TeleLearning Network of Centres of Excellence (Canada) Thérèse Laferrière (Laval University), Mary Lamon (OISE/UT), Alain Breuleux & Robert Bracewell (McGill

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


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


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


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


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


The broadcast modeThe interactive-tutor modeThe classroom-project modeThe daily-newspaper modeThe simulation modeThe collaborative-space modeThe collaborative knowledge building mode

Networked classrooms


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.


• 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


Tools

Roles

Rules

Activity Systems Theory (AST)


Activity Systems Theory: Overview


• Tools: ICT competencies

• Roles: less reproduction-oriented

• Rules: teamwork and collaboration skills

Early results


• Student engagement

• Authentic learning

• Release of agency

• Collaborative knowledge building

Early results (cont’d)


Science Student Teachers’

Collaborative Knowledge Building

Mary Lamon, OISE/UT

Marlene Scardamalia, OISE/UT


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.


Theoretical Stance: Knowledge Building

• Authentic problems

• Idea Diversity and improvement

• Knowledge transforming discourse

• Community Responsibility


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.


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.


Implementation


• 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


A Student’s Portfolio in Knowledge Forum®


A student’s note on her experience in knowledge building


• 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


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


• 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


Envisioned Professional Development Activity System

ProfessionalCOLLEAGUES

TEACHER

reciprocal sharingof expertise

Online resources and tools

Networked classroom COMPETENCE

visibility of interests, thinking, and competence


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


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


• 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)


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


• 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


Lessons learned for adoption of new practices

• Importance of mediational constructs, and exemplars

• Reduction of differences through successful innovative practices


• 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


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


Recommended: A strengthened professional development continuum

Design & knowledge-management issues :

• Implementation

• Sustainability and scalability

• Accreditation of knowledge building oriented & networked communities of practice.


“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


Where to find us on the Web

• Knowledge Forum Project : http://csile.oise.utoronto.ca

• TACT: www.tact.fse.ulaval.ca

Documents

TeleLearning Network of Centres of Excellence (Canada) Thérèse Laferrière (Laval University), Mary Lamon (OISE/UT), Alain Breuleux & Robert Bracewell (McGill