Finding the balance between too little and too much: How can internetbased social media such as Facebook contribute to increase student commitment in the learning process

Abstract

The scope of the project is to investigate how learning mediated by ICT may be organized in order to create reflected substantial commitment. The learning concept outlined in the project is presented in the form of a case study. The selected case deals with a high school class planning to visit a science centre of excellence. The theoretical basis is social constructivist theory and the methodological approach is participatory action research. The project defines an experimental design within this framework, aiming at iteratively producing a series of didactic design within a Facebook environment. These designs are evaluated ongoing through interviews, observations and analysis. The outcome is a conceptual didactic understanding. The general conclusion is that the learning environment is governed by a tight relationship between differential and integration. The understanding of this relationship is crucial for the ability of the learning environment to stimulate student commitment. Important factors related to this understanding include the choice of words used, ensuring support of a variety of communicative expression forms and ensuring support to cope within the learning society. As it seem, handling these factors in the described learning environment is through scaffolding. The project supposed this established by introducing a facilitator, whose function it is to pose open-ended questions – questions with the ability to perspective subject of matter to the participants' life world.

I projektet undersøges hvordan et læringsforløb, medieret af IKT, kan tilrettelægges så det bidrager til at skabe et reflekteret substantiel engagement i forhold til et etableret læringsforløb. Det i projektet skitserede lærings forløb tjener som case, og indbefatter en gymnasium klasse der skal besøge et videnscentre. Den læringsteoretiske forståelse er socialkonstruktivistisk og den overordnede metodiske tilgang er aktionsforskning. Inden for denne ramme defineres et forsøgsdesign, der iterativ afprøver en række didaktiske design, i et Facebook orienteret læringsmiljø. De respektive design kvalificeres løbende gennem interview, observationer og analyser. Resultatet er en konceptuelt didaktisk forståelse. Helt overordnet konkluderes det at miljøet er underlagt en relationen mellem det differentierede og integrationen. Forståelsen for dette forhold er, afgørende for om læringsmiljøet bidrager til at skabe engagement. Implicit i dette forhold, ligger en afpasning af tonen, frihedsgrader i relation til såvel indhold og form samt passende støtte til at begå sig i miljøet. En måde at håndtere disse faktorer i miljøet, er gennem stilladsering. Denne stilladsering forslå projektet succesfuld etableret via en facilitator, hvis opgave det er at stille openended spørgsmål, der perspektivere faglige emner til de deltagendes livsverden.

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A master programme thesis from Aalborg University

Finding the balance between too little and too much: How can internetbased social media such as Facebook contribute to increase student commitment in the learning process

[For lidt og for meget fordærver alt: - hvordan Facebook kan bidrage til at skabe engagement i et læringsforløb]