Research Staff Interests
Dr Cathy Lewin
Biography
Cathy Lewin is a Senior Research Fellow and Deputy Director of the CREATE research group. With a first degree in mathematics and computer science, she started her career as a software engineer. She developed an interest in learning and ICT following the arrival of her children and some part-time teaching experience at a Further Education college. This led to a PhD in the use of ICT to teach reading at primary school at the Institute of Educational Technology at the Open University. She got the 'research bug' and has never looked back, working first at the Open University and joining MMU in February 2001.
Her research interests concern young people and ICT, in relation to both formal and informal learning. She has conducted research for Becta, DCSF, ESRC and European Schoolnet including Gridclub, ImpaCT2, ICT TestBed, and the Evaluation of the Primary Schools Whiteboard Expansion Project. Most recently she has directed a project on models of online learning at Key Stage 3 and 14-19 for Becta. She is currently engaged in a range of projects including a synoptic evaluation of learner response systems (which facilitate text responses as well as voting) in Higher Education.
Research Interests
Cathy's research interets concern young people and technology, particularly:
- the uses of technology to link home/community and school;
- the tensions and overlaps between formal and informal learning with technology in different social contexts;
- how technological developments (for example, Web 2.0, hand held devices, online learning) can disrupt and change social practices;
- the implications of these for formal education.
She draws largely on socio-cultural theories, including communities of practice and activity theory. She has strong interest in mixed methodology and particularly how different approaches can lead to tensions and contradictions, potentially enabling a greater understanding of social phenomena and events.
Publications:
Books
Somekh, B. and Lewin, C. (eds) (2005) Research Methods in the Social Sciences. Sage: London
Book Chapters
Somekh, B. & Lewin, C. (in press, 2009). 'Transforming Students' Learning: how digital technologies can be used to change the social practices of schools', in Rune J. Krumsvik (ed) Learning in the Network Society and the Digitized School to be published August 2009: Nova Science Publishers [20% contribution]
Refereed Journal Articles
Lewin, C., Scrimshaw, P., Somekh, B. & Haldane, M. (2009) The impact of formal and informal professional development opportunities on primary teachers' adoption of interactive whiteboards, Technology, Pedagogy and Education 18(2) ppX-X
Lewin, C., Somekh, B. & Steadman, S. (2008) Embedding interactive whiteboards in teaching and learning: The process of change in pedagogic practice, Education and Information Technologies 13(4) pp291-303
Lewin, C. (2004) Access and use of technologies in the home in the UK: implications for the curriculum. The Curriculum Journal, 15(2) pp139-154
Lewin, C., Mavers, D. & Somekh, B. (2003) Broadening access to the curriculum through using technology to link home and school: a critical analysis of reforms intended to improve students' educational attainment. The Curriculum Journal, 14(1) pp23-53
Research Reports
Lewin, C., Whitton, N., Cummings, J., Roberts, B., Saxon, D., Somekh, B. and Lockwood, B. (2008) MILO: Models of innovative learning online at KS3 and 14-19 Final Report Becta: Coventry
Lewin, C., Whitton, N., Cummings, J., Roberts, B., Saxon, D., Somekh, B. and Lockwood, B. (2008) MILO: Models of innovative learning online at KS3 and 14-19 Knowledge Mapping Becta: Coventry
Lewin, C., Whitton, N., Cummings, J., Roberts, B., Saxon, D., Somekh, B. and Lockwood, B. (2008) MILO: Models of innovative learning online at KS3 and 14-19 Learning Narratives Becta: Coventry
