Rogers, P.C., Graham, C.R., & Mayes, C. (2007). Cultural competence and instructional design: Exploration research into the delivery of online instruction cross-culturally. Education Technology Research 55 197-217

 

The growing of online education motivates the authors to integrate cultural issues into online education research because they found out the Western culture may dominate online education which may influence learning for those from other cultural backgrounds. They investigated the relationship between culture and online education through the role of instructional designer and found there were few researches on exploring the lived experiences of instructional designers. They formed the following research questions:

(1) Are they aware of the differences between themselves and the cultural group for whom they are designing instruction?

(2) If so:

(a) How did they become aware of these differences?

(b) What importance do these differences assume in their thinking?

(c) How does understanding cultural differences affect instructional design practice?

 

They conducted a grounded theory study because there is no appropriate existing theoretical framework for this complex multi-faceted issue. They adopted snowball-sampling technique to find their cases and attained 12 cases/participants.

 

In their study, instructional designer have awareness of cultural differences but they are a limited awareness.  Being aware of significant differences between cultures does not mean that we are aware of what all of those differences are or of all the ways in which they influence learning. Several elements were identified to be connected to issue of awareness, including General cultural and social expectation, Teaching and learning expectations, Language and symbols, and Technological infrastructure and familiarity. The second research question, how we increase awareness of culture differences was investigated through the opposite, what the barriers are? Barriers they proposed include IDT focus on content development, lack of evaluation in real-world practice, and organizational structures and the role of instructional designers. They concluded impacts of cultural awareness on instructional design practice through the following dimensions in response to the problem of the barriers:

(a) Separating deeper principles from particular application: though culture might influences initial receptivity to various forms of once learners get used to new forms they can find them very helpful, such as collaborative learning. Instructional designers, thus, should think deeply about the principles and separate them from the application one already knows. It is possible to find ways of utilizing these principles across contexts.

(b) Identifying gaps where bridges are needed: through immersion in the culture, integrating learner feedback in learner analysis, and in formative evaluation

(c) Allowing for more flexibility in the design process

(d) Educating other stakeholders (e.g., the client and subject matter expert)

Wang, Chun-Min & Reeves, (2007).Thomas. The Meaning of Culture in Online Education. Chapter 1, The Meaning of Culture in Online Education: Implications for Teaching, Learning, and Design (pp. 1-17)

 

This chapter first explains why study culture is important in online education and state the problem to conduct a research on this topic. Culture issues are important in online education is owing to its global access. The ultimate problem of this kind of research is the definition of culture. The authors list several classical studies revealing the definition of culture and changes of research orientation through time. They tend to explain culture in terms of analyzing culture through different dimensions, including Geert Hofstede's five national culture dimensions and Edward Hall's high- and low- context cultures. They also found there is few studies investigating cultural issues in online learning and expect there will be more studies because of the urgent need that online education is getting more widely accepted. Several culture issues in online education were presented. For example, language differentials, reasoning patter differentials, technical infrastructure differentials, and learning styles differentials. Then this chapter discusses the pedagogical concerns of online education in a diverse culture context. Online education requires different pedagogies from traditional classrooms and thus investigations on pedagogies in different culture context are necessary. The authors focus on instructional design considerations and hope instructional designers and online education instructors to be sensitive and more research-based studies will be conducted.

 

Based on the authors literature review work, they proposed guidelines for building culturally- sensitive online learning environments for instructors, students, and designers through several empirical studies. Common principles among the three are to be flexible and hold multiple perspectives among the members of the online classrooms. However, there is a lack of holistic viewpoints in these studies even if they adopted the model of multiple cultural dimensions. As a consequence, the authors indicated the need to conducts studies that have thicker connection between cultural contexts and applications. In other words, to develop a theoretical framework of how new construction of knowledge occurs in this complex context. They also suggest having studies done across nations and adopting perspective from other disciplines may help.

Here is the video from Team 3's synthesis presentation. The class watched the Phantom Menace Review in class towards the beginning of the semester. This just seemed like a good way to sum up the course.

The time has finally come for our final synthesis. Here is how our time is going to broken down:

First, we are going to start by asking you take a short survey about the course.

Then we are going to ask you to explore education theory through the lens of soviet-era yugoslavian mixed-mode experimental documentary film. We will be asking you to write your reflections as (surprise twist!) individuals, without talking in groups or with the class at large.

Here is the film clip.

Here is the form where you will be posting your reflections.

Now that you posted your individual reactions, let's get into groups and discuss reflect on the clip, then post your reflections using this google form.

Next up, is a short film we made. We will see if it generates any discussion. (embed coming soon)

For the fourth act, we will break into groups and discuss the following:

Education, in its deepest sense and at whatever age it takes place, concerns the opening of identities - exploring new ways of being that lie beyond our current state. Whereas training aims to create an inbound trajectory targeted at competence in a specific practice, education must strive to open new dimensions for the negotiation of the self. It places students on an outbound trajectory toward a broad field of possible identities. Education is not merely formative - it is transformative. (Wenger, 263)

Given this - how has your sense of self and identity been changed by your primary education? secondary ed? undergrad education? By your graduate education? By this class? has the trajectory of your identity been informed by community memberships? How did the various education experiences listed above "open new dimensions for the negotiation of the self"? In other words, were these educational experiences designed? by whom? how did the design ""open new dimensions for the negotiation of the self"?

We will conclude with a discussion of the results of the survey taken in the beginning of class.

Some resources based on our talk last Tuesday:

We the students of McDonald Camplese High School have a dream. Our dream is for a community in which we have agency over our own learning and opportunity to focus on social relationships and collaboration. We want free time, later start times and more choice over our classes.  We dislike overcrowding in classes and halls, and long and boring class periods.  We expect that school will prepare us for our future and we want school to be more meaningful, more fun and a more engaging place- a place we want to go each day.

Here is the link to our presentation. There are things on it that we didn't get to cover, so feel free to ask us any questions/make comments about that material or anything that we did cover as well.

http://docs.google.com/present/view?id=d4rbhwb_7g4cxfqv9&invite=1268029719

   

GROUP ACTIVITY

Divide up into your teams. Your task for the next thirty minutes is to reflect on the discussion that we just had.

Ask yourselves these questions:

If you had the opportunity to redesign education- design your own school, what would be the most important issues you would need to consider in order to achieve a sense of community and of  student belongingness? How would the themes that we have consistently touched upon in our course discussions, identity, community and design, play a part in your considerations? 

Each team will have a role, Team 1 will be the students, Team 3 will be the teachers and Team 4 will play the role of administrators. Now, you should  look at this activity  as an opportunity to redesign the current system, feel free to also move away from traditional language. For example, students can be labeled as "Learners", teachers as "Guides" and administrators could be "Organizers".

In each of your teams, develop a Vision or Mission, taking into consideration both your role and the issues that are most important and pertinent to your members. You will have 30 minutes for this activity. At the end, present your school vision. For next week, we will merge all of them together and post on the blog our unified vision for this "New School".

     Consider the following questions for discussion in your groups:

1.     How could the design of the school/classroom lead to a more engaging environment?

2.     What types of technology can help create a greater sense of belonging within, and

                   perhaps outside of, the classroom?

3.       Does a sense of belonging increase engagement/productivity/learning?

               Should a price tag be placed on education?

 

          Individual Team discussion questions:

         

Team 1 (students/ learners)- When do you feel more belongingness at school?  Which learning environment makes you feel more comfortable and productive?

