MirandaNet

Publications | Members' Publications | Research | Profiles | Braided Learning Ejournal

MirandaNet Fellows and Scholars are encouraged to publish their work in print and online. We are making increasing use of our Braided Learning Ejournal, where scholars and fellows can collaborate online.

Key publications about professionals learning online : social networking and braided learning

1. Preston, C. "Social networking between professionals - what is the point?" (© Taconet, 2007)

Abstract

This article addresses the issue that most of the research into the impact of open social networking concentrates on groups that are engaged in leisure pursuits where the outcomes are more about making initial contacts than building knowledge collaboratively. Some evidence of more purposeful activity is found in some closed learning platforms developed for young learners in schools. In terms of adult learners, researchers like Salmon and de Laat have investigated the more productive online activity that takes place in learning platforms designed for the delivery of courses. However, evidence of adult collaborative knowledge building is sparse in this context: firstly because the networking activity is confined to a course that has a finite time span, and, secondly because the learners tend to stop communicating online when they have the final individual assignment to complete for accreditation. This reinforces isolated learning at the end of a course rather than consolidating the group knowledge that has been accumulated. The emergent evidence for collaborative learning is drawn in this paper from the debates between members of two professional organisations for educators; the MirandaNet Fellowship which is international and Naace, which is UK based. These two organisations qualify as 'communities of practice' (CoPs) according to the Wenger and Lave definition which is explained later. My long term membership of these groups has permitted privileged insights into our collaborative learning progress over two decades. The evidence suggests that these e-mature CoP members are slowly devising techniques to co-operate remotely in three key areas that move beyond Salmon's 5­step online model of engagement. This step 6, which is called Braided Learning, identifies three new strands of activity. The first is to produce a collaborative text that influences professional theory, policy and practice. The second is to co-operate on creating new professional theory, policy and practice. The third is to make alliances between group in order to benefit from members strengths.

Email if you are interested in seeing the full article.

2. Braided Learning: promoting active professionals in education

An overview of braided learning theory for online professional working (Word, 163KB)

Published in First Monday:

Theories and Models Of Online Learning, Caroline Haythornthwaite with Richard Andrews, Bertram C. Bruce, Michelle M. Kazmer, Rae-Anne Montague & Christina Preston, August 6, 2007 First Monday, Vol 12 No 8 Chicago IL, USA

Key Publications about ICT Continuing Professional Development

1. Davis, N. E., C. Preston, et al. (submitted 2007). "Theoretical and evaluation frameworks to inform technology-related professional development for teachers, tested with evidence from a national study of ICT professional development for teachers."

Summary

This paper re-examines the evidence from a national initiative to train all teachers in England to bring them up to the level of newly qualified teachers who are required to know when to use, and when not to use, Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in their professional practice. Data gathered for the 2004 evaluation of the programme uncovers the complexity of such professional development. Multiple sources of evidence are provided on the effectiveness of contrasting approaches to ICT-related teacher training. This data was analysed including a national survey of 496 trainees, and experts’ reports on 16 of the 47 training providers was analysed using Guskey’s (2002) five levels of professional development evaluation: participants’ reactions; participants’ learning; organizational support and change; participants’ use of new knowledge and skills; and, students’ learning outcomes. This first analysis showed Guskey’s levels to be robust for ICT-related teacher training, including a significant correlation between the experts’ views and those of teachers who had undergone training. The evidence confirms the value of an ecological perspective (Davis, 2008, in press). The most effective training supports change with ICT in macro and micro ecologies, including the classroom, the school, and training provider’s region. ICT-related teacher training using an ‘information transfer’ approach is not appropriate, despite its success in commercial train.

Email if you are interested in seeing the full article.

2. Davis, N., C. Preston, et al. (submitted 2007). "ICT teacher training impacts multiple ecologies: evidence from a national initiative."

Summary

The design of continuing professional development to enable teachers to use ICT in teaching and learning is little researched, despite increasing demand for it in the twenty-first century. A national initiative for ICT teacher training in England provided the opportunity to contrast two training designs, only one of which was highly rated by teachers and educational ICT experts. The highly rated design adopted an ‘organic’ approach that provided training in schools, whereas the contrasted design efficiently deployed computer-based training materials facilitated by on-line access to trainers. Although both designs used on-line communities of practice, the better rated design deployed it for ICT trainers in training, rather than for teachers in training. The contrast of the two designs provides support for an ecological view of the diffusion of IT innovations in education (Davis, 2008, in press). The decentralized organic model of ICT teacher training supported the evolution of ecosystems of the classroom and the school, as well as the development of training for ICT teacher trainers. In contrast, the centralized model caused more disruption in these educational ecosystems. Recommendations include adoption of an ecological perspective when designing ICT teacher training.

Email if you are interested in seeing the full article.

3. Preston, C. and J. Cuthell (2007). The Perspectives of Professional Educators on ICT CPD: Past, Present, Future. N. Pachler. London, Naace, MirandaNet Fellowship, WLE, Institute of Education, University of London.

MirandaNet have produced a report, funded by the Institute of Education's Centre for Excellence in Work-based Learning (WLE), investigating teachers'. advisers' and teacher educators' professional development needs in ICT with 250 members of the IT specialist groups Naace, ITTE and MirandaNet.

