maandag 18 oktober 2010

The added value of TPACK: looking back to the different topics of the course

After four lectures about flexibility, pedagogical approaches, technology and of course the TPACK model it is time to reflect on the things that I have learned. I would like to look back to my previous posts and lectures and also would like to come to a conclusion about the added value of TPACK in the different topics.

In the first lecture we talked about flexibility in education. This lecture opened a new world for me. I really have to say that flexibility was all about distance to me. But you can have different kinds of flexibility. I’ve described them in an earlier post on my blog. All these different kinds of flexibility can be used in classes to make education flexible.
But making a course more flexible is a real challenge for a teacher. Not only because it is another way of teaching than the teacher is used to, but most of it because the teacher will lose a piece of control. I think that it is very difficult for a teacher to give the control out of his hands and that is a struggle. But last week we talked about TPACK and I think that TPACK can help the teacher to reach more flexibility in the class.
To reach TPACK a teacher has to work hard, because it is difficult (see my previous blog), but the integration of technology, content and pedagogy will make it easier to come to a flexible lesson. Not because TPACK takes difficult choices away, but because TPACK gives a teacher the chance to combine the three elements of knowledge together in a logic way. It gives you a form of support to combine all your knowledge together to make your learning environment flexible.

I also wrote something about different pedagogical approaches. Especially I looked to the combination of a specific approach with the use of CMS (Course Management System) and then several approaches next too each other. From this lecture and the assignment I really learned in what way we can combine technology with a specific approach, but also how difficult it can be. Teachers have to take a lot of different elements in mind when they design a lesson and technology is often forgotten in the organization of the lesson. In my blog about pedagogical approaches I was wondering how we can convince a teacher to use a new approach that differs a lot from the approach that he always used. And I have to say that a step in the right direction is the introduction of TPACK. I think that TPACK can have a real value in this part. The TPACK model gives a teacher a real opportunity first to look separately towards the different kinds of knowledge that is needed and after that to start with the integration of these three parts of knowledge to make it one. When a teacher can use TPACK I think that it will be easier to integrate technology into the approach that a teacher uses.

Before we talked about TPACK we also looked at technology and the way it can be used in the classroom. For me it was a really important learning point that we always say that technology is a negative thing for teachers and fun for students. But we forget that it also can be fun for teachers. So for me that is very important to think of when I’m talking about technology in classrooms again. I think that sometimes it isn’t the problem that teachers don’t like technology, but that they don’t know how they have to work with it. And to make that easier and help them to use it in a normal way the TPACK model can help. As I said before I think that the TPACK model can make teachers aware of the way they use different kinds of approaches and technology. By making them aware of the possibilities and the ways they can integrate it, I think that will make teachers more capable of using technology in their lessons. Of course there are costs, time and the guidance that are issues that can’t be forgotten. But I think that with using TPACK in the organization of a lesson it will be easier to combine all the things together.
Looking back to the lectures I realize that the lectures were the preparation for the TPACK model. And it has helped me to understand the goal of TPACK and the way it can be used. I also see now, after writing this reflection, that TPACK can help teachers in several ways. I also can say that I really know more about the different topics we discussed and the way they can be used in a lesson and in what way they influence the way our teachers teach. At first I thought that the three different topics were kind of separate from each other. I found it very hard to combine all three together. The introduction of TPACK made it easier for me and I can see the connections now. And I really see that TPACK can make a difference in all three topics. It really can support the integration of the three core types of knowledge that the teacher need to organize a lesson.

I can link TPACK towards the three different topics we discussed and then I really think that it can help the teacher. But I also see some difficulties mostly in the way that I can work with the model. I understand the model and know what every piece means and how you van integrate it. But after the lecture of last week I conclude that it is very difficult to make the combination and design a lesson based on this model. And I’m really wondering how you can convince teachers to use it. You can learn it to them in training programs, but is that enough? I really wonder in what way you can stimulate the use of TPACK in the classroom and not only in the programs for professional development. Because I can imaging that it takes a lot more time to understand and use the model in the right way then a workshop or training program will take.
So, I’ve really learned a lot about the topics and I like TPACK very much and also think that it can be used in a good way in education, but I really wonder in what way you implement this model in education with as result that it will be used by the teachers for a longer time. Hopefully the next lecture will also talk about the implementation of TPACK in education and the different things that we have to think about. Maybe you have a good idea about how we can implement the model in education, how we can make our teachers aware of the three elements and the integration of those elements? And how we make sure that the model will be used more then once? Maybe we can come together to a good answer on my questions

Bringing it all together: Meet TPACK

In the first three lectures of the course ‘Pedagogies for flexible learning supported by technology’ we focused on flexibility, pedagogies and technology. Last week I had a lecture about bringing it all together. Finally we talked about TPACK. In this blog I will try to explain what TPACK means and why it can help teachers to teach their subjects.

