Cyberbricoleurs

Learning in Liminal Spaces

cyberbricoleur — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 15:41:10 +0000

The informal dynamic knowledge creation in collaborative contexts occurs as participants move from textual debate in a conventional mailing list to video conferencing, micro blogging contributions and collaborative concept maps. This collaborative technology can be seen as creating a liminal space – a passage, in which a person moves from one state of being to another. Participants in this liminal space are transformed by acquiring new knowledge, a new status and a new identity in the community. This change is of critical importance if learning is to be successful. Whilst remote and informal learning is largely is what has been understood about mobile learning, the concept can now be extended to include these informal spaces in which learning takes place – the liminal spaces that those who push the boundaries of digital possibilities now inhabit intellectually (Cuthell, Preston, Kuechel and Cych, 2009).
This paper aims to extend understanding of liminal spaces and their contribution to the learning process. Evidence from participants from the United Kingdom, Europe, West Africa, the United States and Australasia is used to estimate the value of such informal learning for professionals. The qualitative and quantitative research tools that record both the numbers involved in the different activities, levels of participation and the extent of the professional knowledge created are identified. The processes can be described as Bricolage (Levi Strauss, 1962), in which people build new knowledge from what is at hand. Some consideration will be given to the long-term impact of building professional knowledge in a range of media that are not subject to conventional peer review. Finally the advantages and disadvantages of informal learning against formal learning will be summarised.

What are we doing with learning – and why?

cyberbricoleur — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 12:20:22 +0000

A challenging talk from Sir Ken Robinson – and an excellent visual presentation to go with it.

ICT CPD Landscape review: a Concept Map

cyberbricoleur — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 16:37:29 +0000

One outcome of the project, derived on the basis of an experimental methodology, a remotely authored digital domain map, loosely represents the prevailing ICT CPD Landscape. This mapping method was used to ascertain the value of mapping to conceptualise complex domains such as ICT CPD. The map was intended to capture and aggregate perceptions of… Read More…

ICT CPD Landscape Review

cyberbricoleur — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 12:14:28 +0000

This ICT CPD Landscape study reports on Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programmes available to teachers in England in 2010. Data collection took place in the Autumn of 2009. Although the project findings are based on some desk-based research, the findings are mainly derived from primary data collection through traditional interviews, questionnaires… Read More…

Putting Learning into Practice

cyberbricoleur — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 13:42:14 +0000

From practice to praxis

Summary

This project builds on previous work undertaken by MirandaNet to explore the possibilities of teacher continuing professional development (CPD) in a time of increased workload, budget constraints and the need for professional change. The importance of work based learning, and the emerging informal processes by which theory can be transformed into practice by education practitioners themselves, (‘praxis’: Freire, 1970) has become more important as teachers respond to the twin drivers of personalised learning and technology integration. Traditional CPD offerings are not positioned to respond to such demands: one-day general courses struggle to provide the transformational elements that today’s education professionals need. (Daly, Pachler & Pelletier, 2009a; 2009b; Pachler, Preston, Cuthell, Allen, 2010)
The Becta-funded 2009-10 project explored mobile learning from a range of perspectives in eight MirandaMods . These involved simultaneous virtual and face-to-face debates between professional educators in a global context. Resources were then made available to the wider community through reports, video recordings and interactive concept maps. Multidimensional concept mapping was developed as the data collection method because this medium stimulates the creation and dissemination of collaborative knowledge within the profession (Preston 2009a, 2009b).