Team 3 (teachers/guides) - Will you consider technologies as part of your community building and student belongingness objectives? How can technologies be integrated to facilitate links to communities and tie them to school lessons?

 

Team 4 (administrators/organizers)- How can you facilitate student belonging...transitioning to society/community? Would you create, adopt standards that include technology?   What would be a common definition of "productivity" ?  Should there be more relevant and  meaningful  measures of learning goals and costs?

Rethink learning, assessment and teaching

Overall Purpose: To create a school environment that helps students feel part of not only the school community, but as important members of larger society. (Help them become engaged, active members of a national and global community)

 

Consider.....

What kinds of technologies might be used to this end? (blogs, wikis allow parents, adult experts to contribute to students' learning)

How would your added measures affect/contribute to learning?

Laptop Falls from sky

Resource 3

Barnes, S. B. (1999). Education and Technology: A Cultural Faustian Bargain. Bulletin of Science, Technology, and Society , 19 (1), 11-16.

 

This article was written before computers were as widely used as they are now.  It was more interesting to read about the cultural aspect of this article.  The author discusses many of the positive and negatives of computer use in schools.  She also goes into a discussion about McLuhan and whether or not the "medium is the message" as McLuhan writes.  Barnes also talks about what it means to be computer literate.  The definition has changed as the technology and I believe this is a conversation that we are still having today.

When speaking to the cultural implications of computer use, Barnes mentions that by just providing access to the information does not mean it will be used or understood by all.  We need to still be concerned with teaching basic literacy skills and not become too focused on teaching computer skills.

Group 2 will be presenting tomorrow the theme of how we as teachers, students, and administrators can work to nurture a sense of belonging within a school community, across schools within a local community, and across the world within our global community. We will spend some time discussing alternative schools, so following are some <short> links you can go to to learn more about some of the more popular alternative education programs.

Resource 1
Resource 2
Resource 3

Mathison, c.,Wachowiak, S., Feldman, L. (2007). School in the Park: Bridging Formal and Informal Learning Environments. Childhood Education, 83(4), 206-210.

 

This article discusses a unique program in San Diego called School in the Park (SITP) which blends rigorous academic standards (formal learning) with experiential curricula (informal learning). Student in this program studied at the park's museums (and the San Diego Zoo) with museum educators. This learning context fosters students' active engagement in authentic, multi-sensory, purposeful exploration and study (Mathison et al., 2007). The authors explains that the SITP learning environment reflects several key interrelated principle of brain-based learning which focuses on our understanding of how human beings construct knowledge.

 

1) Where there is meaning, there is learning

2) There is no learning without emotion

3) Movement facilitates learning

4) Making multiple connections between new information and prior knowledge enhances memory.

(Caine & Caine, 1994)

 

The authors argues that teachers are responsible for teaching students what they need to know, but more focused attention on the processes of learning might open new avenues of pedagogical possibilities and these avenues may be paved with Web-based technologies that bring museum exhibits from around the world to the classroom. It signifies this blending of formal and informal learning environments, whether actual or virtual, presents students with the most fertile of fields in which to learn.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yiannoutsou, N, Papadimitriou, I., Komis, V., & Avouris, N. (2009)."Playing with" museum exhibits: designing educational games mediated by mobile technology. In Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Interaction Design and Children, Como, Italy, (pp. 230-233). ACM. Resource 4.pdf 

Sharples, Mike., Taylor, Josie., Vavoula, Giasemi. (2005) Tablet Technology for informal collaboration in higher education. Learning Sciences Research Institute

 

This paper discusses how students in higher education handled a trial of Tablet PCs. Students in this study were told to browse through the Tablet PC and use the PC as a method to explore informal aspects of their learning, especially within the realm of collaborative project work.

 

Seventeen students were selected for this study from a third year engineering course. As part of the course, the students are required to complete a class project in teams of six or seven students. The project requires a great deal of collaboration. One student in each group was provided a Tablet PC to aid their group in collaborative efforts on the class project with other groups.

 

Upon beginning the study, the principal investigators started to receive some complaints from the students with the Tablet PC units in regards to the design of the unit. Students complained that the battery life was too short and the performance of the PC was too slow. Several students even tried to use the PC in outdoor settings but soon found out that the brightness of the screen was a major issue in working with outdoor lighting conditions.

 

With all the design inconveniences one would think this project would be a failure. At the end of the project only seven of the 17 original students stopped using their PCs.  The remaining 10 students continued to use their PCs through the end of the project. Investigators found that the PCs greatly enhanced the collaborative activities of the students outside of the classroom on their projects with some students even setting up a community-based file sharing system.

 

Investigators found out that none of the students used the concept-mapping tool in the Tablet PC. Upon further investigation, the investigators found out from the students that the concept-map was poorly designed and needed some work to make things on the application more clear.

Seth J. S., Byron L. Z., & Robert S. W. Broadening the Study of the Self: Integrating the Study of Personal Identity and Cultural Identity. Social and Personality Psychology Compass (2-2), 635-651.

Allan Collins comes to Penn State
April 19th, 11:15am -12:30pm
In room 113 IST building (Cybortorium)

or

at the URL below to view the talk live.
http://live.ist.psu.edu/live/Viewer/?peid=31c2e2ba98ac45538c7705e9d341401d

The digital revolution has hit education, but are schools tapping into the learning potential of today's technologically sophisticated generation?

Allan Collins and Richard Halverson in their new book "Rethinking Education in the Age of Technology : The Digital Revolution and Schooling in America"  argue that to keep pace with a globalized technological culture, we must rethink how we educate the next generation.  
 
They offer a vision for the future of education that goes well beyond the walls of the classroom to include online social networks, distance learning with "anytime, anywhere" access, digital home schooling models, video- game learning environments, and more.
 
Collins is Professor Emeritus of Education and Social Policy at Northwestern University. He is a member of the National Academy of Education, and a fellow of the American Association for Artificial Intelligence, the Cognitive Science Society, the American Educational Research Association, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Sponsored by: 
The Learning Sciences Group
Affiliated with the colleges of
Education, IST, and
Department of Psychology
 

Hall, T. & Bannon, L. (2006). Designing ubiquitous computing to enhance children's learning in museums. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning (22), 231 - 243.

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/cgi-bin/fulltext/118621608/HTMLSTART?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0

This article draws on research conducted at the Hunt Museum in Limerick, Ireland regarding the integration of computing technology into children's museum experiences.  Children (and others) often perceive museums as somber and boring spaces and museum officials are looking for ways to change this perception using technology.  Several types of technologies, including sensors and RFID systems, were integrated into the Re-tracing the Past exhibit and research was done to see the effects of the technologies on children's learning experiences.  Based on their (generally positive) findings, the authors recommend 12 guidelines for designing novel computing to enhance children's learning experiences in museums and five guidelines for the design process itself (pp. 240 - 241).

Hsi, S. & Fait, H. (2005). RFID enhances visitors' museum experience at the Exploratorium. Communications of the ACM (48)9, 60 - 65.

http://delivery.acm.org.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/10.1145/1090000/1082021/p60-hsi.html?key1=1082021&key2=1948721721&coll=portal&dl=ACM&CFID=84268545&CFTOKEN=91012756

This article discusses the use of RFID (radio frequency identification) technologies in museum settings, specifically their use at the Exploratorium in San Francisco, CA.  The system at the Exploratorium is called the eXspot and it allows visitors to capture information about exhibits that they visit, capture souvenir photos that they take at the museum, and access these photos along with online content related to exhibits they have visited on personalized web pages.  RFID technologies enhance visitors' experiences and are also appealing to museums because of their relatively low cost and the potential for improving visitors' learning experiences.  Research has documented that visitors typically remain at exhibits for only 30 seconds and museums are hoping that experiences enhanced by RFID will dramatically increase this statistic.

