The National College for School Leadership (now the National College) exists to serve the development needs of school leaders in England. The college has begun to use web conferencing in several areas of its work including its professional development programmes, strategic initiatives and support and networking opportunities. Web conferencing tools offer a range of modes of interaction including audio, chat, text, desktop sharing, presentations and video conferencing. It thus has the potential for multi-process learning. The research reported here investigated the ways in which multi-process learning using these tools can be understood. It asked 'What insights can be gained into the learning processes occurring in synchronous online seminars involving experienced educators ? A literature review was carried out to provide background on the current thinking about learning through web conferencing and to explore factors that might be essential for the collective construction of knowledge in this context. Recorded internal and external NCSL web conferences were chosen as case studies; these provided the data for independent qualitative analysis by each of the researchers. From this analysis a model of the learning processes, identified in the data, was developed and related to the current literature. The major findings and model were further reviewed, in the light of their own web-conferencing experiences, by a large number of expert college educators. The resulting 'model of multi-process learning in web conferencing' identifies the part played by social, informational, individual internalisation and co-construction stages in multi-process learning.
<p>This study explores teacher conceptions of play and its relationship to children’s learning. It also explores how this influenced the role teachers took during play and the way they approached assessment. This case study research involved three teachers across three early childhood education centres in Wellington, New Zealand. Data drawn on included teacher interviews, observations, document, and field notes. Piaget’s (1973) and Vygotsky’s (1978) Constructivist theories of learning through play provided the theoretical framework informing both data collection and analysis. Findings suggested that teachers held various conceptions about how learning through play could be practiced and how children learn. These beliefs and assumptions were further influenced by an ad hoc range of contextual factors, including the children’s ages, differing centre philosophies and goals. Teachers revealed that the professional development they had been able to access concerning learning through play and assessment had been limited, largely relying on professional development provided by their own centre, discussions with their head teacher, peers, and their own initiative and understanding. This research suggests there is a need to provide ongoing professional development to assist teachers to engage with the place of learning in play-based activities; strategies to assess learning during play activities; and effective documentation. This might help teachers work through the complex and sometimes contradictory ideas about play and children’s learning they encountered and the inconsistencies there were at times between their espoused beliefs and practices.</p>
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