Integrated professional development - method and platform

Important results from the project

The project has created a web based platform, and method, which allows teachers to easily get involved in collegial learning through the use of low-cost digital tools. Teachers in the project express that they have experienced their teaching in a new way, becoming more aware of their own and their colleagues´ class room practice. They have also started to adjust their approach to teaching. The solution is built with standardized, low-cost, open source and widely distributed software and technology. More teachers and schools will be invited to the project during the current school year.

Expected long term effects

Teachers have started reflect on their own and their colleagues teaching through the web based platform. We have seen some early glimpses of a collegial meta-cognitive exchange, something that was identified as one of the goals of the project. According to current research a key factor in students´ learning is the ability of the teachers to analyze and gradually develop their teaching. The project has started to improve och develop new structures for collegial learning through joint planning, delivery, reflection, feedback and video documentation in a digital platform.

Approach and implementation

The project has been using agile methods where the project group has met frequently in brief focused sessions. A general project plan was laid out on an early stage but later revised when it became evident that earlier scheduled projects limited the space. The conditions would have been better had the project been able to launch on the first day of the school year. The trials thus became shorter than expected. The overall development has been fluid and resulted in a working prototype for collegial learning in accordance to the project application.

External links

Looper - Kollegial utveckling för lärare