Pedagogical factors affecting learning in ICT learning
environments. Critical
indicators
Predominant Teacher
roles
While new pedagogical strategies and
ICT-supported learning are closely linked in most of the experiences,
it is not clear which of the two triggers innovation in the classroom.
The teacher roles identified in the projects are not all innovative
or a direct consequence of, but in a way they emerge from a new
understanding of the role of the teacher in promoting innovations
in ICT-learning settings. Certainly the projects indicate a recognition
of the change from a teacher-centred
to a learner centred approach – a trend not wholly deriving
from new technology use. However, it is clearly not the case that
this trend makes redundant the traditional role of teacher; in
many projects the roles of teachers and students remain unchanged.
One of the
key reasons for changes in roles is that by knowing the new emergent
roles we could talk about a set
of competence dimensions useful to develop training programmes.
It has been proposed that instruction of teachers
and tutors for handling e-learning courses will be done by starter
seminars at the partnering institutions, handbooks for the different
roles in the course and short meta-courses on course-management.
Faculty who
engage in the development and delivery of courses at a distance
may find that the roles to which they have become accustomed in
a traditional university environment have changed in the online
environment. Such a change will be accompanied by
the emergence of new job
profiles in the university. Experienced assistants working
in the field of educational media and technology could be invited
to give their support to academics in the process of integrating
these new technologies.
The role of teachers
as collaborators of pupils and of colleagues both face to
face and from a distance was commonly practiced in all projects.
Teachers’ collaboration skills and dispositions are identified
as crucial in many respects (teachers in participating in formal
and informal networks of teachers, etc. increased collaboration
and rich interpersonal relationships among the teachers minimise
power-related tensions that may arise among ICT coordinators and
the teaching staff, supports the decentralisation of decision-making,
and has a positive impact on the effectiveness of the introduction
of ICT in curriculum-based activities.
Another identified role is that of
the teacher as a co-learner, facilitator of
students’ inquiry, guiding student work and offering individual
help; the teacher's role in coaching, observing students, offering
hints and reminders, providing feedback, scaffolding and fading,
and modelling are further powerful enhancements to any learning
situation. The teacher as trainer of other colleagues was also
identified.
As with respect to student’s roles,
the projects observed or encouraged shifts stressing the importance
of active learning. A project encouraged pupils to become young researchers who use new technologies
to process, represent and communicate ‘scientific’ data collected
on the basis of real-life observations and teamwork. In one of
the projects students assumed several different roles: recipients,
instructors, team and individual workers etc.
Teacher
and student interaction
Most of the experiences analysed contain
a similar range of services which they specify as aimed at improving
interaction. These include content and communication services,
interaction services (Forum, Chat –in real time, user homepages,
etc) and Evaluation Services (Self-assess, examinations) together
with Administration Services (Administer course, edit course with
on line web editor, edit quiz etc).
But, interaction depends not merely
on the technology devices used but on the users clearly “seeing”
how to do it and why. Building
up networked teams by the Internet, without any physical contact,
has as result an innovative work basis. Interaction need to
be closely linked to a sound pedagogical approach, and not
to the use of possibilities of the Internet tools by themselves.
A general observation is that the patterns
of teacher-student and student-student interactions, accompanied
by a shift in the teacher/pupil roles and the use of ICT, change
from conventional classroom patterns - where teachers initiate
and direct classroom interaction, dominate talk and define success,
to more pupil-centered,
team interaction and collaboration patterns. In school settings,
teacher-student and student-student interactions
are influenced by computer-lab or computer-classroom arrangements
and in particular how computers are arranged in the schools (traditional
class, small group projects, or individual work). Pupil to pupil
interactions are often based on small
group co-operation, collaboration and shared construction of meaning.
In the computer rooms, the pupils are often co-operating two and
two or in a small group. They learn to listen to each other and
to discuss the findings from Internet etc.
Attitudes of actors
Attitudes
towards e-learning repeat the patter technophobia-technophilia
present during decades in the educational system. Instructors
often have negative perceptions of technology-supported learning
and open and distance learning; they can’t see the educational
benefits or the potential of new ICT-based methods. They question
whether the Internet can actually be used effectively for educational
purposes and resist this new mode of instruction.
