Mr David Wells
Head of Initial Teacher Education
Teacher Education Research group, TeacherTraining
-
ED 3.06, Stratford Campus
School of Education and Communities
Stratford Campus
Water Lane
London
E15 4LZ - d.wells@uel.ac.uk +442082234686
David was awarded a BA Hons in Business Studies at the Polytechnic of Wales (now University of Glamorgan) in 1992, before undertaking a PGCE in Business Education at Sheffield Hallam University in September 1992.
David has taught in secondary schools since achieving qualified teacher status in 1993. He has held a variety of roles and taught a variety of subjects. His main subjects have always been ICT and Business Studies. From 1997 - 2010 he led the ICT and Business Studies Faculty in a large secondary school in West Essex. David took up his post here in the School of Education and Communities in September 2010.
David is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
David is also Deputy Editor for the Cass School of Education and Communities' "Research in Teacher Education" journal.
Overview
David is currently studying for a Professional Doctorate in Education. The research area being explored is centred upon gamification and the use of game dynamics to improve pupil motivation in non-digital secondary school classrooms.
Research Group Membership:
I am a member of the Secondary Teacher Research Group, Cass School of Education and Communities, UEL.
Current Research Interests:
I have currently been conducting some research into the capacity for schools (and their ICT teaching staff) to move away from an ICT curriculum offer and towards delivering a more computing based curriculum.
I am interested in researching current pupil interest, enjoyment and experience in their ICT study, and their perceptions of its appropriateness and challenge in their learning and progression.
I am also interested to conduct research with local and partner schools regarding their capability to deliver digital literacy successfully across their curriculum, thus allowing IT departments to concentrate on teaching information technology and computer science.
Publications:
David Wells (2012) ‘Computing in Schools: Time to move beyond ICT?’ Research in Secondary Teacher Education, Vol 2(No.1), 8–13. Available at: www.uel.ac.uk/riste/issues/vol2/1/pp8-13/
David Wells (2014) ‘Embedding Information and Communication Technology across the curriculum – where are we at?’ Research in Teacher Education, Vol 4(No.2), 11–16. Available at: www.uel.ac.uk/rite/issues/volume4/no2october2014/articles/embeddinginformationandcommunicationtechnologyacrossthecurriculumwhereareweat/.
I am a member of the Secondary Teacher Research Group, Cass School of Education and Communities, UEL.
Current Research Interests:
I have currently been conducting some research into the capacity for schools (and their ICT teaching staff) to move away from an ICT curriculum offer and towards delivering a more computing based curriculum.
I am interested in researching current pupil interest, enjoyment and experience in their ICT study, and their perceptions of its appropriateness and challenge in their learning and progression.
I am also interested to conduct research with local and partner schools regarding their capability to deliver digital literacy successfully across their curriculum, thus allowing IT departments to concentrate on teaching information technology and computer science.
Publications:
David Wells (2012) ‘Computing in Schools: Time to move beyond ICT?’ Research in Secondary Teacher Education, Vol 2(No.1), 8–13. Available at: www.uel.ac.uk/riste/issues/vol2/1/pp8-13/
David Wells (2014) ‘Embedding Information and Communication Technology across the curriculum – where are we at?’ Research in Teacher Education, Vol 4(No.2), 11–16. Available at: www.uel.ac.uk/rite/issues/volume4/no2october2014/articles/embeddinginformationandcommunicationtechnologyacrossthecurriculumwhereareweat/.
David's current research is exploring the impact of gamification pedagogies in English secondary schools. In particular, he is investigating how the dynamics of video games can be applied in a classroom where learning is not situated within a digital environment, in improving disaffected pupils’ interest, engagement, challenge, motivation, learning and satisfaction.
Collaborators
Research
Publications
Funding
Beyond work being done for his doctorate, David is also interested in ICT/ Computing curriculum change and the impact of ICT and technology in enhancing learning.
David
is particularly interested in the huge impact that ICT and technology
can have in enhancing the learning of young people. He is also
interested in exploring the use of mobile and other emerging
technologies, as a source and tool for enriching and enhancing the
learning experience. An emerging interest is that of digital video game
impact on learning outcomes.
With
Information and Communication Technology curriculum change a current
area of focus in schools, David has researched and is continuing to be
interested in how schools are looking to support and facilitate this
change and whether digital literacy for example, is something that
schools can now successfully deliver across their curriculum.
Interests
Portfolio
PGCE and SD Secondary Computing programme
SD Secondary Business Studies programme
Pre ITT Computing Subject Knowledge Enhancement programme
UG Computer Science with Education degree
SD Secondary Business Studies programme
Pre ITT Computing Subject Knowledge Enhancement programme
UG Computer Science with Education degree
July and December 2011 - facilitating (in association with colleagues from UEL's School of Architecture, Computing and Engineering), computer science CPD for partner school ICT colleagues.
July 2013 - facilitating (in association with AppShed) mobile application development CPD for partner school colleagues.
February 2014 - Computer Science curriculum content CPD for school teacher colleagues and newly qualified teachers (in association with trainee teachers of computing from UEL).
July 2013 - facilitating (in association with AppShed) mobile application development CPD for partner school colleagues.
February 2014 - Computer Science curriculum content CPD for school teacher colleagues and newly qualified teachers (in association with trainee teachers of computing from UEL).