Capturing learning in digital spaces

Posted on March 31, 2012 by pepsmccrea

I have just completed the last assignment of the first phase of my EdD (professional doctorate). The abstract is below, and you can read more at www.capturinglearning.com It has not been assessed yet, so this may well not be the final version!

This pilot study employs a ‘design-based research’ methodology (Van den Akker, 2006) and critical realist analytical framework (Danermark et al., 1997), to evaluate the design and implementation of an online learning space, for a group of approximately 60 initial teacher education students in their final year.

The inquiry aims to describe how learning happened in the online space, and explain how the design of the online space influenced learning. Five contextually-sensitive design principles are hypothesised, and these are interrogated through the lens of Mezirow’s transformative learning theory (2009).

The design principles hypothesise that ‘pubic yet safe’ online spaces have the potential to foster student voice and the performance of professional identities. Is is suggested that transformative learning has the potential to emerge if the technology affords an opportunity for reflexive engagement with this ‘re-performance of identity’.

A conflict between the realist ontology and constructivist epistemology of the critical realism meta-framework is highlighted as a major challenge for educational research, as well as the complex nature of inquiry into socio-technological learning. The value of complexity theory (Davis & Sumara, 2008), and the ‘hacker ethos’ (Suiter, 2010) is explored in this context.

This study attempts to rise the the responsibilities of scholarship in a digital age, and has been conducted using digital, networked and open practices where appropriate (Weller, 2012).

UPDATE I passed this assignment! Now a mere thesis stands between me and the EdD…

Posted in Digital scholarship, Professional doctorate | Leave a comment

Pedagogy Badges: disrupting how we teach

Posted on March 5, 2012 by pepsmccrea

One of the things we’ve learned from our LATTE experience is that discussions about technology for learning nearly always come back to the pedagogical values of the educator (or designer). This means that if we want to harness the power of technology to transform education, it needs to happen alongside a debate about pedagogy.

The new model of Connected Learning launched by DML (thanks to Doug Belshaw for keeping us informed) last week is a delightfully positive step in this direction. It offers a framework to get our teeth into. However, we still lack a common pedagogical language to chew on. This is where we hope Pedagogy Badges will provide some meat.

The tool is designed to catalyse discussion about how we teach and learn. The badges themselves have not been decided on yet. That will happen through an open consultation, and will be a rich part of the process in itself. The notion of a set of badges to describe such a complex set of practices is itself highly controversial. However, we feel that the importance of kickstarting conversation about pedagogy is paramount in these times of technological determinism. I hope and anticipate that a critique will emerge in parallel.

We have submitted our plan to the JISC Elevator (a crowd-sourced ideas platform), and need 150 votes from across 7 different UK institutions to get funded. Check out our plan by clicking below, and if you think its got legs, vote! All feedback greatly appreciated.

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Design for life

Posted on February 18, 2012 by pepsmccrea

Teaching has many dimensions. From working with them and helping them figure it out, to assessing and directing their progress, to designing meaningful learning experiences. I see my own expertise at the design end. I enjoy choreographing learning, but not nearly as much as the challenge of designing for rich and (potentially) transformative learning.

Design has been a passion throughout my entire life. One of my earliest memories is of being asked by my classmates to recreate for them a duplo (big lego) car with wings that I had put together after much consideration. I was 6. I am now 31 and still can’t get enough of the thrill of ‘designing & making’ – it’s such a natural activity. Recent creations include the christmas tree and BBQ below (yes, I’m going through a ‘hanging’ phase), and this online space for learning.

All this has got me thinking: what does it mean to be an expert in pedagogical design? And do we talk enough about design for learning? Answers on a postcard. In the meantime: what have you ‘designed & made’ recently? Go on, share…

 

Posted in Learning design, Philosophical musings | Leave a comment

Mathematics vs thinking mathematically

Posted on February 8, 2012 by pepsmccrea

Is there any difference between mathematics and thinking mathematically? I’ve been mulling this one over for a while, and this is where I have got to:

For me, the relationship between mathematical thinking and mathematics is similar to the relationship between creative thinking and art. Mathematics is the product. Mathematical thinking is the process.

So what? Well, for starters, art teachers don’t go around trying to get kids to replicate the mona lisa. Why not? Because it is the creative process that leads to products of value. If you train someone to replicate the mona lisa they can do just that. But they cannot then produce an equally significant piece of art. And besides, the mona lisa has already be done. It’s value was in it’s creation – they cannot contribute to the domain as much as they could do with an original piece.

How is this similar to/different from maths teaching? Are we as clear about the process/product distinction in the math(s) world? I would argue not. We often value the reproduction of the product – aspects of a body of knowledge that has been created before us. Why? Maybe because this can offer a tangible measure of somebody’s subject knowledge. Or maybe because it is perceived as holding value in today’s economy?

