Teacher researchers - sustaining professional learning

In this paper we argue for an approach to professional development which supports teachers to engage in sustained intellectual inquiry and to investigate the conditions in their classrooms that might make a difference for students at risk of not succeeding at school. We focus on the work of one primary school teacher involved in the research project Teachers investigate unequal outcomes in literacy: Cross generational perspectives and explore the effects that redesigning her literacy curriculum had on her professional identity and the literacy outcomes for one of the children in her class. We suggest that the principles of building theory and practice, positioning teachers as agentive, and making a space for teachers to bring new – and renewed – professional knowledge to their work are principles of practice that energise and sustain teachers and their day-to-day classroom work. Such principles deserve attention, particularly at a time when teacher quality and professional standards are in the minds of policy makers.

Multimodality pedagogies : a multiliteracies approach

This paper draws on outcomes of a case study which explored changes in teachers' literacy pedagogies as a result of their participation in a purpose-driven teacher professional learning project. The teachers sought to develop classroom responses which were cognisant of multimodal shifts resulting from an increasingly digitised, networked communications environment. Recognising the powerful influence of the teacher on student outcomes, the study sought to investigate teacher learning as a means for influencing print-based literacy pedagogies to incorporate multimodality literacy practices. Four teachers engaged in participatory action research, researching their literacy pedagogies in light of the New London Group's multiliteracies theory (1996; 2000). Schemas derived from multiliteracies theory acted as stimuli for expanding teachers' multimodality pedagogies, consequently addressing disjunctures between multimodal and print-based literacies. Patterns in teachers' pedagogical choices are illustrated through the analytical use of the 'multimodal schema'.

Instructional strategies integrating cognitive style construct : a meta-knowledge processing model

The overarching goal of this dissertation was to evaluate the contextual components of instructional strategies for the acquisition of complex programming concepts. A meta-knowledge processing model is proposed, on the basis of the research findings, thereby facilitating the selection of media treatment for electronic courseware. When implemented, this model extends the work of Smith (1998), as a front-end methodology, for his glass-box interpreter called Bradman, for teaching novice programmers. Technology now provides the means to produce individualized instructional packages with relative ease. Multimedia and Web courseware development accentuate a highly graphical (or visual) approach to instructional formats. Typically, little consideration is given to the effectiveness of screen-based visual stimuli, and curiously, students are expected to be visually literate, despite the complexity of human-computer interaction. Visual literacy is much harder for some people to acquire than for others! (see Chapter Four: Conditions-of-the-Learner) An innovative research programme was devised to investigate the interactive effect of instructional strategies, enhanced with text-plus-textual metaphors or text-plus-graphical metaphors, and cognitive style, on the acquisition of a special category of abstract (process) programming concept. This type of concept was chosen to focus on the role of analogic knowledge involved in computer programming. The results are discussed within the context of the internal/external exchange process, drawing on Ritchey's (1980) concepts of within-item and between-item encoding elaborations. The methodology developed for the doctoral project integrates earlier research knowledge in a novel, interdisciplinary, conceptual framework, including: from instructional science in the USA, for the concept learning models; British cognitive psychology and human memory research, for defining the cognitive style construct; and Australian educational research, to provide the measurement tools for instructional outcomes. The experimental design consisted of a screening test to determine cognitive style, a pretest to determine prior domain knowledge in abstract programming knowledge elements, the instruction period, and a post-test to measure improved performance. This research design provides a three-level discovery process to articulate: 1) the fusion of strategic knowledge required by the novice learner for dealing with contexts within instructional strategies 2) acquisition of knowledge using measurable instructional outcome and learner characteristics 3) knowledge of the innate environmental factors which influence the instructional outcomes This research has successfully identified the interactive effect of instructional strategy, within an individual's cognitive style construct, in their acquisition of complex programming concepts. However, the significance of the three-level discovery process lies in the scope of the methodology to inform the design of a meta-knowledge processing model for instructional science. Firstly, the British cognitive style testing procedure, is a low cost, user friendly, computer application that effectively measures an individual's position on the two cognitive style continua (Riding & Cheema,1991). Secondly, the QUEST Interactive Test Analysis System (Izard,1995), allows for a probabilistic determination of an individual's knowledge level, relative to other participants, and relative to test-item difficulties. Test-items can be related to skill levels, and consequently, can be used by instructional scientists to measure knowledge acquisition. Finally, an Effect Size Analysis (Cohen,1977) allows for a direct comparison between treatment groups, giving a statistical measurement of how large an effect the independent variables have on the dependent outcomes. Combined with QUEST's hierarchical positioning of participants, this tool can assist in identifying preferred learning conditions for the evaluation of treatment groups. By combining these three assessment analysis tools into instructional research, a computerized learning shell, customised for individuals' cognitive constructs can be created (McKay & Garner,1999). While this approach has widespread application, individual researchers/trainers would nonetheless, need to validate with an extensive pilot study programme (McKay,1999a; McKay,1999b), the interactive effects within their specific learning domain. Furthermore, the instructional material does not need to be limited to a textual/graphical comparison, but could be applied to any two or more instructional treatments of any kind. For instance: a structured versus exploratory strategy. The possibilities and combinations are believed to be endless, provided the focus is maintained on linking of the front-end identification of cognitive style with an improved performance outcome. My in-depth analysis provides a better understanding of the interactive effects of the cognitive style construct and instructional format on the acquisition of abstract concepts, involving spatial relations and logical reasoning. In providing the basis for a meta-knowledge processing model, this research is expected to be of interest to educators, cognitive psychologists, communications engineers and computer scientists specialising in computer-human interactions.

