Using Google Tools for Authentic Learning and Progressive Inquiry in 21st Century Faculty Development
Hanna Teras Tampere University of Applied Sciences / School of Vocational Teacher Education Finland
[email protected] Marko Teras Tampere University of Applied Sciences Finland
[email protected]
1. Introduction Tampere University of Applied Sciences is implementing a higher education teachers’ certificate program at Higher Colleges of Technology in the United Arab Emirates. The purpose of the program is to equip the teaching faculty of the Higher Colleges of Technology with the pedagogical and technological skills needed in the demanding 21st century working environment as well as support the teachers in adopting the role of a facilitator instead of the traditional instructor. The main focus of the program is not on training the teachers how to use technology, although that is one level and also a module in it. What is more important is the process of progressive inquiry which guides the learners to examine the world, to reflect upon their roles as teachers, and to develop their professional skills to meet the demands of the 21st century knowledge society. The used technology, Google tools and the BB Vista, ‘only’ offer the distributed team a virtual space through which to interact with each other and build knowlege together. Earlier studies suggest that collaborative knowledge construction is often weakly implemented in online learning (Leppisaari, Herrington, Vainio & Im 2011) and that traditional LMS-based collaboration tools have certain limitations in fostering an online community (Myllylä, Mäkelä & Torp 2009). The pedagogical model in teachers’ certificate program is based on progressive inquiry as described by Hakkarainen, Bollström-Huttunen, Pyysalo & Lonka (1999) and authentic e-Learning as defined by Herrington, Reeves & Oliver (2010). It is thus heavily based on collaborative online learning. This poster illustrates how Google tools have been used to create and support authentic e-learning and the process of progressive inquiry in the program. As the program proceeds, we go on examining the effect of these tools in the learning process and learning outcomes.
2. Progressive inquiry and authentic e-learning In progressive inquiry, the emphasis is on increased understanding instead of increased amount of knowledge (Hakkarainen, Bollström-Huttunen, Pyysalo & Lonka 1999). Creating one’s own working theories and research questions is an elemental phase of knowledge construction. A genuine process of inquiry is questiondriven, although traditional schooling often involves production of information without any guiding questions (Hakkarainen, Lipponen & Järvelä 2001). In practice this includes one’s own hypotheses, interpretations, even guesses that the learner forms based on her previous knowledge. The working theories develop as the learners seek more information and share ideas. In this type of learning, answers cannot be found instantly, but the process is ongoing and the learners are forced to form new questions that will lead them to a deeper understanding of the phenomenon at hand. The phases of the model are illustrated in the figure below.
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Figure 1: Elements of progressive inquiry (Rahikainen, Lallimo & Hakkarainen 2001) The progressive inquiry model has the following benefits: The starting point for learning comes from authentic, open questions that are relevant to the learner. Information is searched independently, knowledge is constructed collaboratively. Information search is diverse and multidisciplinary. Learners learn to share their expertise. Progressive inquiry supports the development of metacognitive skills, including critical information search, team work, reasoning, judgement, academic thinking, self-efficacy, reflection and problem solving. (see e.g. Hakkarainen et al. 1999) Rahikainen, Lallimo & Hakkarainen (2001) found critical evaluation to be a challenge for learners in the progressive inquiry model. They point out that this reflects the difficulties in changing the traditional roles of the learners and teachers because critical evaluation has traditionally been the teachers'task. In order to support the shift in the traditional roles, we have combined the online progressive inquiry model with the principles of authentic elearning. By authentic e-learning we refer to the nine key elements of authentic e-learning introduced by Herrington & Oliver (2000; see also Herrington, Reeves & Oliver, 2010). They propose that learning is best facilitated in learning environments that: 1. Provide an authentic context that reflects the way the knowledge will be used in real-life 2. Provide authentic activities and tasks 3. Provide access to expert performances and the modelling of processes 4. Provide multiple roles and perspectives 5. Support the collaborative construction of knowledge 6. Promote reflection to enable abstractions to be formed 7. Promote articulation to enable tacit knowledge to be made explicit 8. Provide coaching and scaffolding by the teacher at critical times 9. Provide for authentic assessment of learning within the tasks The assessment of the program is ongoing and portfolio based. The diagram below illustrates the structure of the assessment in module 1 of the program. Altogether there are three modules, all with a similar assessment structure.
