Digital technologies and their role in achieving our educational ambitions Professorial lecture

1. Digital technologies and their role in achieving our educational ambitionsProfessorial lecture Diana Laurillard

2. OutlineThe challenges in our educational policy ambitionsEducation from the learner’s point of view Contributions from digital technologiesWhat it takes to learn: how theory challenges technologyAn e-learning strategy: how policy challenges technologySupporting teachers as agents of technology innovationGetting from ‘here’ to a desirable ‘there’

3. Challenges from educational policy

4. Educational policy ambitions “To protect against entry to negative pathways and reverse those that have already begun, continued investment in educational interventions is needed across all of middle childhood. The results reported here may therefore be seen as making an important contribution to the evidence on which the case for more and continued intervention depends.” (Feinstein and Bynner, 2004) “The question of the nature and scope of the transformation which must take place in mainstream schools if they are to become inclusive schools . . . has been largely ignored. . . . inclusion is not merely about placement into an unchanged system of provision and practice. It is about changes to the curriculum, teaching styles, organisation and support systems within schools.” (Barton and Armstrong, 2003) “Our results suggest . . . maximizing individualization and differentiation by teaching to small groups.” (Blatchford et al., 2007) Better teaching and more personalised support for every child, whatever their needs An interesting, broad and rich curriculum with more choice and a wider set of out-of-hours opportunities Every young person able to develop the skills they need for employment and for life The flexibility to combine school, college and work-based training More school sixth form, sixth form college and vocational provision, to give more choice to students Every adult to be able to get and build on the skills they need for employment Lifelong learning for all – for work or for pleasure – with the widest possible array of good quality courses High quality university courses with excellent teaching Access to university for those who have the potential to benefit More and better flexible opportunities to study

5. More and better… “all young people in full or part-time education to age 18” Leitch Report, 2007 Level 1 Level 2 Level 4 Enhancing excellence in learning and teaching Widening participation Enhancing the contribution of HE to economy and society HEFCE strategy, 2006 “all schools should reflect a commitment to personalised learning in their learning and teaching policies and plans” Gilbert 2020 vision “High quality teaching” “More personalisation of learning” DfES 5-year strategy, 2005

6. How is this learning to be supported? “I worry about making sure I speak to each child individually each day – I want them to know that I care about them, not just their group or their class” (Y5, 32 pupils). “It is very difficult to get around and see, on a one-to-one basis, each child when you have a class above 25. Children with learning difficulties and slow learners do not get a fair deal, especially if they receive little or no additional support” (Y4). (Blatchford et al, 2007) 10 minutes additional personal teaching per child, per week = 3000 new primary teachers. (cf +1000, pro rata in 10 years) Modelling personalisation: 100k new L1 learners per year, for 6 weeks @ 1:20 ratio = 500 new teachers for literacy, 1000 for numeracy Modelling quantity - Leitch: How is it possible to meet these demands without changing our conventional models of teaching and learning?

7. What can technology do to support the learner’s journey? Learner needs: personalisation, flexibility and inclusion Opportunities - linking education to job opportunities, e.g. the L4All project Where will it take me? Assessment for learning - formative feedback, e.g. Adaptive Feedback Framework How do I know I’ve learned? Constructionist pedagogies - tools for building knowledge, e.g. the TechnoMathematics project How will I learn? Flexibility - bridging the gap between work and study, e.g. The Homework project How could I study? Negotiating the curriculum - through open access to learning materials, e.g. OpenLearn What can I learn? Motivation to learn - through engaging and creative activities, e.g. Making Games Why should I learn?

8. Rule Editor Activator Trigger: Type 1 Spatial Action If Player enters Cylinder Trigger 11 Female Stormtrooper seeks and destroys Player Making games Virtual environment Children design their own role-playing and action adventure games, engaging them inboth critical analysis and creative production of game designs Creative thinking - combining imaginative acts with conceptual design - building and testing their own rules to fit the narrative structure Layout design area Rule editor Buckingham, D and Burn, A (2007) 'Game-Literacy in Theory and Practice', Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia, 16.3, October 2007

9. OpenLearn (openlearn.open.ac.uk) Learners tell us they use OpenLearn to: ･enrich their current studies ･research into future course options ･build up a learning portfolio for CPD ･find quality learning materials quickly ･keep up with their subject or interest ･try out new subjects An online learning website that is open to anyone, anywhere in the world, using materials taken from Open University courses. It is completely free.