In figure 1 (source: http://tpack.org/) you see the TPACK model. This model shows four circles, three circles are standing in the middle and are connected with each other. The last circle stands for the context which is important for the teacher to think about.
Figuur 1: TPACK model (source: http//:tpack.org)
The TPACK model is based on the PCK model of Shulman (1986; in Koehler & Mishra, 2009). PCK stands for Pedagogical Content Knowledge. The PCK model describes how teachers’ understanding of educational technologies and PCK is interacting with each other to produce effective teaching. Koehler & Mishra (2009) added the T for Technology in this model and created TPACK. They added the T because they say that technology is moving so fast that it is important that a teacher has specific knowledge about this area and not only the basics that can be used in the classrooms.

But what does this TPACK exactly stand for? Let me explain the different parts of the model.
First we see the Pedagogical Knowledge (PK). A teacher needs knowledge about certain pedagogies that can be used in the class. You can think about Inquiry learning, problem-based learning or workplace learning (for an explanation about this please see an earlier post of me). But a teacher also has to know something about the prior knowledge of the student. Based on that prior knowledge he can make his lesson. Also the way of assessing is a part of the pedagogical knowledge.

Then we have the Content Knowledge (CK). This type of knowledge means that the teacher needs to know a lot about the subject that he teaches. When a teacher teaches geography for example it is important that he has knowledge about climates. He has to know what the differences there are and where the different kinds can be found.
To support the teacher in teaching there are several kinds of technology that the teacher can use. You can think about an online learning environment, simulations or cameras. It is important for the teachers that they understand the technology and that they have the knowledge and skills to work with it. That is the third inner circle in the model, Technological Knowledge (TK). This is the part of the circle were the teacher can develop skills to work with technologies. But it also has to give the teacher full understanding of the technologies and the ability to learn and adapt new technologies. In that way the teacher is up-to-date and can integrate technology in his lessons.

Those three circles are related to each other. You can see that they are connected with each other in different ways, namely:

Technological Pedagogical Knowledge (TPK) à This is how pedagogies change because of ICT
Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) à How particular aspects of subject matter are organized, adapted and represented in the lesson
Technological Content Knowledge (TCK) à How subject matter changes because of ICT

And finally we have TPACK in the centre of the model. TPACK stands for Technological, Pedagogical Content Knowledge and goes beyond all the three components I have discussed above. This means that all the knowledge that is important for a teacher is connected in TPACK. So TPACK is an understanding in which interaction between content, technology and pedagogy is reached. But reaching TPACK isn’t an easy job. This is because there isn’t one combination that works best for all the different subjects, teachers and the way a teacher teach.

So it is hard to reach TPACK, but I think that it is important that a teacher tries to reach TPACK and that the teacher also get the support to reach it. And by working together it is possible to reach TPACK.

Koehler, M., J. & Mishra, P. (2009) What is Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge? Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Eduaction, 9(1), pp. 60-70.

woensdag 6 oktober 2010

Homework, The Game

I saw a video on the internet in which a program of the Dutch television is telling about a new form of making homework in primary education. This is a computer program in which games, profiles and learning are combined. The name of the game is ‘Squla’ and it provides the learner with exercises about several subjects like mathematics and geography. Learners can make the exercises in school, but also at home. By playing the game and making the exercises the learners get rewards like a new game or gifts. The learners can also play in a competitive way with the other children of the class.

The company who developed the program hopes that this will satisfy the need for computers that learners have. It also provides the learner with useful information were they can learn from and it isn’t just gaming for fun anymore. But it is important to know that schools have to pay for every child per month to work with this program. Nevertheless the teachers who are working with it already say that money don’t have to be the problem, because the program is very good and provides learners to get information in several ways.

I think it is a nice way of integrating technology in the class and gives the teacher an opportunity to combine content, pedagogy and technology together. And I really thought that this was something to share with you. Because this can be a really good step towards more integration of technology in education and on the other side it is a nice example of the combination of pedagogy, content and technology. What do you think about it?

You can find the video clip here (I’m really sorry, but it is only in Dutch): http://www.rtl.nl/components/actueel/editienl/miMedia/2010/week40/di_huiswerk.avi_plain.xml

maandag 4 oktober 2010

Pedagogical approaches supported by a CMS

In the lecture of last week we talked about pedagogies. A pedagogy is the teaching method: the principles and methods of instruction. In the lecture we also talked about several approaches of pedagogy. I would like to share some pedagogical approaches with you. I will explain how each approach can be supported in a course management system (CMS) such as Blackboard. A lot of the points that I will address in this post comes from the lecture of Pedagogies for flexible learning supported by technology.

Task-oriented learning
This pedagogical approach is working around a specific task that the learner has to solve. This approach has some characteristics. At first it is important that there is a problem or assignment available. The problem or assignment has to be presented in a meaningful context. To come to a good result there has to be worked through series of actions. Important is that there has to be information and tools available and students need to use theory. The central idea of this pedagogical approach is learning by doing a task that is presented to you.

In this approach there can be a lot of support from the CMS Blackboard. Blackboard can provide the learners with all the information that is necessary to work on the task. The teacher can give the student a real short explanation about the task and refer the learners to the Blackboard environment. In this environment can be found the whole description of the task, the expectations from the learners and very important the way of grading and the criteria for grading.

