EuroMath 04 Dr. Dave Pratt, The Centre for New Technologies Research in Education (CeNTRE)
CeNTRE for New Technologies Research in Education Director: Dave Pratt Manager: Yvette Kingston
CeNTRE for New Technologies Research in Education Part of the Institute of Education Multimedia CeNTRE & Research CeNTRE
CeNTRE for New Technologies Research in Education 6 academic staff One programmer + one researcher Several postgraduate students
Aims of the Research CeNTRE include (inter alia)… identifying effective use of computers in classrooms supporting the design of new learning environments supporting the design of new curriculum materials elaborating the relationship between technological tools and thinking
Relevant activities Close partnership with large number of primary and secondary schools Webkit: Tangible user interface design Microworld design (see e-Muse project) Playground project and independent evaluator for related WebLab project
Position on e-learning …or rather e-delivery! Emphasis has been on creation of content And efficient delivery mechanisms I propose that an innovative project, which has learning at its heart, should place emphasis instead on pedagogic considerations. In particular on flexible learning trajectories, ownership, exploratory interaction and sharing.
Discus/shotput microworlds As an example of exploratory interaction Part of e-Muse project Designed to motivate interaction with virtual museum assets on Ancient Olympic Games Developed over 4 months through iterative design
The WebLab project As an example of sharing Follow-up to Playground project Students: –Program in Toontalk –Upload their projects onto website –Run other student’s projects directly on web –Comment on each other’s work –Download other’s projects to edit
CeNTRE involvement Secondary school phase rather than university level Various options –Microworld design –Trials with students and/or teachers –Pedagogic principles