Using coded lesson transcripts to generate feedback as a basis of professional learning dialogues in the development of pre-service teachers

In 2015 the International Teacher Education Effectiveness Research Hub at the Melbourne Graduate School of Education was awarded a grant to trial the use of Visible Classroom as a feedback tool for pre-service teachers. The Visible Classroom tool uses speech to text technology scaffolded by an evidence-based rubric to provide analytics of several dimensions of instructional practice in the classroom. Visible Classroom grew out of an initial pilot in Victoria which trialled the use of the technology to provide greater access to classroom instruction and discussion for deaf and hard of hearing students. It became evident in this trial that the value of the classroom transcripts to support teachers to evaluate their impact on student learning was immense.This research project sought to understand the impact of three domains of feedback provided to a group of pre-service teachers enrolled in the Masters of Teaching at the University of Melbourne. These feedback domains: teaching analytics comprising percentage of teacher talk time, number of questions asked and speed of teacher speech; lesson transcripts coded against a specifically developed rubric; and student feedback about their learning were used as the basis of professional learning and supervision dialogues between the pre-service teacher and their Mentor Teachers and Clinical Specialists. The primary aim of the project is to understand what change occurs in pre-service teachers’ classroom practice as a result of receiving detailed feedback and targeted professional supervision and learning. Secondary aims include understanding the capacity for pre-service teachers to think evaluatively and change in mentor teachers’ confidence and skills to provide substantive and comprehensive feedback. This paper will present the results of this research project, due for completion in October 2016. It seeks to further our understanding of impact across a number of levels; how multi-dimensional, content rich, objective feedback combined with quality professional dialogue impacts on teaching practice in pre-service teachers as well as on their evaluative thinking.