New Tools in Social Practice: Learning, Medical Education and 3D Environments

Learning with different kinds of ICT-based tools is an important issue in today's society. In this article we focus on how design of technology rich environments based on state of the art learning principles can give us new insights about how learning occur, and how we can develop new types of learning environments. Medical education constitutes the subject domain. There has been a considerable effort to develop 3D technologies in this field, and the article provides a careful review of how these technologies are applied. There is, however, a substantial gap between these advances and the use of technologies in medical education. Related work proposes individualistic assumptions or metaphors that do not focus explicitly on learning and technology mediation. Based on theoretical analysis of previous literature in the field we argue that there is a need for a new unit of analysis that includes the relationship between individual and collective activity and the role of technology herein. The socio-cultural and especially activity theory is taken as the perspective which gives the possibility to develop the argumentation about the unit of analysis. The unit of analysis also has implications for design of 3D environments. The design principles are elaborated upon and examples are given in relation to an application called Matador (Medical Advanced Training in an Artificial Distributed Environment). Matador is aimed at developing a simulation environment for training in emergency medicine

Computer support for distributed collaborative learning : exploring a complex problem area

This doctorate thesis is an exploratory study of distributed and computer-mediated collaborative learning. The work lies in the intersection of the research domains: Computer Support for Collaborative Learning (CSCL) and distance education. The notion of Computer Support for distributed Collaborative Learning (CSdCL) is introduced in this thesis to focus on collaborative learning situations where the students are individually separated by physical distance. The thesis presents and discusses findings from my investigations on a number of CSdCL cases. Based on these investigations I argue that the students' collaborative processes are affected by various factors. These factors manifest themselves in a field of tension between existing institutional practice on learning and teaching, physical separation of the collaborating students, and computer systems that serve as mediators of collaboration. To what extent this field of tension is critical to the students' collaborative processes and to individual outcome of collaborating, is dependent on subject matters and pedagogical principles prescribed in the pedagogical method. I argue, however, that existing practice and methods must be reconsidered for CSdCL purposes. Concerning systems design, I argue that heterogeneous computer environments and networked computers must be taken seriously to make computer systems that work as resources for distributed collaborative learning. Based on this argumentation, I have developed two frameworks that are aimed at guiding an institution's planning of CSdCL and computer systems design, respectively. The first framework focuses on issues that treat CSdCL differently from more conventional forms of learning and teaching. The second framework focuses on tensions between computer systems and central principles of collaborative learning. I have used the frameworks in a practical design situation. The CSdCL designs were based on the pedagogical ideals of project-based learning and on the opportunities that World Wide Web gives to communication across a wide range of platforms. The results are a pedagogical approach to CSdCL and a computer system. I conclude, however, that it is still complicated to develop solutions for CSdCL that result in good practice. Good practice is not only dependent on good design ideas but also on organizational as well as individual maturity with respect to using new technology in learning. Today, CSdCL is just in the beginning of a path to such a practice

Computer Support for Distributed Collaborative Learning: Exploring a Complex Problem Area, Dr. Scient Thesis 5

My work lies in the intersection between the research domains of Computer Support for Collaborative Learning (CSCL) and distance education. In joint collaboration with Lone-Dirckinck-Holmfeld (University of Aalborg, Denmark) I have introduced the notion of Computer Support for distributed Collaborative Learning (CSdCL) to underline the physical distance between the collaborating students. The motivation for this research is my work between 1990 and 1994 at the Norwegian NKS Distance Education. NKS Distance Education is, both nationally and internationally, known in distance education and made lifelong learning possible long before it became an objective of modern society. Rooted in correspondence education, NKS has during the last two decades experimented with communication technologies to support various models of distance learning. During my own work, I was responsible for organizing collaborative learning through text-based computer conferencing systems. I experienced a number of problems regarding the combination of these systems and good pedagogica

Virtual Bodystorming: Utilizing Virtual Reality for Prototyping in Service Design

The paper describes our ongoing work on a new prototyping method for service design, Virtual Bodystorming. Virtual Bodystorming utilizes Virtual Reality (VR) and enables the user to role-play the service scenario in a fully immersive and collaborative VR environment. In this environment, various service-related areas and objects can be recreated with 3D graphics, while distant service users, providers, designers, and facilitators can communicate and collaborate. Virtual Bodystorming aims to minimize the gap between the actual service environment and its prototype by contributing to the development of fully immersive and highly-engaging service simulations. To illustrate the practical implementation of Virtual Bodystorming, we describe its main characteristics and present a first prototype version of the method. The method was evaluated by three experienced service designers, who highlighted the strengths of Virtual Bodystorming for service prototyping, regarding immersion and engagement, while emphasizing the service designer’s significant role in directing the user interactions of the VR scene. The method was considered to be suitable for prototyping services that include human interaction and/or spatial aspects.acceptedVersio

