1. Applied Learning in a Teacher
Education Course
Doctor of Philosophy Proposal
August 2012
Jill Downing
Student ID: 31632646

2. Background
• Professional
• University role
• PY10 sector in Tasmania
• Bachelor of Education (Applied Learning)
• Research opportunity

3. Research problem
• Non-traditional students
• Require an applied, authentic learning
environment
• Lack of theoretically grounded principles to
guide course design, development and
delivery
• Development of draft principles to guide the
course

4. Research questions
• In what ways do design principles of applied
learning support the development of course
curriculum?
• In what ways do students engage with
authentic, applied learning tasks?
• How do students respond to a course of units
designed using applied learning principles?

5. Research approach
• Design research
• Will involve the students, teaching staff, wider
education/research community
• 3 iterations over 3 semesters (2013-2014)
• Will inform other teacher education courses and potentially
other University courses
Figure 2: Iterative phases of design-based research (Reeves, 2006, p. 59)

6. Overview of the theoretical framework guiding
the draft principles of applied learning

7. Draft design principles of Applied
Learning
1. Provide authentic contexts and applied learning activities
that connect theory with practice
2. Recognise the lived experience of students
3. Provide opportunities for meaningful, collaborative
construction of knowledge within the learning community
4. Encourage the development of a reflective, professional
identity through collegial interactions in a variety of settings
5. Provide authentic assessment tasks that reflect the way the
knowledge will be used in real work settings
6. Encourage student ownership of learning and increasing
professional autonomy

8. Participants
• Cohort A: New students in 2013
– EAL102 in S1, 2013
– EAL110 in S2, 2013
– EAL202 in S1, 2014
• Cohort B: Continuing students in 2013
– EAL202 in S1, 2013 (useful corroborating or
disconfirming data)
• Cohort C: New students in 2014
– EAL102 in S1, 2014 (useful corroborating or
disconfirming data
• Plus teaching staff

9. Data collection
• Focus group discussions with participants
• Semi-structured interviews with participants
• Unit communications
• Unit artefacts
• Electronic surveys
• Interview with unit lecturer

10. Ethical considerations
• Researcher as participant
– Teaching and assessing role
– Potential to compromise the voluntary character of
participants’ decisions
• Steps to overcome include:
– independent person to recruit and advise participants
– Focus groups and interviews only after results are
finalised
– Anonymous electronic surveys

11. Questions