Pedagogy Over Technology: Supporting Inquiry-based Learning in the Caribbean

Transcription

1 Pedagogy Over Technology: Supporting Inquiry-based Learning in the Caribbean Sabine Little Abstract This paper focuses on the development of a networked learning environment, supporting inquiry-based learning (IBL) against the backdrop of a technology-poor pool of students. Introducing a module on collaborative educational research in the School of Education's Caribbean Programme, the author found the challenges lay not with the technological possibilities offered by the university s supported platform (WebCT Vista), but instead with finding pedagogical avenues to incorporate this technology in a way that encourages inquirybased, collaborative learning in a particular, culturally diverse environment. Despite the rather specific context, the paper will be of use to other practitioners and researchers, highlighting a diversity of approaches ranging from meaningful assessment of (online) collaboration to facilitation of IBL with groups not used to sharing information. The paper also provides an opportunity to engage with student evaluations from a project that placed emphasis on supporting learners needs, whilst challenging them to explore new technologies to increase their information literacy skills and collaborative techniques. As part of a university-wide movement towards IBL, this project was funded by CILASS (Sheffield University's HEFCE-funded CETL for Inquiry-Based Learning in the Arts and Social Sciences). Introduction The Caribbean Programme at the University of Sheffield s School of Education includes a number of taught post-graduate degrees for educational professionals in the Caribbean. Since the programme s inception in the late 1980s, when practising teachers approached the department with the aim of bringing a qualifying course in Special Educational Needs to Trinidad and Tobago (Armstrong, 2001), it has grown to a student body of approximately 200 students, engaged in MEd, EdD and Action Research Certificate programmes. Each module is taught via a week-long face-to-face study school, which is subsequently supported by a variety of communication facilities as well as a cohort of local tutors, frequently themselves graduates of the programme. The long history of the programme means that tutors have seen the move from the traditional distance learning support materials (printed paper, phone and fax) to modern communication technologies, ranging from to chat and discussion forums. Although the infrastructure on the islands continues to improve, bandwidth problems and bad connections meant that, when the department decided in 2004 to move some of the teaching online, ways had to be found to integrate new technologies in a sensible way, supporting students not only in their pursuit of academic knowledge, but also in their endeavour to acquire the skills required of them to work and collaborate in a fast-moving, globalised educational context. This dual purpose led to a careful, student-centred introduction of networked learning, with particular emphasis on giving students the opportunity to inquire into their own learning process using ICT, and building on preliminary research as well as small pilot studies, before engaging the entire cohort in a module including a substantial online component, using the University s WebCT Vista platform. 1

2 Inquiry-based Learning (IBL) in the Caribbean Although all courses on the Caribbean Programme are post-graduate, the variety of backgrounds students bring to their course ranges from a teacher-training diploma at the age of seventeen to having completed a previous Masters programme with another university. This, paired with varying degrees of openness towards new learning and teaching strategies (in a context where learning by rote and repetition remain strong in the classroom), provides a challenge for the students as well as the tutors on the course, as it requires students to engage not only with theoretical backgrounds to teaching and learning issues, but also to become acquainted with a variety of new teaching and learning styles, as well as with a wide range of literature, with many students not used to academic study at Masters level. In order to assist students in their development, therefore, all courses on the Caribbean Programme adopt a student-centred, inquiry-based approach, engaging students in discussions surrounding their own practice, and inviting them to challenge their perceptions of teaching and learning in their local context. The module with the strongest component of inquiry-based learning is without a doubt the Educational Research module, the second of two compulsory modules on the MEd in Educational Studies. Here, students are asked to collaborate in small groups (3-5 students) in order to identify their own research interests, compose a research question, design research tools, and conduct and write up the research, including a detailed reflection on their engagement with the research process, their role within the research group and how their reflections might influence future conduct. Weigel (2002) argues that a community of inquiry (p. 7), with both formal and informal learning experiences, can positively influence deep learning and conditionalised knowledge. Detailed and focused engagement with the topic was considered to be vital in order to encourage all students to put in the effort to gain the necessary skills to complete their work at Masters level to a satisfactory standard. In an attempt to build on existing strengths, the programme team therefore selected the Educational Research module as the first module to introduce networked learning in order to support inquiry-based learning on the course. The collaborative nature of the module both necessitates additional facilitation for the collaborative process, but also allows for some flexibility so that students may begin to build a community of practice (Lave and Wenger, 1991; Wenger, 1998) of educational practitioners and researchers across the islands, continuing their mutual support once the module is over. Previous research (Little, 2006) showed that all students did have access to a computer with Internet access, although the frequency of access varied greatly. In integrating networked learning as part of an inquiry-based learning approach, facilitation and assessment were thus the major issues facing implementation, to ensure an equitable approach towards all learners. Facilitation Facilitating inquiry-based learning in this particular context (if not in any context) made it necessary first to acknowledge some of the identifying factors inherent to the cohort and the topic. These included: Unfamiliarity (for many students) with online communication beyond Shortage of information literacy skills and confidence to engage critically with academic texts Strong oral traditions, with little experience of academic writing Unfamiliarity with collaborative learning at academic and professional level (Kuboni, 2003). 2

