School-University e-Learning research partnerships for scaling up innovation. Despite optimism about new technologies for learning, e-learning innovation has been slow to scale up. This project tests a novel research strategy for engaging schools sustainably with e-learning. Teams of students (school and university), teachers (including beginning teachers), community members, consultants and e-learning researchers are constituted, in schools, to identify, collaboratively, hard-to-learn (technolo ....School-University e-Learning research partnerships for scaling up innovation. Despite optimism about new technologies for learning, e-learning innovation has been slow to scale up. This project tests a novel research strategy for engaging schools sustainably with e-learning. Teams of students (school and university), teachers (including beginning teachers), community members, consultants and e-learning researchers are constituted, in schools, to identify, collaboratively, hard-to-learn (technology-and-science) concepts and effective teaching approaches, develop ways of exploiting new media to teach such concepts and scale up their solutions within and beyond their schools. Re-conceiving the problem so students and teachers gain equity as e-learning researchers yields a model for scholarly, future-oriented educational renewal.Read moreRead less
Children, on-line learning and authentic teaching skills in primary education. The main aim of this project is to identify the authentic skills and strategies adopted by teachers of online learning programs in rural and urban locations. By studying teaching and learning behaviours in primary education we seek to match best practice in teaching with quality online learning outcomes. ICT experts acknowledge the urgency of this knowledge. Without clear indicators for teachers we run the risk of mis ....Children, on-line learning and authentic teaching skills in primary education. The main aim of this project is to identify the authentic skills and strategies adopted by teachers of online learning programs in rural and urban locations. By studying teaching and learning behaviours in primary education we seek to match best practice in teaching with quality online learning outcomes. ICT experts acknowledge the urgency of this knowledge. Without clear indicators for teachers we run the risk of mismatched traditional techniques and minimising teaching effectiveness. The expected outcomes will be benchmarked data linking numeracy and literacy standards with best practice in on-line teaching, and an accompanying interactive web based professional development package grounded in theory.Read moreRead less
Facilitating improvements in prison inmates and juvenile offenders' numeracy to enhance their employment and life chances. Over 85% of prison inmates possess levels of numeracy which inhibit their employment and life chances. The aim of the project is to develop an integrated numeracy program that can be implemented within custodial institutions. By enhancing numeracy levels, the project will improve the life chances of ex-inmates and contribute significantly in reducing levels of recidivism. Th ....Facilitating improvements in prison inmates and juvenile offenders' numeracy to enhance their employment and life chances. Over 85% of prison inmates possess levels of numeracy which inhibit their employment and life chances. The aim of the project is to develop an integrated numeracy program that can be implemented within custodial institutions. By enhancing numeracy levels, the project will improve the life chances of ex-inmates and contribute significantly in reducing levels of recidivism. The project will significantly advance theory about 1) adult numeracy education, and 2) design of on-line in-service teacher education systems for adult numeracy teachers. The expected outcomes are: 1) improved adult education numeracy assessment and learning resources, 2) an on-line in-service teacher education system, 3) adult numeracy education computer software.Read moreRead less
Sustainable models of teacher information and communication technology (ICT) professional development that empower multiliterate classroom practices. New concepts like 'multiliteracy', 'rich tasks' and 'repertoires of practice' as identified by recent education documents such as "The New Basics" and "Literate Futures" (Education Queensland 2000a & 2000b) require new teaching practices that demand advanced levels of information and communication technology (ICT) interaction. Such involvement wi ....Sustainable models of teacher information and communication technology (ICT) professional development that empower multiliterate classroom practices. New concepts like 'multiliteracy', 'rich tasks' and 'repertoires of practice' as identified by recent education documents such as "The New Basics" and "Literate Futures" (Education Queensland 2000a & 2000b) require new teaching practices that demand advanced levels of information and communication technology (ICT) interaction. Such involvement with ICT requires new models of teacher ICT professional development that have a well researched foundation based on their transformative realities and long term sustainability. This project will establish a conceptual understanding of what is required of teachers for 'multiliterate' learning and develop a professional development model that has as its goal 'multiliterate' student outcomes.Read moreRead less
Design experiments in ICT in education research. How to use information and communication technologies (ICT) to improve teaching and learning outcomes has become a critical question for educators world-wide. Governments are investing hugely in hardware, software and infrastructure to support the use of technologies but the research conducted into their effective use in inadequate. This proposal will investigate a relatively new methodology, design experiments, that has potential to provide the b ....Design experiments in ICT in education research. How to use information and communication technologies (ICT) to improve teaching and learning outcomes has become a critical question for educators world-wide. Governments are investing hugely in hardware, software and infrastructure to support the use of technologies but the research conducted into their effective use in inadequate. This proposal will investigate a relatively new methodology, design experiments, that has potential to provide the basis for enhancing both pedagogy and outcomes through technology integration. The research will determine the major principles, methods and critical characteristics of design experiments, and develop guidelines for their use in ICT research.Read moreRead less
