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Technology-Supported Reflection in Kuwait: Improving learners’ achievement
Presentation at the 7th annual conference of the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
21 October 2010Abullah Almodaires (Public Authority of Applied Education and Training)
Pløn Verhagen & Petra Fisser (University of Twente)
This presentation
§ A study aimed at improving field training in teacher education in Kuwait through the facilitation of online video to support a reflective practice approach
§ Presentation of the findings related to
§ the effectiveness of the online environment in supporting the activities of reflection, and
§ the cultural aspects that played a role
This presentation
Pløn Verhagen & Abdullah Almodaires
Together with:
The gap between theory and practice
§ Converting theoretical knowledge into practical behavior is difficult for new, just graduated employees in most professions
§ To overcome this, educational institutes offer field training
§ Students practice
§ Students gain experience in a real professional situation
§ Problem: the gap between
§ the theoretical knowledge that is acquired from education
§ the practical skills that are required during the field training
Mind the gap / closing the gap
§ The gap is also found in the teacher education programs in Kuwait
§ Study in 2005-2009 aimed at
§ improving field training of the teacher education program in Kuwait
§ through the facilitation of a reflective practice approach
§ with the support of an online video environment
Teacher education program in Kuwait
§ Four-year program, 130 credits to graduate
§ 122 credits for general, specialized and practical studies
§ 8 credits for in-school field training
§ The students spend three and a half years (i.e. seven semesters) in the college learning theoretical knowledge while the last semester is devoted to the field training in schools
§ The program is mainly dependent on the teacher-centred approach / lecture-based instruction
§ Gender separation, male and female studies are in different buildings
The reflective practice approach
§ The reflective practice approach:“a cognitive process carried out in order to learn from experiences through individual inquiry and collaboration with others”
§ Reason of implementation: the competence of reflection is essential for teachers to learn from their experience
§ Implementing this in the context of Kuwait:
1. Field training in the teacher education programs in Kuwait is
§ carried out only in the final year of study
§ carried out in isolation
2. New pedagogical approach
§ a complex process
§ the teacher-centered approach the predominant approach
The reflective practice approach
§ Experience
§ Description
§ Self-reflection
§ Peer-reflection
§ Finding alternatives for the performance
§ New experience
§ Description
§ Self-reflection
§ Peer-reflection
§ Finding alternatives for the performance
§ Etc…
New experience
Description
AlternativesPeer-reflection
Self-reflection
Description
Experience
The online video environment
§ DiViDU: Digital Video for the Digital University “DiViDU” project
§ Main goal: support and enhance field training in teacher education
§ Three modules in DiViDU
§ analysis module: demonstrate (with video) professional behavior of experienced teachers in practical situations
§ reflection module: develop systematically reflective skills (participants’ actions during their practice of teaching is captured by video and made available to themselves, their peers and their supervisors)
§ assessment module: demonstrate teaching competences and showing (with video) progress in professional behavior
The online video environment
The online video environment
The online video environment
The online video environment
The online video environment
The reflective practice approach supported with video
§ Experience
§ practice teaching
§ record practice on a digital camera
§ review performance and focus on specified competence
§ Description
§ describe influential factors related to the situation (number ofstudents, the content of the lesson, the cause of specific behavior or reaction)
§ available for participant herself, peers and supervisor
The reflective practice approach supported with video
§ Self-reflection
§ each participant reflects on her own performance
§ analyze performance in relation to theoretical knowledge
§ Peer-reflection
§ review the performance of peers by watching their video, readingthe description and the self-reflection
§ Finding alternatives
§ each participants establishes alternatives for their performance to improve their practice of teaching
§ alternatives are based on their reflection, their peers’ reflection, their supervisor feedback and the educational theories about thespecific competence
Research Question
§ Does the use of the reflective practice approach supported by an online video-based learning environment in field training in teacher education programs have pedagogical advantages in reducing the gap between theory and practice?
Research activities
§ 16 prospective teachers from the department of English Language and the department of Educational Technology
§ Test of skills & attitudes towards ict, video and reflection
§ Experience, Description, Self-reflection, Peer-reflection, Finding alternatives for the performance
§ Questionnaires:
§ Difficulties in relation to reflection
§ Effectiveness of the online video environment
§ Achievement, the effect of practicing the reflection activities on the participants’ learning achievement
Barriers…
§ There were several personal and social barriers
§ Personal: manners, attitudes and behaviors of the participants
§ Social: the influence of the Kuwaiti culture and traditions on the participants
§ The six main difficulties:
1. To point out the negative side of their performance
2. To overcome anxiety toward offending peers by giving feedback
3. To trust their own judgment
4. To point out the positive side of their performance
5. To ignore the presence of the camera in the classroom
6. To accept the negative feedback from their peers
But…
§ Even with these barriers the facilitation of an online video environment to support a reflective practice approach was very successful
Some of the results..
§ Recording the performance of prospective teachers on video allowed the prospective teachers to watch their performance, which facilitated self-reflection activities
§ Moreover, the use of the online learning environment provided the prospective teachers with communication channels that supported the exchange of experiences and reflection activities
Some of the results..
§ Implementing the reflective practice approach with the support of online video in Kuwait indeed shows advantages in reducing the gap between theory and practice
§ Both the participants and the supervisors are positive with regard to the effect and the importance of the reflection approach
§ A strong appreciation by the participants for reflection in strengthening the presence of theory in the field training
The main conclusion
§ The findings from the presented study indicate that
§ the implementation of the reflective practice approach
§ supported by the online video-based learning environment
§ in the field training in Kuwait
§ showed positive effects on the gap between theory and practice
§ Elaboration of the study is needed, but
§ there is a growing demand for more technology-enhanced teaching and learning at this specific teacher preparation program
§ from teachers and students!
