1. Digital Futures in Teacher Education project:
Summary of findings from focus groups with PGCE students
Rationale for the focus group
DeFT project is involved in making OERs for use with Student teachers. We wanted
to find out what ideas students about digital literacy and OERs.
Methods
We invited a small group of PGCE student teachers from Sheffield Hallam University
and Sheffield University to come to talk to us. We had been told by their tutors
about the work on digital literacies that they had been involved with, and we wanted
to give them the opportunity to talk freely about their experiences. We decided to
use a focus group approach, and obtained permission from the students to tape the
sessions and to use their data for our case studies. We had prepared some open
ended questions to promote discussion, but intended that the students should be
able to freely contribute and direct their own debates. NW conducted and scribed
the first focus group, and AG and NW shared the second. Both groups were held at
the respective universities. The University of Sheffield students had just completed
an activity involving video recording and editing at two CLCs, and the Hallam
students had just spent a day preparing for work with A-level students that some
were planning to use blogging to aid academic writing. All students were white
women aged from 24-26 except for one man. They were all English students, and
had volunteered to take part after being approached by their tutors. Notes were
taken from both meetings and sent to the students for comment. There was no feed
back. The Tutors were also kept informed.
Digital literacy
Different levels of digital literacy were represented in the groups. In both groups
there were some students who were less, eager to embrace new technologies in
their private lives and incorporate digital technology in their pedagogy. This seemed
to be by choice- one student refused to join Facebook, and admitted that she was
not comfortable with social media. Others were happy to keep up with the latest
gadgets (one through her boyfriend’s interest in computer games), and to
incorporate elements of their experiences in their lessons. Students from both
groups had a fairly balanced view of the uses of digital technology in schools. All felt
that it was important to equip children with a digitally literacy to enable them to find
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2. work when they leave school. They were all in favour in the appropriate use of
technology in the classroom. Students were also aware of the possible problems in
using the web with their students. Many cited the need for their pupils to be
critically aware of their own digital footprints and web safety. Although they were
excited by the use of web 2 tools, and video production, they were aware that their
pupils still needed to use traditional tools like libraries- paper and pencils. Some
were dismayed by the diminishing libraries, closed blinds and dark classrooms that
can be the by-product of advances in technology. Many felt that they were of a
different digital generation to their pupils, and that they had to work hard to keep up
with them.
Open Educational Resources
All students used the web to prepare for their lessons. They used open databases
like http://www.teachernet.org.uk/to find resources, and stressed the importance of
clear signposting and cataloguing so that they did not waste their valuable planning
time. They did not seem to be aware of ownership or copyright issues. At first
students were very receptive to the concept of contributing to open educational
resources. “We share our work with the children” said one student teacher, “so we
are used to sharing our work with each other; that is a part of our professional
identity.” Another said if her work was good enough for Ofsted, and good enough
for her observations with her head teacher, then it should be good enough to share
with other teachers. However when they started to think more deeply about the
concept, worries started to emerge. Some worried that their work might not be
good enough. Others worried that if their resource was freely available on the web,
then people would access it without understanding what it was for, or use it in the
wrong way.
Conclusions
All students saw a need to include technology and to teach digital literacy in their
lessons. Some students were more engaged and confident with digital technology
than others, and this was linked to a choice of lifestyle. All students agreed with
Open Educational Resources in principle, but this was the first time they had been
introduced to the concept and needed more time to think through the implications.
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