Design-activity-sequence: A case study and polyphonic analysis of learning in a digital design thinking workshop

In this case study, we report on the outcomes of a one-day workshop on design thinking attended by participants from the Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning conference in Philadelphia in 2017. We highlight the interactions between the workshop design, structured as a design thinking process around the design of a digital environment for design thinking, and the diverse backgrounds and interests of its participants. Data from in-workshop reflections and post-workshop interviews were analyzed using a novel set of analytical approaches, a combination the facilitators made by possible by welcoming participants as coresearchers

Conceptualizations of Learning in the Learning Sciences and STEM Education

Investigating the nature of our conceptualizations of learning is a crucial step towards reducing the research-to-practice gap and developing strategies toward adoption of powerful practices in teaching and learning based on educational and Learning Sciences research. The purpose of this study was to develop robust characterizations of the conceptualizations of learning among a group of learning scientists and a comparison group of professors in STEM fields. This study described differences between conceptualizations of learning and related beliefs regarding educational practices. Analysis using the Iceberg Framework for Conceptualization Analysis found two conceptualizations of learning. In the "Transfer/Acquisition" conceptualization of learning experiences, analogies, and surface metaphors interact over time leading to the emergence of an "Acquisition and Object Manipulation" conceptual metaphor and an "Object Possession" conceptual story, which interact with an "Individualist/Competition" worldview and a "Positivist/Post-Positivist" paradigm. Practices aligned with this conceptualization include exams, grading, student-teacher interaction, cooperative learning, textbooks, clickers, and lectures. The "Construction/Becoming" conceptualization of learning involves interactions between elements including a "Construction, Becoming, and Apprenticeship" conceptual metaphor, a "Situated Becoming" conceptual story, a "Collaborative/Cooperative" worldview, and an "Interpretivist/ Constructivist" paradigm from which practices emerge including interest-based learning, learner agency, real-world impact work, participation in a community of practice, collaboration, reflection, self-evaluation, making and design work. Comparative case study analysis found that the Construction/Becoming conceptualization of learning was dominant in the Learning Sciences group and the Transfer/Acquisition conceptualization was dominant in the STEM Professors group. The "high-impact" practices from the literature were more associated with the Construction/ Becoming conceptualization, and the practices the literature suggests should be minimized were most associated with the Transfer/Acquisition conceptualization.Ph.D., Educational Leadership Development and Learning Technologies -- Drexel University, 201

What is learning? A complex conceptual systems analysis of conceptualizations of learning

Beliefs about the nature of learning have implications for learner agency, empowerment, and justice. Conceptualizations held by learning scientists and STEM professors were analyzed as complex conceptual systems and were found to be different for each group. A Transfer-Acquisition conceptualization of learning was dominant in the STEM professor group, and a Construction-Becoming conceptualization was dominant in the learning scientists group. The practices emergent in the Transfer-Acquisition conceptualization were found to be inconsistent with critical pedagogy. The insights in this study not only support claims in the literature that conceptualizations of learning impact practices in teaching and learning, but also suggest that complex systems theories and methodologies may be a fruitful new approach to understanding the relationships between conceptualizations and practices

Regenerating Tourism with an Ethic of Care and Empathy

This conceptual paper aims to facilitate an understanding of regenerative tourism by utilizing a complex systems perspective, taking a relational and integrated approach to the complexity, emergence, dynamism, and the wicked problems that arise. It requires understanding them from the perspective of key stakeholders, with care and attentiveness to those least able to speak for themselves and most vulnerable to emergent issues and threats like climate change. It is argued here that an ethic of care and empathy nurtures relational understanding and inclusiveness of vulnerable groups, communities and Nature, too, as key stakeholders, along with diverse knowledges and perspectives for critical action and change (praxis). Three main types of empathy are discussed: cognitive empathy, affective empathy, and conative empathy. It is further argued that conative empathy is action-oriented and paves the way for inclusivity, critical consciousness and action to facilitate healing, social justice, communal well-being and a healthy, flourishing planet. Keywords: complex adaptive system, emergence, empathy, ethic of care, regenerative touris

Fostering AI Literacy in Elementary Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM) Education in the Age of Generative AI

The advancement of generative AI technologies underscores the need for AI literacy, particularly in Southeast Asia’s elementary Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM) education. This study explores the development of AI literacy principles for elementary students. Utilizing existing AI literacy models, a three-session classroom intervention was implemented in an Indonesian school, grounded in constructivist, constructionist, and transformative learning theories. Through design-based research (DBR) and network analysis of reflection papers (n = 77), the intervention was evaluated and redesigned. Findings revealed clusters of interdependent elements of learner experiences, categorized into successes, struggles, and alignments with learning theories. These were translated into design moves for future intervention iterations, forming design principles for AI literacy development. The study contributes insights into optimizing the positive effects and minimizing the negative impacts of AI in education