Innovation Profile 068

How deep is a pedagogical approach?

A teacher can decide:

• to present knowledge as facts to be learnt.
• to help students to see the framework of a subject within which new knowledge fits.
• or to provide thinking tools that students may transfer to other learning.

Practically, ideas can be presented quickly in a linear way, can be shown and explained within the framework the teacher prefers, or the time can be taken to let students explore and create idea-maps. Using mind-mapping software may take longer than an explanation of a concept but the student learns at a deeper level.

Computers are changing the way we think because they are enabling us to create visualisations and mental models which previously were very hard to construct in one's mind. The Spark-Space software provided with Promethean ACTIVstudio software and ACTIVboard interactive whiteboards enables teachers to use very flexible mind-maps with students. See the news release at http://www.promethean.co.uk/artman/publish/article_169.shtml for details.

The software contains unique features such as 3D rotational and split-screen views. This makes it possible to jump quickly to different views of the relationships between ideas. This can not only capture the imagination, it can make it possible to 'image' ideas in new and complementary ways. This provides students with new tools for thinking and constructing knowledge. It helps them learn how to learn, providing a depth of education beyond subject knowledge.

But these are not just tools for thinking. Spark-Space provides the ability to turn idea maps into presentations and web pages. This means that they can be communicated to others in the shape that the learner conceives the knowledge. If an interactive whiteboard is used to view these, there can be active discussion amongst a class, with all able to see how they are each visualising concepts.

Teachers will no doubt use different depths of pedagogical approach at different times; factual presentations, presentations of frameworks for knowledge and exploration/creation of frameworks. It is the extended possibility for the last of these which is new. And the questions are, "How much time should we devote to this deep 'learning to learn'?" and, "Where should it fit in the school/college curriculum?"

The Promethean Company Profile on our web site will give you a list of other Innovation Profiles connected with this company.

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If you know of examples of innovative use of ICT-for-learning that others would be interested in, please email innovations@eep-edu.org

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