Taking evidence-based professional learning conversations online: Implications for teacher professional development programme design

Taking evidence-based professional learning conversations online: Implications for teacher professional development programme design Michael Moroney University of Brunei [email_address]

Itinerary
Define face-to-face evidence-based professional learning conversations
Describe reasons for putting conversations online
Present theoretical perspectives that may shed light on evidence-based professional learning conversations can be developed and sustained.
Outline a research project designed to add to understanding of how geographically separated teachers might develop online evidence-based professional learning conversations.

Evidence-based professional learning conversations
Teachers work together in teams (community of practice)
Follow conversation protocols, procedures and rules of engagement to achieve knowledge acquisition goals
Solve problems of interest to all in their learning community
Work closely with evidence
(see Earl & Timperley (2009) Professional learning conversations: Challenges in using evidence for improvement. Springer Science + Business Media: New York.)

Reasons for conducting conversations
… real benefits can accrue from “getting to know” data as part of an ongoing process of educational change using it locally to investigate real issues in particular schools, as a way of deciding what to do next.
(from Earl & Timperley (2009) Professional learning conversations: Challenges in using evidence for improvement. Springer Science + Business Media: New York. )

PD driven by teacher needs
Earl (2009) also argued that evidence-informed, professional learning conversations are conducted by teachers in their own schools and that professional learning conversations are used to inform decisions about how to improve instructional practices that conversation participants can themselves use.

In a typical conversation…
“ Differences between theories about the current situation and how to improve it are expected and accepted. If the theories and and their explanations are restricted to personal views and beliefs, however, the discussion may result in mutual understanding and a sense of goodwill, but they may still reflect individual impressions. To achieve deeper understanding about an issue, the agreement must be based on evidence that can be examined and tested.”
Timperley & Earl (2009) p.5

A typical question a community might consider…
Why are slow-progress students not achieving and how can we teach them more effectively?

Conditions for evidence-based professional learning conversations
An inquiry habit of mind
Using relevant data
Relationships of respect and challenge

An inquiry habit of mind
A willingness to want to inquire and learn
A disposition to be open to a range of interpretations
A personal quality
Although this is a personal quality, it is the commitment of a group to engage in inquiry that develops this disposition
“ seeking meaning in dynamic feedback loops”

Using relevant data
A highly interpretive process needing multiple conversations about:
What counts as data
What counts as evidence
Possibilities for use
Substance of inquiry is to search for meaning or the implications for teaching

Relationships of respect and challenge
Development of interpersonal dynamics
Shared responsibility for the work of teaching
Belief that community contributions required to succeed in own work
Confidence in each others commitment and competence

Online Evidence-based professional learning conversations Reasons to connect online

School – University conversation transcript
“… As requested, you wanted to have a list of syntax that the teachers can use and look for in the case of teachers wanting to use the Latex for doing the mathematics equation .
I have compiled for you several documents for the teachers use and a few website links for them to use in the case of need. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you require further assistance… ”
… online conversation April 2010

Understanding Online evidence-based conversations
Three theoretical perspectives
Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) (Engestrom, 1999; Wertsch, 1985)
Community of Practice theory (CoP) (Lave & Wenger, 1991; Wenger, 1998; Wenger, McDermott, & Snyder, 2002),
Computer supported collaborative learning theory (CSCL) (Hoppe, Ogata, & Soller, 2007; Stahl, 2004; Strijbos, Kirschner, & Martens, 2004)

Cultural historical activity theory

A way of modeling the structure and dynamic relationships in an activity system. The structure of human activity in Engestrom’s (1987) Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) framework

The structure and relationships of an evidence-based professional learning conversation Explanatory framework

Four layers of tension
The first layer lies within each of the six nodes.
The second layer is one in which any two nodes are inconsistent.
A third layer is one in which traditional procedures for completing tasks conflict with new approaches.
A fourth tension is that between different activity systems.

Community of practice theoretical perspective

Community of practice theoretical perspective Wenger, E., McDermot, R., Snyder, W. (2002). A guide to managing knowledge: Cultivating communities of practice . Harvard Business School Press: Boston (see page 68) What are the triggers that catalyze evolution?

Triggers that catalyze evolution
Moves on when it can combine a good understanding of what already exists with a vision of where it can go.
Communities thrive when members find value in participating. Need genuine trust, sharing knowledge that is truly useful, belief that the community has enough value that it will survive.
Clarifying community focus, roles and boundaries.
Shift from sharing information to organizing community knowledge and taking stewardship seriously.

Distributed communities of practice
Distance makes it more difficult to remember the community exists
Distributed groups have more issues and less opportunity to discuss them
People may have different agendas – more difficult to settle on a common way forward
Less contact and so harder to build trust and online relationships
(Wenger, McDermott & Snyder)

CSCL “… In this approach, learning is conceptualized as a collective and participatory social process in which a series of multistranded interpersonal transactions mediate the exchange of knowledge” (Cole and Engestro¨m 1993).

A CSCL perspective
Wegerif (2006) argued that mastery of dialogic practices formed the basis for the development of individual thinking skills.
"To understand phenomena related to learning, one must study the ways in which people interact with one another”
It is widely recognised as necessary (though not sufficient) that teachers engaged in professional development work in groups. When professional development is online the need for the group to adopt effective social practices is both necessary and more complicated .
Stahl, G., & Hesse, F. (2006). Social practices of computer-supported collaborative learning. International journal of computer supported collaborative learning, 1, 409-412.

continued
“ Supporting group learning activities requires an understanding of the process of collaborative learning”
Soller, A., & Lesgold, A. (2007). Modeling the process of collaborative learning. In H. Ulrich Hoppe, H. Ogata & A. Soller (Eds.), Computer-supported collaborative learning: Studies in technology enhanced collaborative learning New York: Springer Science + Business Media.

Combining 3 theoretical perspectives
CHAT provides a way of examining a complex activity systems such as evidence-based professional learning conversations.
CoP theory highlights the need for the learning community to develop over time, and the challenges of distributed communities.
CSCL theory stresses the importance of mastery of dialogic skills and the need for new communication skills for online discussions.

A research project

Online professional learning - COINSET
Research Focus
The overall objective of this research is to contribute to current knowledge of teacher professional development theory; specifically, how online evidence based professional learning conversations can be created and sustained to help teachers gain professional knowledge .

Participants & PD programme
50 teachers from different schools in Brunei
Teachers form professional learning teams of 5 – called “ professional friends communities ”
Teachers learn how to work in an online learning community and follow a protocol for completing online evidence-based professional conversations
The programme runs for 7 months. Each month groups come together to share their professional learning conversation experiences and to discuss how conversations may be more effective.

Research methodology
Phase 1. Multiple case study research
Phase 2. In-depth case studies of 2 purposely selected online learning communities

Analysis of data
Content analysis of online conversation transcripts
Document analysis of online community artifacts
Social network analysis of tie strength
Web analytics

Possible limitations
7 “snapshots” may not capture the dynamics of how groups change over time.
Limited to 50 teachers in this first programme
Coding of transcripts may be subject to bias as English is not the home language of many participants.

Thank you for your time

Taking evidence-based professional learning conversations online: Implications for teacher professional development programme design

by mddhani on May 25, 2010

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Taking evidence-based professional learning conversations online: Implications for teacher professional development programme design — Presentation Transcript