The 2009-10 project collected research data about the relationship between work-based learning and praxis; developed new knowledge and practice on concept mapping methodology; disseminated professional work-based practice in mobile learning to an emerging global community; provided online resources for practitioners; developed strategies for practitioners to implement change and built an online support community. The project was informed by the work of Pachler and Cook (2009), whose approach moved professional development from the model referred to as ‘from theory to practice’ to one in which different forms of knowledge are “… contextualised and ‘recontextualised’ as people move between different sites of learning in colleges and workplaces. (It) … encapsulates the ways in which learners mediate between these contexts and as a result personalise their learning, and develop a professional and/or vocational identity.” (Pachler & Cook, 2009)

This project explored such mediation between the contexts of a face-to-face seminar together with the virtual collaborative affordances of FlashMeeting, an interactive collaborative concept map, a broadcast video stream through TwitCam and blip.tv and Twitter streams. The project developed the ways in which communities of practice create knowledge collaboratively and, more importantly, looked at the ways in which such knowledge can be applied both within, and between, classrooms – snd its implementation in teaching and learning.

The project further developed the liminal spaces where collaborative knowledge creation is now taking place. Its findings are intended to facilitate bridging the gap between the creation of professional theory and its implementation in teaching and learning – the development of “a professional and/or vocational identity.” (Pachler & Cook)

The term “liminal space” is a term drawn from anthropology that describes a rite of passage, in which a person moves from one state to another. Turner (1982) appropriates the concept to apply to drama, whereas Meyer and Land (2005) see it in terms of individuals’ ICT use. The anthropological view sees the liminal state as involving a period of time in which an individual may oscillate between old and new states, involve a range of emotions including anticipation, difficulty and anxiety, and at times require the mimicry of the new state until it becomes ‘natural’. ICT users are transformed in the liminal space by acquiring new knowledge, a new status and a new identity in the community.
This is of critical importance if ICT CPD is to be successful.

From practice to praxis

From practice to praxis: other publications

IWB: the early years

cyberbricoleur — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 16:35:30 +0000

As interactive whiteboards were beginning to find their way into classrooms users were surveyed to determine their perceptions of the technology and the ways in which it was used.

You can read the findings in

Interactive Whiteboards: new tools, new pedagogies, new learning? Reflections from teachers

Maps of Ideas

cyberbricoleur — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 11:57:00 +0000

Visual thinking and learning tools such as Mind Mapping and Concept Mapping have long been used in classrooms. They support (and in many cases underpin) visual learning. Findings from all of the projects indicate that the use of such tools has a significant impact on the learning environment, on pupil perceptions of learning, and on attainment.

Maps of Ideas

Publications

cyberbricoleur — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 17:27:38 +0000

Cuthell, J. (2010). Classroom as Crucible and Catalyst. Case studies in pedagogy and praxis developing and supporting visual learning. In C. Crawford et al. (Eds.), Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2010 (pp. 1406-1411). Chesapeake, VA: AACE.

Cuthell, J. P. (2009) Thinking Things Through – Collaborative Online Professional Development. In: Lindberg, J. O & Olofsson, A. D. Online Learning Communities and Teacher Professional Development: Methods for Improved Education Delivery. Hershey, IGI Global

Cuthell, J. P. (2009) Integrating technology, pedagogy and theory: a resource for Visual Learning. In: Carlsen, R., McFerrin, K., Weber, R., Willis, D. A. (Eds.), Proceedings of SITE 2009 (pp. 3074 – 3078) Norfolk, VA: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education

Cuthell, J. P. (2009) Thinking and Changing Practice: Collaborative Online Professional Development. In: Carlsen, R., McFerrin, K., Weber, R., Willis, D. A. (Eds.), Proceedings of SITE 2009 (pp. 2264 – 2269) Norfolk, VA: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education

Cuthell, J. P. (2008) The Role of a Web-based Community in Teacher Professional Development. International Journal of Web Based Communities, Vol. 2, No. 8 2008, pp. 115 – 139. Geneva, Inderscience

Cuthell, J. P.; Preston, C. (2008) Expert ICT advisers considering their own ICT CPD experiences. In: Carlsen, R., McFerrin, K., Weber, R., Willis, D. A. (Eds.), Proceedings of SITE 2008 (pp. 3247 – 3250) Norfolk, VA: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education

