Relation between TPACK and the topics that have been discussed so far

During the lectures of the course ‘Pedagogies for flexible learning supported by technology’ some main topics were discussed. These topics were flexibility, pedagogies and technology. In previous posts I already told you a lot about these topics. In my last post I told you about TPACK and the relation between the different elements of the model. But is it possible to make combinations between TPACK and the other topics?

About flexibility I told you there are five different kinds. I wrote about flexibility related to time, content, entry requirements, instructional approach and resources and delivery and logistics (Collis & Moonen, 2001). When I think of TPACK in relation to these kinds of flexibility, I think there are many combinations you can make. Overall I think the TPACK model is very flexible. The TPACK model consists of the aspects pedagogy, technology and content (Koehler & Mishra, 2009). As a teacher you can be very flexible in creating your lessons, based on different pedagogies, technologies and subject matters. You can apply flexibility related to content in the content part of the TPACK model and flexibility related to instructional approaches and resources in the pedagogy part as well. If a teacher takes the content as a starting point for creating a lesson, based on the TPACK model, he can choose to let the students pick their favorite topics (very flexible) or give some standard, fixed topics (less flexible). In case of starting with the pedagogical knowledge, the TPACK model is flexible as well. The teacher is ‘free’ to choose a pedagogical approach, as long as the content and the technology suits to this approach. My opinion is that using the TPACK model can be very flexible, as long as the pedagogy, technology and content are in line with each other. To give another example, the teacher can be very flexible in time by using TPACK. You can use the model for a lecture of one hour, but it is also an option to use the model to create a whole course that takes a few weeks or months. Using TPACK can also be flexible in many more ways, but as a teacher you always have to think about the blue circle, the context. Flexibility can be good, but take your context into consideration.

I think the combination between the TPACK model and pedagogies is obvious. When a teacher creates a lesson, based on TPACK, there are many possibilities in choosing a pedagogical approach. As I mentioned in my previous post, a teacher can take the Pedagogical Knowledge as a starting point for creating a lesson (or a course). In that case the teacher has to have knowledge about different pedagogical approaches. I already told you something about traditional learning, problem-based learning, workplace learning, collaborative learning and inquiry learning, but there are many more. In this case you can say TPACK is flexible as well. There is not just one pedagogical approach to create a lesson based on TPACK. As a teacher you must have the knowledge to choose the right pedagogical approach that fits to the subject matter and the technology you want to use. But just like at flexibility, the context is very important to keep in mind.

During the third lecture the topic was technology. I experienced that there are many, many kinds of technology you can integrate to a lesson. So, in that case I didn’t had the Technological Knowledge that is necessary for teachers. If a teacher wants to use technology in a lesson, he has to know a lot about it, how you have to use it and what the added value of the technology is. As a teacher you can use technologies like Wiki’s, weblogs, digital audio, virtual learning environments, course management systems, Web 2.0 technologies, digital video, e-portfolio’s and so on. For a teacher it can also be helpful to monitor the developments and trends in the world of technology. In that way a teacher can make the best decisions for using technology in their lessons. As you see, also in the technology part of TPACK there is enough flexibility, but still be aware of the context. For a teacher it can be very nice to use technology in the lessons, but is it useful for the students, can they deal with it and is there enough money to use technology?

I think you can compare the added value of TPACK to the order of the lectures (and posts) in this course. After three lectures I had learned a lot about flexibility, about pedagogies and about technology, but I didn’t know how to combine these topics. In my opinion that is where TPACK comes in. The big advantage of TPACK is that you as a teacher have a framework in which you can combine the three main items of a lesson. The model exactly tells you what kinds of knowledge you need to have and that you have to bundle these kinds of knowledge to a create a ‘perfect’ lesson. Moreover, the model makes the teacher aware of the fact that you have to combine pedagogical-, technological- and content knowledge in the specific context of the teacher. So, the overlapping parts in the model are added value, because now the model tells you that just technological knowledge, for instance, is not enough. Knowing a lot about technology can be nice, but for a teacher it is also important to know how to teach with the use of technology (TPK) and how to relate this to a particular content or subject matter (TCK). At last, the teacher need to know how to teach a specific subject on the right way (PCK). If a teacher is able to combine these three kinds of knowledge, he reaches TPACK. I think the TPACK model can be useful for every teacher. It won’t tell you how to create a lesson, but it can help and support you to create a lesson.

