E-Learning in Schools Team members Amelia McAllan Belinda Martin Bob Anderson Tracey Richardson...

e-Learning in Schools

Team membersAmelia McAllanBelinda MartinBob AndersonTracey RichardsonCaupolican Solis

Institutional Barriers for the

implementation of e-Learning in

Schools The implementation of e-Learning in schools faces a number of Institutional Barriers that prevent the adoption and implementation of new teaching strategies supported by e-Learning and its associated technologies.

• Legal and Ethical Constraints• Human Resources Constraints • Professional Development

Opportunities • Technology Constraints• Impact on learning

Institutional Barriers for the implementation of e-Learning in Schools

Legal and Ethical ConstraintsTracey Richardson

Human Resources Constraints Caupolican Solis

Professional Development Opportunities Bob Anderson

Technology ConstraintsBelinda Martins

Impact on LearningAmelia McAllan

Institutional Barriers for the implementation of e-Learning

in Schools

Legal Barriers

“…it would be unfortunate if we became so concerned with the potential dangers that we

denied students the benefits to be gained from meeting and talking with people from diverse

cultures and backgrounds…” (Arnold 1998, p.14)

Cybersafety• Cyberbullying• unwanted contact• breaches of e-security• availability of personal information• access of inappropriate content• excessive internet use

http://www.cybersmart.gov.au/

“Today's communication technologies may make it easier, or more anonymous to mistreat others… Cyberspace is, for some, a morality-free zone where the basest behaviours are celebrated in the style of Lord of the Flies.” (Seidel 2009, p.61).

Intellectual Property

• Copyright and licencing• Plagarism

Overcoming Legal/ Ethical Barriers

• Acceptable Use Policies• Communication and Education• Use of technologies to protect

Human resources constraints

‘The chains of habit are too weak to be felt until they are too strong to be broken’

Dr Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)


Reluctant learners/Reluctant teachers

“Seeing the mote in your neighbour's eye..”

“I know what I am doing”“I am not going to change my way” “I know what works with these kids““It has never been like that”

Human resources constraintsReluctant Teachers are:

InflexibleUnenthusiasticUncreativeGood at following prescriptions


The oppressive head teacher

Usually more that 10 years in charge of facultyLack of IT knowledgeRule under the ‘divide and rule’ principlePromote unsafe environment for learningGood politicians: members of every school committee


‘…the most important factor affecting student learning is the teacher’

Wright, S., Horn, S., & Sanders, W. (1997)

A quality teacher in every classroom is the ultimate aim, but how to achieve this is the big question and challenge.

http://www.softwaremag.com

Looking at Professional Development Opportunities

as anInstitutional Barrier

to Effective e-Learning in

Schools

“The teacher is the chief

learner in the classroom” –

Donald Graves (2010)

• It is clear that teachers have the greatest impact on daily student learning in the vast majority of secondary schools in mainstream Australia.

• Teaching capacity needs to be valued and nurtured in order to create the very best learning opportunities for our students.

• Professional development is an integral part of every teacher’s growth as a professional and provides opportunities to enhance teaching expertise, intellectual development, professional judgement and effective networking.

Such professional development by definition will benefit the individual teacher, and then by definition the organisation as a whole also.

Killion and Harrison, (1990), identified this important aspect of whole school success:

“organisational development requires a planned approach to change based on meeting the

needs of both the people and the organisation”.

The reality of many school

situations in mainstream

Australian schools is one

where professional

development is not catered

for or prioritised highly

enough to support the level

of teaching and learning

which is

required todayhttp://blogs.scholastic.com

Many of the rate determining

steps are by definition

institutional barriers as

secondary schools as

organisations are not

designed to accommodate

release time for professional

development: as it is almost

without exception an “add-

on” or application for leave. http://tln.typepad.com

http://tln.typepad.com/

Conscious of the requirements of changing

current approaches or material currently used in classes, in the pursuit of a

better outcome for students, is often limited in reality to the motivated

minority, or staff in leadership positions.