10. The Homework Project Closed the gap between parents, teachers and learners; pre- and post-study maths tests suggest home use of the tablet is linked to learning. Teachers can build individualised lessons for school and related activities for home

11. To company training: • play shove ha’penny • enter data by hand • calculate formulae by substituting values TechnoMaths in the Workplace Employees come to see statistical calculations as being based on relatively simple calculation steps which, far from being ‘magic’, are actually understandable. Co-developed learning opportunities to allow employees to represent and manipulate mathematical models of processes co-designed control chart: technology-enhanced shove ha’penny From the shop-floor control chart

12. Adaptive Feedback Framework Supports learners in reflecting on their personal ‘trails’; identifies where the learner has gone wrong; categorises the answer; adaptively provides different types of feedback – informative, tutoring or reflective. A personalisation engine can support adaptive feedback, e.g. guiding reflection on a ‘trail’ of learning activities

13. Lifelong Learning London for All Supports collaborative learning to help learners formulate future learning goals and aspirations. Tutors publish recommended pathways through courses and modules, thereby facilitating progression into HE and career The portal allows learners to access selected information and resources, and plan their own timeline for learning - career pathways

14. Theories of learning and teachingHow do they relate to educational technologies?

15. What it takes to learn - the learner is anactive agentin the learning process There is a common thread in our understanding of learning John Dewey Jean Piaget Lev Vygotsky Jerome Bruner Paulo Freire Gordon Pask Terry Winograd Seymour Papert Lauren Resnick John Seely Brown Ference Marton Roger Säljö John Biggs Jean Lave 1890 . . 1940 . . 1960 . . 1980 . . 2000 . . Inquiry-based education Constructivism Mediated learning Discovery learning Learning as problematization Learning as conversation Problem-based learning Reflective practice Meta-cognition Experiential learning Learner-oriented approach Social constructivism Situated learning 1 share a common conception of the learning process 2

16. What it takes to learn does not change Books, Blackboards, Slides Broadcasts, Overhead projectors Tape-slides Interactive whiteboards, Powerpoint Web-pages, Podcasts Learning through attention Inquiry-based learning Constructivism Mediated learning Discovery learning Learning as conversation Problem-based learning Reflective practice Meta-cognition Experiential learning Learner-oriented approach Social constructivism Situated learning Modelling tools Simulations Chat-rooms Online conferences Multiplayer games Wikis Blogs

17. What does it take to learn? Concepts Answers Learner’s ideas Teacher’s ideas Adapt Task practice environment Adapt actions Reflect Task goal Learner’s practice Practice environment Actions ‘Instructionist’ - Teacher-focused

18. What does it take to learn? Concepts Answers Learner’s ideas Teacher’s ideas Adapt Task practice environment Adapt actions Reflect Reflect Task goal Feedback Practice environment Learner’s practice Practice environment Actions Revisions ‘Constructionist’ - Practice-focused

19. What does it take to learn? “Adopting mastery approaches to learning, where learners aim to improve on their previous performance and continue to develop their knowledge and skills without reference to the progress of other learners, enhances motivation.” (Hallam, 2005) Learner’s ideas Teacher’s ideas Adapt Task practice environment Adapt actions Reflect Task goal Feedback Practice environment Learner’s practice Practice environment Actions Revisions ‘Constructionist’ - Practice-focused

20. What does it take to learn? Ideas Learner’s ideas Teacher’s ideas Other learner(s) Ideas Adapt Task practice environment Adapt actions Reflect Task goal Feedback Practice environment Learner’s practice Practice environment Actions Revisions ‘Social learning’ - Learner-focused

21. What does it take to learn? Ideas Learner’s ideas Teacher’s ideas Other learner(s) Ideas Adapt Task practice environment Adapt actions Adapt actions Reflect Reflect Task goal Draft outputs Feedback Practice environment Learner’s practice Other learner(s) Practice environment Draft outputs Actions Revisions ‘Collaborative learning’

22. What does it take to learn? - A Conversational Framework Concepts Answers Ideas Learner’s ideas Teacher’s ideas Other learner(s) Questions Outputs Ideas Adapt Task practice environment Adapt actions Adapt actions Reflect Reflect Reflect Task goal Draft outputs Feedback Practice environment Learner’s practice Other learner(s) Practice environment Draft outputs Actions Revisions Instructivism + Constructionism + Social learning + Collaborative

23. The Conversational FrameworkAn attempt to draw on the learning theories developed over the last century, and encapsulate them in a form that enables educators to test the technology against them.