Teams 3 & 4 - Please go into the google spreadsheet below and sign up to bring something for class next week (4/20).  We decided to just go with general categories of Sweet, Salty and Drinks.  That way you don't have to specify exactly what you're going to bring. 

https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AjopQxzJ1BMFdHNNU0dWbUpsbVB0OUJmMDdRYjBGdnc&hl=en

First Half of Class

We actually would like to do some focus group interviews with you about the course . Here is what we would like to do ... for the first half of class (minus some housekeeping in the beginning), we will have you rotate out to be interviewed by Patricia in your teams.

While you are not being interviewed you can use the time to work on your final synthesis. Cole and I will be there to answer questions or provide guidance if you need it. Let us know if you have any questions, and you are free not to participate in the interviews if you would prefer not to.

Second Half of Class

Once we get through that we'll take a break and then turn class over to Team 4 to lead.

Aesthetics and Usability

• Norman: "Beautiful things work better."
  
• At what point does aesthetics start to overtake usefulness?
• How do we find a balance between the two?
• By focusing on aesthetics (beauty, fun?), do we reduce the pedagogical value of learning tools?
• Group Activity - Improve an existing learning tool (either by improving aesthetics or improving usability... or both!)

The impact of Design on...

• Decisions
• Communication
• Behavior
• ...

• Learning
  

Design with a balance of Play/Fun and Learning

• Digital Storytelling
• Gamelike Elements
• Group Activity - Design a sense of play into ANGEL

http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/singapore07/procs/fermelis.pdf

In brief, this article examines the strategy of moving Self and Peer Assessment (SAPA) for a class of 1000 students from a f2f reporting method to an online environment.  It examines the efficiency, accuracy, and faster return for the results.

For our team synthesis we will be looking at and reflecting on current trends in education and alongside the discourses for our course, we will reflect on the impact that technologies have had in school design. For one of our resources I have looked at the TSSA ( Technology Standards for School Administrators) presented by Western Michigan University alongside with the International Society for Technology and Education. These standards were developed as a guide for administrators in their role for implementing technologies in schools. They present this as a collaborative effort to bring school leaders, teachers, school community, students and higher education faculty together for a consensus on what should be the "effective" use of technology.

The purpose of using this resource is to look at these standards and consider their purpose (both creation and usefulness). The link to the document is below.

When looking at these standards we considered the following queries:
What is the role administrators play in the "effective" implementation of technologies? Does consensus help determine what is "effective"? How is the induction of technologies aid or hinder school reform?

Considering the role of technology and school leadership, we follow the usual practice of establishing standards in order to  prescribe a consonant approach to schooling because it seems like the adequate road to efficiency.  Considering school leadership roles as "managerial" and tying this to technology, it seems like a practical marriage.  When looking at these standards, contemplate the following contentions....
Why standards? Are the traditional roles of school leaders evolving along with technological innovations in school practices? Should they? How are standards important in developing a consistent vision of education, community and society?

TSSA Standards

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VCJ-47RRDP7-4&_user=209810&_coverDate=04%2F30%2F2003&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1293960060&_rerunOrigin=scholar.google&_acct=C000014439&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=209810&md5=643749dee63958b0172611eed4eabb71

http://www.centredaily.com/2010/04/11/1906117/district-debates-training-sessions.html

"When I was trained to teach, I was trained to come up with a 45-minute lecture. ... But the essential thing was me giving you information," said McKnight. "They don't need that anymore. Students can find the information. Get them on Google, they can find it faster than I can give it out. ... They need to know how to think and how to create."

Piece in this past Sunday's Centre Daily Time about Philipsburg-Osceola School District dealing with new teaching methods. They have been dismissing students early on Wednesdays so teachers can focus on professional development. The description in the article sounds like the time is being used for the teachers to talk about their teaching with each other - very community of practice theory. The article sounds also highlights the familiar argument between those that think teaching styles need to change and those that don't. 

Summers, Mark; Volet, Simone. "Students' attitudes towards culturally mixed groups on international campuses: impact of participation in diverse and non-diverse groups" Studies in Higher Education 33.4 (2008). 13 Apr. 2010 <http://www.informaworld.com.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/10.1080/03075070802211430

 

This article takes a look at the interaction of a culturally diverse group of students working together on a group project at a university in Australia.  The article starts by mentioning that previous research has shown that there is minimal interaction between different cultural groups in universities.  They also mention some previous research studies that have shown the benefits that may come from multicultural interaction in group work.  The authors tried to address four questions with their study:

 

(1) How students' attitudes towards multicultural group work change over the course of their undergraduate studies.

(2) The relationship between students' prior multicultural experience and their attitudes towards multicultural group work.

(3) The extent to which students' expressed attitudes towards multicultural group work determine whether they self-select into a mixed or not-mixed group.

(4) How their attitudes change over the course of their participation in a specific group project, and particularly whether their participation in a mixed or non-mixed group has a bearing on the changes that are observed.

 

The study used a complicated scale to evaluate the participants' responses.  I am not sure if I fully understand what the data means but the detail that went into it seems sound.  The study followed the students' feelings toward working with culturally diverse groups as they went through their undergraduate education.  In the summary of their results the author indicate, "...our findings provide support for the view that universities should take measures to promote culturally mixed group assignment work in order to achieve the educational and social goals of internationalization (369)." 

Whether it is a tape recorder, computer, mp3 player or iPad, the introduction of any technology tools into education will always involve answering the question, "Does using technology in schools raise student achievement?"

In Technology and Achievement: The Bottom Line, Harold Wenglinsky discussed the studies he conducted using National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) database, on whether or not technology does raise student's achievement.

Some of the key findings were:

• Middle school students benefit when their teachers include computers into their teaching that in a manner that promotes higher-order thinking in specific content areas. High school students need to be able to deepen their thinking and enhance their work products through technology-driven processes that are the same in such diverse subjects as English, history, trigonometry, and physics.
• More time doing school work on computers at home, led to higher scores on the NAEP assessment. However, those who spent more time on computers in school were likely to achieve a lower score on the NAEP. The finding seems to indicate that teachers can make better use of computers by having students complete such assignments at home rather than at school.
• High school students should not plan their lessons around the computer, rather plan their lesson ordinarily and assume that students are going to involve the use of computers in a variety of ways because students exist in a technology-rich work environment where the use of technology is constant.
• To boost student achievement, computers should not be placed at the centre; rather schools should make sure that students have "generic technology skills" which they will need to be able to apply in utilizing computers for learning across the curriculum.

Issues of assessments/evaluation/measurements have always been integral to the field of education. The rapid deployment of technologies however is challenging the field of assessment partially because some see computers and other technologies as tools where as others see them as learning environments in their own right - the same way a classroom is a learning environment.  Resolving such distinctions may help inform approach to evaluation of achievements and measurements of effectiveness.

Reference:  Wenglinsky, H. (2006) Technology and Achievement: The Bottom Line. Learning in the Digital Age December 2005/January 2006, Volume 63, Number 4, Pages 29-32.  Retrieved from -http://www.hccsc.k12.in.us/technology/tip/Teachers%27%20Academy/The%20Bottom%20Line.pdf

Karen F Osterman.  "Students' need for belonging in the school community. " Review of Educational Research  70.3 (2000): 323-367. ProQuest Education Journals, ProQuest. Web.  12 Apr. 2010.

