Improving pupil group work interaction and dialogue in primary classrooms : Results from a year-long intervention study

Findings are reported from a year-long evaluation of the effectiveness of the SPRinG programme relative to a control group. SPRinG aimed to address the wide gap between the potential of group interaction to promote learning and its limited use in schools. The project involved working with teachers to develop strategies for enhancing pupil group-work and dialogue, and to implement a pupil relational and group skills training programme. Video observations were conducted of a sub-sample of pupil groups (31 SPRinG; 29 Control groups) working on a specially designed group decision-making activity undertaken in everyday classroom settings. SPRinG groups displayed higher levels of participation, engagement, active and sustained discussion, high level inferential joint reasoning and lower levels of group disruptive blocking behaviours. We argue that group-work can be successfully implemented into everyday school classrooms, and improve pupil interactions and high level discussion, provided teachers take time to train pupils in relational and group-working skills

e-Pedagogy: the pedagogies of e-learning

The aim of this research was to establish effective e-learning practice in higher education. This was achieved by looking at examples of different pedagogic techniques employed in several cases. The effectiveness of these techniques was established by looking at the students' outcomes on these courses. This study has adopted a sequential mixed methodology characterized by an initial phase of qualitative data collection and analysis, which was followed by a phase of quantitative data collection and analysis. The first phase of the study involved collecting a year of data from a postgraduate programme. A grounded approach was used to analyse one million words of online conferences or discussions, and led to the emergence of 29 pedagogic behaviours. These pedagogic behaviours were then developed into a coding instrument. The second phase, hypothetico-deductive analysis, confirmed their presence in three other cases, five million words of online interactions, and established their associations with students' learning and outcomes. The findings suggest seven clusters of pedagogies correlated with students' grades and the effect size calculation revealed an educational significance for all of them. This indicates that if they are employed in online classrooms they are likely to enhance students' learning and outcomes

Master\u27s Project: Identifying the Variation in Perceptions to Waste and Waste Management Behaviours in Albouystown (Georgetown, Guyana)

Albouystown is a community in Georgetown (Guyana) where the issue of improper waste disposal is so significant that the community oftentimes experiences excessive flooding due to drain networks being clogged with garbage from continuous littering by residents. This project explored how perceptions of and attitudes towards waste management in Albouystown have been shaped by and are rooted in structures, ideologies, dynamics and histories which are unique to the community. The project explored the benefits of promoting dialogue to investigate an existing community issue. Through this process, it became clear that systems of racial oppression and political marginalisation have negatively affected solid waste management systems and wider development in Albouystown. These community conversations have also helped to support the community in acting to overcome these challenges with a desired outcome of empowerment and sustainability for Albouystown

Solved! Making the case for collaborative problem-solving

This report argues that the ability to solve problems with others is a crucial skill for our young people in the workplace of the future but the current education system does little to support it. Key findings Collaborative problem-solving (CPS) is an increasingly important skill to teach young people in order to prepare them for the future. Despite strong evidence for its impact, CPS is rarely taught in schools but if structured well it can reinforce knowledge and improve attainment. Significant barriers exist for teachers implementing this practice, from behaviour management to curriculum coverage, to task-design. For CPS to gain ground, a concerted shift is needed including teacher training, better resources and system level support. This report is part of Nesta’s ongoing commitment to equipping young people with the skills they need to succeed. It makes a series of recommendations on how organisations and policymakers can help support and embrace the implementation of CPS. Nesta is following this up with a series of small-scale pilots of aligned programmes in order to evaluate impact and explore how CPS can be implemented in a range of practical settings. Policy recommendations Stimulate production of quality collaborative problem-solving (CPS) resources and training, from primary education onwards. Fund existing, aligned programmes to scale and evaluate impact. Educate and involve the out-of-school learning sector and volunteer educators. Develop smarter collaborative problem-solving assessment methods. Help higher education organisations and MOOCs to track what works

Agents for educational games and simulations

This book consists mainly of revised papers that were presented at the Agents for Educational Games and Simulation (AEGS) workshop held on May 2, 2011, as part of the Autonomous Agents and MultiAgent Systems (AAMAS) conference in Taipei, Taiwan. The 12 full papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from various submissions. The papers are organized topical sections on middleware applications, dialogues and learning, adaption and convergence, and agent applications

Reflecting in and on post-observation feedback in initial teacher training on certificate courses

This article examines evidence from two studies that concern the nature of post-observation feedback in certificate courses for teaching English to speakers of other languages. It uncovers the main characteristics of these meetings and asks whether there is evidence of reflection in these contexts. In considering reasons why making space for reflection is potentially difficult, the paper also examines the relationship and the role of assessment criteria and how these may impact on opportunities for reflection. The final part of the paper considers how a more reflective approach could be promoted in feedback conferences