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- Agélii Genlott, Annika, 1968-
(author)
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Designing for Transformational Change in School : Digitalizing the Digitized
- 2020
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Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Digital technologies have gained a prominent role in education and schools, but research concerning how digital technologies can create better conditions for improved teaching and enhanced learning for students is scarce and inconclusive. Successful use of digital technologies requires a complex combination of interacting factors, including integrating technology and pedagogy as well as organizing and leading a structured transformation process. The capability of school organizations to lead and support the digitalization process is an under-researched field compared to the well-established focus on individual stakeholders.This thesis examines how experimentation and innovation processes in school can be designed and pursued to support and enhance digitalization across an entire school organization by using a Design Science Research (DSR) approach to answer the question: How can a school organization at municipal level lead digital transformation through the digitalization of teaching and learning processes in an organized, professional, and, as far as possible, scientifically based way?The findings show that the design and use of the Information System Artifact model (ISA) together with a DSR development method can support both improved teaching and enhanced learning within and across a school organization. Effective use of digital technologies to improve teaching and learning across the school organization requires fundamental changes of ordinary practices and engagement as well as commitment from school authorities and school leaders.This thesis contributes with empirically and theoretically based insights from leading (digital) transformational change in school through the iterative design of IS artifacts used as a driver and quality control for the shift from digitization towards digitalization aiming at improved teaching and enhanced learning.
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- Agélii Genlott, Annika, 1968-, et al.
(author)
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Leading dissemination of digital, science-based innovation in school–a case study
- 2021
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In: Interactive Learning Environments. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1049-4820 .- 1744-5191. ; , s. 1-11
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Digitalizing school is a process that comes with challenges. It requires strategic leadership and transformational change to work processes. Nevertheless, some succeed, and it is useful to understand what makes for success. This paper studies the challenges of leading digitalization of education in a city which decided to implement an IT-supported method for teaching literacy in primary schools. The method required transformational change; teachers not only had to learn to use technologies, they also had to review their pedagogy. This study is guided by the Diffusion of Innovation theory and draws on interviews with school principals. We find that the critical factors relate to the communication channel, the social system within and across schools, and the time perspective.
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| 4. |
- Agélii Genlott, Annika, 1968-, et al.
(author)
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Closing the gaps : Improving literacy and mathematics by ict-enhanced collaboration
- 2016
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In: Computers and education. - : Elsevier. - 0360-1315 .- 1873-782X. ; 99, s. 68-80
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Literacy and mathematics are necessary skills that for different reasons unfortunately not everybody acquires sufficiently. In OECD countries there is also a gender gap; boys lag behind girls in literacy but often outperform girls in mathematics (OECD, 2012). ICT (Information and communication technologies) may contribute useful tools to address both these problems but in order to effectively create better educational conditions there is yet a need to develop effective methods that combine ICT with key factors for learning. This research contributes to this by measuring effects of the “Write to Learn” (WTL) method. WTL lets children from 1st grade use several ICT tools to write texts and subsequently discuss and refine them together with classmates and teachers using digital real-time formative feedback and assessment. The central learning factor addressed, in mathematics as well as in literacy, is the written communication allowing the learners to interact with peers and teachers. WTL draws on methods from socio-cultural theory, including continuous social interaction and written real-time formative feedback among peers, using shared electronic forums for collaboration, thereby providing social meaning and increased learning of literacy and mathematics, among both boys and girls.The study uses quantitative methods and two control groups, one using traditional method (no ICT) and one using technology individually (without integrated social interaction and formative feedback), to compare results from 502 students in grade 3 national tests in mathematics and literacy. WTL yields by far best results; higher average score both in literacy and mathematics, smaller gender gap, and significantly better results for the under-achievers. The ITU method performs worst, which shows that ICT use must be well integrated into the pedagogy to be useful.
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| 5. |
- Agélii Genlott, Annika, 1968-, et al.
(author)
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Disseminating digital innovation in school : leading second-order educational change
- 2019
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In: Education and Information Technologies. - : Springer. - 1360-2357 .- 1573-7608. ; 24:5, s. 3021-3039
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Using digital technology effectively in schools requires profound changes in traditional teaching and learning activities. Pedagogical innovations often start small-scale and developing good ideas into shared practice across schools is challenging in many ways, especially if the innovation requires second-order change, i.e. challenges to fundamental beliefs about teaching and learning. This study investigates how a validated pedagogical method requiring integrated Information and Communication Technology (ICT) use and second-order change can be disseminated and sustained over time. We surveyed 92 primary school teachers who at different times over a 5-year period participated in a training course designed to implement an innovative technology-supported teaching method, Write To Learn, across an entire city. We found that organized teacher development programs can drive second-order change, but this requires considerable, active, and sustained effort from leaders at both school and district level. Additional factors include immediate and extended social systems and handling diversity among teachers. The results are useful for both practitioners and researchers since they contribute to a deeper understanding of the opportunities and challenges involved in disseminating effective ICT-based methods that requires profound changes of thinking about teaching and learning to guide the transformation of teaching practice.
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| 7. |
- Agelii Genlott, Annika, 1968-, et al.
(author)
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Improving literacy skills through learning reading by writing: The iWTR method presented and tested
- 2013
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In: Computers and education. - : Elsevier. - 0360-1315 .- 1873-782X. ; 67, s. 98-104
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Learning to read and write is a basic skill that unfortunately not everybody acquires sufficiently. Lack of teachers and time in school are some of the reasons, but in addition the enormous rise in informational activities due to the Internet and other information technology-enabled opportunities has made literacy skills increasingly important to ever more people. This means literacy education must be improved so more children in the world get better chances. In order to contribute to developing better methods for learning to read and write in early years this study tests a new method developed to improve reading and writing learning in early ages. The ICT (Information and communication technologies) supported “Integrated Write to Learn” (iWTR) method lets children in 1st grade use computers and other ICT tools to write texts and subsequently discuss and refine them together with class mates and teachers. Handwriting is postponed to 2nd grade. While the traditional method requires students to go through two development processes in parallel, a cognitive (learning to read and) a motor (learning to write with a pencil), iWTR works with one process at a time, first cognitive development, then (from grade 2) motor skills training. iWTR extends previous WTR methods by more social work methods using a web site and peer comment for providing social meaning and feedback.The method was tested using two test groups and two control groups (total n = 87) by systematically measuring performance in reading and writing using standard tests in combination with observations and student evaluation to assess social and individual effects of work methods.The results show that while reading skills were improved considerably the biggest improvement concerned writing skills. Students in the test group wrote longer texts with better structure, clearer content, and a more elaborate language.
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