Introducing e-TPCK: An Adaptive E-Learning Technology for the Development of Teachers’ Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge

Abstract

In this chapter, the authors discuss the design and implementation of e-TPCK, an adaptive e-learning system that targets the development of teachers’ Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPCK). This adaptive system deploys a technological solution that promotes teachers’ on-going TPCK development by engaging them in the design of learner-centered and ICT-infused scenarios, fostering a self-paced and personalized learning experience, while taking into account teachers’ diverse needs, information processing constraints, and preferences. The design and implementation of e-TPCK followed the methodology of design-based research and, thus, the system itself has undergone three cycles of revisions during the last 3 years. The design of the system was informed by different theoretical and methodological frameworks, such as, the framework of TPCK, theories of Self-Regulated Learning (SRL), as well as the necessary affordances of adaptive learning. Empirically, the system was pilot-tested with two cohorts of preservice teachers during the academic years from 2011 to 2013. The chapter concludes with recommendations about how to improve the design of e-TPCK by incorporating built-in features to support adaptive scaffolding and self-regulatory processes in order to provide a complete personalized learning experience to the learner.