Hot mot yrkesrollen eller vardagligt verktyg? En studie av lärares inställning till lärplattform

Abstract

Today an increasing number of schools and organizations are investing in so called Learning Management Systems. Researchers disagree on the pedagogical value of these tools. Some mean that Learning Management Systems cement old-fashioned behaviouristic teaching practices; others mean that the systems provide good opportunities in supporting learning in a socio cultural perspective. The aim of this study is to reach better understanding and increased knowledge of how the introduction of a Learning Management System influences the role of the teacher and how the learning is organized. We have conducted two case studies. The data was gathered in qualitative semi-structured interviews with six teachers, and in document studies. The questions that were answered were: How was the implementation of the Learning Management System organized? What kind of attitude do the teachers have towards the Learning Management System? In what way has the access to a Learning Management System influenced how the teaching is organized? How has the introduction of a Learning Management System affected the role of the teacher? The result shows that the implementation was organized in very different ways; in one of the cases there was a clear plan and a goal, and in the other case the implementation process was vaguer. The teachers had a positive attitude to the Learning Management System, but the access to a Learning Management System had no substantial effect on how the teaching was organized. However, all the teachers agreed that the role of the teacher in the Learning Management System is different from the role of the teacher in the classroom. In the Learning Management System there is more focus on text based communication which puts increased demands on clear and formal language, the teachers also need to plan their work more carefully and the Learning Management System puts increased demands on the technical competence of the teachers.