design for learning

a D E S I G N S PA C E f o r I N T E R G E N E R AT I O N A L L E A R N I N G E N V I R O N M E N T S

University of Siena (IT), University of Liege (BE), Futurelab and CER (UK), University of Barcelona (ES), CAMPOROSSO (BE), University of Bucharest (RO)

Giulio Toccafondi | University of Siena (IT)

1- Issues

3- How to design for Intergenerational Learning

2 - Vision for Intergenerational Learning (IGL)

5 - Research approach Making IGL designable

6 - Vignette

7 - Conclusions

Summary

4- A design space for learning

Issues

© 2008 Enrico Benassi

The European demographic is changing. By 2005 European countrieshad nine of the top ten highest median ages in national populations

© 2008 Enrico Benassi

Older people are becoming healthier than in the past. They plan on being active members of society living life to the full.

This will disclose new scenarios and opportunities for the design of educational activities.

The European demographic is changing. By 2005 European countrieshad nine of the top ten highest median ages in national populations

In the changing social fabric of Europe one of the big assets to the deploying of lifelong learning trajectories is intergenerational learning.

CC 2008 Ed Luschei

The emphasis placed on the virtual properties of ICT has often obliterated the important role played by physical spaces

Although ICT may be present in the scene, there is still a lack of consolidated knowledge on its role to enhance (or to undermine) intergenerational learning processes and the deriving social dynamics.

The increased development of a ‘youth culture’ with a life of its own and the emergence of NML (New Millennium Learners) is seen as evidence of the widening gap between young and old. There is a real need for keeping generation connected

CC 2008 Alatryste

Vision of Inter Generational Learning

Giulio Toccafondi | University of Siena

CC 2008 Pierre Marcel

The Puente idea of intergenerational learning is a mutual co-constructed endeavour in which people of different ages mutually engage in shared activities, create values, tangible outcomes and authentic experiences.

How to Design for Intergenerational Learning?


Professions and Teaching

The way in which we conceptualize professional activities affects the way in which we design curricula


technical rationalism

separation of:

MEANS from ENDS

RESEARCH from PRACTICE

KNOWING from DOING

the epistemology of technical rationalism affected teaching in:

a direct way and an indirect way

Schon, A.Donald (1983)

direct influence“what teaching teaches”

professions apply abstract principles to concrete situations

are legitimized by bounded scientific domains.

According to the epistemology of technical rationalism:

teaching general principles is the more productive way to introduce young generations to professional practices.

Teaching is itself a profession: it has always sought scientific legitimization.

In the technical rationalism view, teaching endorsed universal principles according to which humans learn

and applied such principles in practice

indirect influence“how teaching teaches”

teaching assumed a world of independent individuals who "acquire" knowledge according to universal principles

Three decades of theoretical discussion and research centered on constructivism, constructionism, culturalism and the situated-ness of learning transformed this assumption. (Bruner, Papert, Lave, Resnick, Eckert, Wenger...)

“Situated approaches to learning revalue the idiosyncratic: the concrete, the local, and the personal”(Ackermann, 2001)

teaching general principles is the more productive way to introduce young generations to professional practices.


The re-conceptualization of the scientific principles underpinning teaching changes “what teaching teaches”

The object of teaching is not knowledge (a set of general principles): it is the activity of meaning making

The re-conceptualization of the scientific principles underpinning teaching changes “what teaching teaches”


The re-conceptualization of professions converges on the local, on the idiosyncratic.... on the personal, on the 2.0! And it is changing “how teaching teaches”

The model defining of professions is shifting from a “push” model to a “pull” model. (John Hagel , John S. Brown, 2005).

The re-conceptualization of professions converges on the local, on the idiosyncratic.... on the personal, on the 2.0! And it is changing “how teaching teaches”

THE PUSH MODEL

it seeks to dictate the actions people must take in situations according to centralized and pre-scheduled activities

Professional activities are based on the anticipation of needs and on the planning of objectives. Professions take advantage from a model designed to “push” resources in advance to areas of highest anticipated need.

The “pull” model is based on a productive relation with uncertainty. Uncertainty is necessary for the creation of meaning and for the definition of aims.

THE PULL MODEL

It relies on the availability of resources and on the individuals’ ability to “read” the situation collaboratively, define the aim and creatively

configure the resources available.

teaching as a profession is experimenting a variety of tools and practices. In our research we have tried to expand

formal education through the definition of a design space

design ng learning


A design space for learning


anticipation co-construction

similarities diversities

A DESIGN SPACE FOR LEARNING

learning activity

learning needs and opportunities




lesson plan


learning activity


lesson plan





learning activity





• find relevant learning resources

• learning strategies to manipulate such resources

• the iterative movement is the core of the learning endeavour

• making the learning experience re-settable not just repeatable


similarities

diversities




To understand the conditions for transferring the design methods and the conceptual model to formal learning settings

To explore ways in which ICT can mediate or hinder Intergenerational Learning

To provide guidelines for the design of learning environments in which young and old can grow in connection

The main focus of the PUENTE project is intergenerational learning in informal learning contexts and the exploration of conditions allowing for the transferability of IGL into formal learning sector

DESIGN INTERGENERATIONAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

similarities

diversities


intergenerational learning



similarities

diversities



designable activity

designable activity hot action

sedimentedpractice


similarities

diversities




+Giulio Toccafondi | University of Siena

Research ApproachMaking IGL Designable


FIELDWORK&

CO-DESIGN

FIELDWORK

Case StudiesWe applied case study methodology and we conducted 5 sets of action research covering 9 settings in 6 countries.

