Wolfson Fellow

Prof Steve Higgins, BA (Oxon), PGCE, PhD

Contact Prof Steve Higgins (email at s.e.higgins@durham.ac.uk)

Completed Supervisions (since 2008)

The Impact of the Interactive Whiteboard on Medical School Students' ESL Essay Writing

Evaluating the Effectiveness of the E-learning Experience in Some Universities in Saudi Arabia from Male Students’ Perceptions

The effectiveness of a CALL multimedia classroom on L2 learners' achievements, attitudes and the word solving strategies' frequencies and the perceptions of helpfulness, when compared with learners in traditional classrooms: A quasi-experimental study

The Effectiveness of Using E-learning, Blended Learning and Traditional Learning on Students' Achievement and Attitudes in a Course on Islamic Culture: an Experimental study

What is 'digital literacy'? A Pragmatic investigation

An Exploratory Study on the Beliefs and Practices of Teacher-Child Interactions of Selected Early Childhood Educators in Singapore

Indicators of Esteem

• 2010: ESRC Peer Review College member: Steve is a member of the ESRC Peer Review College.
• Address: Addressed an All Parliamentary Committee for Scientific Learning and Education about learning styles and learning to learn.
• Editor: Editor of ERIE 2001-3
• Editorial Board Memberships: Member of the Editorial Board of the British Educational Research Journal (BERJ), Thinking Skills and Creativity and the International Journal of Virtual and Personal Learning Environments (IJVPLE).
• International: Advisor to the Italian Education Ministry (Ministero della Pubblica Istruzione) on Learning to Learn in schools. Reviewer for the Qatar National Research Fund.
• Invited member: Invited member of EU Commission research network on Learning to Learn.
• Invited member: Invited member of the Design Council's School Learning Environments Expert Panel.

Research Groups

Centre for Medical Education Research

• Medical Education

School of Education

• Assessment, Evaluation and Effectiveness
• Curriculum and Pedagogy

Research Projects

School of Education

• Building Capacity In Visual Methods
• Campaign for Learning, Phase 4
• Development of the Teaching and Learning Toolkit
• Evaluation Of Next Practice Model
• Improving Learning for Disadvantaged Learners
• RDI In Quantitative Synthesis
• Strategies for Improving Learning
• SynergyNet

Research Interests

• Classroom Interaction and Discourse in Primary Schools
• Digital technologies and Learning
• Meta-analysis and Research Evidence in Education

Publications

Books: authored

• Goodbourn, R., Hartley, T., Higgins, S. & Wall, K. (2009). Learning to Learn for Life 3: Research and Practical Examples for Secondary Schools. Continuum Publishing.
• Barmby, P., Bilsborough, L., Harries, T. & Higgins, S. (2009). Primary mathematics: Teaching for understanding. Buckingham: Oxford Univesity Press.

Books: sections

• Higgins, S.E. (2013). Matching Style of Learning. In International Guide to Student Achievement (Educational Psychology Handbook). Hattie, J. & Anderman, E.M. London: Routledge. 337-438.
• Higgins, S.E. (2012). Impact evaluation: a case study of the introduction of interactive whiteboards in schools in the UK. In Research Methods and Methodologies in Education. Arthur, J., Waring, M., Coe, R. & Hedges, V. Sage. 131-136.
• Hall, E., Wall, K., Higgins, S., Stephens, L., Pooley, I & Welham, J. (2010). Learning to Learn with Parents: lessons from two research projects. In Action Research in Education: Volume 3: Key Examples of Action Research in Schools within International Settings. Campbell, A. & Groundwater-Smith, S. London: Sage Publications. 3: 121-135.
• Barmby, P., Harries, A.V. & Higgins, S.E. (2010). Teaching for understanding/understanding for teaching. In Issues in teaching numeracy in primary schools. Thompson, I. Open University Press. 45-57.
• Higgins, S.E. (2010). The impact of interactive whiteboards on classroom interaction and learning in primary schools in the UK. In Interactive Whiteboards for Education: Theory, Research and Practice. Thomas, M. & Cutrim-Schmid, E. Hershey, Pa: IGI Global. 86-101.

