Capturing creativity using digital video

This paper evaluates the use of a creative learning activity in which postgraduate student teachers were required to collaboratively make short digital videos. The purpose was for student teachers to experience and evaluate a meaningful learning activity and to consider how they might reconstruct such an activity within their own teaching practice in their placement schools. Within UK primary schools (children aged 4 to 11 years) there is currently an increasing focus on creativity within teaching and learning and a desire to use ICT to enhance learning. This led the teacher educator in this case study to introduce a learning activity in which students created a short advert using digital video. The nature of creativity is considered, as is the collaborative element that frequently forms an element of creative learning activities. This collaboration was an integral element of the digital video activity. An existing framework of ‘meaningful learning’ is used to inform the analysis of the students’ responses to the learning activity. Student responses show that they valued the experience and developed a desire to use digital video in their own classroom practice on school placements. The combination of positive student responses, the collaborative nature of the activity and the scope for it to support meaningful learning make digital video a powerful tool for supporting creative teaching and learning

How do technologies support School Direct students' learning on a PGCE with Qualified Teacher Status within a Networked Learning Model

This work is a study of the way that students select and use technologies to build and maintain a learning network while training to become primary school teachers. It builds on the body of research which has explored Networked Learning by applying it to the context of teacher education and by applying it to a course where the ICTs used are selected by students not provided by tutors. It is a case study based on intrinsic interest with an exploratory focus to understand how and why students make use of the technologies they select. It uses multiple data sources including group interviews with students, interviews with tutors, questionnaires, virtual learning environment data and transcripts of students’ social media interactions. The analysis of these has been performed along three lines of enquiry to establish who is talking to whom, what they are talking about and why they are talking about it. The findings bring together a novel approach to the application of Networked Learning and research into a new route into teaching and show that students are sophisticated and agile users of a range of technologies. They use a variety of technologies to build and support interactions with artefacts, tutors and other learners. Where there are constraints in place, such as tutors’ preference for face-to-face interactions there is evidence that students will make use of technologies to substitute other interactions in their place. It finds that students’ most extensive interactions take place with other students and that these are multifaceted combining interactions directly related to learning, around-task interactions and social elements. It builds on research done in blended learning, networked learning, teacher education and social aspects of learning. It will be of interest to those interested in the role of technologies in education or those involved in teacher education

What goes on in there?” How do post-graduate trainee teachers make use of an online learning community using social networking sites?

Abstract This study explores the role that social networking sites play in the learning of post-graduate trainee teachers. It is part of a larger study that explored the role that technologies played in student learning via a Networked Learning framework. It draws upon the content posted to closed groups on social network sites, such as Facebook and WhatsApp, to explore two aspects of the impact these groups have. Firstly, the impact on social cohesion; in other words, how the social network site groups support interaction online and subsequently, face-to-face interactions. Secondly, the impact on learning that interactions in these groups has. It uses a threefold analysis strategy: the temporal distribution of usage, the context for interactions and the topic of interactions. It finds that there is a strong social element to student interactions which includes interactions relating to social activities but also interactions which provide moral support and encouragement as well as elements of humour. In addition to this are learning related interactions. These are widespread and cover both academic and professional learning. However, this is largely limited to interactions related to details, support, help and guidance rather than profound theoretical discussions. The survey combines the analysis of the content and context of interactions with a temporal analysis of interactions to explore how the use of these interactions changes in relation to key events in the course such as assignment submissions or school placements. It finds that the participants are discerning users who adopt a functional approach to social network interactions. They make extensive use of such sites prior to assignment submissions or the release of assignment feedback. But, on the other hand, at times of high workload, such as school placements, they will prioritise activity with the greatest potential impact on their success. In other words, they do not allow themselves to be overly distracted by social networking. It concludes that the social network site groups play an important role in supporting students to succeed on a busy and stressful course. Also, that students draw on social media in equal measure for social cohesion and learning related interactions. However, it must be noted that the learning interactions are typically around-task interactions rather than interactions at the heart of their learning

The pedagogical impacts of a move to online learning (work in progress)

The outbreak of Covid-19 has caused major disruptions to all aspects of life and in Higher Edu-cation it has had a significant impact on teaching and learning. Probably the greatest impact has been on the need to move much teaching and learning online. This is of particular interest as the migration to online teaching and learning has been driven by external factors rather than for pedagogic reasons. Four colleagues from the Institute of Education who all work on the Primary School Direct Post-Graduate Certificate in Education are engaged in research to explore this. Their research seeks to answer the following what are the pedagogical impacts of a move to online learning for a PGCE programme

