Professional Learning

In Term 3 2003 four Tasmanian primary (K-6) schools engaged in action research projects focusing on the provision of professional learning for staff members. Each of the projects had its own unique characteristics reflecting the cultural and historical factors in their present situations (more...)

In each project a team of three or four leading staff members (including the Principal) engaged in developing and implementing an action plan with the following steps:
    1) Assess the current situation (general) - initial workshop and follow-up reflection
    2) Choose a professional learning focus for action
    3) Gather information about the present situation (focus)
    4) Implement initiatives
    5) Study results
    6) Act in response to findings

Each project is still ongoing at this time (December 2003). However, the experiences of the participants and the findings of the projects are such that the projects have redefined professional learning in several important ways. This redefinition is supported by the in-school observations made in the larger research project.

The pages available from the left hand navigation bar provide more detailed information and it is strongly recommended that they be considered.

While the information in the following table is somewhat over simplified it represents a broad-brush summary of the findings:

Professional Learning	Traditional	Redefined
Content	ICT Knowledge & skills	Practices: tools, action & experiences
Educational focus	General eg, how to use software	Specific: ICT device + use + practices
Initiation	Offer of pre-packaged training	Negotiated, co-planned, situated
Learning context	Institutional (push)	Community of practice (pull)
Intended outcomes*	New ICT knowledge & skills	New or improved classroom practices
Participants*	Individuals	Learning group (collaboration)
Participant roles	Largely formal & fixed	Situational & dynamic
Participant roles	Novice & expert	Learner, co-learner, tutor, mentor...
Timeline	Episodic	Ongoing & revisited
Learning cycle	Incomplete (event)	Complete, short and integrated into classroom/office practices
Cost effectiveness	Low (waste, rework...)	High (practices, JIT, sustainable...)
Sustainability	Variable (often low)	High (embedded in culture, aligned with school purposes & vision...)
Information base	Variable (limited)	Explicit: participants and context
Transfer of learning into practices*	Intended, optional, hoped for...	Built into professional learning with direct ort indirect support
Requirements of the institution	Minimal	Sound governance, clear concept of ICT, endorsed purposes of using ICT ...
Knowledge task	Transfer knowledge of ICT	Knowledge management: situate knowledge of ICT in organisation

This 'redefinition' of professional learning is derived from, and illustrated by, the case studies and includes the following

In many ways the above redefinition of professional learning represents a move to what might well be second(?) generation of professional learning in relation to ICT. This raises the question of possible future generations of professional learning.

that one cannot be certain. However several years ago the Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow (ACOT) studies identified several stages of development in use of ICT in class programs - see ICT Adoption and follow the links to more ACOT material. These stages were (in order)

Other areas in which there is substantial opportunity for progress along similar developmental lines is in

Many starting points for such developments are present in the everyday life of work of schools. Technology is developed on the basis of the creators concepts of

The mismatches between the creators and users concepts and understandings, and the numerous creative solutions to the limitations of the technology and the failures of the devices all provide opportunities for substantial gains, especially by combining technologies and people in novel ways.

What might start out as problem solving can be a first step in significant developments - being hampered in achieving one's purposes can help clarify one purposes.