For full text, click here

There are three questions framing this synthesis:
1. Is the sense of belonging important in an educational setting?
2. Do students experience themselves as members of a community?
3. How do schools influence students' sense of community?

From the psychological perspective, students who experience acceptance feel more highly motivated and engaged in learning and more committed to school, which are closely linked to students performance and quality of learning. In addition, the sense of acceptance also affects the quality of relationships with others.

The research also tells us that conditions in the classroom and school influence students' feelings about themselves and their personal identity. McMillan and Chavis (1986) or Furman (1998) identify the sense of belongingness as the essence of community.

Organizational practices and policies also affect the development of students' sense of community. In general, interpersonal, instructional, and organizational strategies that support positive interaction among students and other members of the school community should enhance students' sense of community.

http://techcrunch.com/2010/04/11/dear-authors-your-next-book-should-be-an-app-not-an-ibook/

I'm 21, I can say with a lot of confidence that the 'books' that come to define my generation will be impossible to print. This is great.

This post relates to our class discussion last week on the interface conventions in the ibooks app - ebooks as a transitionary form between physical books and something new.  I guess time will tell if the author is right or not. 

Stevens_Traces_Museum_Ed.pdf

Stevens, R. & Martell, S. T. (2003). Leaving a trace: Digital meta-exhibits for supporting visitors to represent and exchange their ideas about museum exhibits. Journal of Museum Education 28(2), 25-31. 

 

Based on socio-cultural theory, the article discusses how museums can incorporate digital tools to include visitor feedback and impressions of exhibits and objects within a museum. The article is helpful to our Group 1 endeavor because it provides a discussion of the nonformal educational setting of a museum, which we are interested in, and how that setting can deviate from the traditional transmission model instructional approach to engage visitors in meaning making and learning.

Authors cite lack of infrastructure as one reason why museum (and formal schooling) environments perpetuate the transmission model of teaching.  Elements like the "expert docent tour and the authoritative writings on wall and in catalogs" are examples of the existing infrastructure in place in museums that resists the progressive education constructivist models. The authors ask, "But what infrastructure do museums have to support an alternative image, one that allows for meanings made by visitors to be expressed, exchanged, reflected upon, and revised?" (p. 5). 

The article talks extensively about the Traces Project, which began in 1994, and enables visitors to leave digital representations, or traces, of their interactions with museum objects. They can use already digitized images OR videotape themselves interacting with certain exhibits or objects. They then overlay their voice and/or gestures, and submit their trace to a threaded discussion format for other visitors to see. The benefits of this system are introduced by the authors as: allowing for conversation among visitors (where, according to socio-cultural theory, learning tends to happen), enabling visitors to interact in different ways with the things they are seeing as a way of making meaning, and providing visitors with a voice in a previously authoritarian environment. 

In describing the theoretical impact of the Traces system, the authors reference Star and Greisemer (1989) who define the term boundary objects - a term we've become familiar with in light of Wenger's work. To Star and Greisemer, "Boundary objects are 'those scientific objects which both inhabit several intersecting social worlds and satisfy the informational requirements of each" (p. 16). This is relevant to the Traces Project because the traces themselves can be seen as boundary objects that reach out to the diverse worlds museumgoers represent.While it is clear that the authors are promoting the use of traces in museums, they attend to certain problematics that can be attributed to the systems as well - for example, if someone were to present a "wrong" interpretation of how a tornado system they just interacted with works. In the end, they make a valid argument for the use of systems like the Traces Project as a way of changing the museum going experience.

Sefton-Green, Julian. (2006) Youth, Technology, and Media Cultures. Review of Research in Education 2006 30: 279-306

This piece looks at the changing nature of research questions related to youth and media culture from approximately the last twenty years. In this time there is a shift from media being viewed as a force that acts upon a child's mind (usually in a negative sense) to being something that the child interacts with. Now media is approached as if "the relationship between individuals and social phenomena can be analyzed in the same way as pedagogy (i.e., as an interactive, iterative process rather than a simple, crude, "effect")." (283)

The author asks, ff interactions with media are now being characterized as part of learning, then how do we define formal or informal modes of learning? and is this even important? (298). "Research on media learning seems to find limited opportunities to negotiate with the regimes of more formal and narrowly defined schooling." (299). "The focus of the debate needs to turn away from what counts as learning towards who is doing the counting, when, how often, and so forth." (299)

Moss, Pamela A., Girard, Brian J., Haniford, Laura C. (2006) Validity in Educational Assessment. Review of Research in Education, 30: 109-162

This piece reviewed various theories related to assessment. One validity theory looks at assessment as something that should be tested like any scientific hypothesis to determine whether empirical evidence exists that a given assessment actually measures what it was designed to measure (115). What I wonder is how often educators actually do this? If not then isn't the test simply an end in itself, without any relation to the real world. Reminds me of education as simulation and simulacra in the Jean Baudrillard sense. One thing I wonder is that if we can gather evidence of learning to tell if assessment methods were valid, why bother with the assessment method in the first place? I guess it would be too costly? I currently do not know the methodology of assessing the assessment. Something for me to look in to.

The piece also looks at the role of participation and identity in learning (126 - 128). Participatory learning requires the formation of an identity related to someone that is willing to do what it takes to learn in school and to be a resource to other students (127). The authors look at one case study where the teacher collects evidence of both their ability to solve problems and their evolving identities and participation. Both assessments are needed in order to inform the direction of the day to day practice of teaching (128).

Bentley, Joanne P.H., Tinney, Mari Vawn, and Chia, Bing Howe. (2005). Intercultural Internet-Based Learning: Know Your Audience and What It Values. Educational Technology Research and Development, 53(2). 117-127.

This article addresses the need for understanding of different cultures and the way they approach learning, specifically related to internet based learning.  The authors propose 8 differentials that impact learners perception of quality in an online learning experience.  The differentials include: (a) language, (b) educational culture, (c) technical infrastructure, (d) primary audience, (e) learning styles, (f) reasoning patterns, (g) cultural context, and (h) social context.


Some key points related to our discussion of culture, identity, and learning:

Many American training products use models that do not fit the varying teaching and learning styles of other cultures (Dunn & Griggs, 1995).

Thinking patterns in the form of reasoning, and approaches to problem solving are valued differently from culture to culture.

Many high-context international learners (typically from group-oriented cultures such as the Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Latin American, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, French, and Vietnamese) have difficulty using online courses prepared in the United States, because of both their limited ability in English and their conflicting learning preferences, which do not easily accommodate to using materials prepared by and for low-context culture users (those from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, and most of Western Europe, including Scandinavia).

Differences in thinking patterns can lead to misunderstandings in intercultural communication and in education, because these affect students in how they interact with course content, in assumptions designers make in designing the course content, and in expectations about what courses offer and how to successfully complete
them.

High-context learners require more social context in order to read the meaning of the communication and how to respond appropriately.

Zimmerman, H.T., Kanter, D.E., Ellenbogen, K., Lyons, L., Zuiker, S.J., Satwicz, T., Martell, S.T., Brown, M., Hsi, S., Smith, B.K., Phipps, M., Jordan, R., Weible, J., Gamrat, C., Loh, B., Ma, J. Technologies and Tools to Support Informal Science.

This paper asks a couple simple, yet key questions of the role of tools and technologies in supporting informal science learning. The questions asked in this paper are:

- How can learning technologies, tools, spaces, and places be designed to support learners within and across environments?

- How do these studies of learning technologies provide insight into how to support learners, not only within settings but also across environments?

