Helena Gillespie teaches Science and History on the Primary PGCE. She has taught for ten years across the Primary age range, specialising in working with children with special needs. Her research interests are in the field of the learning environment and virtual learning environments and her research has been funded by the Teacher Training Agency. She has written on the subject of ICT in schools and higher education for journals and in books.

Projects

• March 2003 - July 2004 Effective Mentoring Project - In conjunction with the Cambridge University, the project has collected a comprehensive resource of video material of trainee teachers and their mentors working in school. The team use this to produce 2 CD ROMs for use by training institutions and partnership schools to support effective mentoring practice.

• September 2003 - June 2005 The use of a virtual learning environment to support individual learning in initial teacher training - Working with 2 colleagues from UEA, the team are investigating how VLEs can support trainees on their PGCE, with regard meeting their individual needs. The findings will shape future practice in using the VLE on the Primary and Secondary PGCE courses. The findings also will be disseminated to partnership schools though a conference, and to regional ITT providers though regional meetings. The TTA are preparing a website for national dissemination of findings.

• March 2004 - December 2004 Structures, management and process in initial teacher education: A systematic literature review and analysis of current research and knowledge - Working with a team from UEA and The University of Warwick, the team aims to investigate the current research in the field of ITE. The project with follow the systematic review methodology and a final report will be produced.

• July 2004 - October 2005 Science Subject Knowledge for Trainee Primary Teachers - The delivery of multimedia content via a Virtual Learning Environments Working with a UEA team to investigate the delivery of multimedia content via a virtual learning environment to support subject knowledge acquisition on the Primary PGCE.