Unfortunately this culture of lack of engagement with

pro-active future focussed professional development is often left unchecked by

school administrations who are feeling burdened by greater reporting and

bureaucratic requirements.

http://dailynews.mcmaster.ca/images/Carolyn_-Eyles_teaching_09.jpg



A fundamental re-think and fresh approach is

required both by schools and school systems to ensure

sufficient, appropriate, professional

development becomes a component of

teacher allocations and school budgets.

School systems have a role to play in providing or

facilitating worthwhile professional development

opportunities which are appropriate and

useful.

http://personal.tcu.edu/sehill/Teaching.jpg



http://eslarticle.com/uploads/_notregistered/art_730_4f58d80100.jpg

Small allocations of system funds to replace released teachers to

do this would be a good investment, as returns in student performance for money outlaid,

is high. Fiszer, (2004) Strongly suggests

that teachers need regular :“opportunities to explore,

question, and debate in order to integrate new ideas into their

repertoires and classroom practices”.

and “a lack of time for reflection and dialogue could negatively impact

on-going teacher professional development”.

Inherent in this concept is the direct relationship often between in-service occurring and adoption

in the classroom, as ideas are communicated to and from

similar contexts by current like practitioners.




‘Professional development should reflect the following principles:

1. The professional development should provide teachers with opportunities for collaboration and coaching.

2. The participants should be actively engaged in reflection, inquiry, research, and collective problem solving.

3. The professional development should be grounded in instructional practices, assessments, and results specific to the participants’ content area or school improvement process.

4. The professional development should be ongoing, sustained, rigorous, and job-embedded.

5. The participants should have the necessary resources and opportunities to grow and learn effectively.

Darling-Hammond and McLaughlin 1995, Little 1993, Harrison and Killian 2007, Sparks and Hirsh,2000

There are several steps that can be taken immediately to address these issues at

a structural level:Provision of opportunities for teachers to dialogue and network can be an

efficient and relatively low cost for school systems to implement and lift student

performance. Small allocations of system

funds to replace released teachers to do this would be a good investment, as

returns in student performance for money

outlaid, is high.

http://www.oecd.org/vgn/images/portal


There are several steps that can be taken

immediately to address these

issues at a structural level:

Professional development needs to be identified by

policy makers as an essential on-going

component of teaching and be

reflected in funding and allocations to

staff, as part of the award and job specification.



There are several steps that can be

taken immediately to address these


Professional development organised

at the school level needs to be focused on any

objectives of the school’s Annual Plan, which

usually draws from a more long term Strategic

Plan. In this way, each Department needs to plan opportunities for

individual staff members to enhance the whole

school stated objectives. http://www.oecd.org/vgn/images/portal





The construction of a Departmental Strategic

Professional Development Plan will create opportunities

for thoughtful dialogue in ways in which each

staff member and department (KLA) can

contribute to the school’s overall

success. http://www.oecd.org/vgn/images/portal


Departmental Strategic Professional Development

Plan




The NSW Institute of Teachers initiatives mandates specified

hours of professional development to reach and maintain teaching

status, however workplace time

allocations do not reflect the fulfillment of these requirements

seamlessly.http://www.oecd.org/vgn/images/portal





Interestingly most school leadership

contracts mandate reflective practices and on-going professional

development and mentoring, however this does not always

flow down to all members of staff

including classroom teachers.






Increasingly competent and relevant e-learning

professional development is being developed for

teachers, but changes are needed to allow teachers to more readily access it,

if the establishment of sustainable learning communities is to be

routinely nurtured and promoted in mainstream

secondary schools.http://www.oecd.org/vgn/images/portal


The reality of life-long learning,

includes staff as well as students, and

behooves work place and role

descriptions to reflect these facts.

http://ehlt.flinders.edu.au/education/DLiT/2004/13DLT/Images/dyslexia_3.gif



Technology Barriers

Technology Constraints

While education systems and institutions have recognised that learning has been largely impacted by technology, varying levels of elearning adoption exist and are hindered by technology constrains.