Cuthell, J. P.; Preston, C. (2008) Multimodal Concept Mapping in teaching and learning: a MirandaNet Fellowship project. In: Carlsen, R., McFerrin, K., Weber, R., Willis, D. A. (Eds.), Proceedings of SITE 2008 (pp. 1999 – 2007) Norfolk, VA: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education

Cuthell, J. P. (2008) Online forums as a resource for teacher professional development: lessons from a web-based community of practice and influence. International Journal of Web Based Communities, Vol. 4, No. 3, 2008, pp. 359 – 365

Cuthell, J. P.; Preston, C. (2007) Braided Learning: Developments In An Online Community Of Practice. In: Kinshuk, Sampson, D. G., Spector, J. M., Isaias, P. (Eds.), Proceedings Of The IADIS International Conference On Cognition And Exploratory Learning In Digital Age (CELDA 2007) pp.79-84 IADIS Press

Cuthell, J. P., Preston, C. (2007) Perspectives on ICT CPD: Past, Present and Future. The experiential learning of advisers responsible for school teachers’ ICT CPD programmes. WLE Centre, Institute of Education London http://www.wlecentre.ac.uk/cms/files/occasionalpapers/wle_op3.pdf

Cuthell, J. P. (2006) Ms. Chips and her Battle Against the Cyborgs. Embedding ICT in Educational Practice. In: O Murchu, D. & Sorensen, E. ‘Enhancing Learning Through Technology’. Hershey, Idea Group

Cuthell, J. P. (2006) Tools for Transformation: The Impact of Interactive Whiteboards in a range of contexts. In: Crawford, C. M., Carlsen, R., McFerrin, K., Price, J. Weber, R., Willis, D. A. (Eds.), Proceedings of SITE 2006 (pp. 1491 – 1497) Norfolk, VA: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education

Cuthell, J. P. (2006) Online forums as learning resources: some case studies from MirandaNet. In: Proceedings of IADIS International Conference: Web Based Communities 2006 pp. 371 – 375.

Cuthell, J. P. (2006). Steering the Supertanker: Changing Teaching and Learning In: Computers in the Schools: Technology Applications in Education (2006) 23 1/2 Ed. Maddux, C. Binghamton, N.Y. The Howarth Press

Cuthell, J. P., Preston, C. (2005)‘Teaching in ICT-rich environments – using e-learning to create a knowledge base for 21st century teachers’, In: Leask, M. & Paschler, N. ‘Learning to teach using ICT in the Secondary School, 2nd Edition’. London Routledge

Cuthell, J. P. (2005). Beyond Collaborative Learning. Communal construction of knowledge in an online environment. In: Proceedings of Web Information Systems and Technologies, 2005, (pp. 529 – 536) INSTICC

Cuthell, J. P. (2005). What does it take to be active? Teacher participation in online communities. In: International Journal of Web Based Communities, Vol. 1, No. 3, 2005, (pp. 320-332) Geneva, Inderscience

Cuthell, J. P. (2005) The Impact of Interactive Whiteboards on Teaching, Learning and Attainment . In Price, J., Willis, D., Davis, N., & Willis, J. (Eds.), Proceedings of SITE 2005 (pp. 1353 – 1355) Norfolk, VA: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education

Cuthell, J. P. (2004). Can technology transform teaching and learning? The impact of interactive whiteboards. (pp. 1133-1138) In Price, J., Willis, D., Davis, N., & Willis, J. (Eds.), Proceedings of SITE 2004 Norfolk, VA: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education

Cuthell, J (2003). Next steps for ICT teacher education: ICT for active learning. In Price, J., Willis, D., Davis, N., & Willis, J. (Eds.), Proceedings of SITE 2003 (pp. 2740-2744). Norfolk, VA: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education

Cuthell, J. P. (2003). Evaluation of an In-Service ICT Teacher Education Project. Proceedings of International Conference on Innovation in Higher Education. Kiev 2003

Cuthell, J. P. (2003) Virtual Learning In J. Kirjonen (Ed.). Knowledge work and occupational competence, (pp.23-37) Jyvaskyla, Finland: Institute for Educational Research.

