Faculty of Education - Theses
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ItemInnovation in university computer-facilitated learning systems: product, workplace experience and the organisation( 2003-06)This thesis reports on the development of a generic online system to support learning and teaching at the University of Melbourne. New online technologies, the fostering of innovation at national and university levels and my position within a central educational unit provided the opportunity in 1996 to adapt a previous software package for online use. My observations of the problematic nature of computer-facilitated learning (CFL) production led me to take an open approach to the development, seeking both a practical product and enhanced understanding. A series of formative questions defined the scope and goals of the study, which were to: *produce a generic online learning system; *increase understanding of the workplace experience of that development; and *develop an organisational model for the further development of generic CFL systems. Given this multi-disciplinary focus, many paradigms in the literature could potentially have guided the study. A number of these aligning with the research purposes, context and constructivist philosophy of the study, were reviewed from the perspectives of learning, CFL development and the organisation.
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ItemInquiry learning and creative drama. A study in the senior years of a metropolitan primary school( 2009)At my workplace, a metropolitan, Catholic primary school, I made the observation that, when Inquiry Learning was offered to children, Creative Drama was rarely utilized as part of the program. Based on my experience as a drama teacher, I thought that students might benefit from, and would enjoy learning in this way. I sought to investigate the relationship between Creative Drama and Inquiry Learning, to explore how these two education methods might work together, and then to identify what the benefits of a program combining Creative Drama and Inquiry Learning might be to most students. Though there have been many studies on using drama for the purpose of inquiry, few studies have looked specifically at the relationship and characteristics of the two constructs and how they work together in a classroom setting. The main question for research was: What is and could be the relationship between Creative Drama and Inquiry Learning? My chosen methodology, Action Research, suited my study because I am a drama teacher. Its problem-solving nature, intention to bring change, and make improvement to practice, were all reasons for that choice. I employed Burns seven stages of Action Research (2000) and through this implemented a program where students inquired into a concept through Drama and presented their own devised performance to an audience. The use of Creative Drama as a vehicle in Inquiry Learning was enjoyable, motivating and engaging for students. Both methods are collaborative and encourage students to wonder and discover. Together the two methods facilitate the development of students’ social, interpersonal and problem solving skills. There was evidence of enhanced higher order learning skills, as they were able to explore attitudes, perceptions, creativity and deep understandings. Immersion into a pretend world with imagined possibilities linked well and became interrelated with the factual information collected through inquiry. This investigation supports the notion that Inquiry Learning and Creative Drama have much in common and the relationship between the two, when worked together, provides a valuable learning opportunity for most students. Students made improvements to their performance and social skills, enjoyed the learning experience and were rewarded with a tremendous feeling of success following their final performances.