Travis Noakes Research question: Learner objectives Tools NewWorkingFailing Rules Division of labour Community of practice in the classroom

Travis Noakes www.emerge2012.net 1

Research question:

Learner objectives

Tools

NewWorking Failing

Rules

Division of labour

Community of practice

in the classroom

extended

Traditional Peer-to-peer

New media awareness

29 new

Media Career

Benefits

What aspects of Visual Arts classes influenced its learners’ use of online portfolio

software?


for electronic learning portfolio(e-portfolio) creation?


Answering this question is part of my PhD in Media Studies thesis.


2010 - 20122 Cape Town High Schools

I have supported online portfolio adoptions at an independant and a government school


where they are being used for showcase Visual Arts e-portfolio creation


Why encourage Visual Arts e-portfolio adoption?


New to Computers•Operating System use•Setting up an email address•Service registration•Webpage navigation •Search engine use•Password creation

Multimodal concepts•Relations of coherence, tension and critique•Layers of meaning•Specialisation•On-going design

Familiar with computers•Combining image and text on a page•Understanding file extensions•Troubleshooting ICT problems•Creating a personal profile•Digitization•Managing online presences•Bookmarking•Working with non-linear texts•Software selection•Use of website address naming conventions•Using hyperlinks•Tagging website pages•Commenting

1. Give learners many new learning opportunities…


2. New media production is a good way to learn.


3. There is also an educator-focussed rationale.


Followed a Visual Arts grade 10 (2010) into their matric year (2012).


Learners worked in an activity system with a common curricular objective of creating showcase Visual Arts e-portfolios.

Using Activity theory to describe the formal context in which learners make design choices


It is not a "theory" in the strict interpretation of the term. It consists of a set of basic principles which constitute a general conceptual system which can be used as a foundation for more specific theories.

Activity theory’s key features by Kaptelinin (2006): •Unity of consciousness and activity •Object-orientation•Hierarchical structure of activity (activity, action, operation - motive, goal, conditions) •Internalization - externalization •Mediation •The principle of development

Activity Theory’s relevance


Tools

Subject Object OutcomeTRANSFORM

ACTION

1 S-O O-S

2 S-T T-S 3 T-O O-T 4 SO-Out Out-SO

Activity Theory (phase 1) 1 > 4Interpsychological

Rules Community of Practice Division of Labour

Activity Theory (phase 2) 5 > 14Intrapsychological 5 S-R R-S

6 R-O O-R

7R-C C-R

11D-C C-D

8 C-S S-C 10 C-O O-C 12 D-S S-D

13 D-O O-D

9 C-T T-C 14 CO-Out Out-CO

CodingFirst: intra-framework relationship (i.e. framework “A” to “B” or “no boundary object”)Second: inter-framework relationship (i.e. “construct 1” to “construct 2”)

There were many aspects that influenced learners’ classroom use of online portfolios in school.


At the independent school, the classroom community comprised: •Researcher,•Visual Arts educator •Learners•Student teacher•Information Technology (IT) integration specialist and other IT support.

Classroom community of practice Extended community of practice

• Parents• DOE curricular advisers• Educators• IT Department• Online portfolio software’s developers• Online audiences

- desired- undesirable

Educational community of practice

Community


Tools for digitisation and software use


Technical problems that obstructed online portfolio tools’ use in class:

Slow speed

No access

Wifi router replacement

Eskom power failure

Un-streamed broadband use

Copper cable theft on the school’s grounds

Undersea internet cable failure

Intermittent access Laptop theft, failure and replacement

Forgotten password emails blocked to school’s email address

Access to online portfolio software was unreliable in class.


Inexperience with the new cultural form


New Pedagogical QuestionsAppropriate curricular materials?Number of lessons?Extra lessons?Securing learner-buy in?Justifying new resourcing?Other tools and software types?Time needed for digitization?

How to do assessment?Contingency planning?Scanning learner work?File management?Tracking learner work efficiently?Protecting learner privacy?Reporting to parents?

Educator’s many questions about teaching e-portfolios


• Some learners had different objectives than showcase Visual Arts e-portfolio creation;• 5 members of the class had learning difficulties;• Access to games, music and videos amplified learner distraction;• Difficult for one educator to give one-to-one feedback and check if learners worked on online portfolios.

