Teaching and Learning Research Programme

TLRP-TEL Stand at the Artificial Intelligence in Education Conference 2009, in Brighton, UK.

The Teaching and Learning Research Programme (TLRP) is the United Kingdom's Economic and Social Research Council's largest investment in education research. It was initiated in 2000 and is expected to end in 2011. The programme incorporates 700 researchers in 70 projects, which cover all education sectors - from Early Years to Higher Education and Workplace Learning. The TLRP researchers work closely in partnership with practitioners to ensure the application of findings to policy and practice.

During the project an interest emerged in Technology-Enhanced Learning (TEL). It began with a call for proposals in 2006, additional funding having been made available by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. The TEL research strand is now the main focus of the TLRP.

The TLRP-TEL programme is based at London Knowledge Lab. The generic Teaching and Learning Research programme was based at the Institute of Education, University of London.

Teaching and Learning Research Programme generic phase: 2000 - 2009

Objectives

The programme acknowledges the important contributions provided by research on teaching and learning. The TLRP's aims, according to its website include :

• Learning - The TLRP conducts research with the potential to improve outcomes for learners in a very wide range of UK contexts across the lifecourse. The Programme explores synergies between different research approaches and aims to build UK capacity in conducting high quality educational research.

• Outcomes - TLRP studies a broad range of learning outcomes. These include both the acquisition of skill, understanding, knowledge and qualifications and the development of attitudes, values and identities relevant to a learning society.

• Lifecourse - TLRP supports research projects on many ages and stages in education, training and lifelong learning. The Programme is concerned with patterns of success and difference, inclusion and exclusion through the lifecourse.

• Enrichment - The TLRP is committed to engaging users in its work. It works in all disciplines and sectors of education and uses a wide range of appropriate methodology. We cooperate with other researchers within and beyond the UK whenever it is appropriate.

• Expertise - TLRP works to enhance capacity for all forms of research on teaching and learning, and for research-informed policy and practice.

• Improvement - The TLRP works to develop the UK knowledge base on teaching and learning and to make sure that the knowledge it develops is applied in practice and policy.

Strategy

There are six strategic commitments which drive the programme's overall development:^[1]

• User engagement for relevance and quality
• Knowledge generation by project teams
• Knowledge synthesis through thematic activities
• Knowledge transformation for impact
• Capacity building for professional development
• Partnerships for sustainability

Projects

TLRP's projects cover a broad range of topics within the following areas of the lifecourse:

• Early Years
• Primary Education
• Secondary Education
• Across School Phases
• Further and Post-16 Education
• Higher Education
• Workplace Learning
• Professional Learning
• Lifelong Learning
• Technology Enhanced Learning

Management

Strategic management of the programme is conducted via the Steering Committee. This comprises academics, practitioners and other users and is chaired by Professor Robert Burgess, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Leicester. The Steering Committee is accountable to the ESRC Council and the committee secretary is Gary Grubb.

Director's Team

The Directors’ Team possess expert knowledge of all the key sectors in which research is currently being conducted. They support a specific range of projects or other funded activities. The team includes:

• Professor Andrew Pollard, Programme Director
• Professor Mary James (educator), Deputy Director
• Professor Miriam David, Associate Director
• Professor Alan Brown, Associate Director

TLRP Technology Enhanced Learning phase: 2006 - 2011

Objectives

According to its website, the Technology Enhanced Learning research has specific concern with:

• Productivity – Achieving higher quality and more effective learning in affordable and acceptable ways
• Personalisation – Transforming the quality of learning, by matching technology with learners' needs
• Inclusion – Improving the reach of education and lifelong learning to groups and individuals
• Flexibility – Enabling more open, variable, and accessible learning

Projects

Under the first phase of the TLRP-TEL programme, seven development projects were funded during 2006-2007.^[2]

The programme currently funds eight large, interdisciplinary projects under its second phase, including:

• A Learning Design Support Environment (LDSE) for Teachers and Lecturers
• Echoes 2: Improving Children’s Social Interaction through Exploratory Learning in a Multimodal Environment
• Ensemble: Semantic Technologies for the Enhancement of Case-Based Learning
• Inter-Life: Interoperability and Transition
• MiGen: Intelligent Support for Mathematical Generalisation
• hapTEL: Enhancing Learning through Haptics
• Personal Inquiry (PI): Designing for Evidence-based Enquiry across Formal and Informal Settings of Learning
• SynergyNet: Supporting Collaborative Learning in an Immersive Environment

Management

The TLRP TEL programme is based at London Knowledge Lab. The programme director is Professor Richard Noss.

See also

Special education in the United Kingdom

References

External links

• The TLRP website
• The TLRP Digital Repository
• The TLRP TEL website
• The Economic & Social Science Research Council Website
• Cordis on European Research