ICTs in Education: An Evaluation of the Dublin
Inner City Schools’ Computerization (DISC)
Project (from a Cultural Historical Activity
Theory (CHAT) perspective
Elizabeth Quinn BA, MA, MSc, MPhil, MBPsS
Trinity College Dublin, IRELAND
This Thesis completed at Dublin Institute of Technology, Dublin, IRELAND, 2012
4th Congress of the International Society for Cultural and
Activity Research
Inventing the Future
Sydney, Australia. 29 September to 3th October 2014
What is DISC?
2
Aims and Objectives of DISC
Aim:
• to integrate use of innovative technology in schools
Objectives:
• To help teachers meet the ICT requirements of the
Primary School Curriculum and Secondary School
Curriculum
• provide an added dimension to the use of ICT in
secondary schools
3
Purpose of this Research
Evaluate the effectiveness of DISC
– Were objectives met?
– Should Managed Learning Environment (MLE) be rolled
out?
– Suggestions for future?
Why evaluate?
– Varied levels of commitment and use of ICT
– Was technology used innovatively?
– Curriculum implemented using ICT?
– Teacher training/skills - underdeveloped
4
Theoretical Framework
Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT)
(Source: Engeström 1987, p. 78)
(Engestrom (1987)
5
Why use Cultural Historical Activity
Theory?
• “Theoretical lens and analytical tool”(Barab, 2004, p. 30)
• “seeks to analyse development within practical social
activities”
• Activity: Central to AT
Focuses on “practice of group of users” rather than
individuals
• Encourages use of variety of research methods
(Sannino, Daniels and Gutierrez 2009, p. 1)
•
(Bodker 1989, p.173)
6
Questions for Researchers to ask
7
Activity
The use of Information Computer Technology in 38
primary and secondary schools in the Dublin Inner
City Schools Computerization project sponsored by
Hewlett Packard
8
Subjects
• DISC staff
• Schools (38) in disadvantaged areas
• Teaching staff
•
•
•
•
Principals
ICT coordinators
IT postholders
Teachers
Pupils: Primary - 4-12yrs, Secondary 12-18yrs
9
Tools
• ICT AND MLE PROJECTS - PCs, Laptops, Smart Boards
• ICT PROJECTS
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Lego technology
Mp3 players/recorders
Animation software
Video making/Multimedia (Photostory and Powerpoint)
Games Development (Game Maker)
Podcasting
3-D (Sketch up)
• MLE PROJECT
– Learning Northern Ireland platform
10
Division of Labour
DISC
Students
ICT coordinators
School
Teachers
11
Community
DISC
Principals/
Board
Students
Teachers
ICT coordinators
12
Rules and Regulations
13
Mixed methods approach
Questionnaires
47% response rate
• Teacher background
• ICT facilities/use
• Teachers’ ICT
– qualifications
– experiences
– training
• DISC programme
Case Study – 6 schools
Interviews
(20)
teachers/DISC
Focus Groups
(3) - age 9, 11,
15))
Classroom
Observations
(3 class groups)
14
Findings– main issues
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Teacher motivation/beliefs
Teacher Training
Influence of Principal and School Policies
Technical support/hardware replacement
ICT coordinator role
Students’ interaction
Government policy/administration
DISC staff support/DISC objectives
MLE pilot
15
1. Teacher motivation/beliefs
‘Making a difference’
“Our mission in the school is to equip these kids to go out and
make something of their lives”
(Principal, PP 2)
‘Pupil engagement’ focus
Little research on ‘outcomes’ + ‘disadvantage’ (Blackmore, Hardcastle &
Bamblett, 2003)
Whiteboard as ‘glorified blackboard’ (Karasavvidis 2009)
Teacher age/ICT experience not major factor
Traditional/constructivist approach?
Policy can influence teacher change
(Hermans et al. 2008)
(Drent & Meelissen, 2008)
16
2. Teacher Training
“They really want to integrate IT into teacher training
to be part of the daily life. I think continuous teacher
training – like I think in any job... You don’t qualify,
graduate, and that’s it, that’s your education cap in.
Like that day is gone” [Interview, T2, Ps 3]
Lack of training -pedagogical use of ICT
53% did not receive ICT training pre-service
72% - ICT did not prepare for teaching
81% - some ICT training – post (mostly DISC)
Key issue (Meisalo 2010) ; Too skills-focused (Hew and Brush , 2007 in Vanderlinde and van Braak, 2010, p. 545) subject
specific (OECD - Enocchsson, 2010)
17
3. Principal/School Policy influence
Teachers – Principal’s attitude crucial
“If the Principal isn’t in favour, you can forget it”(ICT coord, PS3)
School ICT Policy/DES support
“the Department always expected us to have plans and they didn’t have
a plan” …were giving money willy nilly” (Principal, PP 1)
“fractured delivery of digital technologies” (Marshall and Anderson, 2008, p. 474)
Driving change -teacher co-operation
(Vanderlinde
et al 2009; Vanderlinde and
van Braak 2010)
“We are expecting everybody to try and engage with some kind of
project once in the year” (Principal, PP2)
“…a lot of it depends on teachers’ own personal interests” (Principal, PS2)
18
4. Technical support/hardware
Lack of Technical Support the major issue
– Resources don’t include it
– Other jurisdictions provide it • NI (C2K), Flemish schools (DOE 2002)
• Contradictory – adequate/not enough
• “Department certainly has never really supported IT”
(Principal, P1)
• Inequality between disadvantaged schools –
funding/resources access differed - PRINCIPAL
19
5. ICT co-ordinator role
“I was never trained for that…we don’t know what we
are doing” (ICT coord, P4)
– Reduced to technicians – not qualified
– Pedagogical role/teacher support more appropriate
– ICT role – takes too much time
(Vanderlinde et al 2009; Lai and Pratt 2004)
“the curriculum is so overloaded already that you
don’t want any more” (Teacher, P4)
20
6. Students’ interaction - DISC/ICT
Enjoyment of technology – social aspect?
