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Week 35: DERN: It’s about teaching and learning
ACER’s Digital Education Research Network focuses on research that really shows the impact of digital technology on teaching and learning.
ACER’s Digital Education Research Network (DERN) has close to a quarter of a million registered members – and rising – and has posted more than 135 research reviews on the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in education and training. The brainchild of Gerry White, a Principal Research Fellow in ACER’s Teaching, Learning and Transitions research program, DERN focuses on teaching and learning in relation to ICT.
‘There’s been an enormous gap when it comes to research into ICT in education, because the research focus has been on the digital technology, not on teaching and learning,’ Gerry explains. ‘That’s a problem for two reasons, first because a focus on technology often reduces to a fascination with gadgetry, whether or not it’s having an impact on actual teaching and learning, but second and more importantly because the technology is developing so rapidly that the research is quickly out of date. You have to start with teaching and learning.’
DERN’s membership includes educators, ICT coordinators, school leaders, academics and researchers, and ICT-in-education specialists. As Gerry explains, ‘Our aim through DERN is to make research on ICT in education and training available to practitioners “at the coalface,” but also to reach and influence educational researchers in this area.
‘My colleagues, Research Fellow in Teaching, Learning and Transitions Helen Galatis and ACER’s Online Services Coordinator Gulay Telliler, and I have been working on DERN to develop quality and trust. It’s about providing comprehensive reports on high-quality empirical research.’
The work has been informed by a survey of DERN members. As Gerry explains, ‘DERN now provides weekly research reports, comments and archived material, along with opportunities to enter discussion lists and download comprehensive research briefs addressing key topics on teaching and learning in relation to digital technology – for a nominal annual subscription fee – although of course we’ll continue to provide the free research reviews.’
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Week 52: State of the art psychometric and statistical analysis
Week 51: Assessing civics and citizenship
Week 50: International research into teaching and learning
GOAL 1
Learners and their needs
every learner engaged in challenging learning opportunities appropriate to their readiness and needs
GOAL 2
The Learning Profession
every learning professional highly skilled, knowledgeable and engaged in excellent practice
GOAL 3
Places of learning
every learning community well resourced and passionately committed to improving outcomes for all learners
GOAL 4
A Learning Society
a society in which every learner experiences success and has an opportunity to achieve their potential
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Pursuing Quality and Equity through Evidence
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