Conference papers

• Mercier, E., Higgins, S.E., Burd, E.L. & Joyce-Gibbons, A. (2012), Multi-Touch Technology to Support Multiple Levels of Collaborative Learning in the Classroom, in van Aalst, J., Thompson, K., Jacobson, M.J. & Reimann, P. eds, Short Papers, Symposia and Abstracts 2: The Future of Learning: 10th International Conference of the Learning Sciences (ICLS 2012).
• Mercier, E., McNaughton, J., Higgins, S. & Burd, E. (2012), Orchestrating Learning in the Multi-touch Classroom: Developing Appropriate Tools, in van Aalst, J., Thompson, K., Jacobson, M.J. & Reimann, P. eds, Short Papers, Suymposia and Abstracts 2: The Future of Learning: 10th International Conference of the Learning Sciences (ICLS 2012).
• Mercier, E., Higgins, S. & Burd, E. (2011), Interdisciplinary design research: developing educational technology, 14th Biennial Conference of the European Association of Research into Learning and Instruction. Exeter.
• Hatch, A., Higgins, S.E., Joyce-Gibbons, A. & Mercier, E. (2011), NumberNet: Using Multi-tough Technology to Support Within and Between Group Mathematics Learning, in Spada, H., Stahl, G., Miyake, N. & Law, N. eds, 1: Connecting CSCL to Policy and Practice: CSCL2011. 176-183.
• Alagha, I., Burd, E., Higgins, S. & Mercier, E. (2011), SynergyNet Exploring Design and Pedagogy in a Supported Collaborative Learning to Policy and Practice, in Spada, H., Stahl, G., Miyake, N. & Law, N. eds, Vol. III - Community Events Proceedings: 9th International Conference on Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL 2011). Hong Kong, China, International Society of the Learning Sciences, 1081-1082.

Journal papers: academic

• Mercier, E.M. & Higgins, S. (2013). Collaborative learning with multi-touch technology: Developing adaptive expertise. Learning and Instruction 25: 13-23.
• Wall, K., Higgins, S., Remedios, R., Rafferty, V. & Tiplady, L. (2013). Comparing Analysis Frames for Visual Data Sets: Using Pupil Views Templates to explore perspectives of learning. Journal of Mixed Methods Research 7(1): 22-42.
• Wall, K., Higgins, S., Hall, E. & Woolner, P. (2012). 'That's not quite the way we see it': the epistemological challenge of visual data. International Journal of Research & Method in Education iFirst: 1-20.
• Woolner, P., McCarter, S., Wall, K. & Higgins, S. (2012). Changed learning through changed space: When can a participatory approach to the learning environment challenge preconceptions and alter practice?. Improving Schools 15(1): 45-60.
• Al-Qahtani, A.A.Y. & Higgins, S.E. (2012). Effects of traditional, blended and e-learning on students' achievement in higher education. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning 29(3 ): 220-234.
• Higgins, S., Mercier, E., Burd, E. & Joyce-Gibbons, A. (2012). Multi-touch tables and collaborative learning. British Journal of Educational Technology 43(6): 1041-1054.
• Barmby, Patrick, Bolden, David, Higgins, Steve & Tymms, Peter (2012). Predicting success on a Bachelor of Arts Primary Education degree course. Educational Research 54(3): 323-330.
• Higgins, S., Mercier, E., Burd, E. & Hatch, A. (2011). Multi-touch tables and the relationship with collaborative classroom pedagogies: A synthetic review. International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning 6(4): 515-538.
• Albaaly, E. & Higgins, S. (2011). The impact of interactive whiteboard technology on medical students' achievement in ESL essay writing: an early study in Egypt. Language Learning Journal 40(2): 207-222.
• Baumfield, V.M., Hall, E., Higgins, S. & Wall, K. (2009). Catalytic tools: understanding the interaction of enquiry and feedback in teachers' learning. European Journal of Teacher Education 32(4): 423-435.
• Resing, W., Elliott, J.G. & Higgins, S.E. (2009). Reasoning in children and adolescents. Educational and Child Psychology 26(3).
• Wall, K., Higgins, S., Glasner, E., Mahmout, U. & Gormally, J. (2009). Teacher enquiry as a tool for professional development: investigating pupils' effective talk while learning. Australian Educational Researcher 36(2): 93-117.
• Barmby, P., Harries, T., Higgins, S. & Suggate, J. (2009). The array representation and primary children's understanding and reasoning in multiplication. Educational Studies in Mathematics 70(3): 217-241.
• Woolner, P., Hall, E., Higgins, S., McCaughey, C. & Wall, K. (2007). A sound foundation? What we know about the impact of environments on learning and the implications for Building Schools for the Future. Oxford Review of Education 33(1): 47-70.