If I were a teacher, I think I would use TPACK. You can always use it as a check for your created lesson, but you can also create a lesson based on it. The model doesn’t force you to anything, it just supports you as a teacher. That is really important, because the teacher has to decide by themselves whether he wants to use a model like TPACK or not, but I do recommend it..

References

Collis, B., & Moonen, J. (2001). Flexible learning in a digital world: Experiences and expectations. London: Kogan Page.

Koehler, M. J., & Mishra, P. (2009). What is technological pedagogical content knowledge? Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 9(1), 60-70.

What is TPACK exactly?

In this post I will explain what TPACK includes in my opinion. I will also explain what the different components of the model include and how they relate to each other.

TPACK is an abbreviation of Technological, Pedagogical and Content Knowledge. Mishra and Koehler (2009) are the founders of the TPACK model, which is presented in Figure 1. In my opinion TPACK is the knowledge of the teacher on how to integrate technology in a lesson with a specific content, where a specific pedagogical approach is used. To reach TPACK, you need to have knowledge about three different aspects and you must be able to combine these three into your lessons. The three main aspects of TPACK are technology, pedagogy and content. In the model these aspects are presented as the colored circles.

By technology I mean all kinds of technologies, like computers, whiteboards, video cameras and so on. The teacher need to have knowledge about the availability of these kinds of technology, but also about how these technologies work. So, just Technological Knowledge (TK) is not enough. In my opinion the teacher also need to have the skills to work with it.

The second main aspect, Pedagogical Knowledge (PK), is about different pedagogical approaches. The teacher has to have knowledge about the learning process of the students and the pedagogical approaches that suits them the best. Pedagogy is a broad concept. I think the teacher needs the knowledge about different teaching strategies and the skills to apply these strategies or approaches. Next to that Pedagogical Knowledge also includes knowledge about the use of useful resources. Another important thing is knowledge about the students. The teacher must have knowledge about their students’ prior knowledge, their curriculum and their personal development. The teacher has to think of all these aspects when he/she has to use a specific pedagogical approach.

In the last colored circle you see the Content Knowledge (CK). When I think about content knowledge, I think about the content or subject that the teacher is teaching. As a teacher you must have knowledge about what your students will learn, that’s obvious. But I think a teacher also needs knowledge about the theories, facts and/or frameworks behind this content. Moreover, the teacher must be able to give examples about the content in my opinion. If the students have questions about the content, the teacher must have sufficient knowledge to give a good answer to the questions related to the subject matter.



(Source: http://www.tpack.org)



As you can see in the model there are four overlapping parts between the three main circles. Three of these overlapping parts are combinations of two kinds of knowledge (circles).

The first part is the overlapping part between Pedagogical Knowledge (PK) and Content Knowledge (CK), what is obviously called Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK). A teacher must have this knowledge to teach specific subjects on the right way. Thereby the teacher must be able to handle with misconceptions and difficulties about the content. The teacher needs to have knowledge about the content and the pedagogical approach he/she has to apply for this content. For a teacher it’s important to know how to organize a lesson, to adapt on your students and the content and to create a fruitful instruction.

Pedagogical Knowledge (PK) is also overlapped by Technological Knowledge (TK). This means that a teacher also needs Technological Pedagogical Knowledge (TPK). In my opinion this is knowledge about how to teach with the use of technology, but also the adaptation of your pedagogical approach(es) to technology. In some pedagogical approaches the use of technology, or ICT, can be very useful. I think the teacher must know how to deal with technology in their lessons and how teaching and learning can change when technologies are used.

The last overlapping part between two circles is Technological Content Knowledge (TCK). I think this includes the knowledge about using technology for teaching a particular content or subject. The teacher must know how subject matter changes because of technology. Not for every content the use of technology can be added value. That is something that the teacher has to decide, for which subject matter technology can be useful. Knowledge about how technology can support the content is very important for the instruction.

