Category: Reading Summary

Summary of The LilyPad Arduino: Using computational textiles to investigate engagement, aesthetics, and diversity in computer science educationbyBuechley, L., Eisenberg, M., Catchen, J., & Crockett, A. (2008).

According to Buechley et al, the Lilypad Arduino textile computing kit was created with the goal of producing “a system analogous to Lego Mindstorms” that would allow kids and adults to become interested in computing and electronics by creating pieces of fashion that had electronic components in them. With this modest goal in mind, Buechley and her team set out to discover what the best way to design such a builder kit would be. However, through that journey, instead of only finding an engaging format for their build-your-own clothes-with-electronics kit, they found that the results of their experiment suggested and reinforced a core aspect of technology: that our decisions around how, and when to use technology must take into consideration the values and ambitions of those we mean to engage with it.

To test the Lilypad Arduino’s usability and engagement potential, Buechley et al ran six workshops with a range of participants. Throughout these workshops they were able to refine the design of both the hardware, and software components of the kit to maximize engagement. After each workshop they would survey willing participants, and what they found was that the Lilypad Arduino had a very high engagement rate. In fact, participants responded that they were now more likely to take part in electronics and computer science programs . This was particularly surprising because the overwhelming majority of participants in the workshops were female. The rate of participation of women in computer science programs has plummeted from 37% in 1985, to 17% in 2006 (Buechley et atl, 2008).

It is remarkable given these numbers that the Lilypad Arduino drew so many female participants, and that they were highly engaged with the process of building and programming electronic systems. Buechley et al’s research suggests that by placing electronic systems building in the context of something that young women already value (fashion), the activity becomes more engaging. Recently there have been efforts to increase women’s participation in computer science programs. Buechley et al’s research is remarkable then because it suggests that instead of asking ” ‘how can we get girls and women to participate in traditional computer science and support them once they are there?’, we should ask: ‘how can we integrate computer science with activities and communities that girls and women are already engaged in?’ ” (2008).

What is the Lilypad Arduino?

The Lilypad Arduino is “kit consists of a microcontroller and an assortment of sensors and actuators in stitch-able packages” (Buechley et al, 2008). As an example, a young girl that participated in one of the workshops Buechley et al hosted embedded an LED light and sensors to her jacket. The LED light would change colour when she performed certain arm gestures that would be detected by sensors in the jacket’s sleeves.

By clicking on the following tag cloud, you will see an interactive summary of the key terms in the article.

Reflection Questions for post- reading:

• What communities have you worked with were technology did not take into account their values and preferences?
• How can we best engage traditionally disconnected communities with and through technology?

References:

• Buechley, L., Eisenberg, M., Catchen, J., & Crockett, A. (2008). The LilyPad Arduino: Using computational textiles to investigate engagement, aesthetics, and diversity in computer science education. Proceedings of the twenty-sixth annual SIGCHI conference on Human factors in computing systems (pp. 423-432), Florence, Italy, 5-10 April. Library Portal Access (ACM Digital Archive database)

Summary of Technological cultures by Monohan, T. (2005).

Monohan asserts that the creation of official IT positions within school districts to manage technological infrastructure investments has “split the classic dichotomy between administrators and teachers, leading to profound destabilizations of authority and to many contentious turf wars.” (2005, p. 74)

The article looks at some of the different occupational groups in the Los Angeles Unified School District discussing their roles, locations and influence. He proclaims these positions “taken as a whole, constitute a powerful present and emergent IT occupational group consisting of multiple cultures. This IT group, while clearly not homogeneous or unified, is gradually gaining authority over domains previously controlled by other groups” (2005, p. 80).

Monohan goes on to explain that while in the eyes of some; “technology is an equalizing force that neutralizes power asymmetries in the organization, this interpretation elides the agency of IT specialists to nurture dependencies that happen to grant them more job stability and resource control in L.A. Unified.” (2005, p. 85)

The article concludes by looking at the role of informal networks. “Informal networks could serve as a model for human-centered flexible relations within the organization, because while they may bend the rigid rules of the school district, they also spur innovation, tap latent possibilities, and provide local responsiveness to students and teachers. That said, informal networks would not be so necessary if the institution of public education and its organizational manifestations adapted better to the needs of people rather than forcing people to adapt to them.” (2005, p. 91)

By clicking on the following tag cloud, you will see an interactive summary of the key terms in the article.

Reflection Questions for post- reading:

• What technological cultures are there where you work?
• Which are you apart of?
• How do they influence each other?
• How do they influence student learning?

References:

Monahan, T. (2005). Technological cultures. In Globalization, technological change and public education (pp. 73-92). New York: Routledge.

Summary of What is culture? by Petrina, S. (2009).

In order to understand how culture is related to educational technology and anthropology, we must attempt to understand what is meant by culture itself. According to Petrina (2008), ancient societies had various meanings for the word culture which referred to the cultivation of agriculture and then of the connection of people with nature, and eventually cultivating the mind. There are many definitions of culture which Petrina describes in his article and Sociologists and Anthropologists have differing perspectives about the definition of culture. There are many components to all views of culture that Clifford Geertz compares to patterns or webs of meaning.  Cultural studies deal with the production and circulation of meaning. Petrina includes a piece by Alan Gordon describing the new cultural history where the focus is on the meaning of things and events rather on causation. New cultural historians look to understand the past through ways that competing groups construct meaning. New cultural historians see the everyday actions of ordinary people as “important to the understanding of power relations in human societies.”, Gordon, in Petrina, 2009. It is important to note that Cultural studies are not neutral and have political action at their base.

By clicking on the following tag cloud, you will see an interactive summary of the key terms in the articles.

Key Words

Culture has many definitions within and between disciplines. A common definition put forward by Bates and Plog (1990) states that culture is the system of shared beliefs, values, customs, behaviours, and artifacts that the members of society use to cope with their world and with one another, and that are transmitted from generation to generation through learning. Petrina combines the three disciplinary definitions to conceptulaize culture:

• Learning
• Aesthetic development
• Socialization or acculturation
• Patterns
• Worldviews
• Symbolic acts

Cultural History refers to both an academic discipline and its subject matter. It combines anthropology and history. It records history in social, cultural and political ways.

Multiculturalism is the doctrine that several different cultures (rather than one national culture) can coexist peacefully and equitably in a single country.

Secondary Material

• TEDxNYED – Mike Wesch – 03/06/10 This Kansas State University cultural anthropologist is exploring the effects of new media on society and culture. Watch his TEDTalk video here http://youtu.be/DwyCAtyNYHw.
• Then watch the famous video his students created about learning today. http://youtu.be/dGCJ46vyR9o

Reflection Questions for post- viewing:

• How do you think his culture shock in New Guinea, and the effect of technology on the people of his village, affected his approach to teaching at Kansas state University?
• How did he respond to the culture in his classroom? How can you incorporate some of his approaches into your own practice?

References:

Bates, D. & Plog, F. (1990). Cultural anthropology. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Petrina, S. (2009). What is culture? Vancouver, BC: Tech no-Printing Press.
Wesch, M. (2010, March 6). TEDx Michael Wesch [Video File]. Retrieved from  http://youtu.be/DwyCAtyNYHw
Wesch, M. (2007, October 12). A Vision of Students Today [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGCJ46vyR9o
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_history