Online collaboration for reflexivity of future teachers

Collaborative work, to be meaningful and beneficial, must develop a collective understanding of the issues raised. In all professional settings, collaborative work is a major issue of professionalism.

In the school setting, many situations require that we come together to discuss issues affecting both the professional context and student cases. As such, future secondary school teachers engage in a collaborative process with each other, and with their instructors, to discuss issues of teaching practice, analyze problematic situations, and formalize knowledge that they can use in their own practice.

The development of their thinking about teaching practice is an important part of the development of their professional practice.

The development of their reflective thinking is a requirement of their professional curriculum. Prospective practicum teachers attend seminars where they analyze practices collectively and individually attempt to extract meaning.

The study of teaching and learning in the classroom is a key component of the curriculum.

The webinar case study (e-seminar)

Case studies are an integral part of professional acts. They allow for the study of work-related problems and aim to identify solutions, or at least to better understand the issues involved. Among future secondary school teachers, many reflective analyses focus on student behaviors in the classroom, with the aim of a better approach to classroom management.

The primary goal is to identify pedagogical knowledge for reuse in real classroom settings. Most of the pedagogical supervision and coaching in the home region (SRO) takes place in a virtual classroom medium[i]. The process is relatively simple; it consists of three phases of an analysis scenario, each of which must be implemented in the webinar by the trainer (in this case the supervisor).

• Initiating the reflective analysis process
  
  This is the preparation phase, a crucial phase to ensure the success of the activity. An outline is provided by an involved trainee, which he or she will present in the form of a PowerPoint or Prezi[ii] if desired. Roles and tasks of participants are clearly stated in a communiqué preceding the analysis session.
  
• Webinar
  
  A session takes place in a virtual room. This is the phase of conducting the analysis activity. The first moments of the synchronous exchanges are devoted to the personal presentation of the participants, thus emphasizing the socio-affective dimension of the session. Then comes the presentation of the participant directly or indirectly involved in the unfolding of the events. He or she explains to the other participants the facts as they occurred, based on the plan on the virtual classroom board. This first contact with the problem is intended to show, as accurately as possible, the course of events and their particular context.
  
  The second part of the webinar consists of exchanges between the participants, including the trainer, who acts mainly as a facilitator. First, what are the causes, the origin of the facts that led to the situation described? It should be noted that the issues raised for analysis may concern both exemplary cases and cases of pedagogical blunders. Next, what reactions did the facts reported provoke? What actions could have been taken to avoid the slippage, if any?
  
• Objectivation
  
  The aim now is to identify the pedagogical knowledge that can be reinvested in the practice, knowledge validated by the trainer. The trainees are invited to express, in turn, at the end of the session, what they have retained from the analysis by reconstructing the case under study. Sometimes awareness is gained during the session. Note that all trainees will do the same exercise, i.e. submit a case study to their peers. It is expected that the knowledge gained from the analysis will be used in teaching practice.
  

Virtual classrooms: problems and limitations

Webinar software is plentiful, and most offers paid solutions. A few years ago, there were problems with configuration, non-performing devices, insufficient bandwidth; audio and video quality left something to be desired. But times are changing, and these software programs are getting better and better at meeting the needs of callers.

Despite the great flexibility afforded by these online exchange spaces, engaging student participants in the activity remains a challenge. In order to facilitate this engagement, not only is preparation time and strict presentation standards required, but the discussion must be constantly reopened, session by session. As for the instructor, he or she will benefit from recording the exchanges to assess the quality of learning.

Illustration: Unsplash - Pixabay

References

Donney, J, and Charlier, E. 2008. Learning through analysis of practice: An introduction to reflective companionship. Namur: Presses Universitaires de Namur, 185 pages.

Walckiers, M., De Praetere, T. Online collaborative learning, eight benefits that make it a must. Distances