Beyond lecture capture: Student-generated podcasts in teacher education.

Podcasting in higher education most often takes the form of lecture capture or "coursecasting" as instructors record and disseminate lectures (King & Gura, 2007, p. 181). Studies published within the past five years continue to prioritise podcasting of lectures for the student audience, and to test the effectiveness of such podcasts via traditional pencil and paper assessments covering the material delivered via podcast (Hodges, Stackpole-Hodges, & Cox, 2008). A premise of this article is that in order to enhance learning outcomes via podcasting, it is necessary to move beyond coursecasting, toward podcasting with and by students, and to value key competencies and dispositions as learning outcomes. This article reports on a pilot study undertaken with teacher education students in an online ICT class, where students investigated podcasting and created reflective podcasts. The pilot study aimed to engage students actively in generating podcasts, incorporating a wider view of assessment and learning outcomes. Student-generated podcasts were self-assessed, and shared online in order to invite formative feedback from peers. A range of positive outcomes are reported, whereby students learned about and through podcasting, engaging in reflection, problem solving and interactive formative assessment

Digital technologies and online learning in primary education (New Zealand)

Two key sources of research on digital technologies and online learning come in the form of largescale surveys of schools. First, Research New Zealand’s survey (Johnson, Maguire, and Wood 2017) of more than 300 primary schools reports that schools use a mix of desktop devices, laptops, Chromebooks, and tablets. Findings indicate that most New Zealand schools have a strategic plan for the use of digital technologies in learning, incorporating consideration of safety, teacher professional development, and infrastructure. Increasingly, schools seek input from students on the use of digital technologies for learning. Most schools make use of Cloud platform resources for teaching and learning, with Google Classroom being the most popular. A majority of students access online learning resources, including online educational games. Parallel to the work of Research New Zealand, Bolstad (2017), working for the New Zealand Council of Educational Research, surveyed parents and school leaders nationally, about the role and impact of digital technologies for learning. Teachers report that the use of digital technologies is often limited to practising skills, searching, and presenting documents and slideshows. Parents indicated that they valued opportunities for learning through digital technologies at school, alongside a balance of other learning activities and opportunities. While the large surveys paint a broad picture of the use of digital technologies in New Zealand primary schools, there is a proliferation of small-scale research studies. A popular focus for these in recent years is mobile learning, particularly the use of iPads in primary school classrooms, learning with apps and mixed realities (virtual/augmented reality) (e.g., Calder and Murphy 2017; Cowie and Williams 2013)

Footprints: Participant perspectives informing pedagogy for asynchronous online discussion in initial teacher education

This study looks at how students and staff experience asynchronous online discussion (AOD) within initial teacher education. The aim is to explore participant perspectives, including expectations of fellow participants, with a view to informing pedagogy, defined as the relationship between teaching and learning (Loughran, 2006). The underpinning argument is essentially that learning and teaching can be enhanced by awareness of how participants experience the situation. Understanding the complexities of AOD entails a better understanding of participants’ tacit reasoning, expectations, misunderstandings, and responses to tasks and behaviours (Brookfield & Preskill, 2005; Loughran, 2006). It is the situation as it is perceived which is central to the quality of teaching and learning, and this puts participants and their experiences at the centre of efforts to improve pedagogy and to enhance deep learning. This study is framed by sociocultural theory and phenomenography to explore AOD through the eyes of teacher educators and teacher education students in a specific teacher education context. Participants engaged in focus groups (face-to-face and online) and a series of semi-structured interviews, generating data about experiences and perspectives of AOD. Key findings show the need for participants in AOD to: establish expectations for purposeful communication; to maintain a presence for learning premised on formative interaction; and to work together in ways conducive to community and student leadership in pursuit of deep learning. This thesis adds to the limited research literature on teacher perceptions about online teaching (Spector, 2007), and makes a contribution to addressing the neglect of student approaches to study in higher education using eLearning technologies for discussion (Ellis et al, 2008; Jackson et al, 2010; Sharpe et al, 2010). The results contribute to knowledge in the field of online learning in initial teacher education by giving rise to specific pedagogical strategies for teachers and students in given situations, and by providing conceptual tools for participants when thinking about teaching and learning through AOD. Participant experiences function as footprints, picking out pathways as others make their way through AOD (Salmon, 2002)

“It gave me a much more personal connection”: Student generated podcasting and assessment in teacher education

This paper reports on a qualitative case study of an online initial teacher education class in New Zealand, exploring the potential of student-generated podcasts as a form of interactive formative assessment. Findings from interviews with teaching staff indicate that podcasting was useful for supporting multimodal learning valuing student voice and reflections. Podcasting enhanced the affective and relational connections in the online class, and empowered students to develop technical skills and confidence relevant in their teaching careers. As such, this study positions educators as future makers and as leaders in a climate of change. We suggest implications for student-generated podcasts in similar contexts

Legacies of learning: Negotiating guidelines for online discussion

This study involves students in constructing a community resource or legacy for future learners to use. In this instance, the resource takes the form of a set of guidelines for Asynchronous Online Discussion (AOD). Working within Moodle, teacher education students negotiated and revised sets of AOD guidelines for use in their own class, and to provide as a legacy for a future class. Data were generated over two semesters by consecutive cohorts of students. The findings highlight some key expectations that students set for peers when learning through AOD, such as a preference for accurate and responsive postings. It is also apparent that students appreciate and value the opportunity to negotiate guidelines. In terms of digital smarts, this study promotes effective use of AOD as an accessible means of engaging students in dialogue and deep learning. It is smart to negotiate guidelines for AOD with students so that expectations are clear, student perspectives are respected and opportunities to contribute to others’ learning are provided

Building Connections: Professional online presence and learning networks.

