The project team has recently conducted a small, investigative project in two rural secondary sch... more The project team has recently conducted a small, investigative project in two rural secondary schools that have been considering structural change. The study sought to identify constituency perspectives on the aspirations for young people at the schools. We found that regional location appeared most significant in framing the perspectives of school community members (comprising students, parents, teaching assistants, non-teaching staff, teachers and school governors). We also found that whilst respondents assumed relationships between schooling and aspirations for young people, their collective responses led us to ask whether general educational policies and their enactments accommodate the specific nature of communities and regional identities of students.
The physical location of Cornwall, England impacts upon its social and economic development and i... more The physical location of Cornwall, England impacts upon its social and economic development and is evident in the aspirations ascribed to and held by young people within the region. Schools have been set the task of raising aspirations, as low expectations are perceived to be a barrier to high attainment in schooling. We draw upon research in two Cornish secondary schools that attempted to raise aspirations through school change and by entering into the Academy schools programme. What we found was that their location was generally perceived as a disadvantage to aspiration. We suggest that within the current climate of localisation in educational policy it will be difficult for individual schools to scrutinise themselves and their practices. It will be difficult to ensure that they do not perpetuate poor social outcomes through entrenched beliefs about a link between physical isolation and social disadvantage.
Many British Universities are establishing joint academic programmes with foreign partners. In so... more Many British Universities are establishing joint academic programmes with foreign partners. In some cases, delivery is by distance learning mode. Studies comparing distance learning to face-to-face learning are many, but are generally contextualised within a single academic culture and little reference is given to differences in academic culture between deliverers and receivers where they are continents apart. This paper aims to shed some light on the issue by providing insight into the implications of differences between Chinese and UK academic culture for distance learning. The paper is based on a pedagogic research project, a case study, and is centred on a distance learning course in maritime law proposed by a British university for a university in China. Some important commonalities and gaps between perceptions of deliverers and receivers of the proposed course were identified that are specifically attributable to issues of culture. These cannot be dismissed as trivial and unimportant. Therefore, based on the data from two focus groups, Chinese students and UK academics, the authors include recommendations about how one might enhance the effectiveness of distance learning where such cultural issues exist.
Annual Subscription Rates Individual subscriptions are £28 sterling per year (4 issues) within th... more Annual Subscription Rates Individual subscriptions are £28 sterling per year (4 issues) within the UK. Overseas subscribers should add £5 sterling postage and packing for delivery within the EU or £8 sterling for the rest of the world.
Innovation in Teaching and Learning in Information and Computer Sciences, 2013
Choose This case study focuses on the conceptual framework, implementation and evaluation of a 'c... more Choose This case study focuses on the conceptual framework, implementation and evaluation of a 'chaotic learning' based module which utilised an 'assessment for learning' rather than an 'assessment of learning' approach (Black & William 1998). The development entailed combining different types of teaching and learning methods (face-to-face learning, eLearning and project-based learning) to create an Object Oriented Analysis and Design module for second year computing students at Plymouth University. Initial results show that students gained valuable workplace skills and that attainment results were improved compared to those of the previous year's cohort. Introduction: A background based on chaos and complexity Jump to: Choose There is a lack of empirical evidence in educational literature about chaotic learning and indeed, very little has been written about chaotic learning at all. It is against this paucity of chaotic learning literature that Lee's contribution stands out (Lee 2000). Elements of Lee's work have recently informed the development of an Object Oriented Analysis and Design (OOAD) second year undergraduate module at Plymouth University. Lee stated that "the young who have grown up using the Internet have developed a particular learning style, one which is chaotic and non-linear with a central 'play' theme." (Lee 2000). The following definition of chaotic learning is based, in part, on Lee's work. Chaotic learning is "playful, exploratory and collaborative learning that takes place within a system which is complex and non-linear, whose outcome may be unpredictable and difficult to determine in advance, but whose whole may be greater than the sum of its parts." (Schoenborn & Neal 2010). The possibilities inherent in chaotic learning led the Plymouth OOAD module designers to consider whether and how they might employ teaching methods using Web 2.0 that could exploit chaotic and non-linear elements to improve learning. (Web 2.0 is the second generation of the World Wide Web that incorporates new features and functionality, particularly in terms of the possibilities for collaborative work, to that which was possible using the original World Wide Web.) This case study paper describes the subsequent development, implementation and evaluation of an OOAD 'chaotic learning' based module, which utilised an 'assessment for learning' rather than an 'assessment of learning' approach (Black & William 1998). The development entailed combining different types of teaching and learning methods (face-to-face learning, eLearning and project-based learning) within the OOAD module. The paper focuses on three main elements: an introduction to the conceptual framework for module delivery, implementation of the module, and multi-staged evaluationthe latter of which showed that students gained valuable workplace skills and that attainment results were improved compared to those of the previous year's cohort. Theories of chaos, complexity and chaotic learning: the conceptual framework Chaotic learning derives from mathematics-based chaos theory as well as science-based complexity theory and loosely describes non-linear learning. Chaos theory is the study of non-linear dynamic systems, first pioneered by Lorenz (1963) and according to Bloom (2001), is characterised by unpredictability and emergent properties in chaotic or random phenomena. Organic systems are largely non-linear, including the brain and ergo, the way we learn. Complex systems are also non-linear and can exhibit holistic properties that are greater than the sum of their parts. Bloom (2001) characterises complexity theory as addressing complex relations within (chaotic) systems and notes their self-generating/self-maintaining properties. If one accepts the premises of chaos and complexity theories, one can deduce that thinking, learning and behaviour may therefore be characterised as intrinsically chaotic and complex, unpredictable and non-linear.