The role of technology-enriched, technology-mediated learning communities in reforming mathematics teacher education. This project examines the impact of a technology-enriched teacher education program on beginning teachers' integration of educational technologies into secondary school mathematics classrooms. It seeks to increase theoretical understanding of how beginning teachers are initiated into a collaborative professional community featuring both web-based and face to face interaction, and ....The role of technology-enriched, technology-mediated learning communities in reforming mathematics teacher education. This project examines the impact of a technology-enriched teacher education program on beginning teachers' integration of educational technologies into secondary school mathematics classrooms. It seeks to increase theoretical understanding of how beginning teachers are initiated into a collaborative professional community featuring both web-based and face to face interaction, and how participation in such a community shapes their pedagogical beliefs and actions. Of central interest is the role of technologically knowledgeable pre-service and beginning teachers as agents ofinnovation and reform in secondary school mathematics. Outcomes will inform the design and implementation of models of pre-service teacher education and professional development.Read moreRead less
Blended learning in schools, TAFE and universities: experience, principles, patterns and practice. Effective use of technology in education depends upon the teacher's understanding of good ways to support learning. New uses of technology to improve learning are emerging constantly: the challenge is to share good practice. This project focuses on investigating the quality of blended learning experiences and using the outcomes to identify and share good practice using a format called a 'design pa ....Blended learning in schools, TAFE and universities: experience, principles, patterns and practice. Effective use of technology in education depends upon the teacher's understanding of good ways to support learning. New uses of technology to improve learning are emerging constantly: the challenge is to share good practice. This project focuses on investigating the quality of blended learning experiences and using the outcomes to identify and share good practice using a format called a 'design pattern'. Design patterns combine research-based evidence and the knowledge of experienced practitioners in a format which is relatively easy to communicate, learn and apply. They are not yet used in teaching with technology. We will generate and test design patterns for learning through discussion in technology-based and other classroom settings.Read moreRead less
Cyberkids and cyberworlds: new literacies, identities and communities in formation. Little is known of the online cyberworlds of young Australians. Yet they are the highest users of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs). This project theorises that these cyberworlds are sites for the development of new forms of literacy, identity and community. This study will achieve a new perspective by utilising a multi-disciplinary approach to produce case studies that examine new literacies an ....Cyberkids and cyberworlds: new literacies, identities and communities in formation. Little is known of the online cyberworlds of young Australians. Yet they are the highest users of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs). This project theorises that these cyberworlds are sites for the development of new forms of literacy, identity and community. This study will achieve a new perspective by utilising a multi-disciplinary approach to produce case studies that examine new literacies and communities generated online and their consequences for literacy and ICT education practice. Such information is vital in Australia and internationally if education is to produce the highly technologically literate citizens on whom future economic prosperity depends.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354816
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$10,000.00
Summary
Development of the Foundations for a Research Network for Schooling the Knowledge Society. This initiative will develop the foundations for a network of researchers and practitioners by identifying and establishing directions for research required for schooling the knowledge society. The initiative will engage research leaders across a number of fields, early career researchers and trainee researchers in a collaborative strategy that harnesses the power of information and communications technolo ....Development of the Foundations for a Research Network for Schooling the Knowledge Society. This initiative will develop the foundations for a network of researchers and practitioners by identifying and establishing directions for research required for schooling the knowledge society. The initiative will engage research leaders across a number of fields, early career researchers and trainee researchers in a collaborative strategy that harnesses the power of information and communications technologies (ICT) to make smart use of research knowledge and to make it available to innovation teams in schools as they respond to the emerging challenges. The initiative will use a leading-edge learning communities Internet platform that is itself the product of an international collaborative effort for which the Commonwealth Government has provided funding of $1.3 million over the last 3 years.
The outcome of the initiative will be the development of the foundation for a fully-fledged Research Network, identification of the key research questions and directions for the next decade, a web-based resource to support the Research Network, and an archive of relevant research for researchers, policy makers and educational practitioners to utilise in enhancing the impact of research on everyday practice and the economic productivity of the nation.Read moreRead less
Adult Numeracy and New Learning Technologies: An Evaluative Framework. In the adoption of new learning technologies [NLTs] (e.g., online, CD-ROMS) as alternative means of delivery for adult numeracy, high quality educational products, informed by a well-founded research base, are essential to benefit the individual student, and tutors/trainers (if any). Given that concept of adult numeracy itself is ill-defined and under-theorised in Australia, and that there are no entry standards for numeracy ....Adult Numeracy and New Learning Technologies: An Evaluative Framework. In the adoption of new learning technologies [NLTs] (e.g., online, CD-ROMS) as alternative means of delivery for adult numeracy, high quality educational products, informed by a well-founded research base, are essential to benefit the individual student, and tutors/trainers (if any). Given that concept of adult numeracy itself is ill-defined and under-theorised in Australia, and that there are no entry standards for numeracy tutors/trainers, or even producers of resources, research is needed to establish a defensible definition of adult numeracy in the Australian context, and to synthesise this with evolving research on NLTs to guide producers and enable proper consumer evaluation.Read moreRead less