research

CORE Services

admin — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 11:02:21 +1200

Thought Leadership

Policy advice and development for schools and government
Strategic planning for eLearning programmes
Professional mentoring
Future schooling scenarios and planning
Curriculum, core competency design and implementation
eLearning maturity models
Leading edge thinking on how technology can enhance and enrich learning

Online Innovation

Development, support and facilitation of online communities of practice
Creating reusable eLearning content
Support and development of innovative tertiary online programmes worldwide
Supporting the use and integration of web2.0 technologies
Maximising the potential of online learning environments (OLEs)

Research

eLearning needs-analysis for schools and tertiary institutions
Expertise in Action Research methodologies
International and national level project evaluation and research studies
Using research to inform policy development at organisational, government and international level
School-based ICT and eLearning audits

Professional Learning

Development of professional learning ICT projects and initiatives
Whole staff development across the education and business sector
Facilitation training
Whole school development and review
New curriculum consultancy and professional learning programmes
Advice and guidance in learning design
Development, support and facilitation of online communities of practice

Technology

Web2.0 and social networking implementations
Advanced networks and next generation collaboration tools
Development of systems to support online learning environments
Focus on interoperability and connectivity standards
Policy and implementation around advanced networks
Software development in open source applications
eLearning services integration and support

For more information about these opportunities contact Tash Edwards executive assistant/PA

Digiops

admin — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 10:14:32 +1200

The principal aim of DigiOps is to support the use of leading edge ICTs in teaching and learning, to help in overcoming barriers to ICT innovation both at school and national levels, and to foster purposeful use of ICT for communication and interaction between schools and communities.

The initiative is unique and innovative in several ways. These include the collaborative involvement of educators, teachers, students, communities and ICT-related businesses, and a wide representation of New Zealand schools. Schools involved represent both North and South Islands, primary and secondary sectors, private and state schools, Maori immersion and mainstream, schools in rural and urban locations, and higher and lower decile schools. The initiative is also unusual in including participant research in many projects, and in requiring the production of resources tailored to the requirements of New Zealand schools.

The CORE research team has submitted two milestone reports for the Ministry during 2005. The Ministry took these reports into account in planning the second phase of the initiative, which begins in 2006. Findings from the first phase of the initiative have been encouraging. These findings have highlighted cooperative relationships between schools and ICT-related businesses, between schools and communities, and between individual schools. More than a dozen school-generated research outcome reports have been published as articles in Computers in New Zealand Schools. Several papers also were presented in national and international conferences. More importantly, the projects extend the effective use of the ICTs in the classroom teaching and learning process.

All stakeholders and partners are looking forward for achieving their goals for the next phase 2006-2007 of DigiOps, and we at CORE anticipate a change in focus of our research to look more closely at outcomes for students.

ICT PD Programme Evaluation

admin — Thu, 01 May 2008 09:17:57 +1200

The evaluation process for each cluster is carried out over the three-year period of their programme, with a new intake of cluster schools occurring yearly. Teachers involved in the project take part in a series of surveys to give feedback about the experience at various stages over the programme. This gives the opportunity to oversee the delivery process, teachers’ development progress, and the national trends towards the use of ICTs in education by comparing the results of subsequent intakes.

At the start of the programme teachers’ goals for participation in the programme, views on ICT use in education, ICT skill levels, confidence levels about the use of ICT, frequency of the use of ICTs in classroom teaching and learning, barriers to the use of ICTs in classroom teaching, and preferences of professional development activities over the period of the programme are surveyed by a baseline survey.