Optimaal onderwijs voor excellente leerlingen

Het onderwijs gaat vaak uit van de gemiddelde leerling. Dat doet kinderen die daar net onder of boven zitten tekort. Een programma ontwikkeld door onderzoekers van de Radboud Universiteit en de Open Universiteit Nederland gaat uit van de capaciteiten van de individuele leerling zelf. Zo krijgen ook kinderen met een ontwikkelingsvoorsprong al vanaf begin groep 1 het onderwijs dat ze verdienen

Information- problem solving: A review of problems students encounter and instructional solutions

Walraven, A., Brand-Gruwel, S., & Boshuizen, H.P.A. (2008). Information- problem solving: A review of problems students encounter and instructional solutions. Computers in Human Behavior, 24 (3), 623-648.Searching and processing information is a complex cognitive process that requires students to identify information needs, locate corresponding information sources, extract and organize relevant information from each source, and synthesize information from a variety of sources. This process is called information-problem solving (IPS). IPS can be characterized as a complex cognitive skill, which may need direct instruction to reach high levels of performance. However, IPS has been given little attention in schools, and instruction in this skill is rarely embedded in curricula. And yet, by giving students assignments in which students have to solve an information-based problem, teachers assume that their pupils have developed this skill naturally. A literature study was done to determine what kinds of problems students experience when solving information problems using the WWW for searching information, and what kind of instructional support can help to solve these problems. Results show that children, teenagers and adults have trouble with specifying search terms, judging search results and judging source and information. Regulating the search process is also problematic. Instruction designed specifically for IPS using the WWW for searching information is rare but indeed addresses the problematic skills. However, there are differences between various methods and it is unclear which method is most effective for specific age groups

Towards optimal education including self-regulated learning in technology-enhanced preschools and primary schools

At the start of preschool, four-year-old pupils differ in their development, including the capacity to self-regulate their playing and learning. In preschool and primary school, educational processes are generally adapted to the mean age of the pupils in class. The same may apply to ICT-based pupil-monitoring systems. This norm-based factor undermines the potential of ICT to support the educational differentiation needed for pupils and increases the amount of daily work for teachers. A theoretical framework is sketched in which pedagogical-didactical, organisational, and ICT guidelines enhance differentiated, self-regulated playing and learning for each pupil within preschool and primary school. To develop and check such optimal education and ICT conditions in practice, a pilot and a randomised intervention study are carried out in integrated Dutch preschools/primary schools for pupils aged 4 – 12. Pilot results support the use of a procedure to screen each child’s characteristics at the start of preschool by parents and preschool teachers, and also the immediate relevance of criterion-based and norm-based ordering (‘double diagnostics’) of playing and learning materials. Intermediate results of the longitudinal intervention study empirically support the hypothesis regarding the positive effects of optimal education on the cognitive and emotional functioning of both cognitively gifted and other pupils. The discussion emphasises the need to assist schools in realising optimal education including learners’ self-regulation and adequate ICT to enhance optimal learning. Final attention is given to further development of optimal education in a European context

Modelling as expert-guidance during teacher practitioner research

Studies on teacher practitioner research suggest that experts can provide valuable guidance by modelling the research process within the school context. As it is unknown when and how modelling can promote teachers’ research, the present study evaluated several modelling practices in four teacher teams (N = 38). Two facilitators modelled research skills before, during and after teachers’ research tasks; a research disposition was modelled by questioning research decisions. Results showed that modelling was valuable for practitioner research: teachers appreciated the guidance and felt their research skills and research disposition had improved. Modelling of research skills during the task was deemed easier to comprehend than modelling before and after the tasks. Modelling of a research disposition can bring about tensions that–mainly in the initial stages of the research–cause frustrations in teachers. Based on these findings, directions for improving modelling are discussed.</p

Kennis leren verwerven met informatie van internet

In het hedendaagse onderwijs wordt steeds meer van leerlingen verwacht dat ze uit informatie die ze op internet vinden zelfstandig kennis construeren. Uit onderzoek blijkt dat er drie instructieprincipes zijn die leerlingen helpen dit proces – van informatie naar kennis – aan te leren

Beoordelen en selecteren van informatie op Internet: twee onderwijsmethodes vergeleken [Evaluating and selecting information on the Internet: two educational methods compared]

Walraven, A., Brand-Gruwel, S., & Boshuizen, E. (2008). Beoordelen en selecteren van informatie op Internet: twee onderwijsmethodes vergeleken [Evaluating and selecting information on the Internet: two educational methods compared]. OnderwijsInnovatie, 10(1), 17-25

Fostering students’ evaluation behaviour while searching the internet

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