Reconfiguring the pedagogical landscape: - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Reconfiguring the pedagogical landscape: Open Educational Resources, Learner-Centred Education and the reframing of teacher education

Donella

Cobb

The University of Auckland

UKFIET Conference, University of Oxford, UK.

15-17 September, 2015Slide2

Learner-Centred Education

Learner-centred education

is

“

…a

pedagogical approach which gives learners, and demands from them, a

relatively high level of active control over the content and process of learning

.

What is learnt, and how

,

are

therefore shaped by learners’ needs, capacities and interests”

(

Schweisfurth

, 2013, p. 20) [emphasis added

]Slide3

Teacher Education through Open and Distance Learning

Open Distance Learning (ODL) and Open Educational Resources (OER)are advocated to:

Provide a quality alternative to face-to-face teacher training

(

COL, 2015a)

Provide a learner-

centred

experience

(

Albright, 2005; Atkins et al., 2007;

Hylén

, 2006; OECD, 2007, Wilson, 2008)

Learner-centric

is used

to

describe a

learner-centred experience

within the

context of e-learning and m-

learning

(Wong, 2012)Slide4

Open Resource for English Language Teaching (ORELT) Modules

ORELT modules support Junior Secondary School (JSS) teachers of English in low-income countries.

The ORELT modules aim to provide a

:

resource

bank

of activity-based classroom learning resources

for

JSS English teachers

resource

bank of

activity

-based teacher training

material

for teacher educators

of

JSS English

teachers

forum

to encourage the exchange of ideas and experiences of teachers and teacher educators

(

COL, 2014a)

Slide5

Findings: pedagogic relationship

As a stand-alone resource, the ORELT modules

facilitate a one-

way pedagogic relationship

(COL, 2012, p. 41)Slide6

Findings: Classification

The ORELT modules provide:

The teaching of English as a separate

programme

of study

Some Western-centric adaptations of ‘real life’ experiences

(

COL, 2012, p. 13

)Slide7

Findings: Framing

The ORELT modules provide:

The appearance

of relaxed pacing

rules

Pre-determined content knowledge

A pre-determined sequence of acquisition

(

COL, 2012, p. 4)

(

COL, 2012, p. 17)Slide8

ConclusionAs a resource that promotes learner-centred education, the ORELT modules

:

Mimic attributes

of learner-

centred education,

yet

maintain

control over the content and process of

learning

Appear to hide a

pedagogic relationship that

supports

the reproduction of teacher-centred

pedagogySlide9

References

Albright, P. (2005).

Final report forum. Internet discussion forum: Open

Educational

Resources Open content for

higher

education.

(

Final

report

forum

, UNESCO

) Paris, France. Retrieved from

UNESCO

http

://www.unesco.org/iiep/virtualuniversity/media/forum/oer_forum_final_report.pdf

Atkins, D.E.,

Seely

Brown, J., & Hammond, A.L. (2007, February).

A review of

the Open

Educational Resources (OER) movement:

Achievements, challenges and new opportunities.

(Report to The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation) Retrieved from http

://www.hewlett.org/uploads/files/ReviewoftheOERMovement.pdf

Commonwealth of Learning. (2012f).

Open Resources for English Language

Teaching

. Module 6: Communicative grammar

.

Vancouver

, B.C.,

Canada

: Commonwealth of Learning

.

Commonwealth

of Learning (2014a).

ORELT.

Retrieved

from

https

://www.col.org/programmes/teacher-education/orelt

Commonwealth

of Learning. (

2015a).

Commonwealth of learning strategies plan

2015-2021

: Learning for sustainability.

Vancouver, B.C.,

Canada

: Commonwealth of Learning.

Retrieved

from

http://oasis.col.org/bitstream/handle/11599/826/COL%20SYP__96%20dpi_FINAL%20WEB%20single%20pages.pdf?sequence=5&isAllowed=y

Hylén

, J. (2006). Open Educational Resources: Opportunities and challenges.

Paris

, France: OECD.

Retrieved

from

http

://www.oecd.org/edu/ceri/37351085.pdf

Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD).

Giving

knowledge

for free: The emergence of Open Educational

Resources

.

Paris, France: OECD

Schweisfurth

, M. (2013).

Learner-centred education in international perspective: Whose pedagogy for whose development?

Oxon, Ontario:

Routledge

.

Wilson, T. (2008). New ways of mediating learning: Investigating the implications of

adopting

open educational resources for tertiary

education

at an institution in the United Kingdom as compared to one in South Africa.

International Review of Research in

Open

and Distance Learning. 9

(1), 1-19

.

Wong, L-H. (2012). A learner-centric view of mobile seamless learning.

British Journal of Educational Technology, 43

(1), 19-23.