The focus of this paper is on social media in teacher education in relation to the use of social media for building a professional online presence and learning network. This paper relates experience and insights drawn from my own work as a teacher educator experimenting with social media, and presents a discussion of tertiary teaching practice, ethnographic research in progress and innovation in action. In the context of teacher education, the question posed is: How might social media support professional learning? Recent reports suggest that social media is used in teacher education for sharing content, discussing and collaborating. There are, however, challenges and risks with social media in an academic context. These are explored, along with implications for student learning, professional expectations, policy, research and practice in teacher education. Specific practical illustrations are provided, drawing upon work across several blended teacher education programmes in New Zealand, relating experiences when starting out with social media, integrating coursework challenges for student teachers, and considering feedback and future planning. Finally, issues and challenges are summed up, highlighting attitudes, learning orientations and safety

Beyond lecture capture: Student-generated podcasts in teacher education

Podcasting in higher education most often takes the form of lecture capture or “coursecasting” as instructors record and disseminate lectures (King & Gura, 2007, p. 181). Studies published within the past five years continue to prioritise podcasting of lectures for the student audience, and to test the effectiveness of such podcasts via traditional pencil and paper assessments covering the material delivered via podcast (Hodges, Stackpole-Hodges, & Cox, 2008). A premise of this article is that in order to enhance learning outcomes via podcasting, it is necessary to move beyond coursecasting, toward podcasting with and by students, and to value key competencies and dispositions as learning outcomes. This article reports on a pilot study undertaken with teacher education students in an online ICT class, where students investigated podcasting and created reflective podcasts. The pilot study aimed to engage students actively in generating podcasts, incorporating a wider view of assessment and learning outcomes. Student-generated podcasts were self-assessed, and shared online in order to invite formative feedback from peers. A range of positive outcomes are reported, whereby students learned about and through podcasting, engaging in reflection, problem solving and interactive formative assessment

Professional online presence and learning networks: Educating for ethical use of social media

In a teacher education context, this study considers the use of social media for building a professional online presence and learning network. This article provides an overview of uses of social media in teacher education, presents a case study of key processes in relation to professional online presence and learning networks, and highlights issues and challenges for wider consideration. Specific practical illustrations are provided, relating experiences when starting out with social media, integrating coursework challenges for student teachers, and considering feedback and future planning. Social media is used in teacher education for sharing content, discussing, and collaborating. There are challenges and risks with social media in an academic context. Students require differentiated scaffolding depending on their expertise and confidence. In terms of social implications, professionals are warned to safeguard online reputation, while making proactive use of social media to enhance learning networks

Keynote: Going to university—Blended strategies for learning and teaching in a modern tertiary context

This think piece is a follow-up to a keynote delivered at the biennial DEANZ Conference, at the University of Waikato in Hamilton, New Zealand, in April 2016. It explores the University of Waikato’s Mixed Media Pathway. Dianne Forbes ponders her own experiences as a tertiary student, considers some of the changes and challenges facing universities today, and presents one response to these changes in the form of blended learning. The Bachelor of Teaching, Mixed Media Presentation—an initial teacher education degree at the University of Waikato—is used to illustrate the benefits and challenges of blended learning for students and lecturers. It is proposed that students based on campus can benefit from blended learning, just as geographically dispersed students can. Going to university can comprise active learning partnerships at a range of physical locations

Teaching children's literature online: Co-constructing stories in a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC)

Most scholarship on teaching children’s literature has focused on teaching fiction in university literature courses (Bedford & Albright, 2011; Butler, 2006). While there is a vast literature associated with online teaching dating back more than 20 years (e.g., Palloff & Pratt, 2005), and there is increasing use of online teaching in university contexts (Rapanta et al., 2020), there are very few published descriptions or analyses of the online teaching of children’s literature. In this article we document and discuss the development of a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) to be delivered in mid-2021 focusing on picturebooks developed at a university, in partnership with a popular MOOC provider. The MOOC development is analysed with respect to supporting the presence of the educators, creating clarity in the delivery of the content, providing spaces for reflection and interaction, and generating human connections in an online environment. These features are linked to the notion of storytelling (Bietti, Tilston & Bangerter, 2019). The contribution of picturebooks to supporting these aspects of effective online teaching is also discussed