Role of Teacher in PLEsZaffar Ahmed Shaikh (Presenter), Shakeel Ahmed Khoja, IBA Karachi (Pakistan)

The PLE Conference, July 11-13, 2011, Southampton UK

Objective• Part-I (This Study): To discuss the nature of change required

in teachers’ competencies and roles in context of technology mediated communication, and hence, to identify teacher roles in PLE process grouped around competencies.

• Part-II (Delphi Study): To get validated these results from PLE community / experts / more knowledgeable persons by online Delphi process

(All of you are hereby invited to participate in this study that would start from 25th July 2011)

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Introduction

Learning communities now

accept the view that the conception of PLEs provides the most realistic and

workable perspective of

learners’ interactions with

and use of technology

Modern technologies are restructuring education, teaching, and learning, thereby

affecting all stakeholders

Technology mediated communication requires teachers to give their pedagogies a technology-touch, and force them to acquire new competencies and perform new roles It is anticipated from

teachers’ to give the flavour of this quest to their students in

their learning discourse

It is very important for ongoing research on PLEs to consider the

importance of teacher as part of PLE implementation and to recognize the diversity of roles teacher perform in

this context

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This shift in pedagogy invite teachers to…

Acknowledge learners’ existing

skills

Adopt appropriate teaching approaches

Be knowledgeable about learning and learners’ experiences Properly apply new

technologies for real learning to take

place

Integrate social media in ways that enable participation, social

interaction, global networking and community connections

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An effective PLE must address…

•deeper educational issues

•recognize teachers and learners inhabit the same system

•support realization of learning objectives through the formulation, reuse, and repurposing of learning plans

•provide ways of controlling the technological infrastructure

•maintain the technological shift in the locus of control from institutional centralized delivery to learner-driven inquiry

•invite teachers to prepare students to become lifelong learners by polishing their self-direction and self-regulation skills

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Why should we worry about teacher competencies and roles?

Teacher is responsible for operating educational system

Teacher got the potential and power to change educational system

Teacher collaborate with all sectors of the educational community in planning, managing,

implementing, and evaluating programs

Easy availability of social software/media has resulted multifaceted challenges for teachers such

as scaffolding the learner reflection and the development of generic competencies

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How we gathered data for this study…

A number of research papers upto last 10 years were reviewed that discussed the concept of teacher competencies and roles in students’ PLE process

Special attention was paid to looking into specialist journals, books, blogs, and online resources of great scientific prestige

Literature on teacher competencies and roles in face to face, distance, online, and virtual learning environments was also comprehended due to their nature of technology mediated communication

Teacher competencies have been categorized as suggested by Alvarez et al. (2009), Williams (2003), and Trilling (2008) proposals.

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Teachers’ Roles and Competencies we identified…

We have grouped teachers’ competencies around 5 categories and 36 roles according to the nature of tasks they are associated with in students' PLE process

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Teachers’ Roles and Competencies we identified…

•This aspect of teacher role is related with setting up student PLEs, designing learning activities, creating learning spaces, making instructional decisions, and solving their programming problems

Planning and Design

•This aspect relates with mental process of teaching and learning, abstraction and generalization, information storage, motivation, and mentoring

Instruction and Learning

•This role is related with teachers' relations with peers, other knowledgeable ones, and students

Communication and Interaction

•It allow teachers to develop and adapt managed actions such as motivation & learning needs, channelizing spaces of communication and voluntary participation

Management and Administration

•It relates to technical knowledge of support services, social computing applications, open access software, data analysis and design skills

Use of Technology

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Conclusion and Further Research…

•This study contributes on teacher competencies & roles in PLE settings.

•The decision of adopting applications, the development of matching learning activities, the moderation and facilitation provided, and teachers’ confidence level in integrating these technologies in instruction are all roles and activities that directly contribute to the successful implementation of students’ PLEs.

Conclusion

•Recommendations for future research include further validation of the results of this study from practitioners, students, teachers, and the people involved in PLE research within academia, business, and industry, with survey methodology for developing consensus over teacher competencies and roles.

•Questionnaire Round 1 for Delphi Study http://www.surveyshare.com/survey/manage/publish?survey_id=164778

Further Research

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Thanks for Your Attention