3 Access difficulties made it impossible to engage with topics of direct, topical impact on the module instead, the focus of online discussions acknowledged the processes of educational research, offering students the opportunity to engage in background reading and share their views on issues such as positionality, communities of practice, methods and methodology, and reflection respectively. Each topic was the focus of a one-week scheduled discussion, which was advertised to students in advance, so that those without easy access could make the necessary arrangements to participate. A stepped approach towards information literacy was adopted, first providing an article of interest to the topic, then giving a reference for an article that could be found in the online library, and finally just suggesting authors names, or leaving students to search for their own keywords. In order to assist students with composing for online discussions, criteria for successful posts were included, such as Taking into account other people s posts; Reflecting on issues raised by others and literature; Expressing own point of view through argumentation illustrated by practice, experience and literature Driving the discussion forward by posing further issues and questions for reflection. As part of the facilitation process, use was made of Collison et al s (2000) concept of six facilitator voices. These include the generative guide (drawing attention to points made by students, suggesting ways of ordering data and thoughts), conceptual facilitator (querying misunderstandings and omissions), reflective guide (seeking more precise formulations, challenging students to engage further with their opinions), personal muse (bringing the facilitator's beliefs in the open as a discussion point, encouraging students to do the same), mediator (using personal and communal communication facilities to explore reactions and thoughts, particularly during argumentative periods that prevent the group from moving forward), and role play (deliberate adoption of external role to introduce new perspectives). Although Collison et al argue that only one of these specific voices should be adopted at any one time, based on whatever activity took place since the last intervention, this was difficult to achieve in reality, particularly at the beginning, when a tutor-dependency led students to head their messages with Dear Sabine and treating the online discussions as 70 one-toone discussions, rather than a group discussion for which I was both facilitator and participant. The large student number at first sounds incongruent with successful online collaboration, it was found as part of the pilot study, however, that many students were only able to come online very sporadically. In order to keep a successful level of conversation going, therefore, the scheduled discussions took place in the whole group. Not all students participated in all discussions, instead picking those of interest to them, resulting in a message-count of between 32 and 36 messages by the end of each scheduled week. Due to the detailed guidance towards successful postings, however, all these messages were of a high standard, giving the students not only points for further reflection, but also additional references to engage with, and practice in academic writing. As is often the case, the social space created for less academic conversations quickly atrophied, but some social conversation resurfaced when each collaborative group was given their own, private discussion forum to bring forward their own research. Usage of these discussion boards was by no means compulsory, as many of the groups lived closely together; however, where they were utilised, it was largely to share documentation or to confirm meeting dates and schedules. 3

4 Assessment Meaningful assessment of online collaboration is difficult, particularly if access problems prevent regular participation. A pilot study with students from a different module (ICT and Education) did not assess online participation and led to very varying degrees of participation. In focus groups held as part of the evaluation process, considerable arguments broke out regarding the need for assessment of participation, versus access problems. In discussion with these students, a very brief assessment policy regarding online work was adopted for the Educational Research module. According to this, all students had to attach to their assignment an appendix citing their best online contribution, in line with the criteria listed above. In addition to this, it was pointed out to them that the substantial portion of the assignment linked to reflection and development would benefit from quotes from their online engagement, including how they used other contributions to further their own thinking process. As such, students with little access could pass the requirement with a single, concerted effort, whereas others who contributed more frequently could effectively begin to write the reflective portion of their assignment as part of their online contributions, thus reducing their workload at the later stages of the module. Although this is by no means a perfect arrangement, the evaluation of the module so far has shown that most students are happy with it. Those students who would favour for the online contributions not to be assessed at all readily admitted that this would have impacted negatively on their own contribution. In a further development to this, students are now arguing that they would like to maintain the discussion facility for future modules, but without an assessment component, as they feel that, after one enforced module, they have come to see the benefits for themselves and would continue contributing without further assessments involved. Student feedback At the time of writing, the evaluation of the online component has taken place; however, the deadline for the assignment is still a few weeks away. In order to allow students to take greater control of the environment, all previous discussion topics have been re-opened to allow everybody to contribute to everything, and an additional discussion topic for studentled discussions has been set up. This was not only the first complete cohort on the Caribbean Programme to engage in structured networked learning activity, but also the culmination of a two-year research project aiming to introduce networked learning into the programme, as well as a project funded by the University s Centre for Inquiry-based Learning in the Arts and Social Sciences (CILASS). As such, detailed, qualitative evaluation has taken place to find out the extent to which students have understood the principles behind the inquiry-based learning approach, as well as the networked learning issues they were facing. The students feedback is encouraging. One student states: Initially, I was of the opinion that it was an "additional hassle" for me due to the fact that I had not engaged in collaborative research before but I soon realized that if I approached this project with a positive attitude it would be more beneficial, not only to me but to the group by extension. Many students seem to recognize the advantages of inquiry-based learning, despite the greater efforts required of them: While I found it difficult to find the time to take part in the discussions, being exposed to so many different point [sic] of view was not only interesting but rewarding. Working as team helped me to reflect deeper on my positionality and to question 4