A difficult and unconventional group of learners

Profiledescription

Image

Titledfolders of digitised artworks

Name

Carbonmade

About Name

Contact details

Areas of expertise

SkillsArtist. Date.

FolderName,Description

Artwork

TitleTagsDescriptionClient tags

1 Home page

3 Artwork Project Folder Page

2 About page (artist’s profile)

Carbonmade Artist. Date.

Availabilityfor freelance

The Carbonmade portfolio’s three page typesTravis Noakes www.emerge2012.net 20


Screenshot of text from MH’s Carbonmade ‘about’ page, May, 2012

Individual learners’ focus and motivation


Screenshot of MH’s Carbonmade ‘homepage’, November, 2010

Screenshot of MH’s Carbonmade ‘homepage’, December, 2011

Screenshot of MH’s Carbonmade ‘homepage’, May, 2012

Improved focus reflected through a learner’s homepage’s development


Screenshot of CG’s Carbonmade ‘homepage’, December, 2011

Screenshot of CG’s Carbonmade ‘homepage’, May, 2012

Individual learners’ evolving self-identity


9 rules before…1. Satisfy educator’s personal beliefs;2. Relate to the educator’s culture of practice;3. Be commonly-accepted Fine Art literacies;4. Fall within school’s budget and resourcing;5. Show curricular alignment with the National Curriculum

Statement (NCS);6. Meet the school’s professional values;7. Accord with school policies;8. Satisfy other Department of Education (DOE) policies;9. Accord within discipline norms.

9 Rules before adoption


Outside class: 1.Align with the Provincial and National DOE Visual Arts Department strategy;2.Comply with DOE subject-area literacies (i.e. Visual Communication Design);3.Adhere to Visual Arts (versus Fine Arts) literacies;4.Include “new media literacies” relevant for secondary-school pedagogy; 5.Adherence to an ICT proficiency definition and criteria for benchmarking;6.Have support from a DOE decision-maker;7.Have sufficient resourcing curriculum planner and policy;8.Educators interested, and able, to teach new media production;9.Educator performance (private versus public) and commitments;10.Realize benefits from curricular ICT investment;11.Understand, and incorporate, youth media production patterns.

In the syllabus and curricula: 12.Utilises ICT resource both in class and integrates external resources;13.Ideally has a second teacher for technology support;14.Sufficient time allocated in the syllabus (i.e. falls under “Presentation and Management” which is 5% of the Visual Arts’ mark outcome);15.E-portfolio curricula and Visual Arts syllabi integration;16.E-portfolio service selection;17.E-portfolio assessment and marking criteria;18.Self-presentation as a creative professional;19.In- and out-of-class support for digitization of artworks;20.Legal safety (respecting copyright and trademarks).21.E-safety (privacy protection).22.Terms of use for e-portfolios, networks and computers.23.Educator’s tracking of compliance and appropriate feedback levels. 24.Using social bookmarking for e-portfolio assessment and feedback. 25.Expectations on suitable content (extra-mural work, school exhibitions).26.Appropriate student focus in class.27.Online roles (creator, viewer, critic).28.Online community standards.29.Using the resourcing and support available for (in)formal learning at home.

38 rules after adoption!


New peer-to-peer roles:•Feedback•Teaching

Organise support from:•Student teacher•ICT integration specialist•ICT helpdesk•ICT Director and staff

Use new online resources:•Supplement curricular materials on the school’s intranet with links to other resources

New roles:Online portfolio roles (creator, viewer, critic)Showcase extra-mural art and other personal interests

Changes to educator’s role Changes to learners’ role

Division-of-labour’s changing aspects


Learner objectives

Tools

NewWorking Failing

Rules

Division of labour

Community of practice

in the classroom

extended community

Traditional Peer-to-peer

New media awareness

29 new rules

Media Career

Benefits

The aspects I am writing about…

Thanks for your time !

National Research Foundation.Grantholders Research Fund.

University of Cape Town,Centre for Film and Media Studies.Dr Marion Walton‘Digimobs SA Research’ Group‘South African Multimodal Education’ (SAME) Research Group

Cape Peninsula University of Technology,Department of Informatics and Design.Prof Johannes Cronjeand the ‘Technology in Education and Research Postgraduate Students’ (TERPS) group

and to this research’s supporters:

28

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Travis Noakes Research question: Learner objectives Tools NewWorkingFailing Rules Division of labour Community of practice in the classroom