Designing a blended learning model for primary school ... - ICL

Conference ICL2010September 15 -17, 2010 Hasselt, BelgiumDesigning a blended learning model for primary school languagelearning. How can mobile production promote pupils inportfolioworkin language learning? Design-research, preliminaryresultsMarja-RiittaKotilainenUniversity of Helsinki, the Department of Teacher EducationKey words: design-research, blended learning, mobility, digital portfoliosAbstract:In Finland, there is a desperate need for flexible and functional multi-e-Iearning settings forpupils aged 11-13. Therefore, it is important to research the possibilities of multi-e-learningand to build learner-centred, versatile network models for primary school-aged pupils. Theresulting model will facilitate distance learning to extend education to sparsely populatedareas, and it will give a model of using mobile devices in language portfolios. Working withportfolios provides 1he opportunity to develop mobility from a pedagogical point of view. Thecurrent study represents a design-based research approach. The design research approachincludes two important aspects concerning the current research: 'a teacher as researcher 'aspect, which means there is the possibility to be strongly involved in developing processesand an obstacle-aspect, which means that problems while developing, are seen as a promoterin evolving the designed model.1 IntroductionSaari Primary School is located in the town of Rovaniemi in Finnish Lapland. The Saari School'sprimary concern is languages. Since 2006, Saari has focused on developing e-Iearningenvironments in optional languages, so called A2-languages for pupils from 11 to 12. The currente-Iearning German group is physically located in four different schools. A German teacherteaches in each school changing her location weekly. The online connection between schools iscreated and offers a video conferencing program. Pupils can see each other as a class on thescreen. The videoconferencing system enables document and desktop sharing. Each school has anassistant who helps pupils with both technical and pedagogical questions, though the teacher isonly responsible for the pedagogic aspects of the class. Pupils work on their laptops. The Germanclass has it own web page to inform and to organize pupils' portfolio work. Portfolio work isbased on the framework of European language learning. Working with portfolios is a solution togather the group together socially and virtually on the same platform. It is also a solution to makelessons visible, to have a place to publish artefacts and to make the learning process visual, aswell as to highlight the goals for learning. The most important aspect is that each pupil canproduce portfolio artefacts individually, but process learning in peer work. Working withportfolios provides the opportunity to develop mobility from a pedagogical point of view. It isimportant to study the pros and cons of mobile devices in producing artefacts on portfolios inelearning and language learning settings. Since 2010, the study has been part of the OPTEKresearchproject, Educational technology in school's everyday life-research project, coordinatedby CICERO Learning and funded by the Ministry of Transport and Communications (coordination),Ministry of Education and National Board of Education and conducted by theUniversity of Helsinki.2 Research approach, objectives and research questionsICL 2010 Proceedings – Page 762

Conference ICL2010September 15 -17, 2010 Hasselt, BelgiumThe current study represents a design-based research approach, which is meant to be any kindof research that produces findings that are modified back into further cycles of innovativedesign (Bereiter, 2002). A practical design-problem in this study is to develop a blendedlearning model for primary school language learning. A theoretical problem is to researchhow mobile production can support and promote pupils in portfolio-work in languagelearning. The research question is to investigate what should a blended learning model consistof to promote pupils' autonomy and in producing content for portfolios in language learning?The more specific objectives of the study are:1. of what should a blended learning modelconsist in language learning? 2. How does portfolio work promote pupils' autonomy? 3. Howdo the elements of mobility corne true in blvnded learning settings? Pedagogical frameworkconsists of approaches and theories, which are considered according to the phase of the study:blended learning in phases 1-2 (Adams, 2009), digital language portfolios in phase 3 (Barret,2010), and mobility in phase 4 (Kynaslahti, 2003).3 Some preliminary resultsThe preliminary result of this design-research indicates that primary school-aged pupils dohave the capacity for independent work on the network temporarily, but a teacher's presencevirtually or physically is important. As a consequence of this finding, the next modification ofthe blended language learning model consisted of many usual classroom practices andelements. The most important was to combine separate e-Iearning groups to one German classprojecting them virtually on the screen. Group cohesion is very important in terms ofmotivation and learning outcomes. Pupils were satisfied with the present portfolio model.According to them, the positives of portfolios was being able to work individually, to workfreely, to produce unique personal artefacts,and to be able to make their own decisions whileworking. Pupils' attitudes to language learning with laptops after school lessons were positive:"It made me really work".References:Adams, J. 2009: Blended Learning Strategies for Promoting Workplace Learning & Performance Improvement. - URL(referred 12.5.2010):Barret, H. 2010: Portfolio Life. ePortfolios for Faculty Professional Development and Lifelong Learning. - URL(referred 12.5.2010):Bereiter, C. 2002: Design Research for Sustained Innovation. URL (referred 26.4.2010)Kynaslahti, H.2003: In Search of Elements of Mobility in the Context of Education. In Mobile Learning, edited byKynaslahti H.& Seppala P. IT PressAuthor:Marja-Riitta. Kotilainen, project researcher, language teacherUniversity of Helsinki, the Department of Teacher EducationPohjatuulentie 6, 96900 Rovaniemi, Finlandmarja-riitta.kotilainen@helsinki.fiICL 2010 Proceedings – Page 763