Are we there yet? The journey of ICT integration

[Abstract]: “Are we there yet, are we there yet, how much longer?” This plea can be heard from teachers throughout the world. The ICT integration pioneers beam at the thought of what’s next, however the middle and late adopters shudder at the thought of what is coming next and wonder if and when they are going to get there, wherever there is? This differentiating attitude in ICT integration can be attributed to the teachers’ personal confidence in using ICTs. This paper explores the ICT integration journey of teacher’s from 10 provincial primary schools in Queensland, Australia. It will examine the teachers’ past and present attitudes toward the integration of ICTs in their classrooms and attempt to predict their future attitudes. Participants will also be invited to discuss attitudes towards ICT integration from their perspective

Transforming pre-service teacher curriculum: observation through a TPACK lens

This paper will discuss an international online collaborative learning experience through the lens of the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework. The teacher knowledge required to effectively provide transformative learning experiences for 21st century learners in a digital world is complex, situated and changing. The discussion looks beyond the opportunity for knowledge development of content, pedagogy and technology as components of TPACK towards the interaction between those three components. Implications for practice are also discussed. In today’s technology infused classrooms it is within the realms of teacher educators, practising teaching and pre-service teachers explore and address effective practices using technology to enhance learning

Working collaboratively on the digital global frontier

An international online collaborative learning experience was designed and implemented in preservice teacher education classes at the University of Calgary, Canada and the University of Southern Queensland, Australia. The project was designed to give preservice teachers an opportunity to live the experience of being online collaborators investigating real world teaching issues of diversity and inclusivity. Qualitative research was conducted to examine the complexity of the online collaborative experiences of participants. Redmond and Lock’s (2006) flexible online collaborative learning framework was used to explain the design and the implementation of the project. Henri’s (1992) content analysis model for computer-mediated communication was used for the online asynchronous postings and a constant comparative method of data analysis was used in the construction of themes. From the findings, the authors propose recommendations for designing and facilitating collaborative learning on the digital global frontier

Is change on the horizon for Maori and Pacifica female high school students when it comes to ICT?

This paper explores some of the factors that discourage the participation of Māori and Pacific girls in ICT in New Zealand. Despite many ICT job opportunities, there has been a steady decrease in the percentage of girls, especial Māori and Pacific girls entering into ICT study, and pursuing ICT careers. This study used a modified version of the conceptual framework designed by Bernhardt (2014) based on the 'STEMcell' model. The STEMcell framework was used to explores the factors that discourage participation in ICT through such concepts as cultural, social, structural and social IT that contribute to the likelihood of student’s career choice in ICT. An online questionnaire gathered data from year 11 students studying at high schools within Wellington, New Zealand. The findings indicated that Pacific girl’s more than Māori girls reported that their family members were seen as role models, which could impact on their future career choices. The statistical results also show that stereotypes are still alive in both Māori and Pacific year 11 student’s perceptions and that both Pacific and Māori girls from year 11 are unlikely to follow a career in ICT. Currently, the number of Māori and Pacific girls enrolling in ICT subjects at secondary school is still substantially below that for boys and, until changes are made, Māori and Pacific girls going into the industry will be in the minority

STEMming the Flow: Supporting Females in STEM

An e-mentoring program was established to support females who were studying or intending to study or work in Science, Technology, Engineering or Maths related disciplines (STEM) and were located in regional, rural or remote areas. Mentors and mentees were matched based on their shared interests, fields of study and area of employment. The mentoring program aimed to support mentees’ career development and smoother transitions from study into the workforce by providing an opportunity to develop knowledge and networks necessary to achieve their career goals. Data were collected through pre and post online surveys and semi-structured interviews. This paper describes the experiences of e-mentoring for participants located in rural and remote locations, and shares implications for implementation of e-mentoring, and suggestions for improvement for future e-mentoring projects

Achieving Knowledge in Action through Online Collaborative Learning: What We Have Learned?

