‘Designing the plane while flying it’: concept co-construction in a collaborative action research project

In the field of collaborative action research (CAR), the quality of the collaborative partnerships between university researchers and practitioners has received much attention. Most accounts focus on three areas: the question how to organise and optimise the encounter of these ‘worlds’ of scientific and practical reasoning; the professional development and emancipation of practitioners; and the enhancement of the practical utility of a CAR-project. In this article, we look at CAR projects from a different angle and explore the question how theoretical concepts are co-constructed in CAR-projects, thereby acquiring both practical as well as scientific relevance. We have focused on the participatory process of conceptualization during a CAR project in primary education, in order to find out how a key concept in the considered project is co-constructed and operationalized in multidisciplinary communities of practices. Both the theoretical validity of the concept is evaluated as well as the validity of collaboration. An ‘hourglass’ model is introduced for analysing participation in CAR projects, holding a more relational and dialogic interpretation of participation than the ‘Participation Ladder’ model. Furthermore, a heuristic approach to conceptualization in CAR projects is proposed.     

Beyond locality: the creation of public practice‐based knowledge through practitioner research in professional learning communities and communities of practice. A review of three books on practitioner research and professional communities

In both the fields of educational practice and educational research the professional development of teachers was, is and is promising to remain an urgent and relevant topic. Practitioner research performed by teachers in professional learning communities and communities of practice is promising to serve their professional development. In addition, practitioner research and participation in these learning and working communities aim at explicating the locally existing tacit professional knowledge. Since practitioner research is also defined as a means to the aim of creating knowledge that is more relevant to the practice of education than the knowledge created by research institutes, we are concerned with the question of which mechanisms can be identified as enabling the production of public practice‐based knowledge. Therefore we review three current books on practitioner research and professional communities.     

The challenge of assessing professional competence in work integrated learning

A fundamental aspect of work integrated learning (WIL) is the development of professional competence, the ability of students to perform in the workplace. Alignment theory therefore suggests that the assessment of WIL should include an assessment of students’ demonstration of professional competence in the workplace. The assessment of professional competence in WIL is, however, problematic. It may be impractical for the academic supervisor to directly assess professional competence if there are a large number of students in external placements. If evidence of professional competence is provided by the student, the student’s ability to articulate his or her own capabilities will interfere with the validity of the assessment. If evidence of professional competency is provided by the supervisor then the assessment is heavily dependent on the individual supervisor and may be unreliable. This paper will examine the literature relating to the assessment of professional competence in WIL. The paper will be informed by the author’s experience in coordinating a WIL subject in an undergraduate law course. It will recommend that a mix of evidence provided by the student, the workplace supervisor and the academic supervisor should be used to assess professional competence in WIL.     

Teacher use of the interactive whiteboard in primary schools: towards an effective transition framework

abstract

The growing use of the interactive whiteboard (IWB) in primary school teaching forms part of a number of initiatives within the schools of the United Kingdom to develop the use of information and communications technology (ICT) in teaching and learning. The IWB presents both challenges and opportunities to teachers, particularly in terms of staff development and training. This study uses classroom observation and semi-structured interviews with teachers now working in a recently built, technology-rich primary school to develop a generic progressive framework and developmental model for schools introducing the IWB. This framework can be used to assess and guide teacher progress on the continuum towards becoming a ‘synergistic user’. As teachers make this transition there is a fundamental requirement to adopt an interactive teaching style, alongside the gradual development of specific ICT skills. The study also examines implications for teacher education and training for schools, both prior and subsequent to the introduction of the IWB into classroom use. These include specific technical and pedagogical competencies which need to be addressed for effective interactive use of the IWB in classroom teaching     

研究生创新教育中的协同教学

结合国内外高校研究生教育的现状,针对普通高校研究生教学中存在的问题,提出了多角度、多种方法协同培养的教学设想,以最大限度地挖掘学生的潜力,培养研究生的创新意识和创新技能,该教学模式对培养研究生的自主学习意识和探索能力将起到很好的引导作用。     

基于S2SH框架的高职院校协同办公系统设计研究

提高高职院校各部门之间行政管理和教学管理的效率是高职院校管理工作的一大任务。近年来,协同办公系统在高校内的普及使用推进了教育管理的信息化,同时也成为教育管理工作改革研究中的一个重要课题。S2SH是一种轻量级J2EE开发架构,通过采用S2SH框架来进行高职院校协同办公系统的开发,不仅性能稳定可靠,而且简化了编程模型。     

面向知识共享的协同政务组织模式

文章将跨区域突发事件应急联动网络作为协同政务知识共享的典型案例,对其组织模式及组织保障因素 进行了分析,指出应急协同网络是几个地区的政府部门协同应对突发事件的知识协同网,其中,突发事件应急联动体 系的一级协同网络构成知识型虚拟政府,二、三级协同网络可以视为政府知识协同团队,应急协同网络的正常运行需 要以良好的组织结构、信任机制、学习机制和知识共享文化等为组织保障。     

任务协作模式与多媒体网络隐性分级教学的可行性研究

探讨了基于多媒体与网络平台的大学英语隐性分级教学的特点,阐述和分析了任务协作模式在隐性分级教学中的的可行性,指出该模式将有助于解决目前教学中存在的实际问题,从而有效地提高学生的语言应用能力和自主学习能力。     

泛在学习环境下基于凯利方格法的协作学习模式研究

物联网、无线网络、移动终端设备等的发展促进了泛在学习方式的普及应用,但泛在学习矛盾、不连续、随意、无节制、流程短的特点对有意义学习的发生提出了挑战。文章使用凯利方格方法与小组协作学习策略,针对学习者现场观察到的知识进行知识获取,以实时投票机制产生小组共识,对小组内学习者的知识进行整合。实验证明,在泛在学习环境下,使用这种学习模式的小组学生在知识建构能力和学习成效方面得到一定程度的提高。     

Encouraging Pattern Language Development in a Pre-service Inclusive Education Course: A Comparative Study

This study investigated the ability of students in a pre-service teacher education course to deploy pattern language (or professional lexicon) related to specific inclusive teaching strategies. The study sought to determine whether there were differential effects of two approaches to learning, one based on a field-based placement (Applied Experience) and the other employing an embedded course design approach (Embedded Design). The results indicate that pattern language frequency and sophistication increased significantly over time. Results also indicate that pre-service teachers’ use and sophistication of pattern language differed according to the structure of the university learning approach employed. The findings are discussed within the context of Embedded Design theory and the role of Applied Experience in pre-service inclusive education, as well as within the context of building more rigorous teacher preparation programmes.