Digital Learning Companion
The aim of creating a digital learning companion was to promote students’ reading comprehension and help teachers in their everyday work to deal with students’ differences when it comes to reading comprehension. This project was carried out within the context of the Teacher education for tomorrow initiative and Social Impact Lab (SOIL). The project also aimed at connecting different units within the Örebro University, as well as connecting the University with schools in the Örebro region.
Background
Education is in constant development and teaching good reading comprehension strategies is an important goal to fulfil. Reading comprehension is one of the abilities that helps students to absorb new information and develop learning skills. There are many (digital) teaching aids that teachers in different educational contexts can take advantage of, but few of them are interactive to such an extent that they compare with the teachers’ ability to provide direct feedback on students’ reading strategies to further develop deep understanding and critical reflection. Teaching materials often let students practice what they already know. Therefore, teachers have to shoulder the responsibility to further develop their students’ reading ability.
As teachers often handle large groups of pupils, teaching that intends to develop reading comprehension often occurs in a whole-class context. However, reading comprehension differs between pupils of the same age, which means there is a need to develop this ability also in smaller groups or individually. Therefore, we want to develop an interactive digital reading companion in order to relieve the teaching burden for teachers as well as to meet pupils’ individual needs in reading development.
Status of subproject – February 2020
The digital learning companion has received a very positive response in different settings and from the various professional groups over the year that has passed. Thanks to the cooperation of pupils, teachers and special education teachers, the concept has become more demonstrable, and significant components which are to be part of the programme, have been identified. There is also knowledge and an awareness of how these components should work.
The next step is to take the idea from a test period, to the more practical task of designing the technical solution. A team is to be put together to take this to the next level. Experts from different fields will be needed, since the next phase includes many small parts, where each step requires its own prototype. Prototypes will then be put to the test to develop a complete solution.