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Figure 2: Module structure A central part of the assessment is formed by a process of progressive inquiry related to the themes of each module (1)Teaching and Learning in the 21st century knowledge society, 2) Efficient use of education technology and 3) Learning outcomes and assessment. The learners work in teams to explore the phenomenon of their interest with the help of the progressive inquiry model. The chosen phenomenon has to have direct relevance to the learners and the progressive inquiry process involves plenty of experimenting, applying and exploring the new ideas in the participants’ own classrooms.
3. Google apps in the program In the program, Google apps are used alongside BlackBoard Vista learning management system. BBVista serves as the home base of the program, with all the learning resources, scheduling, instructions and announcements. However, almost all the activity and collaboration take place outside the learning management system. The tools used in the program are Google Docs, Google+ (including Google Hangouts) and Blogger. With Google Docs users can collaboratively edit, share and comment documents, presentations, spreadsheets and drawings. Same file can have several users at the same time, everyone can edit the file and different changes occur in real-time. The users can access their files from any computer with a working Internet connection and a web browser. In the program Google Docs is used for different types of collaborative writing, from brainstorming to finishing a polished written product. The progressive inquiry teams use it for drawing together their ideas and gradually building a shared understanding of the phenomenon. The commenting tool of Google Docs enables discussion embedded in the creation process and allows for multiple perspectives, reflection and articulation.
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Google+ is Google’s new social media platform, open to public in September 2011, where users can share their status updates, pictures, videos, links and location. Google+ has Circles to provide the users a way to determine what content to share with whom. For example a user studying business can have people from his or her contacts who are taking business strategy course in a Circle called “BusinessStrategy”, and people who are taking a course about innovation in a Circle “BusinessInnovation”. This way the user can share content relevant to only these people in these Circles and no other. Google+ is also integrated with Google’s free photo album and editing software Picasa. In the program Google+ is used for creating social presence as described by Garrison & Anderson (2000). It is also used for sharing different resources, such as information sources found during the progressive inquiry process. The advantage of Google+ over e.g. Twitter is the possibility to add discussion to all the shared items. Google+ is also used for following outside experts and networking with experts and colleagues from different parts of the world. Inside Google+ is also Hangouts, Google+’s live video chat tool. Its affordance could be best described by comparing it to a web conferencing tool like Adobe Connect. With Hangouts any user can start a public or more restricted ‘hangout’ to meet online with nine other people for a group video chat, text chat, and also to watch YouTube videos together. Hangouts has also a version called Hangouts with Extras, which is currently still in its beta, but can already be used in Google+. Addition to the default version of Hangouts, Hangouts with Extras provide the users to name their Hangout, edit and start new Google Docs files inside the Hangouts tool and share their own screens with other hangout participants. This is a very powerful tool in supporting the progressive inquiry process. It is the environment for team meetings to share ideas, make decisions and agree on next steps, as well as for meetings with the tutors to get support and feedback. The participants have also used it for spontaneous meetings that serve a social and peer support function. Blogger is Google’s blogging tool for users to create their own blog. It is made easy for users to create their blog and just start writing. Same Google account to use Google+ tool can be also used to access Blogger, as other Google tools. All the participants to the program have their own blogs. Blogs are used primarily for reflection, both individually and collaboratively. The learning tasks that use blogs are built in a way that allows for the participants to link the new information into their own experiences and previous knowledge and test new things immediately in practice. These experiences are reflected upon in the blogs.
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