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Recent technological advances and the enhanced availability of digital tools in classrooms have seen increasing attention paid to the interaction between, and possible interdependency of, a dialogic pedagogy and digital technology. In this chapter, we reflect on the role of digital technology in supporting productive classroom dialogue by presenting an overview of the first systematic scoping review to investigate the interactions between classroom dialogue and digital technology (Major, Warwick, Rasmussen, Ludvigsen & Cook, 2018). Identified as a key theme by this review, we also further consider the concept of technology ‘affordances’. Reflecting on research involving the implementation of a micro-blogging tool developed to support classroom dialogue (Talkwall), we demonstrate how an understanding of affordance as broad categories pertaining to a range of ‘action possibilities’, as has traditionally often been the case, can inform more empirically-based analyses of the ‘enacted affordances’ of specific technology. In particular, we suggest the idea of ‘affordances for dialogue’ enables a reinterpretation that may helpfully inform researchers, practitioners and developers interested in the role of digital technology in dialogic contexts.

Against a backdrop of a transformation in teacher professional development and learning and state school organisation in England this century, this chapter describes a project which harnessed six cycles of Research Lesson Study at school and district level over two years to tailor the implementation of a new statutory curriculum in England to address the professional development needs of teachers and classroom learning needs of London students. It also reports the findings of research carried out during the project into how these teachers learned and developed this new curricular expertise and practice- knowledge through lesson study dialogues that supported student learning. It concludes by proposing future directions for teacher professional learning research and practice.

High-quality classroom dialogues improve students’ capacities to learn school subjects and help them develop more general skills such as collaboration and critical thinking. In this chapter, we take a sociocultural stance toward learning and cognition. “Gap-closing” is used as a key concept to understand and explain why and how teachers and students interact in order to advance students’ agency. To effectively enhance classroom dialogues, teachers need to use language in specific ways, which can be supported by digital tools like Talkwall. Talkwall is a web-based micro-blogging tool that enables students to send short text messages during classroom discussions with their tablets or mobile phones. Their contributions are then shared and represented visually; the developing ideas are connected in a digital representation that participants can continually refer to throughout the dialogue, keeping each idea present and available for the whole class. Talkwall is designed to support the movement of classroom dialogues between teacher-led, whole-class discussions and small, student-group discussions. The empirical illustration used in this chapter is based on an interaction analysis of how students and teachers use rap lyrics to learn literary methods and concepts.

This article describes the development of a set of research-informed resources for assessing the spoken language skills (oracy) of students aged 11-12. The Cambridge Oracy Assessment Toolkit includes assessment tasks and procedures for use by teachers, together with a unique Skills Framework for identifying the range of skills involved in using talk in any specific social situation. As we explain, no comparable, 'teacher-friendly' instrument of this kind exists. Underpinning its development is the argument that teaching children how to use their first or main language effectively across a range of social contexts should be given higher priorityv in educational policy and school practice, and that the development of robust, practicable ways of assessing oracy will help to achieve that goal. We explain how the Toolkit has been developed and validated with children and teachers in English secondary schools, and discuss its strengths and limitations.

Dialogic accounts of learning and teaching are not good at including the role of technology. In this exploratory study we use a material-discursive theoretical frame, initially derived from Barad, to apply the concepts of intra-action and affordance in explaining the contribution of the digital to classroom-based group tasks. The microblogging tool ‘Talkwall’ is the focus of this study. The aim of this study is to explore how dialogic intra-actions may develop in material-dialogic space, demonstrating how various affordances are enacted in response to task demands and consequent dialogue. This paper focuses on data from one geography lesson involving 29 students. It reports findings from a detailed micro analysis of intra-action of video data and lesson transcripts, comprising six Talkwall episodes. Through this analysis the concept of affordance is critiqued and we illustrate the intra-action possibilities that may facilitate the creative co-construction of ideas in the material-dialogic space created by the use of Talkwall. The significance of this paper lies in offering and illustrating a new approach to analysing learning and teaching where technology plays an important role., This work was supported by the Research Council of Norway [FINNUT/Project No: 254761].

This article presents a critique of recent state educational policy provision in England that has aimed at young people's (14-19 years of age) learning through active citizenship. We argue that whilst the statutory introduction of Citizenship education within English secondary schools has helped to advance the links between 'service' and 'learning' there is clear evidence that the quality and depth of such educational opportunities remains inconsistent across schools. Recent educational initiatives such as the Youth Community Action (YCA) programme and the National Citizen Service (NCS) have once again raised the possibility of young people learning through participating in their communities. We argue that despite their intentions these programmes have failed to integrate the pedagogical processes necessary for meaningful education for active citizenship. In critiquing these policy initiatives we make a case for a greater integration of 'service-learning' theory and practice within policies that relate to active citizenship. Service-learning provides a more cohesive framework for a critical, creative and collaborative pedagogy to accompany young people's experiences of community engagement; a central requirement in developing responsible and active citizens. We argue that making clear connections to service-learning is an important proposal at a time when the nature of Citizenship education within the English National Curriculum has been revised in terms of content and scope. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

This chapter first considers the role of dialogue in classroom contexts, and the importance of open-ended dialogue in contrast to more traditional, closed questioning sequences. I briefly discuss the role of dialogue in individual psychological development, focussing on its importance for conceptual development in whole classes and small groups in the context of the classroom. A common – closed – sequence of classroom talk is first outlined, and then discussed in the context of ‘dialogic talk’ – talk which is more open, builds on prior knowledge, is supportive and collaborative in nature. The use of ‘exploratory talk’ – talk which focuses on the use of reasoning to build mutual understanding – is also outlined in this context. \ud \ud 1. What role does dialogue play in learning?\ud 2. What form does dialogue typically take?\ud 3. How can we make dialogue more effective?\ud \ud The second part of the chapter discusses some ways to promote effective dialogue in classroom contexts. Some suggestions for creating and identifying an effective environment for classroom talk are discussed. I highlight the importance of ‘ground rules’ for talk, and some key words teachers might look for and emphasise in encouraging the use of ‘exploratory talk’. I then discuss some ideas for ways to start effective talk in classrooms, including the use of Talking Points and effective questioning. This chapter aims to give some background on effective dialogue of relevance to subsequent chapters, which will consider particular features of the interactive whiteboard in the context of dialogue.