Crook, C., Fisher, T., Graber, R., Harrison, C. and Lewin, C. with Cummings, J., Logan, K., Luckin, R., Oliver, M. and Sharples, M. (2008) Implementing Web 2.0 in secondary schools: Impacts, Barriers, Issues Becta: Coventry
Crook, C. and Harrison, C. with Cummings, J., Fisher, T., Graber, R., Lewin, C., Logan, K., Luckin, R., Oliver, M. and Sharples, M. (2008) Web 2.0 Technologies for Learning at Key Stages 3 and 4: Summary Report Becta: Coventry
Somekh, B., Haldane, M., Jones, K., Lewin, C., Steadman, S., Scrimshaw, P., Sing, S., Bird, K., Cummings, J., Downing, B., Harber Stuart, T., Jarvis, J., Mavers, D. and Woodrow, D. (2007) Evaluation of the Primary Schools Whiteboard Expansion Project Becta: Coventry
Somekh, B., Lewin, C., Saxon, S., Woodrow, D., Sing, S. and Convery, A. (2007) Evaluation of the ICT Test Bed project: The qualitative report Becta: Coventry
Somekh, B., Underwood. J., Convery, A, Dillon, G., Jarvis, J., Lewin, C., Mavers, D., Saxon, D., Sing, S., Steadman, S., Twining, P. and Woodrow, D. (2007) ICT Test Bed Evaluation Final report: Overview Becta: Coventry
Lewin, C., Mesdom, F., Jonasson, J.T., Dofradottir, A.G., de Freitas, C., Nucci, D., Moore, A., Scrimshaw, P., Wood, D., Hreinsdottir, H., Blamire, R. & Gilleran, A. (2004) EUN ValNet Consolidated Report IST 1999-14025; EUN SchoolNet, Brussels
Somekh, B., Haldane, A., Levin, C., Lewin, C., Mavers, D., Robinson, J. & Scrimshaw, P. (March 2003) Evaluation of the GridClub Educational Service: Final Report Manchester Metropolitan University, UK
Somekh, B., Lewin, C., Mavers, D., Harrison, C., Haw, K., Fisher, T., Lunzer, E., McFarlane, A. & Scrimshaw, P. (2002) ImpaCT2: Pupils' and teachers' perceptions of ICT in the home, school and community DfES: Annersley, Notts, UK
Harrison C., Comber C., Fisher T., Haw K., Lewin C., Lunzer E., McFarlane A., Mavers D., Scrimshaw P., Somekh B. & Watling R. (2002) ImpaCT2: The Impact of Information and Communication Technologies on Pupil Learning and Attainment DfES: Annersley, Notts, UK
Somekh, B., Mavers, D. & Lewin, C. (2001) Using ICT to enhance home-school links: an evaluation of current practice in England DfES: Annersley, Notts, UK
Conferences:
CAL 2011: conference deputy chair
Lewin, C. (2009) 'Models of Innovation in Learning Online'. Webinar hosted by Professor Niki Davis, University of Canterbury, New Zealand in association with the Distance Education Association of New Zealand, May 20th
Lewin, C. (2009) 'Embedding Interactive Whiteboards in Teaching and Learning: the process of change in pedagogic practice'. Presentation at Research meets Practice, Practice meets Research: Learning in the Networked Society and the Digitized School, Bergen, Norway, April 2009
Lewin, C. (2009) 'An Evaluation of the Primary Schools Whiteboard Expansion Project: lessons learnt and implications for the future'. Presentation at the Inside Government forum, The Primary Capital Programme: Modernising the Primary Sector, Victoria Park Plaza, London, February 5th 2009
Lewin, C. (2008) 'Models of innovation in learning online'. Presentation at the Becta Research Conference, Cutlers Hall, Sheffield, November 6th 2008
Lewin, C. & Whitton, N. (2008) 'Formal and informal learning with technology: new models'. Presentation on models of innovative learning online: early findings for Becta seminar series, the Commonwealth Club, Westminster, London, March 2008
Keynote Presentations & Speeches
Lewin, C. & Somekh, B. (2008) 'Embedding interactive whiteboards in teaching and learning: the process of change in pedagogic practice'. Keynote presentation for the IFIP Working Groups 3.5 Conference: Valuing individual and shared learning: the role of ICT, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic, June 2008
Papers Presented
Lewin. C. (2009) Personalisation and ICT: Lessons from a Case Study of a UK Secondary School, presented at the European Conference on Educational Research, Vienna, Austria, September 2009
