Gavin Dudeney - Of Big Data and Little Data: How Numbers Have (Almost) Ruined Everything
Notes I took at the opening plenary of the 2014 Digital ELT Conference organised by the LTSIG of IATEFL and MEI (with the help of ELT Ireland). 22 November 2014
Living by Numbers
Quantity shouts louder than quality.
Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, blogs live off numbers, likes.
www.duolingo.com offers up a variety of odd translations: the lion eats the children.
Living by Numbers
Monty Python Hungarian Phrase Book
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YYM209GJoE
God in Numbers
How we all got carried away.
Drowning by Numbers
How numbers gave edtech a bad name.
Some writers on the subject who have a healthy scepticism:
Neil Selwyn - academic
Monash webpage: http://goo.gl/GnxUSJ
Edtech and Global Issues interview lTSIG & GISIG
Educational industrial complex
Scott Thornbury - writer
A-Z ELT Blog
Blog: http://goo.gl/HCdZ3i
Facebook: http://goo.gl/jRhV5B
Website: http://goo.gl/e2BzvA
An A-Z of ELT: http://goo.gl/6w82iR
Philip Kerr - writer
Adaptive Learning Blog: http://goo.gl/4ZC4Jp
Free ebook. http://goo.gl/mcgbll
Facebook: http://goo.gl/XLteW0
Introduction to Big Data: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs-Mk2Nzpu4
Hugh Dellar
Blog: https://hughdellar.wordpress.com/
20 Things in 20 Years: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=755gblfOjks&list=HL1397536449
John Hattie
Twitter: http://goo.gl/LPZf9l
Website: http://goo.gl/sVeBLl
TEDx: http://goo.gl/2V5zw4
Facebook: http://goo.gl/U8nGXN
John Hattie’s book: Visible Learning for Teachers
We should focus on the greatest source of variance that can make the difference - the teacher..... We need to direct attention at higher quality teaching.
Workshop Task: Can you put the factors contributing to good learning in the order in which learners ranked them?
Simulations / Games. 0.90
Formative Feedback. 0.82
Quality of Teaching. 0.75
Small Group Learning 0.61
Web-Based Learning. 0.49
Distance Education. 0.48
Classroom Discussion. 0.37
Computer-Assisted Instruction. 0.33
Problem Solving Teaching. 0.18
Teacher Credibility 0.11
The correct order and rankings are as follows:
Teacher Credibility 0.90
Classroom Discussion. 0.82
Formative Feedback. 0.75
Problem Solving Teaching. 0.61
Small Group Learning 0.49
Quality of Teaching. 0.48
Computer-Assisted Instruction. 0.37
Simulations / Games. 0.33
Web-Based Learning. 0.18
Distance Education. 0.11
NB. Hattie uses data from pre-internet days.
Hattie declares that use of computers is most effective...
- with a diversity of teaching strategies
- after teacher training in appropriate use
- when there are multiple opportunities for learning
- when peer learning is optimised
- when feedback is optimised
Away from the Numbers
Edtech reclaimed. See that 4 of the top 5 relate to edtech:
Classroom Discussion. 0.82
Formative Feedback. 0.75
Problem Solving Teaching. 0.61
Small Group Learning 0.49
Here are some authors who have been reclaiming edtech (little data) for ELT.
Classroom Discussion - Nicky Hockly
Online Teaching tips: www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEa-2S1oOg0
Nicky's blog: http://www.emoderationskills.com/
Problem-Solving Teaching
Koenraad et al
Webquests
http://www.theconsultants-e.com/resources/webquests/repository.aspx
Small Group Learning - Carol Rainbow
For more on using mobiles in class: http://www.theconsultants-e.com/training/resources/m-learning.aspx
Formative Feedback - Russell Stanard
http://goo.gl/8VOs5m
More info to follow up on can be found at: http://goo.gl/CBjys