Articulation of Actions in Distributed Collaborative Learning

The paper is aimed at exploring how CMC (Computer-Mediated Communication) systems and other factors influence distributed and collaborative learning processes for the purpose of systems design. The paper proposes Anselm Strauss’ interactionist theory on action as an analytical framework for understanding the pedagogical and technological conditions of distributed and computer-mediated collaborative learning. The paper presents an overview of experiences based on ten years of practice and research at Aalborg University in Denmark with the analytical framework. The experiences of using this framework show that CMC-based distributed collaborative learning entails additional work for the geographically dispersed learners rather than assisting the construction of knowledge and negotiation of meaning. The computer system cannot, in and by itself, support the collaboratively based processes of learning. Rather, distributed collaborative learning is accounted for by entirely different and far more complex factors grounded in the pedagogical approach to learning

New Tools in Social Practice: Learning, Medical Education and 3D Environments

Learning with different kinds of ICT-based tools is an important issue in today's society. In this article we focus on how design of technology rich environments based on state of the art learning principles can give us new insights about how learning occur, and how we can develop new types of learning environments. Medical education constitutes the subject domain. There has been a considerable effort to develop 3D technologies in this field, and the article provides a careful review of how these technologies are applied. There is, however, a substantial gap between these advances and the use of technologies in medical education. Related work proposes individualistic assumptions or metaphors that do not focus explicitly on learning and technology mediation. Based on theoretical analysis of previous literature in the field we argue that there is a need for a new unit of analysis that includes the relationship between individual and collective activity and the role of technology herein. The socio-cultural and especially activity theory is taken as the perspective which gives the possibility to develop the argumentation about the unit of analysis. The unit of analysis also has implications for design of 3D environments. The design principles are elaborated upon and examples are given in relation to an application called Matador (Medical Advanced Training in an Artificial Distributed Environment). Matador is aimed at developing a simulation environment for training in emergency medicine.</p

Learning the Process of Programming Through ICT-Mediated Apprenticeship - An Activity Theoretical Approach

Abstract: This case description focuses on how we have used activity theoretical concepts as analytical tools for improving better pedagogical design regarding a particular course on objectoriented programming. We argue that productive learning environments must be considered as environments where certain pedagogical, communicative, technological conditions are incorporated with the specific knowledge domain, the objective of the central learning activity, the pedagogical approach and, the target group. We illustrate the power of using activity theoretical concepts – particularly contradictions –for identifying misfits and problems regarding these conditions. Dimensions of productive learning Nowadays, productive networked learning environments are not solely considered in terms of the operational functionality of the information- and communication technologies (ICTs) used. Productive learning environments must be considered as environments where certain pedagogical, communicative, technological conditions are incorporated with the specific knowledge domain, the objective of the central learning activity, the pedagogical approach and, the target group. We consider activity theory as a powerful analytical tool for understanding such a complexity and for making new design suggestions. In this case description we show the potential of using this theoretical framework in a case study where the central learning activity is learning object-oriented programming. The concrete results from the analysis, and how it should inform pedagogical designs, are elaborated in Fjuk &amp; Berge (2004) and Bennedsen, Fjuk, Berge &amp; Dolonen (2004). Background The knowledge domain of the case study is introduction to object-oriented programming (IOOP). The objective of the learning activity is abstract knowledge and concrete skills on the programming process. The importance of this objective is illustrated by Caspersen and Bennedsen (2004) by making a parallel to the processes of painting: Figure 1: The absurd expectation of paintin

Teaching and Learning of Object Oriented Concepts

Abstract. This report summarises the results of the eighth workshop in a series of workshops on pedagogies and tools for the teaching and learning of object-oriented concepts. The submissions to this year’s workshop mainly covered curriculum issues, tool support for teaching, and case studies. Several contributions dealt with teaching object-orientation to non-Majors (junior high-school students, non-Science students). This aspect permeated most of the discussions at the workshop and is also reflected in the conclusions. The workshop gathered 19 participants from nine different countries.