Lewin, C. & Pullinger, J. (2009) From replication to transformation: the impact of one-to-one technologies on pedagogical practices in secondary classrooms, presented at Research Into Teaching with Whole class Interactive Technologies conference, Cambridge, UK, June 2009
Lewin, C. & Luckin, R. (2009) Technology to support parental engagement: Lessons learned and future directions, presented at the Computers and Learning conference (CAL), Brighton, UK, March 2009
Lewin, C. & Luckin, R. (2009) Do Web 2.0 tools really open the door to learning? Practices, perceptions and profiles of 11-16 year old learners, presented at the Computers and Learning conference (CAL), Brighton, UK, March 2009
Lewin, C. & Pullinger, J. (2008) Transforming pedagogical practices with digital learning companions, presented at the Handheld Learning Conference, The Brewery, The Barbican, London, October 2008
Lewin, C. & Somekh, B. (2008) Transforming pedagogy with ICT: the use of IWBs in primary schools in the UK, presented at the British Educational Research Association Annual Conference, Herriot Watt University, Edinburgh, September 2008
Whitton, N. & Lewin, C. (2008) Models of innovation in online learning, presented at the British Educational Research Association Annual Conference, Herriot Watt University, Edinburgh, September 2008
Research Projects:
September 2008-July 2009 GTCe £24,000
Secondary pupils and e-learning (SEPEL
September 2008-July 2009 North Lincolnshire Local Authority £13,600
Evaluation of the Discover Project (EDP)
March 2008-December 2009 Promethean £50,000
Activxpression devices for assessment (AID4A), directed by Maureen Haldane
January 2008-August 2009 ESRC £82,000
The Impact of 14-19 Reforms on Career Guidance in England,
co-directed with Dr Helen Colley
September 2007-July 2008 Becta £140,000
New Models of Learning Provision for KS3 and 14-19 (MILO), co-directed with Dr Nicola Whitton
September 2007-July 2008 Becta via University of Nottingham £56,300
Web 2.0 Technologies for Learning at KS3 and KS4 (Web 2.0)
April 2004-December 2006 DfES £223,000
Primary Schools Whiteboard Expansion Project (SWEEP) directed by Prof Bridget Somekh
February 2003-December 2006Becta/DfES £923,000
'ICT Test Bed' Evaluation directed by Prof Bridget Somekh
Other Responsibilities:
Academic Reviewing of Research
- 5th IEEE International Conference on Advanced learning Technologies (ICALT 2005)
- Computers and Education
- learning and Instruction
- British Educational Research Journal
- Educational Action Research
- Technology, Pedagogy and Education
- Journal of Computer Assisted Learning
- The Curriculum Journal
- The Journal of Research on reading
Editorships & Consultancies
Editor of Learning, Media and Technology since 2004
Journal Editorships
Pedagogy, Culture and Society (from 2009)
Teaching Interests
Cathy is a member of the teaching team for the MRes (Education & Society). Cathy is responsible for delivering units on questionnaire design, sampling, descriptive statistics, SPSS and inferential statistics (including chi square, correlation, t-tests, ANOVA, and other non-parametric tests) and mixed methods. She previously taught quantitative methods at masters level in her role as Associate Lecturer at the Open University from 2001-2003. She has recently developed and run one-day courses in quantitative methods and SPSS for PhD students across the university for the RED Office.
Current Areas of Post-graduate Supervision
ICT and creativity in the primary curriculum
Teaching ICT in the UK and Saudi Arabia - a cross-cultural comparative study
The role of the parent governor in inner city primary schools
ICT and literacy in the primary curriculum
Transforming pedagogical practices with interactive whiteboards
Global citizenship and international youth dialogue online