Cuthell, J. P. (2002) Virtual Learning Ashgate Aldershot

Cuthell, J. P. (2002). Virtual Learning In: Journal of Informatics and Education Kratsova A (ed.). 11 – 2002 (pp. 2 – 16) Association for Informatics Education Moscow ISSN 0234 – 0453

Cuthell, J. P. (2002). A Community of Learners In: Distributed Cognition Karasavvidis I (ed.). Journal of Interactive Learning Research. 13 (1/2) (pp. 169–188) Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education Norfolk, VA

Cuthell, J. P. (2001). Virtual Learning? CAL01 Warwick University.

Cuthell, J. P. (2000). The Online Learner. Computer Education. Issue 94 Computer Education Group

Cuthell, J. P. (2000). Students vs Teachers: Computers as the Site of Conflict. Educating for the Third Millennium. Cheltenham & Gloucester College.

Cuthell, J. P. (1999). The House that Strauss Built. D.I.Y. in Cyberspace: Bejeaned Student Bricoleurs. Computer Education. Issue 91 (pp.19-21) Computer Education Group

Cuthell, J. P. (1999). The Autonomous Learner. Paper presented at CAL99 Conference, Institute of Education, University of London, UK. CAL99 Virtuality in Education Abstract Book Pp. 197-199 Elsevier Science

Cuthell, J. P. (1999). How do you learn? An 11-18 developmental perspective. ELSIN 4 European Learning Styles Information Network. University of Central Lancashire, Preston, United Kingdom http://www.elsinnet.org.uk/abstracts/1999/a-cuth.htm

Cuthell, J. P. (1998). What Teachers Think About IT. Computer Education. Issue 88, Pp. 16-19 Computer Education Group

Cuthell, J. P. (1998). Thumbs Up for the Digital Kids? Computers, Equality and Opportunity. MirandaNet: Institute of Education. University of London.

Cuthell, J. P. (1998). The House that Strauss Built. D.I.Y in Cyberspace: Bejeaned Student Bricoleurs. Media 98. Institute of Education. University of London.

Cuthell, J. P. (1997). Cyborgs Sitting in the Classroom. Writing the Future: Writing and Computers 10. Brighton

Cuthell, J. P. (1997). Teaching and Technological Change. The Lifelong Learning Office MirandaNet, for MicroSoft.

Cuthell, J. P. (1997). Patterns of Computer Ownership. (1997) Computer Education. Issue 86, Pp. 13-21. Computer Education Group

Cuthell, J. P. (1996). Teachers lag behind students. Times Educational Supplement, 29.11.96 London

Cuthell, J. P. (1996). Students, Computers and the Writing Process. Writing Conferences: Writing and Computers Association. European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction. Barcelona

Cuthell, J. P. (1991). The GIGO factor: Language, Learners and Computers Conference paper: Learning Technology Conference: DTI; Transcend Technology

Cuthell, J. P. (1990). Work Shadowing: towards the development of a model. Education & Training. Vol. 32 No. 4 MCB University Press

Cuthell, J. P. (1990). Work Shadowing. Training & Management Development Methods MCB University Press

Classrooms, teachers and mobile phones

cyberbricoleur — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 16:26:25 +0000

The growth of an urban legend

In classrooms and schools around the world one of the areas of contention has been student use of their own technology. Mobile phones are seen as a particularly disruptive technology – so much so that we can see that similar problems create similar solutions. The more one sees, however, the more one wonders about the boundaries of reality. Are these real, or instances of wishful thinking?

Classroom control?

Online forums as resources for teacher professional development

cyberbricoleur — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 10:49:57 +0000

How can e-learning be integrated into a range of settings for both teachers and pupils? Here we have a number of small-scale studies covering a range of projects: those based in classrooms; home-school environments; after-school activities; school-based continuous professional development (CPD); subject-based CPD in national contexts and post-graduate accreditation. The work of primary and secondary school pupils and adult learners is considered.

MirandaNet & Teacher CPD