In the middle of the model you see an overlapping part between all the three kinds of knowledge. This part is what we call Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK). To create TPACK, a teacher has to have knowledge about how technology, pedagogy and content can be combined. So, he/she has to know how to use technology in a lesson with a particular content where a specific pedagogical approach is used. Once the teacher has reached TPACK, he or she can make many combinations of the different aspects. For a teacher it’s an option to start with a specific content, then choose a suitable pedagogical approach and after that decide what kind of technology will support the lesson. In this case it could be that a teacher want to teach their students something about biology. Because of this content he/she could decide to use an inquiry learning approach, where the students has to go outside to discover the biology by themselves. At last this learning process can be supported by technology like making pictures of it with a photo camera for instance. But off course it’s also a possibility to start with the technology, for instance a simulation. Because of this simulation the teacher can decide to teach a specific subject matter by a specific pedagogical approach. At last the starting point can also be the pedagogical approach. For example the teacher can create a lesson based on collaborative learning, which he/she combines with a specific topic and a suitable kind of technology. So, with TPACK there are many options for a teacher.

The last aspect I want to explain is the blue dotted circle around the model. This circle means that the context always influences reaching and using TPACK. Every teacher has different circumstances. Different types of schools, preferences of teachers, the background of the students are some of the aspects that can influence the use of TPACK. The teacher has to handle with aspects like these and must be able to find a solution to use TPACK in the best way.

My opinion is that TPACK is a great framework for teachers. If I were a teacher I would definitely use it, because I think it will professionalize you as a teacher. This model can always be used as a framework for creating lessons, in every situation..

Reference:

Koehler, M. J., & Mishra, P. (2009). What is technological pedagogical content knowledge? Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 9(1), 60-70.

The combination of flexibility, pedagogical approaches and technology

Let's start with a real-life example this time. My father is a teacher in the upper grades of primary school for more than 25 years. Last week he came home from work and was really pissed off. Of course I asked him ‘what’s up dad?’ Then he told me that the beamer in his classroom was broken and it would take a whole week to fix it. He was really frustrated about the fact that he has to work one week with just a blackboard instead of his digital whiteboard. I told him that he is really spoiled in my opinion, because the first 23 years of his career he had always worked with just a blackboard..

So, my point is: the use of technology in education can be very useful for the learners, but what about the older teachers? It costs a lot of time to get the older teachers familiar with all these kinds of technology. Besides this ‘negative’ point of using technology in pedagogical approaches I am very positive about it. The fact that my dad is really pissed off about the fact that he cannot work with his high-technological whiteboard says enough. Even the ‘older’ teachers like it to work with technology, what is really important for a successful implementation of technology in education.

Off course education is about the learners, they have to learn something. Nowadays technology is used everywhere, all over the world, so it has to integrate in to the schools. Teachers must get familiar with it, because it’s better for the learners. Related to the example of my father, flexibility is also an important aspect for teachers. In this case he has to be flexible and find another way to teach his learners.

After listening to some lectures, writing some posts and reading some other blogs so far, I think this subject really interests me. There are so many pedagogical approaches and even more ways to use technology in it. The combinations of these aspects will lead to many ways of flexibility. I think this must and also will trigger the teachers to create innovative ways to teach their pupils, because they have lots of options instead of just the traditional learning approach where the teacher is telling the pupils the information. I think that handling with all the possible opportunities will lead to a professional development of all the teachers..

Taaltreffers

http://www.taaltreffers.nl/

Taaltreffers is an online Dutch vocabulary game for elementary school pupils from group 6, 7 and 8. I think this game is based on a inquiry learning approach, because the learner makes a virtual tour through the soccer stadium of FC Twente. Under while the pupil is making this tour, he will find many words he has to define. At the moment this game is used by schools in the neighbor of the soccer stadium of FC Twente. There are plans to create a newer version that can be implemented on a national level.

I did my bachelor thesis on this game and I discovered that it’s a very attractive game for elementary schools. I think this is because all the pupils are familiar with the football club FC Twente and the players, who are also part of the game. This makes the pupils enthusiastic what will lead to a good motivation for finding and defining the words. The pupil learns under while he is playing with technology. I think that is a wonderful combination for children in that age..

http://www.taaltreffers.nl

Pedagogical approaches supported by Blackboard

In education a teacher can use several pedagogical approaches. In this post I will explain you something about five of these pedagogical approaches. In addition, I will relate the approaches to the support of a Course Management System (CMS) like Blackboard.