Making the link: analysing the effectiveness of a module on the role of ICT in developing pupil creativity

This study of first year undergraduate student teachers seeks to evaluate the impact of an ICT specialist theme module on student perceptions of creativity and how they utilise ICT to support creative learning whilst on placement in schools. The module allows students to develop their understanding of what creativity is and how it might be developed through the use of digital technologies. Module feedback, interviews with students on placement and tutor reflections were combined to provide data to evaluate the impact of the module on student performance on placement. This research found that many students valued their learning on the module and used it as the catalyst to implement the use of ICT in their teaching. It also found that the students consider themselves to be creative practitioners; however, not all of their decisions to use ICT in their teaching are underpinned by a strong creative rationale. It also found that students demonstrated a developing critical understanding of how to develop creativity in the classroom and the role of ICT in achieving this. Finally, it emerged that there were a number of barriers that students encountered which limited the extent to which they could implement ICT in support of developing creativity

Integrating centre-based and school-based learning through a reflective journal for postgraduate student teachers

Building on findings first presented at TEAN 2022, this research reports on ongoing action research into the impact of a reflective journal as a tool that aims to strengthen the links student teachers make between centre-based learning and school-based learning (Lunenberg & Korthagen, 2009; Stenberg, Rajala & Hilppo (2016). This research has been designed to understand the differences in the way that students, tutors and school mentors view the purpose and value of the journal. It utilises group interviews and questionnaire data to co-construct and triangulate differences in the perceptions of the journal. The initial cycle of literature review, data generation and analysis led to the creation of five themes: The role of reflection in programmes, Differing depths of reflection (Korthagen 2011), Types of approaches adopted by students (Tang et al, 2019; McGarr, O’Grady and Guilfoyle, 2017), the development of a reflective practitioner identity (Boyd 2022) and the transfer of learning between settings (Lunenberg & Korthagen, 2009). It also identified implications for subsequent cycles. These themes will be presented and discussed in relation to the themes that had been anticipated at the outset of the research project. This presentation will provide an overview of developments implemented in response to the analysis of data from the first cycle. It will also present a summary of the findings of data generated with the current cohort of students and their mentors and will compare the impact that developments have had on the respective stakeholders’ perceptions of the journal. It is hoped that teacher educators with an interest in curriculum integration between centre-based and school-based learning will find this research relevant. Key references: Boyd, P., (2022) ‘Learning Teaching’ in school. Chapter In Cooper, H., & Elton-Chalcraft, S. (2022). Professional studies in primary education. Korthagen, F. A. J. (2011). Making teacher education relevant for practice: The pedagogy of realistic teacher education. ORBIS SCHOLAE. 5, 31-50. Lunenberg, M., & Korthagen, F., (2009) Experience, theory, and practical wisdom in teaching and teacher education, Teachers and Teaching: theory and practice, 15:2, 225-240, McGarr, O., O’Grady, E., & Guilfoyle, L., (2017) Exploring the theory-practice gap in initial teacher education: moving beyond questions of relevance to issues of power and authority, Journal of Education for Teaching, 43:1, 48-60 Stenberg, K., Rajala, A., & Hilppo, J., (2016) Fostering theory–practice reflection in teaching practicums, Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education. 44:5, 470-485 Tang. S. Y. F., Wong. A. K. Y., Li. D. D.Y. & Cheng. M. M. H. (2019) Examining student teachers’ engagement with the theory-practice link in initial teacher education, Journal of Education for Teaching

Thinking through new literacies for primary and early years

Thinking Through New Literacies for Primary and Early Years is an accessible text that encourages readers to consider deeply what is meant by 'literacy' today. It explores the many different ways in which teachers and children develop their own literacy. Specifically written for education students in the later years of their course, the text draws on research and practice to explore the challenges and opportunities involved, while helping to develop the reader's own critical thinking skills. The book begins by asking 'what's new about new literacies?' and goes on to explore some technological innovations designed to support the emergent reader and writer. It considers verbal literacy, speaking and listening, and visual literacy. Readers are encourages to think through the issues surrounding inclusion and the legal and ethical issues raised by this post-typographic age. Throughout, practical guidance runs alongside structured critical thinking exercises to help the reader reflect on both theory and practice