Case StudiesWe applied case study methodology, and we conducted 5 sets of action research covering 9 settings in 6 countries.

Case StudiesWe applied case study methodology, and we conducted 5 sets of action research covering 9 sites in 5 countries.

we have organized codesign sessions, in each site, aiming at actively involve end-users and organizers in the design of IGL scenarios.

CoDesign

We applied case study methodology, and we conducted 5 sets of action research covering 9 settings in 6 countries.

UK(Bristol) BE (Liege) UK (Wales)

IT(Siena) IT(Siena)

IT(Siena) ES (Barcelona) RO (Calarasi)

UK (Wales)

UK (wales)

IT

IT

UK (wales)

Music Band

Menai Bridge Museum

Windmill City-Farm

Contrada Astronomy for All

Scientific Divulgation

image-territoryworkshops

Council of the Wise Family Workshop

Adopting a holistic approach, we compared the features of the 9 sites local cases undertaken by the PUENTE partners, identifying the critical elements of the different cases that appeared as essential features of intergenerational learning scenarios.

Such critical elements have been polarized and then categorized in 4 clusters which describe the dimensions that makes Intergenerational learning designable

Such critical elements have been polarized and then categorized in 4 clusters which describe the dimensions that makes Intergenerational learning designable

Experience

Social System

Teaching and Learning Culture

Mediation

The clusters combine to provide four dimensions to set the level of design of intergenerational learning activities. The four dimensions are interconnected.

The local resources for IGL embodied in the social fabric - arts&crafts, architectonic spaces, natural resources, implicit and explicit knowledge.

design task: identifying the learning resources sharable and relevant to the participants and to the stakeholders

The management and the organization of the partaking in the learning activities

design task: define the learning objectives and extend the consolidated teaching and learning culture

The form of the activity and how it is structured by means of tools (e.g storytelling ) how the resources are transformed

design task: define the tools and the activities to make the learning objectives reachable

The emotional aspect of learning it concerns the identity construction and identity adaptation

design task: allow the participants to express and interiorize the objectives at their pace

SocialSystem

TeachingLearningCulture

Mediation

Experential

UK (wales)

IT

IT

UK (wales)

Music Band

Menai Bridge Museum

Windmill City-Farm

Contrada Astronomy for All

Scientific Divulgation Family Workshop

image-territoryworkshops

Council of the Wise

vignettefrom cultural spaces to outer space and back to formal learning

Neighbourhood identity in Sienna

The city of Siena is divided into contrade (neighbourhoods), each of which has its own identity, traditions and recreational activities, which are passed down through the generations. Members of the older generation were teaching the young ones how to make the decorations of a tabernacle. We observed the way that the knowledge was shared between the generations. .

Intergenerational learning through the sharing of a space: seniors and juniors share the same place and its values

Contrada

Under the Same Sky

the Siena Astronomers Association aims at making the scientific exploration of the stars accessible to all generations through the use of projection of star-maps and the reconstruction of constellation shape on the ground by wearing light sticks

Intergenerational learning through the sharing of the scientific methods for observing stars

Astronomy for All

Discovering different narration of stars Scientific Divulgation

For the activity, groups of pupils recorded interviews with people aged from 3 to 70 years about what the stars meant to them. The pupils then prepared an exhibition, which was open to the public, based on the comparison of the views of children, older citizens and astronomers. Thus the pupils were “scientific ethnographers.”

enabling the students in discriminating between the scientific narration and everyday narration on stars

Conclusions

similarities

diversities


designable activity

designable activity hot action

sedimentedpractice



similarities

diversities



thick experienceinformal learning

formal learning informal learning

similarities

diversities






similarities

diversities

anticipation


requirements for evaluation

formalization of learning objectives co-construction



A design stance can enhance teaching by making it more effective in navigating new seas. A way to expand curricula is co-construction of design dimensions via similarities.

IGL and the education for New Millennium Learners (OECD,2007)

requires a different approach to learning based also on creativity and design methods.


Design methods can make learning more dynamic and connect thick experience with informal and formal learning

Design for Intergenerational learning expands the borders of curricula to the social environments not always connected to schools.

The design space proposed by Puente has a role in generating creativity in learning.


Thanks for your attention!


www.puente.it

http://www.puente.it

http://www.puente.it

Education

design for learning