This paper reports on one aspect of the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC)-funded project 'Scoping a vision of formative e-assessment', namely on cases of formative e-assessment developed iteratively with the UK education practitioner community. The project, which took place from June 2008-January 2009, aimed to identify current theories and practices relating to formative assessment of learning where technologies play a key role. The project aimed to scope the 'domain' of formative e-assessment, by developing cases of practice and identifying key formative processes within them, which are affected by the use of technologies. From this analysis, patterns were extracted to inform future software design. A discussion of the key issues emerging from the review of the literature on formative e-assessment, a full account of the project methodology-the design pattern methodology-as well as a critical discussion of the findings-namely the patterns and the role of technology-are the focus of a separate paper (see Daly et al (forthcoming). This paper documents how cases of formative e-assessment were developed during the project by a collaborative methodology involving practitioners from a range of post-16 education contexts. The cases were analysed with reference to key theoretical perspectives on formative assessment, particularly the work of Black and Wiliam (2009). In addition, Laurillard's Conversational Framework (2002, 2007) was used to locate practices of formative assessment within a wider concept of learning and teaching involving technologies, although a detailed discussion of the latter is not within the scope of this paper 1 .
This paper investigates the impact of Web. 2.0 technologies on the ways learning can be conceived of as a narrative process within contemporary contexts, using blogs as an illustrative example. It is premised on the concept of narrative as a way in which individuals represent and organize experience in order to learn from it and make it shareable with others within social contexts. The first part of the paper offers a theoretical analysis of the role of narrative in the social construction of knowledge by the ways it enables users of Web 2.0 technologies to participate meaningfully in the exchange of experiences and ideas. The second part of the paper offers a 'situated'analysis of the narrative practices engaged with by users of blogs. A 'narrative trail' is used to provide a contextualized instance of the narrative practices which are involved. The paper concludes by examining the research issues which are raised and suggests a research agenda which is needed to explore Web 2.0 technologies as social utilities affecting knowledge production, in which the adaptation of narrative theory is a central feature.
This article presents key findings from a recent Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) funded project, 'Scoping a vision for formative e-assessment (FEASST)' led by the WLE Centre for Excellence and the London Knowledge Lab. The project aimed to identify existing practices where technologies contribute to formative assessment and identify processes which take place around formative assessment where technologies play a significant role. Using a design pattern methodology, the project developed a range of cases of formative e-assessment with practitioners across a range of settings through a series of participant workshops. From a selection of these cases we identified key elements in how practitioners described the problems and solutions they addressed regarding assessment in relation to learning within their different contexts. The patterns were analysed for how they displayed aspects considered critical in theoretical analyses of formative assessment. We provide an overview of the project, and discuss an illustrative case and pattern, followed by an analysis which suggests the particular contribution of technologies to formative assessment. Ultimately, for assessment to have formative effects, individuals can be identified as
Purpose -The paper reports on a qualitative study of the learning and development of seventy External Mentors during the first year of their deployment to support early career teachers' professional learning as part of a national initiative aimed at school improvement in Wales. Design/methodology/approach -The study adopted a narrative methodology that elicited accounts of External Mentors' learning experiences that were captured as textual data and analysed using an inductive approach to identify: i. the manifest themes that appeared at declarative level, and ii. the latent (sub-textual) themes of External Mentor learning and development. Findings -Four key themes emerged that indicate the complexity of transition to the role of External Mentor in high-stakes contexts. From these, eight theoretically-informed principles were derived which support mentors to embrace uncertainty as essential to their learning and development, and to harness the potential they bring as boundary-crossers to support the development of new teachers.Research limitations/implications -The study investigated the first year of a three-year programme and worked with one form of qualitative data collection. The research results may lack generalizability and a longitudinal study is necessary to further explore the validity of the findings. Practical implications -The eight principles provide a foundation for mentor development programmes that can support ambitious goals for mentoring early career teachers. Originality/value -The study addresses the under-researched area of the learning and development of External Mentors at a national scale.
Despite a broad consensus on the ethical dimensions of the teaching profession, and long-standing efforts to align teacher education with wider trends in professional education, little is known about how teacher candidates are being prepared to face the ethical challenges of contemporary teaching. This article presents the results of an international survey on ethics content and curriculum in initial teacher education (ITE). Involving five Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) countries—the United States, England, Canada, Australia, and the Netherlands—the study’s findings shed light on teacher educators’ perspectives on the contribution of ethics content to the education of future teachers and provide a snapshot of how well existing programs line up with their aspirations. The results showed that 24% of the ITE programs surveyed contain at least one mandatory stand-alone ethics course. The meaning of the results vis-à-vis opportunities for expanding ethics education in preservice teaching programs is also discussed.
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