Manuals

• Higgins, S., Katsipataki, M., Kokotsaki, D., Coleman, R., Major, L.E. & Coe, R. (2013). The Sutton Trust - Education Endowment Foundation Teaching and Learning Toolkit.

Other media: research

• Thomas, J., Graiosi, S., Higgins, S., Coe, R., Torgerson, C. & Newman, M. (2012). Teaching meta-analysis using MetaLight. BMC Research Notes 5(571).

Other publications: research

• Higgins, S., Baumfield, V., Newton, D. & Elliott, J. (2009). Developing effective multimedia instruction for expert learners. American Journal of Psychology 567-569.

Reports: official

• Torgerson, C.J., Wiggins, A., Torgerson, D.J., Ainsworth, H., Barmby, P., Hewitt, C., Jones, K., Hendry, V., Askew, M., Bland, M. Coe, R., Higgins, S., Hodgen, J., Hulme, C. & Tymms, P. (2011). Every Child Counts: The Independent evaluation executive Summary. Department for Education (DfE).
• Torgerson, C.J., Wiggins, A., Torgerson, D.J., Ainsworth, H., Barmby, P., Hewitt, C., Jones, K., Hendry, V., Askew, M., Bland, M., Coe, R., Higgins, S., Hodgen, J., Hulme, C. & Tymms, P. (2011). The Every Child Counts Independent Evaluation Report to DfE.
• Higgins, S., Kokotsaki, D. & Coe, R.J. (2011). Toolkit of Strategies to Improve Learning: Summary for Schools Spending the Pupil Premium. Sutton Trust.
• Higgins, S., Kokotsaki, D. & Coe, R.J. (2011). Toolkit of Strategies to Improve Learning: Summary for Schools Spending the Pupil Premium: Technical Appendices. Sutton Trust.
• Wall, K. Hall, E., Baumfield, V. Higgins, S., Rafferty, V., Remedios, R. , Thomas, U., Tiplady, L. Towler, C. & Woolner, P. (2010). Learning to learn in schools phase 4 and Learning to learn in further education. Newcastle
• Wall, K., Hall, E., Higgins, S., Leat, D., Thomas, U., Tiplady, L., Towle, C. & Woolner, P. (2009). Learning to Learn in Schools Phase 4 Year One Report. Campaign for Learning.

Media Contacts

Available for media contact about:

• Education: Expertise regarding the effective use of information and communications technology (ICT) for learning in schools.
• General policy: Expertise regarding the effective use of information and communications technology (ICT) for learning in schools.
• Subject specialists: Expertise regarding the effective use of information and communications technology (ICT) for learning in schools.

Grants Awarded

• 2012: Development of the Teaching and Learning Toolkit (£131125.14 from Education Endowment Foundation)
• 2011: Improving Learning for Disadvantaged Learners (£27572.00 from The Sutton Trust)
• 2010: Strategies for Improving Learning (£6000.00 from The Sutton Trust)
• 2008: CAMPAIGN FOR LEARNING: PHASE 4 (£18786.00 from Campaign for Learning)
• 2008: RDI IN QUANTITATIVE SYNTHESIS (£63435.52 from Esrc)
• 2008: SynergyNet (£254243.22 from Esrc)
• 2007: EVALUATION OF NEXT PRACTICE MODEL ITT 108 (£44400.00 from National College for School Leadership)
• 2006: BUILDING CAPACITY IN VISUAL METHODS (£1371.00 from Esrc)
• 2006: LEARNING TO LEARN PHASE 3 (£32119.01 from Campaign for Learning)