- How can these learning technologies support field-level collaboration across institutional lines of practitioner, researcher, and evaluator?

In order to answer these questions, the authors of this paper looked at the role of tools that are used to support the learning processes in informal spaces including but not limited to, access to, and distribution of, information, feedback and reflection, and social interaction.

Through a session funded by NSF titled Building Capacity and Collaboration at the Intersection of the Learning Sciences and Informal Science Education, researchers came up with eight different exemplars to answer the above questions. The exemplars that they came up with are as follows:

1. Using the demand for data in a project-based science curriculum to bridge high school biology classrooms and an informal science center.

2. Rain Table: Visualization technology using complex datasets that allows learners to control and follow water flow across the Earth's surface.

3. Mobile devices transforming the museum experience: Opportunistic user interfaces to exhibits.

4. Cyber-stretching: The Taiga biome around kids' worlds.

5. Understanding the pieces of knowledge in informal learning environments.

6.  Using digital photography on an Internet portal to extend and enrich outdoors learning experiences.

7. Innovate Tools and Student Perceptions of Technology: Owl Tracking and GIS Mapping with Fifth and Sixth Graders

8. Take a Stand: Creating an immersive social experience with people tracking, 3D game technology, and interactive storyteling.   

Here is an article from 2008 discussing MIT's OpenCourseWare, Creative Commons, and other OERs and how they have been affecting education.

Merchant, G. (2006). Identity, Social Networks and Online Communication. E-Learning. 3(2), pp.235-244.

In the literature on digital culture, identity in online communication has attracted considerable attention by focusing on the fact that there is something about changing patterns and practices of interaction through new media that raises important questions about social identity. Merchant argues that this interest is concerned with two considerations: one related to the affordances of the technology itself, and the other based on an account of the wider social conditions in which new technology is embedded. 

The former explanation derives from an acknowledgement of the impact of the recent and rapid increase in alternatives to face-to-face communication. With the new technology that makes people communicate with those who are geographically remote, online environments became a place that enable us to interact in different ways than previously imaginable and also provide a context for new kinds of identity performance or have helped to create a new kind of person.

The latter explanation derives from a broader view of the contemporary social context. Wide-reaching changes in the society, which have had both global and local impact, produced the necessity and the desire to create and maintain new kinds of social networks. The changes required the development of particular communicative tools and new possibilities for constructing and performing social identities have emerged. 

By exploring the shift in social organization from location-based communities to globalized networks, the author suggests that we develop a richer view of the varied contexts and audiences for identity performance. 

Xiao, Lu., & Carroll, J. (2007). Fostering an informal learning community of computer technologies at school. Behaviour & Information Technology, 26(1). 23-36.

 

This article describes an online course design project in which a group of students designed an online health course for their middle school and teachers played the roles of facilitators and learners. During the project process, the students learned to use the open source courseware Moodle and designed the course website. The authors point out that learning progressions from informal learning activities can be classified into four categories (Foster, 1997).

 

w  Personal progression where participants gain greater confidence and self-esteem, thus increasing self-efficiency, achieving better understanding of subjects, changing career plans, and improving literacy;

w  Social progression where participants create a wider social network and increase community participation;

w  Economic progression where participants get better jobs and better pay; and

w  Educational progression where participants continue learning in a more systematic and intentional way (p. 34).

 

This online course design project led to significant self-development outcomes such as greater "autonomy, improved personal and social skills, and significantly increased self-confidence and self-esteem" (p. 34).

 

School is formal learning community where "the learning in question will be much more restricted and externally defined than an informal learning community" (p. 26). The implication of designing a community website supports an informal learning community in terms of bridging school and non-school life by encouraging students to engage in authentic activities. This article suggests that fostering an informal learning community of computer technologies at school as "a supplemental method of formal computer education to address the shift in educational context and as a place offering opportunities for students to work on real-life projects and solve real-life problems" (p. 34).

 

 

 

Rusk, N., Resnick, M., & Cooke, S. (2009). Origins and guiding principles of the Computer Clubhouse. In Y. B. Kafai, K. A. Peppler & R. N. Chapman (Eds.), The Computer Clubhouse: Constructionism and Creativity in Youth Communities (pp. 17 - 25). New York: Teachers College Press.

 

Our team is researching the topic of technology in informal/non-formal education settings and this article discusses a particular program that is based specifically on the use of technology.  The program, called Computer Clubhouse, was started over 15 years ago in response to youth's interest in a hands-on program that had taken place at the Computer Museum in Boston. In the article the authors discuss the principles that were used to found the program and which still heavily influence it today. These principles speak directly to our course topics of community, identity, and design. 

 

The first principle is to support learning through design experiences.  The authors believe that "too many educational initiatives try to transmit or deliver information to learners" (p. 18) so this principle, based on constructionism, seeks to allow learning to be a creative process, where learners are creating something that is meaningful to themselves or others around them.  The authors include the creative design spiral (see below) to illustrate the process that Clubhouse members use when working on projects. 

 

The second principle of the Clubhouse is to help members build on their own interests.  As the authors state, "helping youth develop their interests is not just a matter of letting them do what they want... they need support to make [their] fantasies come true" (p. 20).   Under this principle, technology (specifically the computer) is used in many different domains, allowing students to try out a variety of things like music, art, math and science. Students are encouraged to develop their own identities through exposure to a wide variety of activities. 

 

The third principle is to cultivate an emergent community of learners.  The typical computer lab closely resembles the first of the two pictures that we (Team 1) posted in class on Tuesday.  Computer Clubhouse spaces are designed to have the feel of a creative design studio and to facilitate students (and students and mentors) working together.  Communities emerge over time based on common interests and students are able to "float" in and out of communities at any time as their interests develop/change.  The communities include mentors from diverse cultural and academic/professional backgrounds, which allows students to be exposed to people who are working on things that they care about.  This may be something that these students do not get to experience outside of the Clubhouse environment.

 

The final principle of the Clubhouse is to create an environment of respect and trust.  None of the other principles can be put into practice without this type of environment.  Students need a place where they feel safe to try new things and where they will not be criticized for their ideas or mistakes.

 

The Clubhouse provides a good model for a successful informal/non-formal education program that integrates technology.  In my opinion, it also provides a good model that formal education should try to embrace.  I often wonder why some schools/teachers tend to see things like respect for students and their interests and the development of community as less than important in the traditional school setting.  If these principles were applied in "regular" school settings, perhaps more students would be successful and see school in a positive light.

I have been reading the National Educational Technology Plan and here are some ideas I've noted:

2 Main goals: By 2020, 1) raise the proportion of college graduates from 39% to 60%.  2) Get all students, regardless of race, income, or neighborhood, to graduate from high school.

We need to rethink 3 things: learning, assessment, and teaching. There is a drive to rethink learning as connections and collaborations (much as Wenger believes, or Siemens). There should be core competencies, but students should get tailored learning experiences according to their interests. Students should be connected to parents, experts, others via technology. Assessment should be non-intrusive, formative, and real-time. Teachers should use technology to improve their own practice, by learning from others.

Rethink assumptions: 1) Why should education be seat-based or time-based? Why not organize around competency rather than rigid semesters/years? Why not do other schedules instead of "you have to be in your seat at 7:30 until 10"? 2) Why group students together by age? Why not by competency? 3) Why group students into separate academic classes? Why not combine math and reading together? 4) Why are classes all the same size?

