Documenting Learning Stories electronically by using Book Creator

Abstract

The article describes a collaborative action research project performed in one preschool in the greater Reykjavík area. The study is part of a larger collaborative project between RannUng (Centre for Research in Early Childhood Education) and five preschools in the neighboring municipalities of Reykjavík. The title of the collaborative action research is: Assessing children’s learning and wellbeing. The overall aim of the study in the five preschools was to find a way to develop methods to assess children’s learning and wellbeing in the preschools. This article describes the processes of the study in a preschool where the participants were preschool teachers and assistant teachers in two out of six departments, or classrooms, in the preschool. Those having an active role in the research were three preschool teachers and one assistant teacher, together with the preschool manager. The participating children were the oldest in these two departments and were soon becoming four years old. The groups from the two departments met once a week and jointly chose a common activity. The participants in the preschool had a partnership with a university teacher from the School of Education and a master’s student who acted as a contact person between the preschool and the university. The student’s role was to support the preschool team in developing assessment methods and assume responsibility for generating data in the preschool, such as taking interviews, writing a research diary, compiling documents and writing notes from meetings. The interviews took place in the beginning and the end of a school year and had the aim of following up on the process of change during the research.

The master’s student registered sources such as the school curriculum guide, electronic Learning Stories and Heilsubók barnsins (Children’s Health book) which is a scale to assess quality as aspects of children’s development and skills are documented in the Heilsubók barnsins. Participants in the preschool were introduced to the Learning Story approach and later they discovered a tablet application called Book Creator which makes it possible to document Learning Stories electronically. The participants became interested in developing the documentation of Learning Stories by using Book Creator and wanted to find a way to support the preschool’s main assessment method, Heilsubók barnsins. The methods provided in the Heilsubók barnsins offered a limited documenting technique, but with the tablet the participants were able to take photos, videos, audios and write text, and, at the same time, start their reflection and even finish the Learning Stories for publication. In the study discussed here, the main research question was: What are the benefits and challenges we face while documenting Learning Stories electronically in one preschool in the greater Reykjavík area? Also, how can these documentations support the Heilsubók barnsins?

The results show that after the participants had started to document children’s Learning Stories and reflect on those, they saw the children in another light. The preschool teachers and assistant teacher began to notice in more detail what happened when children were playing. This resulted in a practice where the teachers gave each child more attention. The focus of teaching and learning shifted towards the children’s strengths and abilities rather than what they could not do. The preschool manager pointed out that documenting Learning Stories had become an addition to what they already had. However, due to lack of time for developing Learning Stories, reflecting on those and preparing for publication, they would not adopt the Learning Story approach in the near future. In spite of this view, the preschool teachers were expected to continue to document Learning Stories up to a point, but it was hard to determine how effective these documentations would be. The other participants in the preschool also shared a similar opinion, even though they showed interest in continuing with documenting electronic Learning Stories for use in teachers’ meetings with parents. These preschool teachers see the Learning Stories as helpful and well suited to explain what was behind their documentations in the Heilsubók barnsins. The preschool participants believed this project was helpful for their professional development and they felt they had gained increased skills in documenting electronic Learning Stories, technically and pedagogically. The one who seemed to gain the most from participating was the assistant teacher. The new learning she acquired manifested itself in closer insight into children’s play, through conversations with the preschool teachers and taking part in their reflections on the Learning Stories. The obstacles in the study were mostly relating to technical reasons and lack of time. Nevertheless, the technology was shown to be well suited to facilitate the Learning Story documentation and it even became an interesting challenge for some. For some, however, the problems participants face when handling the technology can reduce motivation, as was the case here. Therefore, it is important when teachers use new technology that they have access to support from more technically skilled personnel.