The added value of TPACK

During this course, I have posted several items on this weblog. There were some posts about flexbility and some posts about pedagogy. And the post below this post is about TPACK. But what is the added value of TPACK? And are there also some weak points?

During the first lecture from the course ‘Pedagogies for flexible learning supported by technology’ we talked about flexibility. About flexibility I have learned that there are many different kinds of flexibility, such as flexibility related to the content or flexibility related to time. Maybe a student may choose what he wants to learn or when to hand in the assignment. Now let’s combine flexibility with the TPACK-model. Is the TPACK-model flexible and can this model support flexibility? To anwer the first question, yes I think the TPACK-model is flexible. There is no one right way to use the model. The teacher can choose if he wants to start with the content, the pedagogies or the technology. Also the teacher may choose which kind of technology he will use, which pedagogical approach and which content is learned, as long as it fits together. That means that every teacher, no matter what subject he teaches, can use the TPACK-model. The TPACK-model is also very flexible related to time. The model can be used to create one lesson, but also for a whole course. One thing that is very important when you talk about flexibility and TPACK is the context. The teacher should always consider the audience and the situation. Not every pedagogical approach is appropriate for each student and not every school has enough computers to use computer-based learning as a pedagogical approach. So it is not only flexibility... In the model the context is represented by the blue circle.

Also on the second question I think the anwer is yes. The TPACK-model can support flexibility. When the teacher becomes familiar with the TPACK-model, perhaps he become more flexible in the way he teaches. For example, the teacher can use Blackboard on a different way, not only for posting slides or articles, but also as a communication tool by using a discussion board. On this way he integrate technological knowledge (Blackboard) with content knowledge (the course) and pedagogical knowledge (discussion board).

Then I described different kinds of pedagogical approaches and how we can support those by the use of technology. Again, when a teacher is familiar with the TPACK-model maybe he can think of new or other pedagogical approaches, for example a inquiry learning environment on the computer. On this way TPACK ensures an effective learning environment.

So far I have described the added value of TPACK. And probably I can give more positive points about TPACK, but what about the weak points of TPACK? I think the TPACK-model is more appropriate for secundary school than for primary education. The content knowledge is an important aspect of TPACK. At a secundary school the teachers are more specialized in their subject matter than teachers of a primary school. They have more general knowledge. So, I can imagine that it is more difficult for teachers of a primary school. Also it still seems very difficult to integrate technology in lessons for young children, because they can not use technology, such as a camera or computer, on their own. Then you must ask parents for help.

I think it is very important that TPACK becomes a part of the curriculum of teacher training college, so that new teachers can use it from the beginning and maybe other teachers will be enthousiastic if they see what the advantages are.

Another doubtful point is to convince teachers to use this model, especially the older teachers. Through their experience, they think that they do everything very well and they will not change their teaching. It is very important that those people see the usefulness of the model, and that can be a hard thing.

But I like to conclude with something positive. I like TPACK because you can use it as a framework. You can use it as a reflection for your lesson but you can also create a lesson based on the model. The model does not tell you what you MUST do, but it SUPPORTS you as a teacher.  

TPACK????

Before I started with the study Educational Science and Technology, I had never heard from the TPACK-model. And maybe this is not very strange, because there are many other people who have never heard of the TPACK-model. But I am a teacher...

So before I give an explanation of the TPACK-model, I will share my experience with technology in the class. After that, I will try to explain what TPACK is. And for those people who are curious, in a next post on my weblog I will describe the added value of TPACK and maybe some negative points.

My own experience

Last year, I was a teacher at a primary school and I gave lessons to children from 5 and 6 years. I did use technology, such as the computer, a radio and a normal black board. Unfortunately I had no interactive whiteboard in my classroom, but as I said, I did use technology so I was very glad with that. During the course ‘Pedagogies for flexible learning supported by technology’ I figured out that I did not use technology on a effective way. I did not integrate technology in my lessons, but I used it when the children worked independently. So some children were sitting at the computer and worked with a program for mathematics and language. Other children were sitting in the ‘listen corner’. They played a game and got the instructions for this game by listening to the radio. And there were children who wrote words on the black board. But I did not integrate technology in my teaching. The only technology I integrated in my teaching was the black board. I used it to write words on it. And to be honest, even after following this course, I find it still difficult to really integrate technology in my teaching, especially when teaching young children. Of course, as a teacher you can use the interactive whiteboard that shows a digital picture book, and the teacher can ask questions about the content of that book. But this is a very simple form of integrating technology into your teaching.