Goals put forth by the administration (that I think are relevant to our class):
1. Revise, create, and adopt standards and learning objectives...that reflect 21st century expertise and the power of technology to improve learning.
2. Design, develop, and adopt technology-based content, resources, and online learning communities that create opportunities for educators to collaborate for more effective teaching.
3. Develop and adopt a common definition of productivity in education and more relevant and meaningful measures of learning outcomes and costs.
4. Rethink basic assumptions in our education system that inhibit leveraging technology to improve learning.
5. Design, implement, and evaluate technology-powered programs that ensure our students progress through K-16 and emerge prepared for the workplace and citizenship.

Via http://www.flickr.com/photos/fdecomite/

We will start out with a short presentation on this topic, then have a discussion based on the points below:

1) The picture from the presentation - What is the first thing that comes to your mind? How does your view on disruptive technology inform what you see in this picture?

2) Find or create a picture that says something about your discussion of community, identity and design.

3) Design literacy - Do people have a say in how things are designed? What about education? Should people have a say in how their education is designed? What literacies do they need to be able to do this? Pacione talks of the rise of design literacy (See Summary here: http://blogs.tlt.psu.edu/courses/disruptive/2010/04/who-is-design-literate.html)

Sorry for the late posting. I just experienced a frustrating technology meltdown and realized how important it is to back up the system whenever you can. If you haven't done it, do it now.

I used ProQuest from the library to start a massive survey about the articles that are related to student participation and its assessment. Even though my original idea was to gain some insights for teachers' assessment, the focus of students' assessment in this article seems to me as important as that of the teachers. So, here you are...

Trees, A. R. & Jackson, M. H. (2007, March). The learning environment in clicker classrooms: student processes of learning and involvement in large university-level courses using student response systems. Learning, Media and Technology 32 (1), 21-40.

Online (In-Text) Abstract:

To explore what social and educational infrastructure is needed to support classroom use of student response systems (Roschelle et al., 2004), this study investigated the ways in which student characteristics and course design choices were related to students' assessments of the contribution of clicker use to their learning and involvement in the classroom. Survey responses of over 1500 undergraduates enrolled in seven large enrollment 'clicker courses' offered by three university departments are analyzed. A number of factors contribute to students' positive perception of clickers: a desire to be involved and engaged, a view that traditional lecture styles are not best, valuing of feedback, class standing, previous experience with lecture courses, anticipated course performance, and amount of clicker use in the classroom. These results underscore the importance of considering social and communication elements of the classroom when adopting student response technology.

Some Annotations:

Instead of viewing large classroom in higher education as an undesirable classroom management, the researchers force readers (educators) to admit the inevitableness of large classes. I ponder on this a lot. As an education research, should I critically think about improvement based on the status quo or to change the status quo? Is it impossible/difficult/inappropriate to change it? The article also recognizes the difficulties for both teachers' engaging students and students' involvement in class. Clickers, according to the article, is a very simple and effective tool to allow both teachers and students to have certain access to the interactivity of the courses.  With little attempt to claim that Clickers or similar technology response systems are effective in engaging students fully, the data within show the potential of it. People might hold some doubts to its use of multiple choice questions as the measurement, but this seems to be a good starting point to involve more students in class engagement. 

The second half of today is up to team 3. 

Introducing Identity is the first chapter in a book called Youth, Identity, and Digital Media, published as part of a MacArthur foundation series on Digital Media and Learning.  In this chapter, David Buckingham introduces the idea of identity, and briefly describes how identity will be addressed in subsequent chapters, as well as how the theories and approaches to studying identity can be tied in with digital media. 

Buckingham initially discusses the ambiguity of the term identity, something that was a recurring topic in our group discussions.  He presents the idea that definitions of identity are strained between the thought that identity is something fixed, unique to each individual, and consistent (as in the case of a national identity card), and the paradoxical understanding that identity implies a relationship with a broader social group (nation, culture, gender, etc).   "One one level, I am the product of my unique personal biography.  Yet who I am (or who I think I am) varies according to who I am with, the social situations in which I find myself, and the motivations I may have at the time, although I am by no means entirely free to choose how I am defined. " (p 1)  Our group is considering identity,  possibly through the lens of cultural differences, so this quote caught my attention.  I'm still considering how it applies in inter-cultural situations, but I liked the idea that I think I am someone,  which may be different than who I actually am to others, and I define myself by what I do and with whom, but am still not free to entirely choose how I am defined. 

Buckingham goes on to introduce the five key approaches to thinking about identity, which are subsequently addressed in full chapters of the book.  The first two approaches are specific to youth: Identity Formation and Youth Culture.  The first is a psychological look at identity, while the second is a sociological view.   Identity formation includes references to work from Erik Erikson (1968) and James Marcia, who viewed adolescence as a period of "identity crisis," a time in which a person considers potential life choices and make an investment in certain decisions.  Marcia details statuses of identity, which represent different positions throughout the process.  Erikson considers adolescence as a "psychosocial moratorium" in which young people can experiment with different potential identities.  Buckingham states that digital media can help to exemplify this process - allowing students a variety of forums in which they can put forth or create different identities.  The sociological perspective focuses more on the culture of youth, and the process of socialization.   Buckingham refers to research by Steven Miles and Andy Bennett, which "suggests that contemporary youth cultures are increasingly diverse and fragmented, and that they are best seen not as a matter of self-contained 'subcultures' but in a more fluid way, as 'scenes' or 'lifestyles' to which young people may be only temporarily attached." 

The third section is about social identity - individual and group, something that came up in our group discussions about "core identity" and "socially-situated identity".  The article begins an interesting discussion about whether there is an individual identity and a group identity.  In reference to Erving Goffman's work from the 1950's, Buckingham challenges his idea that the personal identity is somehow more "truthful" than the social identity.  This discussion is of interest to me, and I will likely find and read the chapter dedicated to this idea. 

The fourth approach to identity is politics - social power.  There is a field of study specific to identity politics.  The idea is that questions of identity are inevitably tied up with the issue of social status.  Identity politics calls for "recognition of aspects of identity that have previously been denied, marginalized, or stigmatized" (p7).  The interesting part of this section to me is that identity politics is interested in identity because of a difference, not in spite of that difference.  Buckingham notes that this is dangerous, because the claim to authenticity is based on opposition with another identity.  It also risks fixing identity based on historical origins or characteristics, and ignoring diversity.  As related to digital media, it's possible that online environments help to alleviate identity politics.  However, I just heard recently that in some gaming environments, there are effectively racist behaviors, not based on the player's actual identity, but on that which is selected to be a characteristic of the game avatar. 

The final approach is identity in social theory.  Buckingham introduces Anthony Giddens' argument that identity is changing in "late modern" societies.   Giddens claims that the beliefs and practices historically associated with formation of identity are not as strong in society, and thus individuals are making independent choices about appearance, life destinations, and relationships - choices which have not always been available in the past.  Giddens sees identity as fluid and malleable, rather than fixed.  Buckingham then introduces additional (sometimes contrasting) arguments.   Foucault discusses a shift in social power from being held by sovereign authorities to being held in social relationships - individuals regulate themselves and others, rather than being regulated by an outside entity. 

After introducing the remaining chapters of the book, Buckingham addresses some broad points about how we understand digital technology, youth, and learning.  First, he addresses technology determinism, discussing both the idea that technology emerges from a neutral process of scientific research and development.  It is seen as an autonomous force independent of human society and acts upon it from the outside.   The opposing viewpoint is that technology is shaped entirely by existing social relations.  Technology is simply a matter of what people make of it, with no inherent qualities or values.  The next section is about rethinking the digital generation -  the author warns of adopting either extreme when discussing youth, or the digital generation - one extreme being that technology is threatening or destroying childhood, social interaction, and causing addiction, obesity, antisocial behavior, stunted imaginations, etc, and the other extreme being that technology is a force of liberation, creating a generation that is more open, creative, democratic, and innovative than any other.    The final section of the chapter discusses digital media and places of learning, addressing points that technology is or is not capable of creating authentic learning environments. 

