Toyn, Mike and Sime, Julie-Ann (2018) How do technologies support School Direct students' learning on a PGCE with Qualified Teacher Status within a Networked Learning Model. PhD thesis, Lancaster University.
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Abstract
This work is a study of the way that students select and use technologies to build and maintain a learning network while training to become primary school teachers. It builds on the body of research which has explored Networked Learning by applying it to the context of teacher education and by applying it to a course where the ICTs used are selected by students not provided by tutors. It is a case study based on intrinsic interest with an exploratory focus to understand how and why students make use of the technologies they select. It uses multiple data sources including group interviews with students, interviews with tutors, questionnaires, virtual learning environment data and transcripts of students’ social media interactions. The analysis of these has been performed along three lines of enquiry to establish who is talking to whom, what they are talking about and why they are talking about it. The findings bring together a novel approach to the application of Networked Learning and research into a new route into teaching and show that students are sophisticated and agile users of a range of technologies. They use a variety of technologies to build and support interactions with artefacts, tutors and other learners. Where there are constraints in place, such as tutors’ preference for face-to-face interactions there is evidence that students will make use of technologies to substitute other interactions in their place. It finds that students’ most extensive interactions take place with other students and that these are multifaceted combining interactions directly related to learning, around-task interactions and social elements. It builds on research done in blended learning, networked learning, teacher education and social aspects of learning. It will be of interest to those interested in the role of technologies in education or those involved in teacher education.