Graham Nuthall (Brophy, 2006, p.529)– interaction/aimless
discourse ˃ cognitive learning experiences
Students don’t identify with DISC programme
Absenteeism NOT improved (43% teachers) – stated
DISC objective!
Contradiction?
Fuchs & Woesmann, 2004 – mere availability of ICT a distraction from learning
Hepp et al 2004 ;Merrienboer and Brand-Gruwel, 2005 – ICT may motivate
21
7. Government Policy
“get the DES and NCTE to really see that IT is hugely,
massively in schools at the moment. Like everything
goes through ICT” (ICT coord, P4)
Perceived lack of interest/support/planning-DES
Curriculum Relevant Material?
Policy-other countries? (Ottestad, 2010)
-
heavy investment not translating into practice
22
8. DISC support
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
ICT Projects Coordinator widely praised
DISC programme – saving school money (ICT coord)
Schools concerned about DISC terminating
Timing of projects – limited by school year
Schools - admit they have not engaged enough
Schools engaged with other projects/orgs
DISC emphasis on Primary sector perceived
23
Interface
9. MLE– main issues
– difficult to navigate (DB*), Passwords issue
– Confusing terminology – DB, NewsDesk, Forum
Content
– NewsDesk – very useful + enjoyed
– Not Curriculum-relevant - stated objective
– Social and collaborative aspect – THE TRIP
– Research enjoyable – all ages
Technical difficulties – broadband/access
Teachers - lack of collaboration/motivation
24
Were objectives met?
• DISC, Teachers, students – different objectives
• Original objectives
• not readily identifiable
• DISC staff – unclear
• Curriculum implementation – no clear targets
– ICT use – for its own sake?
• Why not?
– DISC staff – lack of engagement by teachers
– Teachers - curriculum/time/resources
– Major issues outside DISC control – DES
25
Research findings - Overall
1. Lack of Co-ordination – all levels
–
–
–
–
Infrastructure
Equipment
Training
Plans
2. Lack of Vision and Planning
– Haphazard provision of equipment and money
– No plan
26
Reflection on Research Process
• Terms of Reference – extensive (influenced design)
• Business emphasis (versus academic)
– Influenced Methods used
– Writing style
•
•
•
•
Integrating Activity Theory
Timeline
Being ‘embedded’ – boundary difficulties
HP + DISC termination– deskspace
27
Reflections on Research Process (2)
• Parents’ views – not included
• Student usability – not focused on
• Policymakers/teacher training colleges limitation
• Teachers or student focus – which?
• Activity Theory – could have been more
central?
28
29
Recommendations for future
1. DISC staff – full-time
2. ICT Policy - all schools
3. Teacher training –small groups/subject specific
4. Technical support services
5. Reduce number of schools
6. Primary emphasis only
7. Redesign LNI format/interface
8. Facilitate school groups for support
9. Forum for ICT Co-ordinators
10. MLE for Teachers
30
Thank you for your attention
Any Questions?
Elizabeth Quinn
Trinity College Dublin
quinneliz@gmail.com
quinne12@tcd.ie
31
Abbreviations
AT
CHAT
CLiC
DES
DISC
DIT
DOE
HP
ICT
ISO
LNI
MLE
NI
OECD
ROI
SDT
VLE
Activity Theory
Cultural Historical Activity Theory
Computers in Learning Communities
Department of Education and Skills (Republic of Ireland)
Dublin Inner-City Schools Computerization
Dublin Institute of Technology
Department of Education (Finland)
Hewlett Packard
Information and Communication Technology
International Standards Organization
LearningNI (Learning Northern Ireland)
Managed Learning Environment
Northern Ireland
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Republic of Ireland
Special Duties Teacher
Virtual Learning Environment
AT frameworks applied to ICT research
 designing learning environments (Jonassen & Rahrer-Murphy, 1999)
 e-learning content (Mwanza & Engestrom, 2005)
 Evaluating impact of digital technologies in an Australian Primary
School (Romeo & Walker, 2002)
 Evaluating ICT in Singapore Schools (Lim&Hang, 2003)
 UK Higher Education (Issrof &Scanlon, 2002)
 ICT-based research projects (Bottino, Chiappini, Forcheri,
 & Molfino, 1999)
 use of PDA’s (Scanlon, Jones, & Waycott, 2005)
 interpretation of graphs by scientists (Roth & Lee, 2004).
Source: Stevenson, 2008
33
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