How could you use what is developed in these studies to design learning experiences for younger learners that incorporates perception/motion activity and digital technologies?
Our group’s TELE design is a WISE based project that analyzes student data in relation to CO2 emissions and waste. Our project is based on social constructivist learning theory where the students create models of their data and critically evaluate each other’s work in order to make further adaptations to the learning path. Students will generate carbon footprints based on their own emissions that they will share with peers for critical evaluation. These data models will be furthered refined based on ideas to reduce the emissions. I believe that our project could be enhanced by incorporating perception/motion activities such as used in the SENSE project.
The SENSE project is based in environmental science where students become co-creators of their learning experience by designing and using pollution sensors that are used to collect their own data. Students become “field” scientists by collecting various data (e.g., carbon monoxide) to analyze through models. This analysis is shared with other students in a collaboratory method. The project has aspects of our own TELE design where students are manipulating data and socially working with peers to construct new meaning.
We haven’t fully developed the “waste” aspect of our design yet, and I could see how such a SENSE project would blend quite well with, and complement our technology enhanced learning environment (TELE). Whether it’s a CO detector or some other pollution sensor, students would be invited to contextualize their learning experience by actually participating in field work. Students could easily create digital models of various pollutant measures for peer critique and further refinement.
As described by Winn (2003), learning is a process of “external embodied” experiences and “internal cerebral” processes. They both should be attended to in a TELE similar to how all aspects of our being are both an integral product of nature and environment. Our students will adapt to their environmental learning experiences whether they are natural or virtual worlds that can be created and controlled.
The digital experiences we provide for our students are controlled and dictated by pedagogical design to assist students to expand their schemata regarding various phenomena. We are meeting this well in our TELE design, and by including a field based SENSE activity to the learning experience, we allow our students to adapt their learning to both the natural and digital world. It is argued that technology has allowed people to control our environment to the point where we do not need to genetically adapt to it anymore. It’s refreshing to see digital designs where students venture back into the environment for real, authentic, contextualized learning.
Question: Do you think that that technology enhanced learning experiences might be even more enhanced by incorporating more “natural” based field learning experiences? Explain.
Fraser, D., Smith, H., Tallyn, E., Kirk, D., Benford, S., Rowland, D., Paxton, M., Price, S., & Fitzpatrick, G. The SENSE project: A context-inclusive approach to studying environmental science within and across schools. Retrieved April 1, 2009, from www.cogs.susx.ac.uk/users/hilarys/papers/cscl05.pdf.
Winn, W. (2003). Learning in artificial environments: Embodiment, embeddedness, and dynamic adaptation. Technology, Instruction, Cognition and Learning, 1(1), 87-114. Full-text document retrieved on January 17, 2004, from http://www.hitl.washington.edu/people/tfurness/courses/inde543/READINGS-03/WINN/winnpaper2.pdf