What is TPACK?

I think when you ask people to give a definition of a good teacher, many people will answer that a good teacher must have knowledge of the subject he teaches. It is important that a teacher has enough knowledge about the content, the so-called content knowledge. Probably there are also people who say that a good teacher can transfer the knowledge on a right way to the students. That means that the teacher must know how a student think and learn. Based on that, he can choose which pedagogical approach will be used, for example collaborative learning, problem-based learning, traditional learning etc. (see my post ‘The art and science of teaching’). The so-called pedagogical knowledge. But I suppose that there are few people who say that a good teacher must have knowledge about technology. At least, it is not my first thought when I think of the definition of a good teacher. But the development of technology ensures that the knowledge and skills about technology becomes more important. So, it is important that a teacher has skills and knowledge about how to use technology. The so-called technology knowledge.

So, as you can read, I have described three types of knowledge. These three types of knowledge come together in the TPACK-model. And maybe you already noticed it, but TPACK is an abbrevation of Technological, Pedagogical and Content Knowledge. Mishra and Koehler (2009) are the founders of the TPACK model, which is presented below.

(Source: http://www.tpack.org)

                     (I see that the model is not represented. If you click on the link the model will appear.)

A very important thing to notice are the areas that overlap eachother. Effective teaching depends on the integration of these three types of knowledge. When you integrate these three, there arise three new types of knowledge:

-         TPK (Technological Pedagogical Knowledge): How the pedagogical approach changes because of the use of technology or how the technology support the pedagogical approach. I think the example I mentioned before about using the interactive whiteboard to show a picture book belongs to this knowledge. The technology changes the normal pedagogical approach, that the teacher reads the book en the children are sitting in a circle and listen.

-         TCK (Technological Content Knowledge): How the content changes because of the use of technology, or how technology can support the content. By using the interactive whiteboard the teacher can easily show movies or pictures about any content. The technology changes the content. Without an interactive whiteboard there are not that many or different movies the teacher can show.

-         PCK (Pedagogical Content Knowledge): How particular aspects of the content are organized, adapted and represented for instruction. Sometimes it is better to use traditional learning as the pedagogical approach, because you teach something that is totally new for everyone. Another time the teacher chooses another pedagogical approach that best suits to that content.

Now I am at the point, where it is all about: TPACK. It is in the centre of the model, where all the different types of knowledge come together. A teacher shows TPACK when there is interaction among content, pedagogy and technology knowledge. It is a challenge to integrate these three types of knowledge. It is possible for a teacher to start with the content, and based on that content the teacher chooses a pedagogical approach and the technology. I think this is the most common way. But of course it is also possible to start with a pedagogical approach or with a specific technology. A very simple and short example in which TPACK is used: on a secundary school the students must make a powerpoint presentation (technology) about a part of the human body (content). They must do that in groups, which means collaborative learning (pedagogy).

Reference:

Koehler, M. J., & Mishra, P. (2009). What is technological pedagogical content knowledge? Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 9(1), 60-70.

'Jeugdkrakercompetitie'

The national ‘Jeugdkrakercompetitie’ is a competition on internet for children from the highest group of the primary school. This competition is played annually. By answering the questions, the children learn more about the possibilities from internet. I think there are different pedagogical approaches. The children must work together, so there is collaborative learning. And they have to find an answer on the question that is presented. There are different ways to find the right solution, so the children construct their own knowledge. I think this is inquiry learning.

Last year I worked on a school where they participate in this competition. The children were very enthousiastic. The children play against children from other primary schools, that makes it very exciting.

I think this is a good example of collaborative learning. If the children want a place in the final, they really have to work together, otherwise they will not beat the other schools.

http://njkc.geevers.com/

(Unfortunately, this site is only for Dutch students. Sorry!)

‘The art and science of teaching’

The title of this blog refers to the term ‘pedagogy’. Pedagogy is the art and science of how something is taught and how students learn it. Pedagogy includes how the teaching occurs, the approach to teaching and learning, the way the content is delivered and what the students learn as a result of the process. In this blog I summarize 5 pedagogical approaches. Because technology influences and changes the pedagogical approaches, I describe how each pedagogical approach can be supported in an environment such as Blackboard. In the conclusion I review the different approaches.