Traditional learning

This first pedagogical approach is probably the one that is the most familiar to you. You can describe traditional learning as an approach of ‘telling the students the content of the lesson’. Traditional learning is used in many situations. It’s about a teacher who is giving a lecture and students who are just receivers. In most classes the way of teaching is still like traditional learning. Nowadays there are more and more approaches with lots of interaction, but the traditional learning approach doesn’t need that much interaction. The teacher is just teaching, giving you an assignment and you can get to work.

In many of the courses I’ve followed, the support by Blackboard was like the traditional approach. Blackboard gives me some information about the course, like the schedule, some staff information, some announcements and sometimes the assignment(s). There is no interaction or communication within the environment. The teacher just posts some information on Blackboard and you as a student can get it or read it.

Problem-based learning

Like the name of this approach already suggests, students have to solve a problem and reflect on their experiences. The students work in collaborative groups to solve open-ended problems. The role of the teacher is extremely different to the traditional learning approach. In this case the teacher is more like a facilitator. Students have to collaborate and take responsibility for their group. They have to organize the learning process by themselves and create a solution together.

An environment like Blackboard can be very helpful for the collaboration of the groups. Beside the ‘traditional information’, Blackboard can support the students by a workspace for adding documents and a discussion forum or a chatbox for collaboration within the group. Off course the teacher can add documents on Blackboard about the problem that has to be solved.

Workplace learning

Nowadays workplace learning is becoming more and more popular. It means that people also learn on their workplace and not just on the educational institute like a University. The advantage of workplace learning is that the student can learn in practice. It could be that there is a kind of a problem on the workplace the student has to solve. Actually there are many ways of workplace learning. You can think about formal learning activities like trainings or workshops on the workplace, but informal activities like asking help from others or observing others also include workplace learning.

For a student who is learning on his or her workplace, Blackboard can be very helpful. In this case Blackboard can support in a way of communication tool between the teacher and the student. Additional information for the student to solve the problem on the workplace can be placed on Blackboard, but also functions like a discussion forum or a chatbox can be integrated in Blackboard. In this way the student can communicate from his or her workplace to, for instance, the teacher or co-students. Blackboard can also be used for handing in assignments and giving feedback to each other.

Collaborative learning

This approach means that students will work in groups to complete a task, given by the teacher. The students have to discuss and come to a fruitful solution. In many situations of collaborative learning there is one team coordinator who will lead the process. The group should make appointments about the performance of subtasks, so they all have responsibility. Just like in the problem based approach, the teacher fills the role of a facilitator.

The support of a CMS like Blackboard can also be equivalent as in the problem based approach. The major point of these support is to create a tool for the students to discuss and share their thoughts. This could be a discussion forum or a chatbox. The advantage of a discussion forum is that not all the team members have to be online at the same moment. They can post a reaction whenever they want. This could lead to a long waiting time for getting response by other group members, what can be seen as a disadvantage. In that case a chatbox will ensure that the students give immediately answers, but they all have to be online at the same moment. The teacher has to decide what kind of discussion function will fits the best to the assignment or project.

Inquiry learning

This last pedagogical approach, inquiry learning, is a kind of discovery learning. In this case a teacher is presenting an interesting question. After that the students have to search information about a possible answer to the question. Most of the time students have to find an answer on the question whole by themselves, individually. In this way they have to deal with responsibility for their own process and their own answer.

When a teacher uses the inquiry learning approach, I think there shouldn’t be that much information available on Blackboard. If the teacher gives the student lots of support in this environment, you cannot call it inquiry or discovery learning anymore. So, my opinion is that the teacher should give just a little information about the assignment or the question. The learner has to discover it by themselves. Of course there should be some standard information about the course like staff information, the schedule, and so on. Finally, it can be helpful to add a workspace for the student where he can keep the resources and the information that he had found.

I cannot say that I have a preference for one of these pedagogical approaches. I think they all could be useful, but all in some different situations. Sometimes it is just necessary to sit down and listen to the teacher what he or she has to say, like the traditional approach. But in other cases it can be more useful to discover a phenomenon by yourself or collaborate with co-students. I think it just depends on the content of the course and the assignment that you have to complete and it’s up to the teacher to choose the most fruitful approach for the students…