Designing innovative physical and virtual spaces for didactic experimentationKlemen Slabina, Marina Kurvits, Mart Laanpere :: Tallinn University, Estonia

ECER 2014, Porto :: Network 6 :: Open Learning: Media, Cultures, Environments

Physical vs virtual learning space

Majority of today’s schools are located in the premises built for 19th Century’s schooling

Do you recognize the situation: No power outlets for charging personal digital devices Dataprojector screen is over-exposed with light Desks are not suitable for laptops Classroom furniture does not support group work

Offices of Google, Apple and Microsoft demonstrate that harmony between physical and virtual workspace can be achieved

Sandboxes for didactic experimentation

Idea is not new: Scandinavian tradition of practice schools, where student teachers are allowed and encouraged to experiment with didactical ideas

“Sandboxes” in software engineering: experimental virtual spaces for testing new software prototypes without affecting the stability of existing systems (West & Gloudon, 2003)

How about „didactic sandboxes“, to experiment with new physical and digital setups for teaching?

Socio-technical systems

Socio-technical systems consider both social and technical factors in creating evolving computer-based systems that benefit from social media and user-generated content (Baxter & Sommerville 2008).

The system includes the network of users, developers, information technology and environments in which it will be used and supported (Scacchi 2004)

Wheeler (2009) calls for creating “learning space mashups”

Today’s socio-technical systems are not only about social media, these also require changing the physical settings for better match with new ways of collaboration, communication, work, learning

Examples from other countries: US

Mark Frydenberg (2012): Aligning Open, Physical, and Virtual Spaces in the CIS Sandbox (Bentley University)

Helsinki University: future classroom

HIK: Centre for Educational Innovation

HIK team: 6 staff members + 8 lab leaders

HIK infrastructure: 8 didactics labs (whole 4th floor): History & Civics studies, Science, Creativity, Pre-school, Languages, Technology, Health, General didactics; hallways are also learning space

Already labs are completely booked for regular subject didactics courses, Fridays reserved for schools (up to 75 pupils simultaneously)

Network: general and subject didactics academic staff from TLU, and academic, NGO and private sector partners involved in kindergarten, primary, high and university education development (e.g.

Sister Centre at Tartu University, Southern Estonia

Research

Participatory didactic experiments on classroom management, student-centered approach to teaching/learning, inquiry-based learning, active learning, collaborative knowledge building with 1:1 digital devices (iPads, Samsung Galaxy, Windows RT), Smart TV-s, IWB, interactive table, modern biology & chemistry lab

LEARNMIX project: towards next-gen e-textbooks (ECER’13), supporting flipped classroom, inquiry-, project-, problem- and game-based learning scenarios in 1:1 computing settings

Action research networks: Education4future, Samsung Digital Turn, practice schools, digital schools, group of university staff (searching for evidences of the New Learning Paradigm)