Using & Teaching Educational Technology
Online forums as learning resources: some case studies from MirandaNet
By Dr. John Cuthell
Tue, 4 Oct 2005, 23:37

Introduction
Since its inception, MirandaNet has developed online forums as both learning resources and a medium for learning. MirandaNet Fellows have conducted evidence-based research projects evaluating the ways in which online environments can contribute to, and enrich, a range of learning situations. Many of these have been written up as case studies and can be downloaded from the MirandaNet site (www.mirandanet.ac.uk).

These case studies cover five main areas, although there are obvious overlaps, and findings and conclusions can be applied across a wide range of learning contexts. One set of studies looks at the ways in which classroom teaching and environments can be enhanced through online work. A number of these look at the ways in which Think.com and Grid Club (available free of charge to educational institutions from Oracle) can be used as a focus for both classroom and out-of-school activities.

The issue of home-school links builds on some of these studies. Ways in which young learners can use such environments for their own learning communities is explored. Other case studies look at the ways in which online forums and environments can be used to support staff in their continuous professional development (CPD). Some of these look at uses within an institution, others, within a specific curriculum context, and another, at the ways in which evidence can be gathered and analysed to contribute to our understanding of concept formation in children.

The final case study uses observational evidence to reflect on the ways in which e-learning contributes to the overall pedagogical and developmental process.

Enhancing classroom teaching and environments
A number of these studies utilised Think.com, a web-based environment available from the Oracle Corporation that is free to schools. Think.com underpins Grid Club, a freely available resource for Primary pupils.

Jim Fanning used this environment in his school during the Autumn (Fall) Term and evaluated the impact on both the pupils and his own teaching. He found that the use of Think.com in the classroom changed teaching methods. During the time span of the project teachers used the system to distribute teaching materials via class web pages; they collected and returned homework by email; they set up online assessment tasks for students. A move towards a constructivist method, where teaching becomes more learner-centred and the teacher assumes the role of facilitator, required appropriate training for teachers, a change in classroom/school organisation and new methods of assessment. His full case study can be downloaded here:

Fanning, J. (2004) : Can the use of think.com transform classroom teaching?

Keith Turvey also used a Think.com environment for his study, based in a one and a half form entry primary school with Year 5/6 children (10 to 11 years of age). The aim of this project was to investigate the perceived advantages and disadvantages of an online community within the primary school setting. He examined the use of discussion forums to facilitate the construction of knowledge in a range of contexts, bringing together individuals with common ground to share and exchange information. Much has been established regarding the stages of progression within online collaborations through socialisation to knowledge construction and development (Salmon, G: 2002). Turvey was keen to determine whether these models of e-learning could be successfully emulated within the context of the primary school, and whether they herald the introduction of a potentially new teaching and learning style. Download the study:

Turvey, K. (2003): Online communities within the Primary School Context

Nigel Riley used the online discussion forums available in World Ecitizens (www.worldecitizens.net) available from MirandaNet. His case study focuses on e-learning as a tool for extending and enriching pupils' learning through dialogical learning that online forums support, and the concomitant key life-skills that are developed. In embedding e-learning into the curriculum the existing practices of communities of enquiry provide guidelines for implementation. By using online discussion environments pupils are given opportunities to develop the exploratory talk required to promote collaborative knowledge construction through dialogical learning. Evaluation and assessment of learning requires the use of innovative techniques of concept mapping and content analysis of discussions based on phenomenography theory.

The case study establishes that critical learning and key skills development takes place to a significant degree. Analysis of attitudes and intentions towards e-learning established that pupils were highly motivated and found e-learning to be a valid and valuable learning tool. The use of the Internet as a resource as well as a forum and publication interface aligns with Stephen Heppell's Model of e-learning as a library, forum and publishing house.

Riley, N. (2004): An investigation using online environments and collaborative e-learning with primary pupils.

Richard Robinson's study looked at the ways in which Think.com could extend and enrich student learning outside the timetabled structures of a large secondary school. The core group of students that became part of this study were all year nine students, aged 13 to 14 years old. As a major emphasis was the role of the Gifted and Talented student, the students he chose to concentrate on were primarily from the Gifted and Talented register in year nine, based on teacher assessment, test scores and identification of specific learning skills. The register identified two levels of gifted students, 'A' students, seen as gifted and talented in more than one subject area, and 'B' students, seen as having a talent in an individual subject area. There was a conscious effort to obtain a gender balance within the core group.

To create a form of control students who were not considered gifted were chosen either because they had been part of a writing group through their enthusiasm for English or had particular interests that were felt would motivate them to be part of the group. The study can be read at:

Robinson, R. (2003): The impact of Think.com on the learning of gifted students in English.

Home-school links
Karen Hanrahan used an online forum on World Ecitizens to establish an environment to encourage pupils to develop independent communication skills in Modern Foreign Languages. Each strand in the discussion forum constituted a homework task: pupil threads within each strand were contributions to the task.

The project involved two groups of Year 7 (11 to 12 years old) students (a French class of 29 students and a German class of 28) within a large 11-18 comprehensive school in East Sussex. The idea for this project germinated from two distinct and (fairly common!) difficulties she had encountered, namely access to the IT suites in school and the setting of meaningful yet interesting homework. Therefore, the project's aims were to investigate the viability of students' use of ICT for Modern Foreign Languages at home (including their response to their own private forum) and whether this had any impact on their attitude to language learning. In addition, she proposed to examine her own e-learning throughout the project.