Buckingham, David. "Introducing Identity." Youth, Identity, and Digital Media.  Edited by David Buckingham.  The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Series on Digital Media and Learning.  Cambridge, MA. The MIT Press, 2008. 1-24.

Hall, R. (2009). Towards a Fusion of Formal and Informal Learning Environments: the Impact of the Read/Write Web. Electronic Journal of e-Learning, 7(1), 29-40.

 

This article argues that the read/write web should be used proactively by educators to enable learners to fuse "their situated, informal and formal educational spaces, and thereby enhance the production of educational output" (p. 30). As we know, since the impact of read/write web, or web 2.0 on learner engagement within higher education is a central focus of current e-learning research, the implications of the read/write web is reconsidered in the light of "extending environments for situated, informal education, and of addressing the blurring of the boundaries between personal, social spaces and formal learning contexts" (p. 29). The author states that these tools/technology enable spaces for learners "to extend their own formal learning into more informal places though the fusion of web-based tools into a task-oriented personal learning environment within educational contexts" (p.29). That is, by utilizing these tools/technologies, learners can create new spaces and contexts for enriching formal education through informal activities, where learners are empowered to make decisions about the tools that support their personal approaches to learning. In addition, importantly, the article says that learners are able to develop further "control over their learning experiences" and move towards their own "subject-based mastery" (p. 39), positively extending participation and the development of critical literacy.

Carter, Prudence (2006). Straddling boundaries: Identity culture and school. Sociology of Education 79, 304-328

 

Race, ethnicity, culture, and identity play a role to all students. This study investigated what these four factors to do with participants' perception on school, education, and identity of their own. Four research questions are asked: How do low-income African American and Latino youths negotiate the boundaries between school and peer group contexts? Do variable forms of negotiation exist? If so, what are they, and how do they manifest? The researcher classified participants into three groups: the cultural mainstreamers, the cultural straddlers, and the noncompliant believers based on their perspective in their behaviors to themselves and their peers regarding language, dress, music, friendship, political attitudes and so forth.

The cultural mainstreamers incorporate themselves in schools and beyond. Cultural straddlers move between mainstream worlds and their peers. Noncompliant believers criticize mainstream worlds and maintain their specific cultural styles. The findings found four insights of the relationship of identity and schooling. First, though participants share similar socioeconomic background very in their attitudes and behaviors toward acting white phenomenon. Second, participants who are labeled as acting white vary in achievement levels. Third, resistance to acting white has a broader meaning than it ascribed in the literature. Resistance to acting white is mainly about adhering to culture styles that are not perceived to achievement and social mobility. Fourth, high achieving minority students may be more likely to be exposed to styles that are deemed white. Cultural straddlers seem to be able to traverse the boundaries among multiple cultural environments and build their multidimensional identities.

Ogbu, John U. "Understanding Cultural Diversity and Learning." Educational Researcher 21.8 (1992). American Educational Research Association. Web. 30 Mar. 2010. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/1176697>.

Our group has decided to take a look at cultural issues in the formation of identity.  This article, written by John Ogbu, talks about the relationships that exist between minority cultures and the American mainstream culture. Minorities with different cultural frame to the American mainstream culture have greater difficulty crossing cultural boundaries at school to learn.

One point in the article stood out to me regarding communities.  Ogbu says that "What the children bring to school-their communities' cultural models or understandings of "social realities" and the educational strategies that they, their families, and their communities use or do not use in seeking education are as important as within-school factors."  I believe this is an important part of schools in the United States that is overlooked sometimes.  The design of our curriculum does not always address cultural and community differences, making it difficult for some students to identify with their school and perform well.

In this article, the authors discuss how digital and social networking technologies can be used in informal/nonformal educational settings, like museums, to increase visitor participation and agency. They argue that just as formal educational institutions need to move away from the traditional, transmission models of learning, so should the more informal education venues. By understanding how people (they target young people - students in K-12) learn with technology, museums should incorporate more opportunities for participatory design and collaborative practices and that "Existing transmission models of learning may not take into account the ability to share resources for the purpose of reflection" (p.4). They emphasize the fact that with wikis, blogs, and other social media comes a new form of knowledge sharing that both formal and informal sites of learning must utilize. "Social media technologies have broadened learning options, shifting the focus from individual/institutional custodianship to participatory relationships where those involved in the learning process are seeking and sharing new knowledge" (p. 4). In this way, the authors argue, power structures and visitor agency are shifted. 

The article I read is "Evolution of the Mind: A Case for Design Literacy," by Chris Pacione from the School of Design Carnegie Mellon University. Pacione argues that the conclusion of the first decade in the 21st century will take with it the information age; what will result from the "new mind shift" will be the design age. 


In the design age, which has also been described as the "conceptual age", "creative age" and "innovative culture, " design will no longer belong to professional designers (e.g., industrial, graphic, interface, fashion), but will be in the hands of the masses, the same way that mathematics is in the hands of all and not only mathematicians. 


Pacione argues that the communal ownership of mathematics led to a "math literate" population, in which individuals are able to perform calculations needed to solve everyday problems at home or work. This shared knowledge did not however detract from mathematicians who have the skills to compute quadratics equation and other complex calculations. Similarly, a "design literate" population will posses "skills in inquiry, evaluation, ideation, sketching, and prototyping;" where individuals do not need to have expert knowledge "graphic or industrial designer might employ, such as typography, color theory, or CAD, but basic skills that are well within the full range of everyone's cognitive and kinesthetic capabilities and serve our everyday needs" (pg.9).


Discussion:

Conversation on design and who is a designer will become more common as creation technologies become more, available, affordable, and easier to use. In that regard, anyone can be a designer because anyone can create.

The proliferation of technology has created a more enlightened, "design literate" consumer; one who is more evaluative and will not simply accept everything and anything created by "the experts". The benefit of a design literate population as described by Pacione, should create customers or consumers who are able to better articulate the needs and desires that they would like to be met by whatever is being design and there by resulting in a much more mutually beneficial partnership.

One of the question  I am still left with is, are the consumer/customers of education design literate?

Reference:

Pacione, C. (2010). Evolution of the mind: a case for design literacy, Interactions Magazine, Volume 17, Issue 2, - March/April 2010

I have been searching and browsing through various databases on the PSU library's website looking for articles to start rounding out my experience with this class. I have a slew of pdfs and citations saved. Not sure how I am going to move through these. Before I get to writing about the specific articles, I thought I'd post a little bit about the process. I have come to view scholarly publishing as a slow web. Articles exist situated in a web formed by bibliographies, and tend to be somewhat dialogic with other pieces they reference. Instead of URLs you can click on, you get citations which you have to search for and content may or may not be available without physically traveling to a library. I find I don't have the tools yet to determine which pieces are of a higher quality than others. On the web, I approach content with some skepticism, but I can quickly search to find many opinions and use the to formulate my own approach. It is much harder to do this with the slow web. Perhaps as I am newcomer to this world, I still don't have the skill to tell the difference between a academic nigerian scammer email and an academic wikipedia article. I am fascinated by this alternate, hidden world of information and dialogue and I hope to spend years to come exploring it.
Here is the piece I chose to read to this week:
Väljataga, T., & Fiedler, S. (2009). Supporting students to self-direct intentional learning projects with social media. Educational Technology & Society, 12 (3), 58-69.

