Innovation Profile 122

The Why? behind the What?

When you read case studies about the use of ICT in learning, certain aspects of what teachers comment on are common to many of the case studies. It seems some 'scenarios of learning with ICT' are proving very effective in promoting learning.

Key words and phrases in these brief case studies paint pictures of learning activities which are powerfully improved by ICT; enable, engage, create, present, challenge, configure, explore, communicate and so on.

Behind 'what' is happening is the question 'why is the learning improved'. From understanding why we can move on to ask 'how much' and 'how can learning be improved more'. For each scenario what is possible using ICT can be compared with what is possible without ICT. The differences point to why the learning is improved with ICT, which can be studied.

Teachers assess when good learning is happening by watching the indicators that can be observed; engagement, concentration, dialogue, collaboration, creativity, time on task, quality of thought, amount of work, presentation.

Discovering how to create good learning needs some trial and error, using techniques others have found useful. And what works for each individual child is the right personal mix of factors; interest, existing knowledge, capability, and social and psychological factors. But we must not be daunted by the inability to generalise; we can start by capturing the various reasons why ICT enables extension of learning or overcomes an inhibition.

There are a number of case studies on the Logotron website, at http://www.logo.com/case_studies/index.html. Analysis of these can quickly create a checklist of techniques teachers are using to improve the learning of their pupils. This can provide teachers with a 'toolbox' of approaches to improving teaching and learning that they can use.

There is nothing new here except the ICT. Techniques for good teaching and learning depend on human interactions, with each other and with knowledge. But ICT changes how those interactions can happen, if teachers know how to enable this.

The next step of course is to ask 'how much is learning improved'?

The Logotron Company Profile on our web site will give you an overview of the company and a list of other Innovation Profiles connected with it.

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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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