学习、设计与技术——AECT 2014年会评述与思考

2014美国教育传播与技术协会(AECT)国际年会11月4—8日在美国佛罗里达州的杰克逊威尔市召开,来自世界各地近1000名学者、研究生、设计、研究和实践人员参加了本届年会。本次AECT年会共为参会者提供了400多场不同主题的发言以及学习交流和研讨机会。作为AECT 2014年会的组织者与参与者,作者对本届年会的发言内容,包括大会的主题演讲、主席专场报告、分会论坛发言,以及圆桌专题论坛做了全面而详实的报道;同时,根据自己的亲身经历与体会,对年会的主要发言进行了深入的分析,与读者分享对本届年会的感悟以及年会所折射出的教育技术现状与发展趋势。     

Schools as (Dis)Organisations: the ‘breakdown of the culture of learning and teaching’ in South African schools

A prominent and problematical legacy of apartheid education, which requires transformation, is the poor functioning of a large number of previously black schools (commonly termed ‘the breakdown of the culture of teaching and learning'). While the causes of breakdown may be traced back to the years of opposition to apartheid and the resistance struggle waged within schooling from 1976 onwards, it is less clear what may be done to remedy the situation. This article explores particular organisational dimensions of school failure with a view to understanding how they have affected the operation of schools, why schools have broken down and what interventions may remedy this breakdown. It moves beyond rational theories of organisation to argue that perspectives derived from psychoanalytical approaches to organisation may be useful in planning strategies for intervention to transform teaching and learning in these schools.     

Social effects of collaborative learning in primary schools

There is conflicting evidence on whether collaborative group work leads to improved classroom relations, and if so how. A before and after design was used to measure the impact on work and play relations of a collaborative learning programme involving 575 students 9–12 years old in single- and mixed-age classes across urban and rural schools. Data were also collected on student interactions and teacher ratings of their group-work skills. Analysis of variance revealed significant gains for both types of relation. Multilevel modelling indicated that better work relations were the product of improving group skills, which offset tensions produced by transactive dialogue, and this effect fed through in turn to play relations. Although before intervention rural children were familiar with each other neither this nor age mix affected outcomes. The results suggest the social benefits of collaborative learning are a separate outcome of group work, rather than being either a pre-condition for, or a direct consequence of successful activity, but that initial training in group skills may serve to enhance these benefits.