This article describes a course similar to this disruptive technologies course in that it is based around participation in social media and has a content related to education. The course described in the article seemed to have more of a bent towards distance learning and purely technology-mediated interactions. I am curious if formal self-directed learning experiences can act as a scaffold to move students into the entirely self-motivated, self-managed informal education that can happen on the internet.

Another article:

Merchant, G. (2009). Web 2.0, new literacies, and the idea of learning through participation. English Teaching: Practice and Critique, Volume 8, Number 3, pp. 107-122

The author, among other things, uses flickr as a specific example of community learning around a shared practice, in this case images. This is interesting to my because I observed many interactions in flickr centered around informal learning and teaching. I think there is something interesting happening there that may deserve to be understood in greater detail.

Still, both these pieces are very specific to certain tools and limited experiences. I'd like to find a way to tie all this together with the broader questions of "what is knowledge?", "what is learning?"

We are going to integrate community, identity and design into school setting. Some essential components are here: students, administrators, teachers and school atmosphere. Here are two papers regarding to this topic: "What Is a School Community, Anyway?",written by Sam Redding, and "Schools as Learning Communities: A Vision for Organic School Reform", written by Diana B. Hiatt-Michael.

In the first paper, the author considers "community" as a feeling of warmth and joy, which gives rise to thoughts of mutuality, camaraderie, and trust. A school community is an assemblage of the people intimately attached to each other, including teachers, administrators, students, and students' families. He pulled into diffirent definitions of school community, such as Frank Belcastro's calling upon the PTA to serve as a broker of community-building efforts in the school; or Samuel Peng's drawing the public library into school community orbit, etc.
On the basis of three constructs: a) the school as a community b) the school in the community and c) the school and the community, the author pulls into different researchers' lens and considers the school as a) a community, b) an entity within larger sets of communities, and c) inclusive of smaller communities within itself.

The second paper is based on school reform because of the awareness of changing students' learning community to a wider globalization one. The paper address the qualities of a learning organization and educational leaders' tasks, changing the goals of the organization and  promoting school as a learning community so that learning could become a lifelong endeavor and is rewarded for all participants.
The autuor uses many references to develop his vision. One is from Wenger (1999) that workers function most effectively as communities of practice, which focuses on the environment that fasters learning and change by each member of the community, operating in an open and interdependent work environment (p.115).
In addition, Hiatt-Michael proposes four essential elements for a learning community and describes in detail with two examples: a servant leader, a shared moral purpose, a sense of trust and respect among all members and an open environment for collaborative decision-making.
Also he categorizes the ways to create a learning community into three phases via some detailed examples: a) encompassing moral purpose of the organization, b) creating an open work environment and c) evaluation of efforts. Finally he states that decentralization is a key to a school becoming a learning community, which must be a win-win situation for all involved.  

    

Just a note that Scott and I are hanging out to watch the. Final four tonight and we are geeing out with our new iPads. I think it is safe to say we like it.

Bull, G., Thompson, A., Searson, M., Garofalo, J., Park, J., Young, C., Lee, J., (2008) Connecting informal and formal learning: Experiences in the age of participatory media. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education 8(2)    

This article explains how new media devices such as YouTube, Wikipedia, blogs and social networks have "boomed" with users over the past couple years. The majority of users on many of these new media outlets are teenagers. New media is constantly being created by school students outside of the schools but has to be developed within the school. Several reasons why creative expression media has yet to be developed inside of the schools are as follows:

 -School content must address specific learning objectives.

- Many learning objectives are subject to time constraints.

- Addition of technology can increase the complexity of classroom management.

- Schools are heavily invested in print technologies and often constrain the use of Internet access in ways that limit the access to online media tools.

- Teachers have limited models for effective integration of media in their teaching.

- Only limited research is available to guide best practice.

One of the main reasons why new media technology has not been introduced into school is because of the added complexity of the technology along with the time constraints in the classroom. Since the technology is new and requires practice to learn, finding time for the practice to learn how to use the new technology may be hard to find. One possible solution to this problem is informal learning.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) defines informal learning as "learning and engagement that occurs outside formal school settings." Informal learning is shaped around the identity of the learner where the learner is able to pick the settings that he or she wants to learn in that conform to their identity. The informal learning can occur in youth club settings, museums, or online communities where multiple identities can be merged into one. 

One of the best ways to link informal learning to formal settings in school is to have educators design pedagogies that "bridge" the in-school and out-of-school learning experiences. However, when designing these pedagogies one must keep in mind that learning objectives must be maintained and met.  

 

Kosmitzki, C. (1996). The Reaffirmation of Cultural Identity in Cross-Cultural Encounters. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Vol. 22, No. 3, 238-248.

This article focuses on the importance of cultural identity for individuals which might be challenged and potentially modified in the context of intercultural contact. 

Based on the assumption that social groups represent the crucial link between social environment and individual identity, the author presupposes 

that changes in the larger cultural environment would have profound consequences for cultural groups. 

To examine whether intergroup contact facilitates cultural identification with the "native cultural group", or whether cultural contact facilitates identification with the "nonnative cultural group", bicultural group and monocultural group of German and English were participated in the study. 

The results show that intercultural contact did not seem to facilitate the acquisition of perception and identity of the nonnative culture. Rather, bicultural individuals tended to reaffirm their original cultural identity regardless of their nationality. 

Measuring Assessment: A method for investigating undergraduate assessment

A.C. Crook
Centre for the Development of Teaching and Learning
The University of Reading, UK

 J.R. Park
School of Agriculture, Policy and Development
The University of Reading, UK


In Measuring Assessment: A method for investigating undergraduate assessment, the authors focused on the assessment strategies implemented in undergrad courses.  The authors wanted to investigate how students were being assessed, what types of assessments were used, and the quality of the feedback they received on those assessments.  Two groups of students were asked to keep an electronic assessment diary in they logged various bits of information including the type of assessment, when it was due, if it was team based or an individual assignment, and what percent it was worth in relation to the overall final grade for the course.  The findings conveyed that the instructors chose 'conservative' assessment methods for their courses which mainly focused on writing assignments, presentations, and exams.

http://radicalpedagogy.icaap.org/content/issue9_2/Corrigan_Chapman.html

Romi, S. & Schmida, M. (2009). Non-formal education: a major educational force in the            postmodern era. Cambridge Journal of Education 39(2), 257 - 273.

 

In this article the authors attempt to define and operationalize the term non-formal education (NFE) more clearly than they believe has been done in the past.  Citing authors such as Dewey and Kahane, they define NFE as an educational-pedagogical activity that takes place outside of school, free of the structural and formal conditions usually present in school, and in which people participate by choice.  According to the authors, the main differences between NFE and formal education are more flexibility, greater freedom of space and time, and the use of "'quality norms' rather than 'regulatory and punitive approaches'" (p. 269) in NFE.  The authors also discuss the impact of NFE on participants' identities, stating that, "NFE aims, to a great extent, to help adolescents cope with their struggle toward forming their personal identity" (p. 266) and that NFE "enables group members to assume different roles, and even different identities, according to changing conditions" (p. 267).  Finally, the authors discuss the use of technology in NFE.  They believe that technology can support NFE through the formation of computerized learning environments, providing learners with success that may not be attainable in traditional formal settings.  Technology can also support NFE through the application of distance education, specifically in areas where formal education may be lacking.