1. Emerging Technologies 2010 Horizon Report: K-12 Edition

A variety of emerging technologies could potentially impact on teaching and learning in pre-college education including cloud computing, collaborative environments, game-based learning,

mobiles, augmented reality, and flexible displays.

Challenge for school systems is the facilitation of effective information and communication technology resources, which utilise such emerging technologies

Technology Barriers2. Resource funding and initiativesChallenges with funding and initiatives by the government to provide technology hardware to school intuitions, limiting institutions flexibility in creating personalised elearning solutions.

Digital Education RevolutionThe national secondary computer fund is a key component of the digital education revolution initiative, assisting secondary schools with students in years 9 to 12 to achieve a 1:1 computer ratio.

State, catholic, and independent schools all currently have a varied approach in the implementation of both government and institutionally funded technology resources.

Technology Barriers3. e-learning based on information communication technology hardware resources

E-Learning Assumptions ‘If they we build it, they will come’ (Zemsky et al, 2004).

Many institutions implementing the technology hardware reources as the education elearning solution, without the strategic development of effective elearning environments.

Little consideration for the digital and social tools that can be used to create elearning environments.

Need for the adoption of constructivist and connectivist learning theories to create effective elearning models in K-12 classrooms.

RecommendationsInformation and communication technology resourcesStrategic ICT resource implementation to meet Individualised elearning solutions Regulation in student use of personal devices in the school environment such as laptops and mobile devices Flexible and meaningful ICT resource solutions for elearning in consideration of emerging technologies

Use of digital and social tools to create meaningful elearning environmentsDevising a school based elearning plan developed beyond the computer hardware technologies available, in order adopt more effective elearning models in learningIncorporating digital and social software technologies in elearning plans to establish elearning modelsDevelopment of learning environments based on constructivist and connectivism theories of learning

Digital Natives

Impact on e-learning in schools

“One student walks across campus listening to an iPod;

another is engrossed in text messaging on her cell phone.

During class, they’re Googling, Instant Messaging and playing games- often at the same time. More likely to use the library as

a gathering place than a resource, this is the Net Generation.”

(Oblinger 2006 in Jones et al 2010)

Source: Online Identity Wiki Created by Mauricio Aguirre-PinedaUniversity of Manitoba, Faculty of Education online-identity.wikispaces.com accessed

10/5/11

Defining Digital Natives

• Can this notion be defined?• Prensky (2001) recognised the dramatic change in the

students of today.• The first generation to grow up with this new technology.

Living their lives surrounded by computers, videogames, mobile phones- all of the tools and gadgets of the digital age.

Source: ABS (2010) Household Use of Information Technology, Australia. 2008-2009

Assumptions• Changes to current teaching practice need to be

made to address the needs of these Digital Natives

• Students skills distinguish them from previous generations and their teachers

• As students live their lives immersed in technology, they therefore possess highly developed technology skills

• All students are interested in, reliant upon and able to use technology

Implications• Does the popularity of ICT in everyday life

determine its application to education?• A “one size fits all” model will not work• A digital divide exists• Students learning styles can not be generalised,

cognitive differences must be recognised• Students use of technology differs inside and

outside of the school setting• High use of technology does not equal high skill

base

Recommendations• The use of ICT can enrich learning experiences

and motivate and engage students• Differences must be recognised when

implementing e-learning• Evaluate students technology skill base• Work towards developing critical thinking skills

when using technology• Develop a whole school approaches to the

implementation of e-learning

Conclusion• Overcoming Legal/ Ethical Barriers

o Acceptable Usage Policies (AUPs)o Communication and Education about Legal and Ethical Issueso Use of technologies to manage internet usage

• Overcoming the Human Resources Barrierso New procedures and appropriate staff training

• Overcoming the Professional Development Barrierso Strategic professional development plan

• Overcoming the Technology Barrierso Information and communication technology resourceso Use of digital and social tools to create meaningful elearning

environments• Overcoming the Digital Native Debate

o Recognising differences in the technology skills of studentso Reviewing technology skills

E-Learning in Schools Team members Amelia McAllan Belinda Martin Bob Anderson Tracey Richardson...

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