learners’ voices in the development of new technologies for education keri facer learning research...
TRANSCRIPT
Learners’ Voices in the Development of New Technologies for Education
Keri Facer
Learning Research | NESTA Futurelab
http://www.nestafuturelab.org/
• Why listen to learners’ voices in the design and evaluation of new technologies?
• Different approaches to engaging learners in the design and evaluation of education technology
• Futurelab examples
• Tensions – who shapes education technology?
Overview
Why listen to learners in the design process?
Practical and Political Considerations
The lack of a direct relationship between the users and the suppliers means that the products developed are less likely to meet learners’ and teachers’ real needs. We have not yet found the right mechanisms for the partnerships we need between developers and users. We have to create the conditions in which innovative ideas for e-learning pedagogy will flourish... Commercial suppliers usually employ teachers at some stage in the design process, but unless the partnership is close, and educational requirements lead the development, there is little chance of achieving either good pedagogy or profitable products.
(E-Learning Strategy, DfES Consultation Document, Chapter 9)
The practical arguments
The practical arguments
• Young people as experts– Early adopters
• Over 90% of young people have computers in the home (2001)
• Over 70% own mobile phones (2001)• Over 70% play games & use web weekly (2001)
– Developing new approaches to learning• ScreenPlay & InterActive• James Gee• Jackie Marsh
The political and philosophical arguments
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child• The Convention on the Rights of the Child reflects a new vision of the child.
Children are neither the property of their parents nor are they helpless objects of charity. They are human beings and are the subject of their own rights. The Convention offers a vision of the child as an individual and as a member of a family and community, with rights and responsibilities appropriate to his or her age and stage of development. By recognizing children's rights in this way, the Convention firmly sets the focus on the whole child.
• Article 12: States Parties shall assure to the child who is capable of forming his or her own views the right to express those views freely in all matters affecting the child, the views of the child being given due weight in accordance with the age and maturity of the child
Cultural and Technological Literacies
• Technology: socially constructed– Cf. Woolgar (2002), Silverstone & Hirsch (1992)
• Literacy: writing not just reading– Cf Papert (1997), I-curriculum (2004)
Strategies for engaging children in the design and evaluation process
Cooperative Inquiry / Co-designing / Design-centred Learning
Alison Druin 2002
• Children as equal stakeholders in multi-disciplinary, inter-generational (and long-term) design teams alongside educators, artists, computer scientists
Children in the design and evaluation process
Informant Design
Mike Scaife et al. 1997
• Children and teachers as ‘native informants’, able to identify problems from within their separate educational experiences, not as equal participants
• Involves intended user groups at various stages, where and when their expertise can be maximised and where their knowledge is required
Children in the design and evaluation process
Children in the design and evaluation process
Participant Design
Gro Bjerknes et al. 1987
• Democratic processes of design and democratic workplaces; users as peers in product design
• ‘everybody has a voice and […] all voices are heard and have an impact’
Children in the design and evaluation process
Pupil-researchers: ImpaCT2 –
see also Carnegie Foundation & Save the Children
Generating research data on use and attitudesAccessing information difficult to access as adults
Next stage – children involved in the design of the research activity
Children in the design and evaluation process
Children as Social Science Researchers
ESRC Child Researcher Centre, Open University
Research Design and training
Publication
Out of school activity
What would children as ‘educational technology designers’ look like – and how would we enable this?
A continuum of involvement
• Ethnography
• User Testing
• Informant Design
• Participant Design/Co-operative Inquiry
Futurelab Approaches
Futurelab Approach
• Futurelab research, design & development is:– user-informed, not user-led– teacher-informed, not (always) curriculum-focused– Research findings feed back cyclically into design
• We aim to balance:– technical and creative expertise, with educational
expertise– what children already know they want, with what they
don’t already know they need
Developing ideas
Concept workshops (all informants, developers etc)
Design
Short trials/
Intensive trials
Second Stage Development
Idea
Evaluation against aims
Literature survey (policy, curriculum, research)
WTTN: exploring understanding
• I mean, I do sometimes look at the Moon on a very clear night and I think, ooh, it's interesting how you can actually see things on the Moon. I suppose it's the seas isn't it?
Snapshot: Generating Ideas
Snapshot: Generating Ideas
Savannah: generating ideas
Savannah Final Prototype Movie
Creature: Generating Ideas
Moovl: testing concepts
Moovl early test movie
Astroversity: Testing Concepts
Benefits of listening to learners voices
Access to first hand experience of the needs, interests and requirements of end-users
Enables developers to ‘free-up’ their ideas and develop more innovative and creative resources
Allows developers to be surprised by users and to avoid creating formulaic work
Allows developers to avoid costly mistakes and to identify difficulties of design at an early stage
Offers the opportunity to create resources that are embedded in teaching strategies and educational contexts, and which, consequently, actually achieve their educational aims.
Tensions
• The Education Market - too small for dedicated investment? ‘users’ of new technologies primarily conceived as businessmen?
• Teachers not children are the primary purchasers of education technologies – balancing teacher and learner voices
• Balancing ‘learner voice’ with ‘learner needs’ in the current context of curriculum and assessment
Enquiring Minds
3 year research and development programme with teachers and students. In collaboration with Microsoft Partners in Learning.
• Aim: to enable young people to take personal responsibility for tackling problems and identifying opportunities in their schools and communities through collaborative research and innovation.
• Young people’s research group – shaping and conducting educational research.
• The development of specifications for tools through an iterative process of curriculum development and evaluation with and by teachers and learners.