Critique and creativity : the pedagogical nexus between literary studies and creative writing

This paper will explore the nexus between literary studies and creative writing on the basis of Stanley Aronowitz’s and Henry Giroux’s work on the democratic potential embedded in a critical literacy education, which provides ‘a language of critique’ and ‘a language of possibility’ (1993: 46). This paper argues that literary studies and
creative writing, as cognate disciplines focused precisely on languages of critique and possibility, are uniquely positioned to cooperatively enact this pedagogical agenda.

Assessing the reading and writing of EAL/D students: issues and implications

This paper reports on the preliminary findings of a study on literacy strategies for learners in established English as an Additional Language (EAL) classes in Years 7-10 in three Victorian secondary schools. The paper draws on baseline reading and writing assessment results (N=45). 

A formação do professor alfabetizador em cursos de Pedagogia: contribuições e lacunas teórico-práticas

To the we assume the disciplines of the area of Literacy of the course of Pedagogy, our intention has been the one of working the literacy, the reading and the writing as alive processes, as social practices inserted in the history, continuators of the subjectivity, done in the culture and producing of culture. The importance of the course of Pedagogy in the teachers' formation is unquestionable; however our goal is to highlight, in this work, the paper of that course in the formation of the teacher alphabetized, while mediator of the literacy process with an inclusive vision. In that to walk, it appeared us the following subject: which the contributions and the gaps theoretical-practices - of degree courses in Pedagogy - experienced for the exits of that course, in the specific pedagogic work of alphabetizing children, young adult and/or our study aims at to investigate, under the perspective of teachers alphabetizer licensed in courses of Pedagogy, the contributions and the theoretical-practical gaps of those courses, in the formation of the educator alphabetizer. In this sense, our work if it bases on the presuppositions of the qualitative investigation that leaves of the foundation that there is a dynamic relationship among the real and subjective world, an alive interdependence between subject and object, an entail indissoluble between the objective world and the subjective (CHIZZOTTI, 1998, p.79). The research is characterized as a descriptive and interpretative study and for the collection of data; the questionnaire, the semi-structured interview and the documental analysis were used. We took the following providences for the choice of Locus and of the subject of the research: it visits to the schools; compatibility of the criteria previously defined for choice of Locus and of the Subjects. For the choice of those schools, we defined the following criteria: that, in your individuality / totality, they were located in integral neighborhoods of, at least three of the four administrative areas of the city of Natal; that, in your individuality / totality, they contemplated the public spheres and private of attendance; that, in the year of accomplishment of the research - 2004 - they were offering infantile education and/or fundamental teaching; this last one gone back to the children of the initial years and/or for the youth and adult of the first levels of the modality of EJA; and that made possible the researcher's access. Front to the particularities of our study object and considering the criteria of choice of the locus, four public schools and three private schools were selected. Like this being, in those schools, we would look for the subject of our work that they would owe: 1) to be working, in 2004, with children's literacy, youths or adults: they as teacher (the), it as coordinator (the) that guides teachers alphabetizer, in public schools or peculiar of the city of the Natal-RN; 2) to be exit (the) of the degree course in Pedagogy, supplied by institutions of superior level (public or matters) of the city of the Natal-RN; 3) to have concluded your course of Pedagogy in the period of 1990-2004; 4) to have, at least, 01(one) year of experience in literacy rooms (TARDIF, 2002). The subjects interviewees concluded your courses of Pedagogy, in the period from 1990 to 2004, in institutions different from the city of Natal/RN, being five to the whole: two public IES and three deprived IES. Of the analysis of the data, the theme emerged, ' teacher's Alphabetizer Educational Formation in Courses of Pedagogy', with the following categories: contributions of the courses of Pedagogy; More important disciplines in the educational formation; Areas / Aspects lacunars of the courses of Pedagogy. The pedagogic practice of the teacher alphabetizer demands a formation from him found in you know educational, requested in the children's literacy, youths and adults. In that work, we defended the thesis that the course of Pedagogy is the locus, par excellence, for that formation, in spite of possible structural limitations and curricular of the referred course. In spite of the countless contributions of the pedagogy course for the formation of the teacher alphabetizer, our data appear for the need of a revision of the proposals curricular of that course, getting the attention for the importance of a proposal formation curricular more gone back to the literacy process / literate and for the social inclusion. We thought that, although insufficient, the teacher's formation in that perspective is a fundamental condition for a practice pedagogic alphabetizer to be promoted, in fact, inclusive and promoter of the school success