The homework tasks included going onto different language websites to complete various activities, writing reviews and reports of chosen language sites and games which students would then email to her, and participating in a language forum that was set up specifically for the project on the MirandaNet site. Other questions included: How effectively can online homework be monitored? What effect, if any, does this e-learning project have on students' attitude to language learning? How successful was the Year 7 discussion forum and how does it differ from an adult forum?

Hanrahan, K. (2004): Modern Foreign Languages Elearning Project

Continuous Professional Development
Dai Thomas' study was initiated by the need to ensure that CPD gains could be embedded. Continued professional development (CPD) through professional dialogue is difficult to maintain over diverse groups. Groups such as PGCE, GTP and existing teaching staff of varying levels of experience have a valid contribution to give any professional development group. Time to talk within any stage in the profession is always at a premium. His aim was to enable staff to develop professional dialogue after focused professional sessions on issues. The time to talk is sometimes difficult or impossible to find as the groups of people involved are diverse and on different time allocations and levels of professional experience. Dai was keen to change the reflective professional dialogue that in part takes place as a plenary of a session to an asynchronous online activity

Dai used open source solutions such as PHP BB, which allowed him to develop his own online community with little or no funding, and also to control and customise his community solution to the needs of his organisation and its users. He also used solutions such as Mambo Server technology, Moodle groupware, Groove Workspace and PhpWebsite.

Thomas, D. (2003): Continued professional development (CPD) through dialogue online

Neil McDonald's study examines the impact of a subject association online community on his own professional development, and on others. He describes the community as ‘the largest history department in the UK', and examines the ways in which its users contribute, and draw from the community.

McDonald, N. (2004): Teachers' Use of Forums for E-Learning

Dave Wallbanks and Neil McDonald collaborated on the forum. Dave's separate study examines ways in which the teachers used the forum for e-learning.

Wallbanks, D. (2004): Teachers' Use of Forums E-learning

A slightly different professional development forum is examined by Benjamin Semwayo. The discussion forum formed part of a joint project between MirandaNet and Select Education to train supply teachers as e-facilitators. These e-facilitators would then work on the Select Education discussion forums to support supply teachers and contribute to online CPD. Ben's study examines the ways in which the discussion forum progressed and how it compared with other discussion forums.

Semwayo, B. (2005): The Select Education Discussion Forum

A project of a rather different type was initiated by Alan Witherington. The project, conducted over a six-week period in the summer term, involved setting up and facilitating an online discussion forum for all 200 staff at his school. The project aimed to establish the feasibility, effectiveness and sustainability of such a forum and to investigate whether it could help to build a one-school ethos in a school created from two institutions. Evidence from questionnaires, interviews and from the analysis of transcripts was used to form some conclusions. The processes necessary to set up a forum were clearly established and a community of mutually supportive staff, reflecting on professional issues began to develop. Although only a small number of staff were actively engaged in the forums, the support for the idea and its potential was much more widespread. Barriers to wider use were the inevitable ‘lack of time' and a number of other tensions for staff in a school facing challenging circumstances. The school has now formed a hard federation with two other schools and the need for such a forum for sharing of good practice within the federation is enhanced.

Witherington, A. (2004): Creating an online community in a large secondary school

Pushing boundaries
Maulfry Worthington's research question was whether working with a colleague online (from the same setting) supported both individual's learning? The study explored ways in which context and language supported learners in constructing understanding, and assessed the impact of involvement in collaborative discussion, on classroom practice. A further concern was to evaluate the extent to which e-learning provides an effective means of professional development. Innovative online facilities were used within a MirandaNet discussion forum to enable staff to exchange and critique images of children's work.

Worthington, M. (2004): Collaboration and co-construction through on-line socialization

e-learning
Mike Smith's paper's central theme is an investigation of what constitutes e-learning, and it concludes with a model of e-pedagogy, with particular reference to the school environment. From a case study of the observation and description of a pupils' online community, phases in the e-learning process are identified. A key theme is transformational learning. E-learning is seen as an emancipatory knowledge creation process in which teacher and pupil interchange roles in a collaborative learning environment. The teacher as facilitator guides the learners through the process of acquiring skills to the collection of information, which is then developed into knowledge streams for group analysis. The Internet offers a global information network and ICT hardware assists in maintaining an interactive learning environment. An important part of successful e-pedagogy is effective e-facilitation.

Smith, M. (2005): An investigation into what constitutes e-pedagogy and e-learning

The MirandaNet Academy
A number of MirandaNet Fellows have developed projects that they have published on MirandaNet and have submitted them for post-graduate accreditation through the MirandaNet Academy, working in conjunction with Bath Spa University. Their innovative post-graduate programme enables teachers to obtain postgraduate qualifications for evidence-based curriculum and development work they are undertaking in their schools. For further information about the MirandaNet Academy email us.

For further information about Dr John Cuthell, please see:
http://www.virtuallearning.org.uk/research/index.html

© Dr. John Cuthell Tue, 4 Oct 2005