If so, I suspect this could turn out to be a false economy, because in the abundant information ecology of the digital age, any body of knowledge that can be instantly Googled is of little real value to the beholder. Ewan McIntosh argues that we need to focus on problem generation rather than problem solving. We need to be equipping learners to contribute in a world where there are a shortage of problems, not solutions. If he is right, should we be ignoring this body of knowledge completely? Or does it serve an important scaffolding function?

Either way, in the UK we are already seeing a shift of focus more towards mathematical thinking. ‘Process’ accounts for roughly half of the marks available in our high stakes tests at 16. But is that enough? Can we really justify the other half? Or is my analogy an exercise in naive logic?

Posted in Disruptive thought, Mathematical thinking | 2 Comments

Building a teacher educator PLN: responsively & responsibly

Posted on February 7, 2012 by pepsmccrea

How often do you change the focus your PLN? How often should you?

Recently, I’ve made a move to get more in touch with fellow (digitally resident) teacher educators. I had been reading the wonderful educating grace for a while now, without being fully aware of the impact it has had on me. Engaging with the thoughts and reflections of someone in a similar professional role to myself is more than enjoyable – it has really pushed me to think more deeply about my practice (NOTE I wonder how much this is because of our different contexts: similar job, different continent).

So I wondered what would happen if I shifted the focus of my PLN slightly. Several tweets later I am now following a whole flock (?) of teacher educators. I imagine it will be a couple of months before I begin to notice any change in my thinking, but in the meantime I have a couple of questions:

  • Am I in danger of bringing too narrow a focus to my attention? Martin Weller has talked before about the importance of building a diverse PLN. But with diversity we loose resonance. A mix of course is best, but how do different blends impact in different ways?
  • What are the implications for professional responsibility in an age where is it so easy to retrain the focus of our attention? What does leadership mean in this context?

Below is a list of teacher educators who have been recommended to me as being digitally active, plus some. Do let me know if I have left anyone out!

@teachology
@Caro_lann
@mathhombre
@samshep
@delta_dc
@DavidPowellHud
@alisoniredale
@cherylren
@TeachNorthern
@ghostyhead
@AvrilLoveless
@janemelvin2
@NadiaE1
@graceachen
Posted in Digital scholarship, e-learning community | 2 Comments

VLEs, digital illiteracy & pedagogy 2.0

Posted on January 25, 2012 by pepsmccrea

Over time, do VLEs deskill educators and lead to digital illiteracy? Have they inhibited the emergence of a Pedagogy 2.0?

The majority of institutions have VLEs. And have had them for a while. During this time educators have been provided with off-the-shelf solutions to support their teaching, (which of course have been valuable for several reasons). However, this means that for a  number of years some of us educators (without being mega-aware of it) have been:

  1. outsourcing aspects of our pedagogy
  2. sacrificing some our autonomy as designers of learning

How sustainable is it to use off-the-shelf solutions to enhance the learning experience of our students? How likely is it that generic tools will align with our desired pedagogy? If the tools on offer are not what our students need, do we have the knowledge and skills to develop bespoke solutions? Have we educated ourselves digitally illiterate? Or worse: pedagogically illiterate?

One of the things I am beginning to understand is the power of technology as an excuse. An excuse to interrogate our enacted pedagogy, an excuse to innovate new ways of designing for learning, an excuse to disrupt education. Web 2.0 has transformed the way we live. Are we ready for Pedagogy 2.0 to transform the way we learn?

What does Pedagogy 2.0 mean to you? And perhaps more crucially: what do we need to do to enable it?

Posted in Digital pedagogies, Disruptive thought, Learning design | 1 Comment

What’s the ‘it’ in ‘what’s it all about’?

Posted on December 1, 2011 by pepsmccrea

Another one of the many questions that our resident prof @AvrilLoveless poses which appear simple at the outset, but leave me perplexed for months/years at a time. And yet I feel I might finally be getting close to figuring the ‘it’ in my EdD. So here goes:

I’m interested in how different pedagogies help people become better learners.

Now two things need to be clarified. Firstly: what do I mean by these terms, and secondly: what do I propose to do about it? Let’s start with pedagogies (as I’ve been thinking about that one for a while). For me: pedagogy is the science/art of teaching, and teaching is about enabling others to learn. So pedagogy is the science/art of enabling others to learn, and they can differ in how they approach the enabling of learning. For example, aquisition pedagogies focus on the transmission of content, whereas participation pedagogies focus on learning though getting involved.

The better learners bit is much less clear for me. I know what I want it to mean – I’m just not sure I’ve got the right words to describe it yet. It’s about autonomy, responsibility, agency, confidence, contribution, identity, self-regulation, independence. It you have any suggestions as to the word I might be searching for please let me know!

So what do I propose to do about it. Well, the current plan is to look at the design and evaluation of an online learning space (MATHAGOGY) through a critical realist lens. Critical realism suggests that there is value in trying to understand the relationship between structure and agency in our world. Structure in this instance would refer to the design of the space, the culture that emerges within it, my role as a tutor etc. In short: the pedagogy and its’ context. Agency would be the better learners bit discussed above.