24. Testing conventional learning technologies against the Conversational Framework

25. Learning through attention… Concepts Ideas Learner’s ideas Teacher’s ideas Other learner(s) Questions Outputs Ideas Adapt Task practice environment Adapt actions Adapt actions Reflect Reflect Reflect Task goal Draft outputs Feedback Learner’s practice Other learner(s) Practice environment Draft outputs Actions Revisions Lecture, Presentation, Book, Educational television, Audio…

26. Learning through inquiry… Concepts Ideas Learner’s ideas Teacher’s ideas Other learner(s) Questions Ideas Adapt Task practice environment Adapt actions Adapt actions Reflect Reflect Reflect Task goal Draft outputs Feedback Learner’s practice Other learner(s) Practice environment Draft outputs Actions Revisions Tutorials, Libraries, Catalogues, Journals, Resource banks…

27. Learning through discussion… Concepts Answers Ideas Learner’s ideas Teacher’s ideas Other learner(s) Questions Outputs Ideas Adapt Task practice environment Adapt actions Adapt actions Reflect Reflect Reflect Task goal Draft outputs Feedback Learner’s practice Other learner(s) Practice environment Draft outputs Actions Revisions Tutorial, Seminar, Class discussion, Small group discussion…

28. Learning through practice… Concepts Answers Ideas Learner’s ideas Teacher’s ideas Other learner(s) Questions Outputs Outputs Ideas Adapt Task practice environment Adapt actions Adapt actions Reflect Reflect Reflect Task goal Draft outputs Feedback Learner’s practice Other learner(s) Practice environment Draft outputs Actions Revisions Problem sheet, practice exercises, project work…

29. Learning through collaboration… Concepts Answers Ideas Learner’s ideas Teacher’s ideas Other learner(s) Questions Outputs Ideas Adapt Task practice environment Adapt actions Adapt actions Reflect Reflect Reflect Task goal Draft outputs Feedback Learner’s practice Other learner(s) Practice environment Draft outputs Actions Revisions Laboratory, Small group work, Fieldwork, Workshop…

30. Learning through production… Concepts Ideas Learner’s ideas Teacher’s ideas Other learner(s) Outputs Ideas Adapt Task practice environment Adapt actions Adapt actions Reflect Reflect Reflect Task goal Draft outputs Feedback Learner’s practice Other learner(s) Practice environment Draft outputs Actions Revisions Essay, program, solution, design, product, performance…

31. Testing digital learning technologies against the Conversational Framework

32. Learning through attention… Concepts “most educational materials on the web and on CD-ROM are distinctly limited . . . visually impoverished, lacking in interactivity, and thin on engaging content. . . . Our research on educational games has found that the learning content in such games is detached from the game-play . . . merely a kind of reward for getting the questions right. (Buckingham, 2005) Ideas Learner’s ideas Teacher’s ideas Other learner(s) Questions Outputs Ideas Adapt Task practice environment Adapt actions Adapt actions Reflect Reflect Reflect Task goal Draft outputs Feedback Learner’s practice Other learner(s) Practice environment Draft outputs Actions Revisions Powerpoint, Digital video, Animation, Podcast… Lecture, Presentation, Book, Educational television, Audio…

33. Learning through inquiry… Concepts Ideas Learner’s ideas Teacher’s ideas Other learner(s) Questions Ideas Adapt Task practice environment Adapt actions Adapt actions Reflect Reflect Reflect Task goal Draft outputs Feedback Learner’s practice Other learner(s) Practice environment Draft outputs Actions Revisions Online resource, Digital library, Website, Search engine… Libraries, Catalogues, Journals, Resource banks…

