Faculty of Education - Theses
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ItemThe impact of information technology on the development of literacy skills in a secondary school( 2001)This study reports on a relationship between the increased use of Information Technology (IT), in both domestic and school environments and the development of literacy in reading comprehension and vocabulary skills in a sample of 52 students in a junior high school. The study was prompted by a perception based on my own personal observation as a classroom teacher in the computer studies area, that the increased availability of personal computers was coinciding with a decline of literacy skills demonstrated in submitted written work by my students. Other teachers also expressed their concern that students were displaying more interest in using IT and a coinciding reduction in reading and writing in class. The study reveals that a majority of students has access to personal computers at home and that they spend more time playing computer games than they do reading the kind of variety of printed text that would benefit the development of their basic comprehension, vocabulary and writing skills. Some correlations were found between high computer use and low scores on Progressive Achievement Tests in Reading (Vocabulary and Comprehension) as well as with low scores on other written exercises. These findings indicated that a high use of personal computers impacts on the development of literacy in reading (comprehension and vocabulary) and writing skills. The parents of the children studied were also surveyed and their comments indicated that the majority felt that their children spent more time on computers than they did on reading any type of printed text or practising their handwriting skills. Despite this, parents were convinced of need for the computer technology in their domestic environment for the educational development their children require. A majority of teachers who were interviewed also expressed their concern at how students were not developing literacy skills at this age. They felt that the acquisition and the development of basic literacy skills should occur at this stage of schooling. It was felt that it was crucial that students, growing up in the "Information Age", developed language literacy skills as well as computer literacy skills. Further study on a wider scale is necessary to specifically identify whether the decline in language literacy is directly tied to the advancements in Information Technologies and their increased use by students. In reality there may be a transformation of literacy that is occurring faster than society and schools can adapt to it. Literacy is a relative concept that must be set in the context of economic and social demands.
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ItemMaintaining the human touch : defining the boundaries of new learning spaces( 2001)Organisations are implementing online and multimedia training to remain competitive in a rapidly changing global environment. Yet technology based training has failed to improve learning in the past. The importance of educators to the success of technology- based training has largely been ignored. This study proposes that people, not technology drive learning improvement. Therefore, organisations need to provide appropriate professional development for training practitioners as they move from classroom-based teaching to an online environment. The fieldwork uses an ethnographic approach to investigate how training practitioners perceive online and multimedia training before they become involved in an innovative online training program. The training practitioners were interviewed to understand how the program challenged their roles and identities as educators. Issues raised by the training practitioners included their need to maintain a physical presence, coping with the changing social context for teaching, erosion of authority and the need for cultural acceptance of the program.
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ItemNew tools for an old craft : introducing information and communication technologies to Victorian schools( 2001)Many teachers in Victorian schools are using information and communication technologies (ICT's) in their teaching. This study investigates the relationship between the use of ICT's and teachers' work practices. The first part of the thesis (sections one and two) outlines the prevailing stories associated with ICT's and the various perspectives on technology. Different perspectives of technology are explored to show how they influence what we believe can be achieved with the use of ICT's in the classroom. The second part of the thesis (sections three and four) uses actor network theory (ANT) to build a local network of teachers and machines. The aim is to show that the relationship between teachers and ICT's may be better conceived as a 'sociotechnical' network of people and technical objects. The work concludes by examining the political implications of a sociotechnical network on the practices of teaching and explores the available opportunities for teachers to re-fashion their craft.
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ItemTeachers and technology: experiences and perceptions of professional development( 2001)This study investigated professional development to support teachers' use of information and communication technologies in one primary school setting. It explored teachers' attitudes and feelings towards information and communication technologies and their perceptions about professional development to support them in this area. The ways in which this group of teachers are currently utilising information and communication technologies to assist teaching and learning processes were also investigated. Current practice and professional development experiences were explored to discover links, and to investigate participants' perceptions of effective types of professional development to support their use of information and communication technologies. Other support such as access, technical assistance and support from management were also explored to discover their impact on teachers' use of information and communication technologies. An exploratory case study approach was taken and both qualitative and quantitative methods utilised to cater for the richness of the context. Data were collected from three sources; documents relating to professional development for information and communication technologies, a survey of teachers' technology skills and use, and a semi-structured interview. Data management and analysis were computer assisted. The study aimed to discover the types of professional development and the modes of presentation of this professional development that would be most effective in assisting this group of teachers with their use of information and communication technologies. This 'human dimension' is the key to appropriate use of technology, as illustrated by a working party for the Directorate of School Education: �The Working Party considers that attention should be directed to the human dimension, which promises to provide the key to more successful implementation of information technology in schools. It believes the issue should be addressed through structured professional development programs based on information technology and an understanding of such matters as learning, change and the factors that affect school culture.� Directorate of School Education, Victoria (1994, p. 2)
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ItemWhat are the perceptions of changes in teacher and student use of information and communication technologies during the implementation of the Learning Technology Strategy Plan at a Victorian Catholic secondary college?( 2001)This research used an interactive evaluation methodology, to evaluate the impact of the Learning Technology Strategy Plan at a Victorian Catholic Secondary College on the classroom use of learning technologies by teachers and the extent to which learning technologies are used within all key learning areas. It gathers the perceptions of changes in teacher and student use of information and communication technologies through a teacher survey and a series of group and individual interviews of teachers, students and school leaders. The research found that the Learning Technology Strategy Plan had a significant impact on the use of learning technologies within the College. Students were openly accepting of the use of learning technologies in all key learning areas and wanted to use technology when it was available. There was a range of perceptions presented by staff members about the implementation of learning technologies in the classroom, with the majority extremely willing and capable to some staff reluctant and unsure. The research found that access to reliable and appropriate learning technologies needs to be improved. That teachers and students believe that they use learning technologies well when it is provided appropriately and is in working order. Schools are in the cusp of significant change and need to embrace learning technologies as part of the future schools agenda.