You are invited to join us on campus or online for a presentation by Dr. Albert Sangra Morer, Academic Director and UNESCO Chair in Education, Technology and Social Change at Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Spain.

When: Tuesday, May 27, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Where: Face-to-face (Centre for Dialogue, Learning and Innovation Centre, RRU) or online

This event is hosted by the Faculty of Social and Applied Science Dean’s Office and the RRU School of Education and Technology.

Dr. Albert Sangra will present  his research on the informal approaches to professional development teachers are taking and what this means for developing a “learning ecology.” The concept of learning ecology can be a useful tool to help professionals create a personal strategy for professional development and relations, Morer says. Currently, there is a myriad of digital resources teachers use to informally develop themselves professionally such as MOOCs and communities of practice. There is a move towards each individual being responsible for taking his/her own decisions on learning, rather than simply accepting those formally proposed, he says.

A key aspect of the updating of professional development is personalization: adapting policies to the specific needs of each individual, according to their learning style. Morer’s research aims to analyze and understand the ways in which learning ecologies are and will be contributing to the professional development of primary school teachers. In this presentation, the design and the current stage of the research will be introduced, as well as its initial outcomes.