Estudo da metodologia de projeto gráfico aplicado ao contexto de uma empresa jornalística

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Recursos de tecnologia assistiva para alunas com surdez: sugestões compartilhadas por uma bolsista Pibid

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Procedimentos metodológicos em design gráfico voltados a jornais diários impressos: estudos e relatos de experiência

This paper summarizes a research that has been developed from the concern about a company’s strategic planning, once regarding the product development process and its methodological guidelines. Our goal was to check if there is an ideal methodology, peculiar to the graphic design, which could be applied to a printed newspaper condition. And then, we could deduce, according to the design practices in newspapers, its relevance. We did not intend to create a specific graphic design methodology for daily newspapers, nor the analysis of methods, but we wanted to emphasize that the familiarization with acknowledged methods in the field of visual communication, during the process of professional formation, might ease good choices in the work practice on design. The understanding of the gradual introduction of graphic design on printed daily newspapers brings about, thus, not only their visual improvement, but also allows that this kind of journalism (which depends on a graphic interface in order to make their product come true) reconsider the newspaper as a whole.

Relatório da prática de ensino supervisionada em ensino de artes visuais no 3º ciclo do ensino básico e secundário realizada nas Escola Secundária Gabriel Pereira e Escola Básica 2, 3 André de Resende : A ideia no desenho, diferentes desenhos no ensino das artes visuais

O presente trabalho, onde foi desenvolvido o tema “A Ideia no Desenho, Diferentes Desenhos no Ensino das Artes Visuais”; foi elaborado no âmbito da Prática de Ensino Supervisionada do Mestrado em Ensino de Artes Visuais no 3º ciclo do Ensino Básico e no Ensino Secundário, pretende dar a conhecer os aspetos inerentes à Prática de Ensino Supervisionada desenvolvida no ano letivo de 2011/2012 na Escola Secundária Gabriel Pereira e Escola Básica André de Resende. O relatório integra a preparação científica, pedagógica e didática; caraterização do concelho de Évora; caraterização do contexto educativo, planificação, condução de aulas, avaliação de aprendizagens e conclui com a análise da prática de ensino e desenvolvimento profissional. Possui ainda dois apêndices finais com informação citada e evidências significativas das atividades desenvolvidas na escola. /ABSTRACT:The present work in which we develop a theme "The Idea in Drawing, Different Drawings in Visual Art Education"; was prepared to achieve de Master Degree on Teaching of the Visual Arts in the 3rd Cycle of Basic and Secondary Education, and it is focused in the teaching supervised practice developed at the Escola Secundária Gabriel Pereira and Escola Básica André de Resende Schools, during the academic year of 2011/2012. The report includes scientific, educational and didactical preparation; characterization of the municipality of Évora; school planning, conducted lessons and learning evaluation; and concludes with teaching analysis and professional development. It also includes two final appendices with quoted information and significant evidence of the schooling activities. NOTA: em virtude de esta Tese conter apêndices de formatos diversos e incompatíveis para a introdução no repositório, só poderão ser consultados na Biblioteca Geral da Universidade de Évora.

