Developing a web-based research app to support practice-based enquiry in teacher
education
Phil Taylor, Amanda French & Dario Faniglione
Background
• Builds on the Literacies for Employability (L4E) project and App, supported by the HEA.
• Underpinned by long-standing notions of teaching as research; links to lesson/learning study.
• A web-based research app ( ) to facilitate collaborative practice-based enquiry (we decided not to call it the Collaborative Research App!).
• Initially intended for educational practice, but could be used for practitioner research in other disciplines.
• To be made available as ‘open source’.
Aims of the project
• To further enhance outcomes for student teachers and their professional skills by strengthening their research enquiry projects.
• To enable student teachers to make greater links between theory and practice, through the development of research skills.
• To support the process of analysis and sharing of classroom practice evidence and student teachers’ reflection on their professional development.
Objectives of the WRApp
• To provide a conceptual framework for student teachers to support the collection of practice evidence, mainly through observation.
• To enable student teachers to capture rich evidence of classroom practice in text, picture, audio and video forms, within a pre-planned and/or co-constructed conceptual framework.
• To facilitate analysis of the evidence captured using the conceptual framework.
• To encourage sharing and presentation of evidence captured and the ensuing analysis.
Use of the WRApp
1. Identify a group of collaborative practitioner researchers – set up a user group.
2. Agree and design a framework for gathering evidence (e.g. a lesson structure).
3. Use the framework to collect evidence in practice, through observation and reflection, in various forms (text, picture, audio, video) using portable devices.
4. Post and share evidence to user group website.5. Analyse, synthesise and compare evidence.
WRApp
WRApp
WRApp
ClassroomWorkplace Context 1
ClassroomWorkplace Context 2
ClassroomWorkplace Context 3…
Agreed Framework
Web Server – User Group
Framework templates
Initially:• List (a simple list)• Grid (a simple table)• Matrix (a table with headings)
Possibly:• Web (nodes & connections)• Cyclical (process model)• Sprial (change process)
• …….• …….• …….
Example templates
• The following four slides show some examples of WRApp templates, designed as a framework for student teachers to collect placement evidence.
• At the conference, these will be shown and available to view in the WRApp itself.
Continuum of Teaching StylesFrom Mosston & Ashworth (2002) in Capel, Leask & Turner 5th Ed. (2009, p.295).
Command
Practice
Reciprocal
Self-check
Inclusion
Guided Discovery
Convergent Discovery
Divergent Discovery
Learner designed individual
Learner-initiated
Self-teaching
List template
Key strategies of formative
assessmentBased on Wiliam (2011,
p.12).
Clarifying learningintentions and sharing and criteria for success
Engineering effective discussions, activities, and tasks that elicit evidence of learning
Feedback that moves learning forward
Understanding and sharing learning intentions and criteria for success
Activating students as learning resources for one another
Activating students as learning resources for one another
Understanding learning intentions and criteria for success
Activating students as owners of their own learning
Activating students as owners of their own learning
Where the learner is going
Where the learner isright now
How to get there
Teacher
Peer
Student
Matrix template
Lesson StudyModel
Based on DCSF (2009); Dudley (2014).
Case Learner A Case Learner B Case Learner C
Expected/hoped for response
Actual/observed response
Expected/hoped for response
Actual/observed response
Expected/hoped for response
Actual/observed response
Stage of Lesson Sequence
Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3
Post-lesson interview
Matrix template
Revised Taxonomy of Educational Objectives
From Krathwohl (2002, p. 216).
Cognitive Process Dimension
Remember
Understand Apply
Analyse Evaluat
e Create
Knowledge Di
mension
FactualKnowledge
Conceptual Knowledge
Procedural Knowledge
Metacognitive Knowledge
Matrix template
Demonstration
• At the HEA conference, the WRApp will be demonstrated and available for delegates to try out.
Early findings
• By the time of the HEA conference some initial findings from the early student pilot of the WRApp will be available and shared.
References:
Capel, S., Leask M. & Turner T. (Eds.) (2009) Learning to Teach in the Secondary School (5th edition). London: Routledge.DCSF (2009) Improving Subject Pedagogy Through Lesson Study. Crown. Dudley, P. (2014) Lesson Study – A Handbook. LSUK. Available from: http://lessonstudy.co.uk/lesson-study-a-handbook/ [Accessed 25.4.14].Krathwohl, D. R. (2002) A Revision of Bloom's Taxonomy - An Overview. Theory Into Practice Special Issue: Revising Bloom’s Taxonomy, Vol. 41 No. 4, pp. 212-218. Wiliam, D. (2011) What is assessment for learning? Studies in Educational Evaluation, 37 (2011) 3–14.
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