Collaborative learning

Collaborative learning is an educational approach to teaching and learning that involves groups of students working together to solve a problem, complete a task, or create a product. According to Gerlach (1994) ‘collaborative learning is based on the idea that learning is a naturally social act in which the participants talk among themselves’.

Instead of meeting eachother in real life, the students can ‘meet’ eachother on blackboard. They can use a forum for exchange of solutions or ideas. The use of blackboard makes the learning flexibel, because it is not necessary that the students are present at the same time.

Inquiry learning

Inquiry learning is ‘open learning’. Open learning is when there is no prescribed target that students have to achieve. A teacher present a question and students search for information to answer the question. Because there is no one path the students can follow to find the solution, students have ownership of their learning.

Just like collaborative learning, the students can use a forum to exhange their ideas. A workplace on the blackboard would be useful. The students can leave their findings here.

Problem-based learning

Actually, the term ‘problem-based learning’ is very clear. The students start with a problem. An important key is that the problem should be meaningful for them. Students can collaborate to find the solution. Normally, there are many different ways to find the solution, so the students construct their own knowledge and skills. The problem is approached from different points of view, so it adds to different subjects. The teacher is more a guide than a leader.

Blackboard can be used as a medium to ‘talk’ with eachother, for example by using a forum. Also the teacher can use blackboard to describe the problem.

Traditional learning

When I think of traditional learning, I see a class of 30 students who sit in rows of 2. The teacher gives the instruction, and the students are quiet and listen. All students in a classroom are taught the same material. The knowledge is tested by written assignments. There is little or no attention to social development.

By the use of blackboard, the pedagogical approach traditional learning can change a bit. Instead of using only textbooks, the teacher can decide to put some articles on the blackboard which the students have to read.

Workplace learning

Workplace learning is learning at a real workenvironment. It means that students also learn on a workplace and not just on the educational institute like a University. An example of workplace learning is an internship.

By using Blackboard, the student and the teacher can communicate with eachother. The student can hand in assignments on blackboard and the teacher can give feedback on that assignment. It would be nice if the facilitator, who guides the student at the workfloor, has also the possibility to use blackboard. Then he can read the assignments and feedback as well. The facilitator can use the feedback for his guidance of the student.

When I look at these 5 approaches, the role of the teacher in traditional learning is different compared by the other 4 approaches. A teacher who gives a traditional lesson is a leader, while in the other 4 approaches, he is more a guide or mentor. He coaches the students.

I have no preference for one of these approaches, but I like workplace learning. When I speak for myself and look at my previous study, I have learned most during my internship, so it was very useful for me. I think it is nice that a teacher combines different approaches. Sometimes traditional learning can be handy, for example if you want to teach something that is new for everyone. But this approach is maybe not very attractive for the students, so there must be variation.

Reference:

Gerlach, J.M. (1994). Is this collaboration? New Directions for Teaching and Learning No. 59.

'Technology Fair'

In recent years, schools have an increasing focus on technology education. Mettas and Constantinou (2006) describe the ‘Technology Fair’: primary school children formulating a technological problem, collecting information and developing an appropriate solution. The children are guided by pre-service teachers. At the end, the school organizes a public event where each child displays a poster describing their learning proces and the outcome. The children and the pre-service teachers must also develop some interactive activities.

The purpose of the research of Mettas and Constantinou (2006) was to investigate the effectivenes of the Technology Fair in developing pre-service teachers’problem solving skills and their pedagogical content knowledge about technological problem solving. One of the results was that the Technology Fair has a significant influence in improving pre-service teachers’ understanding and application of problem solving strategies within the area of design and technology education.

The article attracted me because of the term ‘Technology Fair’. I wondered what was meant by that term. In my view, a ‘Technology Fair’ is a very good initiative! The children must solve a technological problem and they do this by using a problem based learning approach. By using this approach, the children are actively involved and learn in the context in which knowledge is to be used. The pre-service teachers learn to interact with the children and help the children to develop problem-solving skills. They develop also their own problem-solving skills within the area of technology education. That could be very handy for their furture career.

On this website you can download the article:
http://www.springerlink.com/content/x4w1r8706668m653/

Reference:

Mettas, A.C. & Constantinou, C.C. (2006). The Technology Fair: a project-based learning approach for enhancing problem solving skills and interest in design and technology education. International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 18(1), 79-100

Flexibility

When I think of flexibel learning, the first thing that comes to my mind is distance learning related to e-learning. Maybe that is because I have not thought further on it, just like many other people according too Collis and Moonen (2001). But after the first lecture of this course, I found out that flexibil learning contains many different aspects, such as content, time, learning materials, instructional approach and the location.

