Issues: Pedagogy and society
The introduction of a VLE, or the ways in which this is implemented, will be driven by needs of the teachers and learners, pedagogical considerations and issues related to the wider school community and its social context. The needs of teachers and learners and the school’s approach to the curriculum will affect the way in which a VLE is viewed and used. The context of the school will affect the ways in which the VLE is used out-of-school (e.g. for continuation of work started in the classroom, for access to resources and to other students outside of the school day, for parental access to homework tasks, assessment reports etc.).
Activity 8 VLE implementation, pedagogy and society
The objective of this course activity is to develop your understanding of the pedagogical and societal issues for VLE implementation and to reflect on this in the context of your own school.
8.1. Watch this Teachers TV programme [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] , which considers the use of a VLE in a secondary school in Cumbria. In particular it looks at ways in which their use of the VLE enhances and promotes discussion, administers tests, reduces administration and supports a reading week initiative. As you watch the programme note down issues that are pertinent to your school’s implementation of its VLE.
8.2 Go to the course forum and, in the Discussion called ‘Discussing the Teachers TV programme’, post a message that lists the key points that emerged from your watching of the video when you reflect on your own school’s VLE implementation.
8.3 Read this article (Fanning, 2008), which reports on the ways in which VLEs might be used in schools and considers their role in the context of the traditional school day and lesson. Fanning argues that as the VLE introduces opportunities for more flexible ways of working, this has a fundamental impact on structures for learning. He considers the ways in which learning at home and school can be linked by the used of a VLE and the constraints and opportunities for this.
As you read the article, consider the relationship of a VLE to engagement by teachers, students/pupils and parents. Note down three issues that you think are particularly relevant to your school.
8.4 Go to the course forum and, in the Discussion called ‘Discussing the article by Fanning’, post the points that emerged for you when you read the article and considered issues of engagement. Where appropriate, you may ask others in the group for their thoughts on these issues and, similarly, respond to others’ posts.
8.5 Read this article Berry (2006), which looks at the use of a VLE from the point of view of knowledge sharing. Thus inter-relationships between software and the exchange of data is considered. Alongside this, the ways in which teachers and pupils work and share together is reported on.
8.6 Go to the course forum and, in the Discussion called ‘Discussing the article by Berry’ post the points that emerged for you when you read the article and considered issues of knowledge sharing. Where appropriate, you may ask others in the group for their thoughts on these issues and, similarly, respond to others’ posts.
8.7 Make your own notes to summarise the key things emerging for your school’s implementation of its VLE from Activities 8.1 to 8.6.
Sharing initial findings