Metaphors for emergent learning

Re: Metaphors for emergent learning

by Roy Williams -
Number of replies: 2

Barb (and Scott), looking at you own footprints (shared elsewhere in these forums) confirms that this is not the same kind of 'data' that we usually get from our students in feedback and evalutation forms, to wit ...

1. The learner is, really, the primary researcher, and in working through the process of creating the footprint, they are researching reflexively: i.e they research both the course and their experience of it (which is why it can feel quite different from filling in a questionnaire).  You, as a faculty member (or researcher) are really a secondary researcher, researching their research, no? 

2. The footprint is a 'gestalt' of the learner's experience at a particular time, there is a limit to the extent to which an individual factor 'mapping' can make sense on its own (as Scott points out in his reply to you in much more detail, below) - the factors interact with each other.

3. However much I can make sense of your footprint (particularly now that we are asking footprinters to use and share the 'my comments' column - borrowed from Jutta's group), the footprint+comments doesnt yield many answers, but it does yield lots of questions that I would like to discuss with you. 

4. #3 changes everything, and establishes a space for collaborative sense-making ... 

4.1 Epistemologically, it yields opportunities for exploring sense-making, but provides little in the way of conclusions at the footprint stage, although it does provide, intuitively(?), a gestalt of that point in the event.

This inverts the usual process too - it starts at the gestalt (synthesis) and then proceed to analysis - and in all likelihood, returns back to a quite different - possibley collaborative - gestalt.  

4.2 Methodologically, it pre-empts premature evalution (excuse the pun), particularly if everyone focuses on the work of description.

And it sets aside the evaluative and normative process and judgements until later.    

4.3 Ontologically, is changes the status of the people in the conversation - the learner and designer (can) become collaborators in making sense of what happened / is happening - particularly as the learner (or learners) have rich, complex 'data' - better data than the designer or facilitator has - at their disposal. 

 

In reply to Roy Williams

Re: Metaphors for emergent learning

by Barbara Berry -

Hi Roy, 

My footprint does represent my experience of this course however, since I did this footprint after the course was completed, the data offers a summative report - back on my experience. 

I agree that for the learner and the designer to "co-design"  the learning experience, this tool is best positioned in a different way than how I used it (for this activity) and thus would generate different, timely, dynamic data. In my mind then this tool is an "actor"  and with it's own "agency" - and is a bridge between the learner and teacher - as they work together (hopefully) towards "collaborative sense-making" as you point out.

am I getting it? : )
Barb

In reply to Barbara Berry

Re: Metaphors for emergent learning

by Roy Williams -

Barb, you got it!  For sure.  The footprints as an actors (or a tribe of actors) with their own agency, and role in collaborative sense-making - we couldn't have put it better. 

:))