Traditional learning
This approach is familiar for almost everybody. A lot of teachers use this approach in their classes. When we talk about traditional learning, we talk about teaching in a face-to-face situation where the learner works in one single room and don’t move between different locations. The teacher is trying to work on the prior knowledge and make a link to the new information that will be discussed in the lecture. The assignments that need to be done by the learners are done by individually. Of course there is room for questions, but the learners have no other role then listening and watching the lecture of the teacher.

Although the teacher is saying a lot in the lectures there is also a possibility for using Blackboard as supporting environment for this pedagogical approach. The environment can be used for sharing the information that is given in the lecture with the student. It can also be used for giving the assignment and the place to hand it in or as a place to find information for the next lectures. But because of the traditional learning approach it is a good opportunity that the teacher will use Blackboard only for the essential points and won’t do anything more with it.

Inquiry learning
Inquiry learning approach is very different from the traditional learning approach. In inquiry learning the teacher uses a learner-centered approach. The learner is going to discover resources to learn things. In traditional learning the learner starts with explaining things to learners. In the inquiry approach the teacher only asks a question. This question has to be meaningful for the learners, but not directly be answered with the knowledge they have. The learners will look for their own resources that profit them with useful information to answer the question of the teacher. With these resources the learner forms answers to the question of the teacher. In this part of the learning the teacher provides the learner with process feedback. When the learner can’t find the right resources than the teacher can give hints or other information that the learner can use to find the answers.
When all the learners have made up an answer then the answers will be discussed between the other learners.  In this part of the learning the teacher still gives process feedback to the learners. After the discussing the learner will reflect their own outcome and in this phase the teacher will give product feedback. This feedback focusing on the product, thus the answer, and will provide the student maybe with the information that they have missed in the search.

This approach can be strongly supported by a CMS as Blackboard. Because the students work on their own to find the answer, the teacher can provide the students with feedback via Blackboard. The teacher can use Blackboard as well as an environment where the students can work in. In this way the teacher can see were the students are and what they have at this moment.
So, in this approach Blackboard can be used in different ways and not only for the basic options that this CMS has.

Problem-based learning
In this pedagogical approach the learner is also standing in the centre of teaching. In this approach the learner works on a problem that is stated within a meaningful context. When the context isn’t meaningful the learner can’t learn from it. The learners will discuss the problem in small groups and an important thing is that they talk about what they already know, so their prior knowledge and what they don’t know but need to know to work on the problem. After discussing in those groups every learner works alone to get the information and knowledge that is needed to work on the problem. After this search process the groups will come back together and everyone tells about his or her findings. In this way they build mental models with each other. The teacher is a coach in this pedagogical approach and is supporting the groups by giving hints or helps them to move on in their problem solving. But there is no face-to-face lecture; the teacher is only a coach.

For this approach Blackboard can be a good solution to work together. The teacher can use it of course to share the problem with the learners and maybe give them support if they need it. But the main support of Blackboard can be given by providing a discussion place and a workplace, so that the groups can talk to each other and share what they have, before they go and talk about it. In that way the whole group can work on building the mental models from the beginning.

Collaborative learning
The last approach that I will share with you is collaborative learning. In this approach the learners will work in groups and in that way they will work on a task. By working in groups the learner can share ideas and opinions with the other group members. The learner will learn from this collaboration and everybody has to work in the group, active participation is playing a very important role to succeed in collaborative learning. The teacher is in this approach responsible for the process that every group goes through, but he or she isn’t responsible for the product. That is the responsibility of the group. The teacher has a key role in deciding about the task that is appropriate for the group and also decides what the standards are for assessment. But the teacher won’t have a common role in the groups or as teacher in a face-to-face lecture.

For this approach Blackboard is also very useful. It gives the teacher the opportunity to share the statements for assessment and the task with his learners. So the basic things can be used by the teacher to get a better learning process. For the learners in this approach Blackboard can be an environment for communication. By giving a chat room to the groups they can discuss everything also outside the class hours and they can collaborate on a distance. Other opportunities are the use of workspaces were groups can share documents with each other and a forum for discussion where a group can ask questions to other groups or to group members of their own. Even discussing about the subject or task is possible in that way.

After sharing these five approaches with you I can conclude that those approaches have similarities and differences. But every approach has his own charm and I think that we can’t get away by choosing one. Of course I have a approach that really gets me. I really like problem-based learning, but also collaborative learning. Why? Because it give me the opportunity to work together with other people, who know different things and are looking to the world in another way. I think that I can learn more from a subject of problem, by talking to them and working together with those people. And also I have to say that looking for information by me is a challenge, because you never stop asking yourself if you have the good information.
But like I said I find it hard to choose really one, because I think that every pedagogical approach has something that should be used in a classroom. But not every approach can be connected to technology in my opinion. So, when I look to the combination with technology I see opportunities for a lot of approaches, but I know that they aren’t used in the real classroom. And the link with technology is what I want to get to know and what we want to come to in this course. I think that there are a lot of challenging approaches, but that a lot of teacher don’t know them or don’t want to know them. I really hope that someday teachers will see that a new approach isn’t always scary, it can also be a new world with new opportunities and chances. Let’s hope so that with this course I can find out how I can convince teacher to try a new approach and work together with technology to get the best out of the learner.