to cope with the new and e-maturity at a system level, which emphasises the capacity of the system to assimilate and develop the affordances of technological developments to meet the needs of learners and other stakeholders. ALT-C 2011 -

16. Responses The data Respondents – 820 (82% response rate) Providers – 3 FE Colleges, 1 Sixth Form College, 1 Adult Education provider Survey responses – 15,600 ratings provided (quantitative) Free text response – 120,000 words (qualitative) ALT-C 2011 -

17. Findings Provider characteristics ALT-C 2011 -

18. Provider Profiles The curves ALT-C 2011 -

19. Free response analysis ALT-C 2011 -

20. Practitioner Narratives A new view Alton Maths I find work carried out with the VLE improves the quality of my work and learner results; I know what texting is and I may use it. I have taken part in on-line discussion with students for work purposes. City Lit. Humanities I use the VLE routinely in different ways and this work is established in my practice - uploading journal articles, book chapters - but also identifying websites and news articles of interest on websites, for my courses. ALT-C 2011 -

21. A complete narrative Sports and fitness lecturer I use the VLE routinely in different ways and this work is established in my practice. I use the VLE in a variety of ways, from uploading and assessment of student's work, to announcing events and providing an online platform to download essential course materials. I use texting regularly to reach learners and colleagues. I use text tools to communicate with students, and also as a record of communication with at risk students. I am aware on-line meeting with colleagues is possible through the Internet I have taken part in on-line discussion with students for work purposes. Computer based resources are an essential tool for teaching and learning and success in my work I produce all of my learning resources using a computer. I have made sound files for students or others to hear. I use sound files and upload them for instructional purposes, and to provide evidence to assess student knowledge I have used story boards to capture work and to demonstrate techniques and important points I use video and so do my students as and integral part of teaching and learning. I have read blogs and know how to comment on one I have initiated an activity in social media I have not found social media particularly successful thus far, but am looking at ways to develop this. I can think and write reflectively. Teaching through technology is often guiding and supporting learners to their objectives I have spoken to staff teachers elsewhere in the college through formal means such as Town Meetings. I work collaboratively as a means of improving my effective contribution to College life I have arranged for students to create and share resources amongst themselves to improve learning. I can ask technicians for advice on the operation of the technology as a user. I work with colleagues in my department. I rate myself as Exploratory. ALT-C 2011 -

22. The changing climate in further education • Martin Jephcote, Jane Salisbury and Gareth Rees – Cardiff University • Context: Welsh FE Colleges • Issue: Take-up and implementation of policy initiatives by practitioners • Conclusions: “Thus, being a teacher was a case of being pushed and pulled in different directions so that teachers had to constantly make decisions about when to comply and when to subvert institutional mandates. The adoption of an ethic of care was used to justify their disquiet and to reconcile competing aspects of the job (See Colley et al 2007), such as being asked to teach classes in which they had no subject expertise.” Jephcote M, Salisbury J and Rees G 2008 “Being a teacher in further education in changing times”, Research in Post-Compulsory Education Vol. 13 No 2 p170

23. Contact Nigel Ecclesfield nigel.ecclesfield@lsis.org.uk Telephone – 01884-35192 Mobile – 07795-028023