Blended learning and the flipped classroom: The affordances of cloud based, located, and virtual world environments to support student learning

In this paper the author reports on the introduction of the flipped classroom integrating located, online and virtual world learning environments to support the collaborative lived experiences of a group of students and the educator participating in a higher education undergraduate art unit, Navigating the Visual World. A qualitative narrative methodology, A/r/tography, incorporating both image making and textual recording is used to explore and identify interwoven aspects of the artist/ researcher/ educator relationship in the creative artistic process of exploring concepts of identity within inquiry based art practice. Selected student examples, including a collaborative group assessment project demonstrate effective student engagement with experiential blended learning within the flipped classroom.

‘Computer games can get your brain working’: student experience and perceptions of digital games in the classroom

There is considerable enthusiasm in many quarters for the incorporation of digital games into the classroom, and the capacity of games to engage and challenge players, present complex representations and experiences, foster collaborative learning, and promote deep learning. But while there is increasing research documenting the progress and outcomes of game-based learning, relatively little attention is paid to student perceptions and voice. In order to effectively target game-based learning pedagogy, it is important to understand students' previous experience, if any, of the use of games in the classroom, and what they made of these. In this paper, we present findings from a survey of 270 primary and secondary school students in Year Levels 4–9 (aged 9–14) in 6 Queensland schools at the start of a 3-year Australian Research Council project researching the use of digital games in school to promote literacy and learning.

Compétences en littératie visuelle chez les étudiantEs en biologie au niveau collégial: bilan des apprentissages selon des activités digitales ou des activités de dessins à la main

This study examines the role of visual literacy in learning biology. Biology teachers promote the use of digital images as a learning tool for two reasons: because biology is the most visual of the sciences, and the use of imagery is becoming increasingly important with the advent of bioinformatics; and because studies indicate that this current generation of teenagers have a cognitive structure that is formed through exposure to digital media. On the other hand, there is concern that students are not being exposed enough to the traditional methods of processing biological information - thought to encourage left-brain sequential thinking patterns. Theories of Embodied Cognition point to the importance of hand-drawing for proper assimilation of knowledge, and theories of Multiple Intelligences suggest that some students may learn more easily using traditional pedagogical tools. To test the claim that digital learning tools enhance the acquisition of visual literacy in this generation of biology students, a learning intervention was carried out with 33 students enrolled in an introductory college biology course. The study compared learning outcomes following two types of learning tools. One learning tool was a traditional drawing activity, and the other was an interactive digital activity carried out on a computer. The sample was divided into two random groups, and a crossover design was implemented with two separate interventions. In the first intervention students learned how to draw and label a cell. Group 1 learned the material by computer and Group 2 learned the material by hand-drawing. In the second intervention, students learned how to draw the phases of mitosis, and the two groups were inverted. After each learning activity, students were given a quiz on the material they had learned. Students were also asked to self-evaluate their performance on each quiz, in an attempt to measure their level of metacognition. At the end of the study, they were asked to fill out a questionnaire that was used to measure the level of task engagement the students felt towards the two types of learning activities. In this study, following the first testing phase, the students who learned the material by drawing had a significantly higher average grade on the associated quiz compared to that of those who learned the material by computer. The difference was lost with the second “cross-over” trial. There was no correlation for either group between the grade the students thought they had earned through self-evaluation, and the grade that they received. In terms of different measures of task engagement, there were no significant differences between the two groups. One finding from the study showed a positive correlation between grade and self-reported time spent playing video games, and a negative correlation between grade and self-reported interest in drawing. This study provides little evidence to support claims that the use of digital tools enhances learning, but does provide evidence to support claims that drawing by hand is beneficial for learning biological images. However, the small sample size, limited number and type of learning tasks, and the indirect means of measuring levels of metacognition and task engagement restrict generalisation of these conclusions. Nevertheless, this study indicates that teachers should not use digital learning tools to the exclusion of traditional drawing activities: further studies on the effectiveness of these tools are warranted. Students in this study commented that the computer tool seemed more accurate and detailed - even though the two learning tools carried identical information. Thus there was a mismatch between the perception of the usefulness of computers as a learning tool and the reality, which again points to the need for an objective assessment of their usefulness. Students should be given the opportunity to try out a variety of traditional and digital learning tools in order to address their different learning preferences.

Bogotá en el noticiero de Citytv: aproximación a las representaciones sobre el espacio urbano desde los medios de comunicación

Este trabajo de grado busca mostrar cuáles son las representaciones de Bogotá propuestas por el noticiero de la noche del canal Citytv, a través de un acercamiento a los contenidos del medio desde el análisis de contenido y el análisis semiótico de la imagen.