Developing, implementing and researching Lesson Design Workshops

Beskrivning

TePlab develops, implements, and conducts research on ‘Lesson Design Workshops’ (LDW). LDW are collaborative settings for bridging educational research and practice through the co-creation of lesson plans. The methodology is grounded in a commitment to enhancing the quality of education and recognises the value of research-based knowledge as well as the professional expertise of teachers. LDW gather teachers and researchers to design lessons together, each bringing their specific competences and experiences to the table.

There are a number of research approaches that combine an interest in developing knowledge about teaching and learning with the purpose of developing teaching practice. Examples of such so-called intervention research are action research, design-based research, and learning studies. They are important but are based on the assumption that scientific knowledge – about teaching, learning, design principles, etc. – can be continuously and effectively widely disseminated to teachers and that those teachers can immediately translate it into their teaching practice. The LDW approach is built on the idea that complementary activities are needed to successfully bridge research and practice on a national scale.

Besides developing and implementing concrete LDW, TePlab also develops the LDW concept by carrying out research about, for instance:

• The co-creation that takes place within the setting of a LDW. The knowledge gained is used i.a. to develop better forms of effective and time-efficient co-creation.

• The implementation of the co-created teaching activities in practice and its consequences for students’ learning. The research results used, for example, to evaluate and develop the LDW.

• The dialogue between teachers' reflections, during the design phase and in the evaluation of completed teaching result, and didactical models resulting into what can be described as a hybridization of scientific and professional knowledge. These results can be developed into professional scientific publications authored by teachers or teacher students.