Session Information
06 SES 06, Teacher Education and Digital Media
Paper Session
Contribution
In 2005 a group of trainers introduced training program named DigiTiger, where the main emphasis was on introduction of web-based learning environments. Training is more effective with different tools integrated into training with practical assignments. Therefore active learning methods were used in the training program. Current study was commissioned by Tiger Leap Foundation.
Research questions in this paper are:
1) To what extent do teachers implement the lessons learned in e-training in their daily work?
2) To what extent and how the training supports formation of virtual Communities of Practice among teachers?
3) What does a common knowledge building consist of and what is its impact during and after the training?
Knowledge building is a process aimed at creating a conceptual artefact (Bereiter, 2002). Trained teachers can be considered a community of practice, which aims building knowledge. They form a group of learners engaged in development of their own collective understanding and creation of common meaning. In creation of joint artefacts the involvement of community members in activities and interactions is important (Soransen, Takle, & Moser, 2006) because during construction of new knowledge it is necessary that members of community share their experience with other members, discuss different ideas to understand their own experience and create new meanings (Engestrom, Santo, & Yost, 2008). Knowledge environment in this paper is viewed as a virtual environment where it is possibility to create, share and store artefacts.
Valsiner’s theory of developmental zones was used as base theory to build subsequent concepts and analyses. Three core constructs of the theory were used for this purpose: 1) Zone of Proximal Development is a symbolic space in which students develop their skills under the guidance of more experienced people. 2) Zone of Free Movement consists of environmental constraints, which restrict the freedom of opinion and/or action. 3) Zone of Promoted Action contains the support of more experienced people to promote development to certain direction (Valsiner, 1997). In our sample - teachers’ promoted action can be considered promotion from educational policy-makers or school leadership and colleagues in the preferences of any specific methods, tools or approaches.
Method
Expected Outcomes
References
Bereiter, C. (2002). Education and Mind in the Knowledge Age. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. Engestrom, M. E., Santo, S. A., & Yost, R. M. (2008). Knowledge Builidng in an Online Cohort. The Quarterly Review of Distance Education. , 9 (2). Kirkpatrick, D. L. (1998). Evaluating Training Programs: The Four Levels. (2nd Edition ed.). San Francisco: Berrett-Koehlers, Inc. Soransen, E. K., Takle, E., & Moser, H. M. (2006). Knowledge-building quality in online communities of practice: focusing on learning dialogue. Studies in Continuing Education. , 28 (3). Valsiner, J. (1997). Culture and the development of children's action: a theory of human development. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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