34. Learning through discussion… Concepts Answers Ideas Learner’s ideas Teacher’s ideas Other learner(s) Questions Outputs Ideas Adapt Task practice environment Adapt actions Adapt actions Reflect Reflect Reflect Task goal Draft outputs Feedback Learner’s practice Other learner(s) Practice environment Draft outputs Actions Revisions Online conferencing, Forum, Chat room, Wiki… Tutorial, Seminar, Class discussion, Small group discussion…

35. Learning through practice… Answers Answers Concepts Answers Ideas Learner’s ideas Teacher’s ideas Other learner(s) Questions Outputs Outputs Outputs Ideas Adapt Task practice environment Adapt actions Adapt actions Reflect Reflect Reflect Reflect Task goal Draft outputs Feedback Feedback Learner’s practice Other learner(s) Practice environment Draft outputs Actions Revisions Interactive simulation, Spreadsheet, Data analysis tool, Game… Problem sheet, practice exercises, project work…

36. Learning through collaboration… Concepts Answers Ideas Learner’s ideas Teacher’s ideas Other learner(s) Questions Outputs Ideas Adapt Task practice environment Adapt actions Adapt actions Reflect Reflect Reflect Reflect Task goal Draft outputs Feedback Learner’s practice Other learner(s) Practice environment Draft outputs Actions Revisions Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, Multiplayer games… Laboratory, Small group work, Fieldwork, Workshop…

37. Learning through production… Concepts Ideas Learner’s ideas Teacher’s ideas Other learner(s) Outputs Ideas Adapt Task practice environment Adapt actions Adapt actions Reflect Reflect Reflect Task goal Draft outputs Feedback Learner’s practice Other learner(s) Practice environment Draft outputs Actions Revisions Essay, program, solution, design, product, performance… Powerpoint, Program, Model, Website, Design, Digital video…

38. Why is there so little technology-based innovation?

39. 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s New media and delivery technologies for knowledge development– Recent history Interactive computers Local drives & discs WIMP interfaces Internet Multimedia Worldwide Web Laptops Email Search engines Broadband 3G mobiles Blogs - new medium for articulating ideas - local storage with the user - devices for ease of access to content - mass production / distribution of content - elaborated forms of content - wide access to extensive content - personal portable access to the medium - mass delivery of messages - easier access to extensive content - rich content / immediate communication - low-cost access to elaborate content - personal mass publishing

40. Old media and delivery technologies for knowledge development– Not so recent history 0 1400s 1600s 1400s 1800s 1900s 1500s 1800s 1900s 1940s 1950s 1700s Writing Paper Indexes, paragraphs Printing Photos, sound, film Libraries Published books Postal services Bibliographies Television, phones Paperbacks Pamphlets - new medium for articulating ideas - local storage with the user - devices for ease of access to content - mass production / distribution of content - elaborated forms of content - wide access to extensive content - personal portable access to the medium - mass delivery of messages - easier access to extensive content - rich content / immediate communication - low-cost access to elaborate content - personal mass publishing

41. 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s Old media and delivery technologies against the new 0 1400s 1600s 1400s 1800s 1900s 1500s 1800s 1900s 1940s 1950s 1700s Writing Paper Indexes, paragraphs Printing Photos, sound, film Libraries Published books Postal services Bibliographies Television, phones Paperbacks Pamphlets Interactive computers Local drives & discs WIMP interfaces Internet Multimedia Worldwide Web Laptops Email Search engines Broadband 3G mobiles Blogs

42. 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s Interactive computers Local drives & discs WIMP interfaces Old media and delivery technologies against the new 0 1400s 1400s 1500s 1600s 1700s 1800s 1800s 1900s 1900s 1940s 1950s Writing Paper Printing Published books Indexes, paragraphs Pamphlets Photos, sound, film Postal services Libraries Bibliographies Television, phones Paperbacks Interactive computers Local drives & discs WIMP interfaces Internet Multimedia Worldwide Web Laptops Email Search engines Broadband 3G mobiles Blogs 30 years