5 situations and events that I would normally take for granted. It is amazing how a group discussion influences the way you feel about or think of a concept or issue. Where students did make recommendations for the future of online discussions, they did so within a structured, well-reasoned argument: [P]ertaining to the online discussion, it certainly presented a challenge for me to respond within the stipulated time, taking into consideration the lack of internet access in my community or at my school. [ ] Therefore, I want to humbly recommend that the on-line discussion be kept only for the Education Research Module and that a time frame of two to three weeks be given in order to allow persons who lack telecommunication infrastructure in their immediate environment to respond. A further recommendation shows how seriously students took my indication that I myself was learning through inquiry when facilitating this new environment, and that their feedback would form a valuable insight into the structure of this module as well as future modules: I strongly recommend that the online discussions continue especially as part of this module. On the issue of timing, I agree with Sabine s rationale for limiting the time frame for the discussion. I know inadequate time has been a factor for all of us. [ ] I certainly believe that the online discussions should form part of the assignment; otherwise the effect may be minimized. If the online discussions could be factored into various modules, this would be welcomed. Reading the online discussions can assist in helping one focus and also assess progress. The establishment of the last discussion board for any topic of choice is commendable. I would like to recommend that in the future, this facility be used for the educational research module and each group be required to post a question or issue for reflection by other groups. This discussion board may run for three weeks. I think in this way the facility will be better utilized. Conclusion In facilitating for inquiry-based learning in the Caribbean, the specific circumstances of a technology-poor environment and a cohort of students inexperienced in the use of technology as well as, to a certain extent, academic work at Masters level, necessitated a close look at the pedagogy and thinking behind the introduction of networked learning. Garrison and Anderson (2003) and Laurillard (2002) point out that technology in itself does not guarantee great pedagogy. In a field where the use of technology becomes increasingly easy to implement into a degree programme; however, the luxury and necessity of going back to the roots and adopting a slow implementation process, closely involving students as experts in their own surroundings and professional developmental needs over a period of two years, has led to a successful, student-centred implementation of networked learning to support inquiry. Due to the high level of transparency, students were aware at all times of the reasoning behind the use of any method or tool, and have responded positively to their resulting responsibility for making the process work. This case study argues for the adoption of such transparency at other levels, allowing students to engage as much as possible with their own course design, and being given the reasons behind certain types of assessment, structure, or course requirements. The facilitation of the online component very quickly evolved from a highly tutor-centred approach to one where students not only began to respond to each other, but also developed the confidence to disagree not only with the tutor, but also with academic authors in the field. This confidence might have developed out 5

6 of the practice gained in presenting their thoughts to each other and finding them validated by their peers. Although the approach cited in this paper is very particular to the context of the Caribbean programme, several issues (a stepped approach towards information literacy, a structured reflective discussion, a transparency of course development, the request for detailed, qualitative student feedback) all present individual opportunities to allow students to inquire further into their own learning process and to play a greater part in their own education. References Armstrong, D. (2001) Developing the Potential for Distance Learning Modalities for Teacher Education in A. C. Armstrong (ed) Rethinking Teacher Professionalism in the Caribbean Context: Conference Proceedings 8 th to 9 th January 2001, School of Education, Sheffield. Collison, G.; Elbaum, B.; Haavind, S. and Tinker, R. (2000) Facilitating Online Learning: Effective Strategies for Moderators. Madison: Atwood Publishing. Garrison, D. R. and Anderson, T. (2003) E-Learning in the 21st Century: A Framework for Research and Practice. London: RoutledgeFalmer. Kuboni, O. (2003) Collaborative Learning in Caribbean Higher Education: Examining the Prospects in T. Bastick and A. Ezenne (eds) Researching Change in Caribbean Education: Curriculum, Teaching and Administration, University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica. Laurillard, D. (2002) 'Rethinking teaching for the knowledge society' in EDUCAUSE, 37, 1; pp Lave, J. and Wenger, E. (1991) Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Little, S. (2006) Networked Learning in the Caribbean: A case study from a developing world. Paper prepared for presentation at the International Conference on E-Learning (ICEL), Montréal, June Weigel, V. B. (2002) Deep Learning for a Digital Age. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Wenger, E. (1998) Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning and Identity, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. 6