The report found that around a third of the respondents had received no ICT training for three years and some ten per cent had never had any form of formal instruction. Practice-based training, rather than skills-based or academic courses, were deemed most useful by 41%. In terms of motives for using ICT, equipping learners to be independent featured prominently (48%) as did international collaborations (19%). Very few respondents made any link to supporting vocational learning ­ a key strand of the new 14-19 curriculum.

In terms of ICT CPD needed for the future, there was a split in opinion with Naace members identifying learning platforms as the priority while ITTE and MirandaNet members pinpointed a need for practice-based courses and applied research.

4. Preston, C. (2004). Learning to use ICT in Classrooms: teachers' and trainers' perspectives : an evaluation of the English NOF ICT teacher training programme 1999-2003. London, MirandaNet and the Teacher Training Agency

[More information... ]

Some highlights from the findings:

"The culture of the schools and the leaders' attitude was crucial to the success of the programme from the start."

"The training in our school had the effect of 'kick starting' much of the ICT work both as individuals and in class teaching. Without the training many teachers would still be frightened of ICT."

"The programme showed a considerable degree of improvement, particularly in the last year, resulting in over 75% of teachers completing the training."

"By the time of this MirandaNet survey the ATPs and the participants had made so many changes and adjustments in the programme that the measured data are significantly different from the data collected by earlier research."

"Despite 12 UK government ICT initiatives since 1974, not enough teachers had adequate ICT tools and/or competence to make full use of the programme about the pedagogy of ICT."

"Many ATPs had not anticipated the wide variety of skill levels of teachers."

"The quality of the trainer was the factor most commented on, both in the negative and the positive comments."

"One of the major factors in learning was the quality of the trainer. Many of them were highly praised."

"Among the schools (ATPs explained that) there was an overwhelming preference for the face-to-face delivery model."

"Over 290,000 teachers have completed their training which is a major achievement for the teachers, their schools and the trainers."

"Evidence suggests that a large majority of teachers did make progress by making creative use of the opportunity offered."

5. Preston, C. M. Cox et al. (2000) Teachers as Innovators: an evaluation of what motivates teachers to use ICT. TTA, Compaq and Oracle.

This small-scale study investigated how teachers can be helped to integrate ICT effectively into their teaching. We decided to use a sample of teachers who had overcome most barriers and were motivated to use ICT in their teaching on a regular basis to explore the factors that had led to their uptake and sustained use of ICT. In order to obtain such a sample, we sent 135 questionnaires to teachers and other educators who were members of three professional ICT in education associations, namely MirandaNet, National Association of Co-ordinators and Teachers of IT (ACITT), and TeacherNet, and their colleagues who were regular users of ICT including the Internet. These associations provide support for the practices and professional development of teachers using ICT. (Download a PDF of the full summary)

[More information...]

Naace Strategic Conference

Christina Preston will be presenting a keynote on the design of ICT CPD seminars at the the Naace Strategic conference on Friday 28th September 2007.

This talk refers to the the research on how an e-mature community of practice is learning online. There is more information below, and you can download the PowerPoint of her presentation on the findings (PowerPoint 2.10MB)

5. Learning to use ICT in classrooms: Teachers' and Trainers' Perspectives

Researching the outcomes of the New Opportunities Fund (NOF) ICT Teacher Training

The MirandaNet Fellowship was commissioned by the TDA to evaluate the only national training programme (1999-2004) in the world published in 2004. You will find the report here.

"Theoretical and evaluation frameworks to inform technology-related professional development for teachers, tested with evidence from a national study of ICT professional development for teachers"

"ICT teacher training impacts multiple ecologies: evidence from a national initiative"

These two papers (in Press, Dec 2007) written with Niki Davis that appear above on this page offer a further analysis about the data that was collected at that time.

These papers look at the case studies to see what kind of methods seemed to work best.

Guardian Report on the CPD experiences of ICT Advisers

The latest research by MirandaNet Fellows, Braided Learning, is about how an e-mature community of practice is learning online. There is a report on the Guardian website:

Nightingale, J. Research : Education without complications, Guardian, Link Supplement June 19th, London http://education.guardian.co.uk/elearning/story/0,,2105790,00.html

It has been a busy time at MirandaNet. They have produced another report, funded by the Institute of Education's centre for excellence in work-based learning (WLE), investigating teachers'. advisers' and teacher educators' professional development needs in ICT with 250 members of the IT specialist groups Naace, ITTE and MirandaNet.

It found that around a third of the respondents had received no ICT training for three years and some ten per cent had never had any form of formal instruction. Practice-based training, rather than skills-based or academic courses, were deemed most useful by 41%. In terms of motives for using ICT, equipping learners to be independent featured prominently (48%) as did international collaborations (19%). Very few respondents made any link to supporting vocational learning ­ a key strand of the new 14-19 curriculum.

In terms of ICT CPD needed for the future, there was a split in opinion with Naace members identifying learning platforms as the priority while ITTE and MirandaNet members pinpointed a need for practice-based courses and applied research.

You might also be interested in Christina Preston's Braided Learning Presentation made on 23 April 2007at Leicester University (Braided Learning: Salmon's Sixth Step?). The full presentation with the sound track and notes are available here:

[Back to the top]

[Back]