43. Other reasons for lack of technology innovation • Education is a complex system of powerful, stable drivers, which do not embrace technology • Education leaders are not comfortable with technology as a component of strategy • Education is national, political - not so subject to market forces • Teaching practitioners have neither the power nor the means to innovate • Education is a complex system of powerful, stable drivers, which do not embrace technology • Education leaders are not comfortable with technology as a component of strategy • Education is national, political - not so subject to market forces • Teaching practitioners have neither the power nor the means to innovate

44. A policy-driven strategy for technology? Education policy initiatives do not necessarily work, e.g. policy for the Skills sector is not yet delivering (Frank Coffield, Inaugural 2007): “Towards a learning system”- for education, not just Skills Focus on professional learning within a community context (Kathryn Riley and Louise Stoll, Inaugural, 2005) So we need a system that “shows itself capable of learning”, and “an explicit model of learning and change” (Coffield 2007). “It is a culture that sees the ideal practitioner as a technician who is regularly upgraded in order to implement without question the latest government initiative – ‘We will ensure that the workforce can implement what they are asked to do’ (DfES, 2005a: 25). The teaching profession is being re-formed, as Geoff Whitty argued, with teachers being restricted to ‘craft skills rather than professional understanding’ (Whitty, 1997)..” “In all the pelting torrent of official documents which have flooded the sector since 1997, there is, however, one significant silence: there is no discussion of, and not even a definition of, the central concept of learning”. (Coffield, 2007). “And all of this depends . . . on a radically reshaped system . . . and in particular a reshaped role for Local Government and for my Department, moving away from direction towards an enabling and empowering role. It depends on freedom for those at the front line to personalise services and to improve them”. (DfES 2005) Really changing practice is extremely difficult. . . . insufficient time is made available [for] observing peers, engaging in action research, trying out and practising new strategies, reflecting seriously on how they work with different pupils, learning from these reflections, and adapting and refining them as necessary. (Riley and Stoll, 2005)

45. What does it take to learn? - A Conversational Framework Concepts Answers Ideas Learner’s ideas Teacher’s ideas Other learner(s) Questions Outputs Ideas Adapt Task practice environment Adapt actions Adapt actions Reflect Reflect Reflect Task goal Draft outputs Feedback Practice environment Learner’s practice Other learner(s) Practice environment Draft outputs Actions Revisions

46. Successful policy intervention:A government that shows itself capable of learningAn explicit model of learning and of change(Coffield, 2007)

47. The role of the teaching profession Responding to:Curriculum requirementsQuality assurance / inspectionAssessment requirementsFunding pressuresResources available+ learners’ needs E-Learning Strategy: Engage key agencies to support teachers as innovators - TTA (TDA) LLUK HEA ‘become effective ICT users and innovators’ ‘build a professional workforce which can both collaborate and innovate’ (DfES 2005)

48. What does it take to learn: for teachers learning? Concepts Answers Requirements Responses Ideas Learner’s ideas Teacher’s ideas Curriculum and assessment policy Other learner(s) Other teacher(s) Teacher’s ideas QuestionsOutputs Ideas Adapt actions Adapt practice tasks Adapt actions Adapt actions Reflect Reflect Reflect Learner’s goal Learner needs Task goal Draft outputs Plans, learning designs Learner actions Feedback Learner’s practice Teacher’s practice Other teacher(s) Other learner(s) Learners learning Practice environment Plans, learning designs Draft outputs Teaching Actions Revised teaching Revisions

49. What does it take to learn: for teachers learning? Concepts Answers Requirements Responses Ideas Learner’s ideas Teacher’s ideas Curriculum and assessment policy Other learner(s) Other teacher(s) Teacher’s ideas QuestionsOutputs Ideas Adapt actions Adapt practice tasks Adapt actions Adapt actions Reflect Reflect Reflect Learner’s goal Learner needs Task goal Draft outputs Plans, learning designs Learner actions Feedback Learner’s practice Teacher’s practice Other teacher(s) Other learner(s) Learners learning Practice environment Plans, learning designs Draft outputs Teaching Actions Revised teaching Revisions

50. A system capable of learning?DialogicIterativeAdaptiveCollaborativeConstructive- populate our education system with the missing links in the Conversational Framework