This approach is based on a couple of important assumptions. One: that we come to learn as much by creating something as we do by analysing it. The making of an online learning space (through iterations of theoretically-informed design, evaluation, theorisation and redesign etc.) would also be a visible representation of my knowledge in practice. And two: that pedagogy can only be evaluated obliquely (indirectly). In order to understand pedagogy we should look at the learning outcomes and processes it fosters.

Posted in Digital pedagogies, Learning design, Professional doctorate | 2 Comments

Philosophical framing

Posted on October 24, 2011 by pepsmccrea

Me & Jane Melvin have been asked to talk about our philosophical journey in an upcoming EdD session at our Institution. Like Jane, I am finding preparing for this one a challenge – food for the soul. How do I frame my ontology & epistemology? Where does axiology feature? And how does identity fit?

I always find that biographical influences play a huge role when unpicking tacit stuff like this. And so to help me tell my story I have got down with some creative writing. I don’t know that genre this is, or why I am writing as you rather than me, but for whatever reason it helps me weave a narrative that I can then take the knife to. So here goes:

Coming to know

You grew up in a rural protestant community
The scientific method has a tight grip
The two are compatible
No-one questions
Simple versions of the truth are all that exist

You leave home to study engineering
It reinforces all that you know
Everything can be measured
Except one thing
Your lack of commitment to the bottom line

You try your hand at teaching
This is a better fit
Learners are lovely to work with
Less predictable than machines
Most of the time

In the world of academia you run with the pack
Constructivism rules
Nothing is certain
How can you know?
There’s a stone in your shoe

Now you’re an activist hacker
A bricoleur with a goal
Chasing fallible truths
Buts that’s okay
Because you know yourself

Now remember, this is just some creative writing: it is not my CV! I am not a hacker (at least in the anonymous sense of the word), or an activist (again in the traditional sense), but you’ll have to wait till next post for an explanation. And if you need an amuse bouche, I recommend reading this by the awesome Sarah Thorneycroft.

Posted in Professional doctorate | 3 Comments

From content to process: thinking beats knowledge

Posted on October 9, 2011 by pepsmccrea


@ interesting peps, can you recommend somewhere that says more about what you mean by ‘focus on process’ in your world?
October 6, 2011 11:17 am via webReplyRetweetFavorite
@SteveLaneCST
Steve Lane

Last week I argued that the education system in the western world is mid-way through a realignment in focus from content to process. What does a focus on process look like?

For me it’s about prioritising the development of thinking skills over the acquisition of knowledge. Let’s take an example from the world of learning maths. You might know that the area of a circle is 3.14ish times the square of its radius. However, spending time and effort acquiring knowledge like this is fairly redundant in a world where we have a highly accessible, more-than-one-person-can-ever-know knowledge base at our fingertips. Instead, I believe that it is much more valuable to prioritize the development of reasoning and problem-solving skills that might allow you to figure out the relationship between the radius and the area of a circle, and a whole lot more. Because thinking is transferable, knowledge is not. Because thinking requires capacity, knowledge is on tap.

One of the ways in which we can develop thinking is through the use of tools. Language is a tool, and has changed how we think, as was pen and paper. More recently, the internet is giving us access to a huge range of tools that have the potential to change our thinking.

But tools themselves do not change thinking. It is how they are used that makes the difference. And so is one of our emerging roles as educators in the digital age to curate, introduce and enable people to use tools that can help develop their thinking? If so, is being an effective educator less about what you know, and more about how you think?

For a greater insight into the impact of digital tools on learning I highly recommend giving Gràinne Conole’s draft final chapter (of her forthcoming book) a read…

Posted in Digital pedagogies, Learning design | Leave a comment

Technology, pedagogy and emancipatory change

Posted on October 4, 2011 by pepsmccrea

I am coming to understand that one of the most important roles that digital technologies play in our turbulent times is as an excuse to explore and foster pedagogical change.

The world we live in has changed. For those with access, we now swim in what Martin Weller might call an ‘abundance of content‘. Pedagogies based on metaphors of acquisition are being called to account. At its own creaking pace, education is hacking the transition from a focus on content to a focus on process – from pedagogies of acquisition to pedagogies of participation. But as with all change, there is resistance.

One of the most important things that digital technologies provide is an opportunity to legitimately explore new ways of supporting and encouraging learning: as permits to challenge and rethink established pedagogies. They are the tools of educational emancipation for our digital age. The tools with which new pedagogies will be crafted.

Over at #change11 this is already in full swing. At our own LATTE we have already found that discussions about digital tools lead quite quickly to talk of teaching and learning. So not only do digital technologies provide the fuel, they also provide the firepit. Which is where my EdD trajectory comes hurtling in: exploring the design of spaces for learning.

Waddayareckon?

Posted in #change11, Disruptive thought | 5 Comments