Observations
in regular school classroom revealed that the attitudes towards
ICT among teachers varied enormously from fear, scepticism and
indifference to wild enthusiasm and excitement. Fear that
technology will replace teachers appears. Tensions among schools
coordinators and colleagues, are also mentioned.
In
this perspective, crucial factors in developing positive attitudes
among teachers are the provision of high quality training on ICT.
Teachers with positive attitude towards ICT start using ICT in
“ordinary” teaching outside the context of projects.
As
with respect to students,
one positive attitude towards ICT is the increasing
importance of ICT crucial for their professional career. Positive
attitudes of staff to technology help students with the emerging
use of e-learning, where pedagogical as well as technical issues
arise.
Female students’
attitudes
towards ICT varies. A project report that female students were
generally less confident than males, and reported fewer skills
and lower competence levels.
Teacher workload
Concerns about the workload of using ICT in education
seem to be a main obstacle on all levels (pedagogical, technological
and organisational). It is assumed that
the
task of preparing an ICT-based course is more
onerous than a traditional teaching approach, as well as the integration of new pedagogical methods. Feedback and guidance via Internet-services
are regarded as essential elements of computerised distance
learning, it is very time-consuming and demands adequate evaluation.
Institutions, as for instance universities will need to
put in place a policy recognising and validating academic cooperation
in the setting up and development of educational technologies.
For the reduction
of workload readymade expert-statements
in forums are introduced automatically when the students have
written their contribution. Most important is the use
of tutors (alumni): Teachers can handle a larger number of
students than in conventional courses.
Teacher
collaboration
Collaboration
is a key word in e-learning. The online platforms offer teachers the
online-facility for cooperation with respect
to the e-learning course: teachers provide others with their experiences
and offer new modules and ideas for enhancing the courses. This
does not mean that these possibilities are taken into account
in reality. In international settings, scholars who are well known
in their field and to each other and who are used to common and
regular exchange of ideas, experience and knowledge.
Teacher collaboration is also necessary for creating quality materials. Staff has
the opportunity to work collaboratively and closely with colleagues
that are spread around geographically disparate teams.
Assessment
Assessment
in e-learning needs an special attention. There are many approaches,
which reflect different assessment theories. Self-assessment is also considered. These approaches
go from the dominant positivistic
paradigm
in pedagogic assessment, to a constructivist-oriented
assessment focused on learner-centered and learner-directed
assessment.
In most online learning
experiences, types of
assessment-workflows are sometimes integrated into the LMS, including
formative and summative assessment schemes. Assignments are submitted via Internet, but in most of the cases the final assessment is face-to-face based. In other cases the knowledge
is assessed
continually, and supplemented by
limited formal assessments at group meetings.
Affective and socio-cultural
factors that influence learning processes
For some ICT functions as a system that shapes students’
lives, learning styles, fashion concepts and social relations
and produces a multiplicity
of technologies of gender, social class or national identity.
ICT is more than a system of communication and production tools, it is
a culture with rules, genres and consumption patterns of its own.
In this perspective, affective and socio-cultural factors related
to e-learning have a profound macro-social and cultural character
well beyond school culture. ICT as a ‘cultural’
system has a cross-national character
and shares many common elements from country to country.
If
we talk about schools, the school culture defers from country to country because it is deeply rooted in the differences in the learning
patrimonies of European countries. This universality of the
ICT culture creates many opportunities for collaboration and sharing which may positively affect learning processes in schools
(as contrasted to the national character of school culture). Teachers
working with other colleagues online can have different perceptions
and understanding.
In online learning
new opportunities of collaborative work
between geographically disparate teams appear. Staff has the opportunity to work
collaboratively and closely with colleagues. Students
also show enthusiasm in communicating with pupils from other countries
which is indicative of the attractiveness of perceived socio-cultural differences to them, something that can greatly
enhance learning at many different areas (affective and socio-cultural,
domain specific, etc). For example, pupils might exhibit interest
in communicating with pupils from other countries and through
teleconferencing and the bulletin board pupils had the chance
to get to know each other and exchange ideas and information.
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