There is a lot of talk about gamification in education and to a lesser extent using real games to enhance learning in schools. By real games I mean ones which have been developed for the leisure market, their primary focus being on entertainment rather than learning. Findings from the NP3 research suggested that the use of real games ...continue reading "Using real games"
Author: PeterT
Professor of Education (Futures) at the Open University, focussed on issues to do with the purposes of education, the management of educational change, and enhancing education systems, informed by understandings of learning, pedagogy and the potentials of digital technology
Views expressed are my own.
From reflection to practitioner research – the best form of CPD
Reflective practice is widely recognised as an important element of professional development - Habib (2017) for example, claims that the most important quality of a good teacher is their ability to reflect upon their practice and adapt it as a result. However, reflective practice misses out some other key characteristics of effective CPD. ...continue reading "From reflection to practitioner research – the best form of CPD"
Characteristics of effective CPD
Effective professional development (PD) - professional learning if you prefer - is critical to maintaining and enhancing practice (and thus learning) in schools. However, the most common forms of PD for teachers tend not to be effective - in the sense of leading to positive changes in practice which lead to improvements in young people's learning. This begs the question - what does effective PD look like? ...continue reading "Characteristics of effective CPD"
PoLEY Pilot Report
Whilst PoL in theory is a powerful tool to support professional learning and collect data about practice (e.g. assessment) we needed evidence about its efficacy in practice. This post provides an overview of the PoL in Early Years Pilot, explores its impact and draws out lessons for PoL's implementation in other settings. ...continue reading "PoLEY Pilot Report"
ETAG and the EdTech Strategy
Here is the comparison of elements of the new English Government's Edtech Strategy with the earlier Educational Technology Action Group that I made at the Westminster Education Forum on the 25th April 2019. ...continue reading "ETAG and the EdTech Strategy"
What is the purpose of education?
We need a debate about what the purpose of education is today and therefore what should schools be helping learners to learn. In this video I highlight why the purpose of schools is changing ... ...continue reading "What is the purpose of education?"
Your kids being digital
Your kids being digital is a guide for parent on supporting your children in using digital technology effectively to support their learning outside school. ...continue reading "Your kids being digital"
Teachers have more power than they think
Schools and teachers are constrained by accountability and assessment regimes. However, in my experience schools and teachers have a great deal of agency - they can and do respond very differently to similar external pressures. For example ...continue reading "Teachers have more power than they think"
Assessing creativity
What do we mean by creativity? Do you know it when you see it? How do you recognise it? How can we assess it in ways that are credible but don't standardise and thus undermine the very concept of creativity? ...continue reading "Assessing creativity"
More thoughts on curriculum
Extending my previous post on curriculum I wanted to explore the issues of who should define the details of what students do in school and the extent to which they should have a choice about whether to participate or not. This builds upon work in the Schome Park Programme, which used a wiki, forum and island in Teen Second Life™ to give hundreds of 13 to 65 year olds a radically different experience of what education could be like. ...continue reading "More thoughts on curriculum"