New technology introduced for struggling teachers

Until now there has been little help available for teachers struggling to keep up with the digital expansion occurring in education. To improve this situation, innovative software has been developed by researchers funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

The Learning Designer is an interactive program that allows teachers to plan lessons using digital technology. This is often referred to as technology enhanced learning (TEL). The Learning Designer ‘offers teachers an array of ideas and advice, from educational concepts relevant to their chosen activity, to alternative designs relevant to the teaching and learning of that activity" says Professor Laurillard.

TEL works to tailor the learning experience to an individual student. Once a teacher has planned a lesson, the software can then show how much teacher-time will be required by analysing the amount of time spent by the student on different types of learning. This saves significant time in lesson preparation, particularly as the TEL resources are reusable.

With regards to this new program, Professor Laurillard says "evaluation with teachers and lecturers has now shown that it is not only meeting their requirements, but also helping them develop new ways of thinking about how they design teaching and learning."

The Learning Designer encourages computer-supported collaborative learning for a teacher’s development, as well as a student’s. This program could be important in researching teachers’ approaches to innovation in both a conventional and a technology-based learning environment.

Published: Tuesday, 6th December 2011 by Kate Foreman