The project team has recently conducted a small, investigative project in two rural secondary sch... more The project team has recently conducted a small, investigative project in two rural secondary schools that have been considering structural change. The study sought to identify constituency perspectives on the aspirations for young people at the schools. We found that regional location appeared most significant in framing the perspectives of school community members (comprising students, parents, teaching assistants, non-teaching staff, teachers and school governors). We also found that whilst respondents assumed relationships between schooling and aspirations for young people, their collective responses led us to ask whether general educational policies and their enactments accommodate the specific nature of communities and regional identities of students.
The physical location of Cornwall, England impacts upon its social and economic development and i... more The physical location of Cornwall, England impacts upon its social and economic development and is evident in the aspirations ascribed to and held by young people within the region. Schools have been set the task of raising aspirations, as low expectations are perceived to be a barrier to high attainment in schooling. We draw upon research in two Cornish secondary schools that attempted to raise aspirations through school change and by entering into the Academy schools programme. What we found was that their location was generally perceived as a disadvantage to aspiration. We suggest that within the current climate of localisation in educational policy it will be difficult for individual schools to scrutinise themselves and their practices. It will be difficult to ensure that they do not perpetuate poor social outcomes through entrenched beliefs about a link between physical isolation and social disadvantage.
Many British Universities are establishing joint academic programmes with foreign partners. In so... more Many British Universities are establishing joint academic programmes with foreign partners. In some cases, delivery is by distance learning mode. Studies comparing distance learning to face-to-face learning are many, but are generally contextualised within a single academic culture and little reference is given to differences in academic culture between deliverers and receivers where they are continents apart. This paper aims to shed some light on the issue by providing insight into the implications of differences between Chinese and UK academic culture for distance learning. The paper is based on a pedagogic research project, a case study, and is centred on a distance learning course in maritime law proposed by a British university for a university in China. Some important commonalities and gaps between perceptions of deliverers and receivers of the proposed course were identified that are specifically attributable to issues of culture. These cannot be dismissed as trivial and unimportant. Therefore, based on the data from two focus groups, Chinese students and UK academics, the authors include recommendations about how one might enhance the effectiveness of distance learning where such cultural issues exist.
Annual Subscription Rates Individual subscriptions are £28 sterling per year (4 issues) within th... more Annual Subscription Rates Individual subscriptions are £28 sterling per year (4 issues) within the UK. Overseas subscribers should add £5 sterling postage and packing for delivery within the EU or £8 sterling for the rest of the world.
Innovation in Teaching and Learning in Information and Computer Sciences, 2013
Choose This case study focuses on the conceptual framework, implementation and evaluation of a 'c... more Choose This case study focuses on the conceptual framework, implementation and evaluation of a 'chaotic learning' based module which utilised an 'assessment for learning' rather than an 'assessment of learning' approach (Black & William 1998). The development entailed combining different types of teaching and learning methods (face-to-face learning, eLearning and project-based learning) to create an Object Oriented Analysis and Design module for second year computing students at Plymouth University. Initial results show that students gained valuable workplace skills and that attainment results were improved compared to those of the previous year's cohort. Introduction: A background based on chaos and complexity Jump to: Choose There is a lack of empirical evidence in educational literature about chaotic learning and indeed, very little has been written about chaotic learning at all. It is against this paucity of chaotic learning literature that Lee's contribution stands out (Lee 2000). Elements of Lee's work have recently informed the development of an Object Oriented Analysis and Design (OOAD) second year undergraduate module at Plymouth University. Lee stated that "the young who have grown up using the Internet have developed a particular learning style, one which is chaotic and non-linear with a central 'play' theme." (Lee 2000). The following definition of chaotic learning is based, in part, on Lee's work. Chaotic learning is "playful, exploratory and collaborative learning that takes place within a system which is complex and non-linear, whose outcome may be unpredictable and difficult to determine in advance, but whose whole may be greater than the sum of its parts." (Schoenborn & Neal 2010). The possibilities inherent in chaotic learning led the Plymouth OOAD module designers to consider whether and how they might employ teaching methods using Web 2.0 that could exploit chaotic and non-linear elements to improve learning. (Web 2.0 is the second generation of the World Wide Web that incorporates new features and functionality, particularly in terms of the possibilities for collaborative work, to that which was possible using the original World Wide Web.) This case study paper describes the subsequent development, implementation and evaluation of an OOAD 'chaotic learning' based module, which utilised an 'assessment for learning' rather than an 'assessment of learning' approach (Black & William 1998). The development entailed combining different types of teaching and learning methods (face-to-face learning, eLearning and project-based learning) within the OOAD module. The paper focuses on three main elements: an introduction to the conceptual framework for module delivery, implementation of the module, and multi-staged evaluationthe latter of which showed that students gained valuable workplace skills and that attainment results were improved compared to those of the previous year's cohort. Theories of chaos, complexity and chaotic learning: the conceptual framework Chaotic learning derives from mathematics-based chaos theory as well as science-based complexity theory and loosely describes non-linear learning. Chaos theory is the study of non-linear dynamic systems, first pioneered by Lorenz (1963) and according to Bloom (2001), is characterised by unpredictability and emergent properties in chaotic or random phenomena. Organic systems are largely non-linear, including the brain and ergo, the way we learn. Complex systems are also non-linear and can exhibit holistic properties that are greater than the sum of their parts. Bloom (2001) characterises complexity theory as addressing complex relations within (chaotic) systems and notes their self-generating/self-maintaining properties. If one accepts the premises of chaos and complexity theories, one can deduce that thinking, learning and behaviour may therefore be characterised as intrinsically chaotic and complex, unpredictable and non-linear.
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Papers by Terri Rees