How do I enhance motivation to learn and higher order cognition among students of Science through the use of a virtual learning environment?

In this paper I explore the capacity of Moodle to enhance the teaching and learning of Leaving Certificate Biology within a small urban secondary school. I simultaneously investigate the potential of the technology to enhance higher-order cognition and motivation to learn among the students. Adopting an action research approach has led me to a much deeper understanding of the tacit knowledge that inspires my work. The chief stimulus to my research was the realisation that my explicit practice was in negation of my implicit values. I have come to know my practice and over time changed it. I can now see evidence of a greater congruence between my espoused core educational values and my explicit actions. Cycle one of the research focuses on setting up and introducing Moodle to a group of Biology students. The second cycle shows the feasibility of a community of enquiry through a discussion-forum. A process of social validation runs concurrently, in which interested individuals substantiate my claim that my core educational values are being translated into my practice. Throughout I learn to strike a balance between co-learner and guide. Consequently the students come to act as co-authors in moving away from authoritarian dissemination of facts. This facilitates a community of inquiry, revolving around the collaborative negotiation of meaning. There is clear evidence of increased higher-order cognition and motivation to learn among the participants within this virtual community

Constructing knowledge: an experience of active and collaborative learning in an ICT classroom

This paper reports on the impact of the implementation of active and collaborative practices in ICT (information and communication technologies) classrooms. Both of these approaches convey a lot of responsibility from the teacher to the students and the hoping, as backed up by the literature, is to promote deeper learning and reasoning skills at a higher level. The question is: how do you do all that? This research describes a specific environment that makes use of collaborative tools, like wikis and forums within an e-learning platform and of specific CRM (customer relationship management) software. In order to analyze how this learning environment gets learners actively involved in learning and working together in productive ways, students were surveyed by responding to questionnaires. Several cause-effect relations underlying the teaching-learning methodology and the students’ performance are discussed

Managing e-Learning: what are the real implications for schools?

This paper is concerned with the use of e-learning in secondary education. It is based on research that has taken place over a period of two years with students aged 14-16 (Key Stage 4). The paper considers the current research in e-learning and identifies the challenges faced by students, the changing role of the learner, and the impact e-learning can have on students. The author argues that preparation needs to be carried out at the school level prior to introducing e-learning into the Key Stage 4 curriculum. It concludes by discussing the findings of the research which identifies a range of issues schools may want to consider, when embracing e-learning

An Action Research Model for the Management of Change in Continuing Professional Distance Education

This paper proposes an action research model as basis for the management of change in continuing professional distance education (CPDE). The model proposed emerged from the need to manage a complex change process from traditional paper-based distance education to e-learning. In order to illustrate and support the model proposed, this paper describes and discusses such a change process in a CPDE Masters programme. The Educational Management Action Research (EMAR) model conjugates pedagogical thinking, curriculum design and organisational context. This model facilitates dialogue of all parties engaged in the design and delivery of CPDE. This enables educational managers to effectively lead change in their courses

Taking services seriously: how policy can stimulate the 'hidden innovation' in the UK’s services economy

Policy could have an important role in stimulating innovation in services. However, policymakers have lacked robust evidence showing how these sectors innovate. Drawing on a survey of more than 16,000 firms, this research reveals the high levels of ‘hidden innovation’ in some services sectors, especially in how they develop new business models and exploit technology. But the research also reveals that innovation is confined to a minority of service firms, and that many lack the skilled personnel or intelligence on markets and technology that would enable them to become more innovative. Because of their dominance in the economy, improved performance by the UK’s services sectors is necessary if we are to significantly close the productivity gap between the UK and other leading nations. However, if we are to take innovation in services seriously, we must recognise that they innovate differently from advanced manufacturing. We need policies to support increased training and development, and the effective dissemination and exploitation of technology

Maximising Social Interactions and Effectiveness within Distance Learning Courses: Cases from Construction

Advanced Internet technologies have revolutionised the delivery of distance learning education. As a result, the physical proximity between learners and the learning providers has become less important. However, whilst the pervasiveness of these technological developments has reached unprecedented levels, critics argue that the student learning experience is still not as effective as conventional face-to-face delivery. In this regard, surveys of distance learning courses reveal that there is often a lack of social interaction attributed to this method of delivery, which tends to leave learners feeling isolated due to a lack of engagement, direction, guidance and support by the tutor. This paper defines and conceptualises this phenomenon by investigating the extent to which distance-learning programmes provide the social interactions of an equivalent traditional classroom setting. In this respect, two distance learning case studies were investigated, covering the UK and Slovenian markets respectively. Research findings identified that delivery success is strongly dependent on the particular context to which the specific distance learning course is designed, structured and augmented. It is therefore recommended that designers of distance learning courses should balance the tensions and nuances associated with commercial viability and pedagogic effectiveness

ICT in Higher Education: a case-study of mediated blended-learning

Teaching in on-line and collaborative situations requires a variety of responses including changes in pedagogy as instructors taking the role of facilitators of information while guiding students toward solutions. In order for online learning to be successful, therefore, teachers as well as learners will need to explore new roles in the teaching-learning relationship. In this paper, the authors propose to examine how educators can mediate instruction by first designing their course goals and objectives and then consider how the on-line environment can best serve the instructional objectives and plan appropriate activities and assessment. We seek to explore the use of online environments as the bridge between real world and reflective knowledge