Internationalization is a priority area in higher education. Many institutions are exploring various approaches to achieve this goal including strategies such as internationalizing the curriculum. This paper provides an example of how educators can design and facilitate international authentic online collaborative learning that engages multiple perspectives, higher order thinking, and critical discourse. Given the affordances of digital learning technologies, students and educators are able to investigate topics with others from around the world within a virtual classroom environment. For 12 years, the authors facilitated an international collaborative inquiry for student teachers where they engaged in critical discourse with practicing teachers and teacher educators who acted as experts. Through a reflective process, the authors share highlights of their experiences and research, as well as identify tensions and disconnections at institutional (macro), program or department (meso), and instructional (micro) levels, that impact the ability to create and implement innovate practices in achieving internationalization of the curriculum. They conclude the paper by sharing three implications for educational institutions in creating conditions for authentic online collaborative learning

Do secondary pre-service teachers have what it takes to educate learners with special educational needs?

This case study shares secondary pre-service teachers’ concerns about teaching students with special educational needs within mainstream classrooms. Many pre-service teachers are fearful that they do not have what it takes to provide the best learning and teaching experiences for students with special educational needs. In this study, an online community comprised of pre-service teachers, practicing teachers, and teacher educators explored contemporary teaching and learning practices for students who have special educational needs. An analysis of the online posts exposed that the pre-service teachers: 1) had limited realization of the diversity of learners in secondary classrooms; 2) demonstrated a positive attitude towards inclusivity; 3) used literature to support claims; 4) presented an appreciation of learning with and from each other within an online community; and 5) made explicit references to their personal learning during their participation in the online community

Secondary pre-service teachers’ perceptions of technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK): what do they really think?

Meaningful integration of digital technology into learning and teaching is ill-structured, complex, and messy. Inherent in the complexity is the interaction between the different domains of teacher knowledge. The multifaceted problem is further compounded by the diversity of learners and technology in today's dynamic classroom contexts. Pre-service teachers often feel ill-prepared to plan for effective technology integration in their classrooms. Technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) has provided educators with a theoretical framework to unpack the complexity of technology integration. It sits at the heart of three interrelated components: content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and technological knowledge. These knowledge areas interact, support, and constrain each other. This study investigated secondary pre-service teachers’ perceptions of TPACK. Data were collected through an online survey and interviews. Following a brief introduction to TPACK, this article explores secondary pre-service teachers’ perceptions of TPACK and its components, along with their professional learning needs for TPACK development. Implications for teacher education programs are also provided

Online mentoring for secondary pre-service teachers in regional, rural or remote locations

This chapter describes a project which investigated qualitative expressions in an online mentoring community involving secondary pre-service teachers and practising teachers. The practising teachers acted as online mentors to the pre-service teachers who were personally, professionally and geographically isolated due to being located in regional, rural or remote areas. The online mentoring enabled rural and remote pre-service teachers to benefit from the ability to engage with practising teachers for both professional and academic purposes. The participants’ posts hosted in an invitational online space were coded using a content analysis framework, and outcomes from the online mentoring project are provided

Reflection as an indicator of cognitive presence

In the Community of Inquiry (CoI) model, cognitive presence indicators can be used to evaluate the quality of inquiry in a discussion forum. Engagement in critical thinking and deep knowledge can occur through reflective processes. When learners move through the four phases of cognitive presence (triggering, exploration, integration, resolution), the processes of discussion and reflection are important in developing deep understanding. In this article, data from the online discussion archives within a blended teacher-education course are analysed using the cognitive presence indicators from the CoI with the additional indicator of reflection. This study indicates that when instructors structure online discussions appropriately, learners are able to share and document their thinking and reflect on their contributions and the perspectives of others while developing new or deeper knowledge. To facilitate the coding of reflective activities and online posts the researcher proposes modifying the resolution phase of the original cognitive presence coding protocol to include an additional reflection indicator