Collis and Moonen (2001) define flexible learning as follows: ‘Flexible learning is a movement away from a situation in which key decisions about learning dimensions are mad in advance by the instructor or institution, toward a situation where the learner has a range of options from which to choose with respect to these key dimensions’.
In this blog I will describe five different kinds of flexibility, including their advantages and disadvantages.

The first one I would like to describe is time. When you follow a course, it might be that there is flexibility related to time, for example that you may choose when to start with a course or  when to hand in the assignments. This can be very handy for those who have a very busy schedule, they can decide for themselves when they do the assignment. A disadvantage is that the learner must have a real intrinsic motivation. Because there is no deadline, there is a chance that the learners wait very long before they do the assignment. Because the lecture for this assignment was a long time ago, it could be that the learners have forgotten the content and so it can be difficult to do the assignment. Another disadvantage is that it can be complicated for the teacher. When there is no deadline, I can imagine that teachers lose the overview because different assignments are mixed up.

Of course there is also a flexibility related to the content. Maybe learners can follow different parts of the course, so they choose the topic they want to learn. Probably the learners are real motivated because they may choose the topic by themselves. But in my view, it is difficult for the designers of the course. I take for example the human body. As a designer but also as a teacher, you want that the learners learn the complexitiy of the human body and you devide the course into five different lectures with each an own topic. Then the learners may choose three lectures they want to follow. The result can be that the learners learn a lot about the bones of the human body, but they do not know much about the circulatory of the human body.

A third dimension of learning flexiliby is related to the instructional approach. Will the lecture be in Dutch or English? Do the learners have to work in groups or on their own? This choice is for each learner different. Some learners prefer to work in groups, other learners prefer to work on their own. When the learners work in groups, this requires a good organization. There must be places to work in groups and of course there is some noise, but this should be not too loud, because then the other groups can not concentrate very well. So the organization of working in groups can be a disadvantage for those teachers who find it difficult to organize a situation in which everyone can learn.

Another flexibility is related to learning materials. There are many learning materials such as textbooks, educational software, video resources, recourses from multi-media, resources via the WWW etc. That learners may choose by what material they want to learn and by what material they want to communicate with eachother and with the teacher. An advantage for these different learning materials is that the learners can choose a material that best suits them and facilitates their learning. Of course there should be enough computers etc., so that there is an opportunity for everyone who likes to work with that learning material. A disadvantage could be that it is difficult for teachers, especially the teachers who did not grown up with technology, to work with the different learning materials. They must learn how to work with educational software, the WWW etc.

The first thing that came in my mind when I thought about flexibel learning is e-learning. So

the last aspect of flexible learning I would like to describe is flexibility related to distance.

In recent years there has been a lot of attention for e-learning, and still there is attention for it. E-learning has a lot of advantages such as lower costs and saving travel time, but one of the most important is the flexibility. It is not necessary that the learner and the teacher meet eachother at the same time and place. There are many other ways to keep in contact, such as skype, email and an electronic learning environment. And if the learner missed a class, for example he has a broken leg, he can watch the lecture online. But of course there is one big disadvantage, at least in my opinion, and that is the the lack of immediate interaction between the learner and the teacher and also between learners. On this way, the learners do not maintain social contacts and that is a pity, because it is useful to have social contacts and to know how you must maintain these social contact for their careers.

I think flexibility is a great addition for education, but of course there are limits. It is not possible that the learners may choose everything by themselves. I think it becomes a big mess if all learners use different learning materials or that the learners may choose when to hand in the assignment. And for some learners it is not even desirable that they make their own choices, for example learners with little discipline. They will never hand in an assignment....

Reference:

Collis, B., & Moonen, J. (2001, second printing 2002). Flexible learning in a digital world: Experiences and expectations. London: Kogan Page.

The course 'Pedagogies for Flexible Learning supported by Technology'

This course is an elective course, and the reason why I choose this course is because I want to learn more about the TPACK-model. In the introduction course of CIMA 'Themes and Approaches' Petra gave a presentation about this model. I think it is very interesting to figure out how teachers can integrate technology into their teaching.
Last year I have worked as a teacher at a primary school with children aged 5 or 6. There were three computers in my classroom and the children used the computers a lot. They worked with a specific program and they played games. But to be honest, the computers were not part of my teaching....