Faculty of Education - Theses
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ItemStudents, computers and learning : a conversation with the cognitive apprentices and their learning tools( 1998)Wertsch (1991) asserts the mind "extends beyond the skin", that is, it is socially distributed and is a function of activity involving cultural tools. From this perspective the mind is unlimited in the sense that it is developed and inseparable from tools of mediation of which the computer is a corporeal thing that extends out into the material world. The computer as a means of mediation can be invisible yet powerfully influential in shaping thought and communication.. In this small-scale case study in an academic independent school a representative focus group of year 9 students suggests to the Author, their school's computer specialist, that their teachers are not to be providing mediated learning with computers. The students who are the metaphoric "cognitive apprentices" feel the school as an institution has not 'grasped the idea.' Bryson and De Castell (1994, 215) observed that " ... the divisive playing field of educational technology is populated by various teams who are telling altogether different 'true stories,' each having different settings, characters and plots ..." The new age believers and the non believers were not listening to the users. Hargreaves (1996) offered a parallel critical assessment, after Plummer (1983) and Wood (1991), of the use of "voice" in contemporary educational research. He stressed the need for active participant voices outside conventional conversations, from different contexts, different positions and particularly the marginalised. In both educational practice and research, student's voice has frequently been considered " a nuisance; literal noise in the instructional system" (Cazden 1986, 448). However, if teachers and schools as agents of parents and society are to embrace computers as cognitive tools, and accept them into the educational context as a means to gaining one or more educational ends, then there is need to research the voices of the cognitive apprentices on their learning with computers. The collaborative nature of the ethnographic research was grounded in the mutual regard of the researcher and the practitioners (students) as change agents in their own school. Central to the research was the development and exploration of a clue structure to understand how student practitioners saw computers being used in their classrooms. The initial core questionnaire asked the students to position their opinion of the school's , and their teachers' use of computers in the provision of the curriculum on a continuum between; "Are computers instructional tools used by teachers to impart knowledge to you", or, "Are computers used as cognitive tools to afford students' opportunities to construct representations of their knowledge and understandings of the concepts being taught ?
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ItemInformation technology : policies and practices( 1998)This paper suggests that policy is the appropriate planning structure through which schools are empowered to act when new conditions arise that impact upon education. Further, that policy on the part of the Government and Departments provides indicators for schools about prioritising those conditions. Policy in action is often triggered by events which pre-empt policy in planning, and that such is the case with Information Technology (I.T.) The paper recounts the research undertaken within a rural regional area where access through Information Technology might be seen to have added value to students and teachers. The purpose was to establish a benchmark of readiness for the impact on schools of Information Technology. The findings are grouped according to the nature of the schools, the current practices of those schools which did have policies in place, and the expectations and perceived requirements of schools which did not currently have a final policy in place. The paper examines current uses of programs delivered by satellite, and those opportunities offered by the Internet. It also examines the way in which decisions are made about obtaining basic information, seeking assistance and managing the balance between school income and school technology. It seeks information on the needs for professional development, and conditions which affect decision choices. The findings are related back to current literature, and some recommendations are highlighted which should be included in further research. A collection of considerations has been included, along with a list of relevant Internet /World Wide Web sites suitable for education. A copy of the questionnaire is also included.
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ItemFrench LogoWriter language and foreign language learning( 1996)This study examines the possible effect of the French version of LogoWriter programming language on the French language proficiency of students in year seven who are studying French as a foreign language. It adds to the computer assisted language learning (CALL) debate by studying the place of an artificial language (French LogoWriter) in the second/foreign language classroom. It also examines other possible factors which may influence language learning and suggests further areas of study in foreign language learning and computer technology.
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ItemThe application of contemporary theories of learning to vocational computer training courses( 1997)There have been many recent advances in the study of theories of learning. The results of these advances are often not applied to conventional vocational training courses. This lack of change seems to be particularly prevalent in the field of vocational training involving the use of computers. The present study examines the application of two components of these contemporary theories of learning, metaphor and automatization, to Computer Resourced Instruction in a vocational setting. The (adult) participants in the study were taught how to use the spreadsheet program Excel. A standard pretest-treatment-posttest method was used. Gains in learning were compared using ANOVA and correlation procedures. This analysis indicated that the application of the metaphor as a teaching device but not automatization led to improved learning. The lack of facilitation by automatization is explained in terms of course content and teaching constraints. The effectiveness of each of these devices for the design and delivery of Computer Resourced Instruction in the future are discussed. In particular, greater use of the full capabilities of technology in the design stage, and of the existing knowledge of the course participants to make learning easier, faster, and more enjoyable, are examined.
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ItemHow will information and learning technology influence primary classrooms in the future?( 1999)This thesis, titled 'How will information and learning technology influence primary classrooms in the future?' researches the development and the influence Information and Learning Technology will have upon primary classrooms in Victoria for the future. This research was based upon qualitative research with semi structured interviews. The respondents for this research were selected from two environments. The two environments being the Task Environment and the Internal Environment. The task environment consists of Computer Suppliers, Business, Education Department and the parents of the child attending school. In the centre of this environment is the school. The four groups in this environment apply some external pressure upon the school to implement computer technology. The school can also apply the pressure to one or all of these groups. The second environment being the Internal Environment is made up of the school, teachers for computer technology and teachers against computer technology. Similar to the Task Environment, the school is in the centre of this environment, with the three groups applying external pressure to the school. The school itself can exercise pressure to one or all of these groups. This research indicates that primary schools will be affected in the future by the information and learning technologies; classrooms will be restructured to accommodate networks, teachers will undertake professional development courses in this area and that distance education will be enhanced by the telecommunications networks.
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ItemA case study in computer mediated communication in a vocational education context( 1999)This thesis documents the experiences of a group of teachers and students in vocational education settings who used computer mediated communication (CMC) during the course of three trial online learning programs in 1998. These students were studying certificate level subjects in electrical and electronics courses - a group which has received little attention from the research community as participants in CMC. This is an interpretive study exploring the phenomenon of CMC from the participants' perspectives. It also analyses their online discussion contributions to attempt to discover the educational and social influences which operated in the conferencing environment. It has looked at the nature of the tasks teachers devised to stimulate contributions, perceptions of the role of the teacher in online discussion, and the educational and motivational potential of both synchronous and asynchronous conferencing. Key findings were that, despite difficult circumstances, one of the programs was able to use asynchronous conferencing to involve students in serious online discussion of problems related to their coursework. Participants acknowledged an extension of their thinking, although student acceptance of the format varied significantly. Factors which could contribute to negative attitudes have been identified. In the other two programs, synchronous conferencing was shown to be an attractive medium for participants because of its immediacy and its potential to create a supportive environment for isolated students. Some of the characteristics of synchronous conferencing were found to create a challenging environment for instructional activity. The educational potential of this medium is a relatively unresearched area that would benefit from further study. It is hoped that the experiences described in this case study can provide insights to assist vocational and other educators, in planning for the use of CMC in their program offerings.
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ItemTeachers concerns in the implementation of laptop computers: four case studies( 1995)This study examines the concerns four teachers experience when confronted with technological innovation: the introduction of the laptop computer into their classroom. It attempts to define the factors which inhibit or encourage the move from an emphasis on personal concerns to ones which focus on the student as learner and finally lead to the teacher reflecting on their own practices and being able to share new knowledge with others. Through interview; observation and discussion this study explores these teachers' feelings and reactions to what is happening in their classrooms. The study is located in the social action of the teachers in their schools. It has chosen to emphasise the institutional factors in particular rather than looking to social uses the computer has been put to in classroom.