Learning Lives Connected: Digital Youth across School and Community Spaces

Abstract

Whereas most studies of learning explore intra-institutional experiences, our interest is to track individual learning trajectories across domains. Research on young people's use of different media outside schools shows how practices of using digital media are different from practices in schools in both form and content. The major challenge today, however, is to find ways of understanding the interconnections and networking between these two lifeworlds as experienced by young people. Important elements here are adapted concepts like context, trajectories and identity related to activity networks. We will present data from the ongoing «learning lives project» in a multicultural community in Oslo. We will especially focus on students of Media and Communication studies at upper secondary school level. Using an ethnographic approach we will focus on how learners' identities are constructed and negotiated across different kinds of learning relationships. The data will consist of both researcher-generated data (interviews, video-observations, field notes) and informant-generated data (photos, diaries, maps). RESUMENAunque la mayoría de los estudios sobre el aprendizaje hablan de las experiencias intra-institucionales, nuestro interés se centra en el seguimiento de las trayectorias de aprendizaje individuales a través de distintos dominios. Las investigaciones sobre el uso de los diferentes medios por los jóvenes en el entorno extraescolar muestran cómo las prácticas aplicadas en el uso de medios digitales difieren de las prácticas en el entorno escolar, tanto en forma como en contenido. El reto principal actualmente consiste en encontrar formas de entender las interconexiones y la creación de redes entre estos dos mundos de la vida, tal y como las experimentan los jóvenes. Aquí los elementos importantes son los conceptos adaptados como contexto, trayectorias e identidad, relacionados con las redes de actividades. Presentamos datos del «proyecto sobre vidas de aprendizaje» actualmente en curso en una comunidad multicultural de Oslo. Nos centraremos especialmente en los alumnos de educación secundaria post obligatoria que cursan estudios de Medios y Comunicación. Con un enfoque etnográfico, nos centraremos en la forma en que se construyen y se negocian las identidades del alumno en distintos tipos de relaciones de aprendizaje. Los datos incluyen datos generados por los investigadores (entrevistas, observaciones a través de vídeos, anotaciones de campo) y datos generados por los participantes (fotografías, diarios, mapas).

Informationalism and informalization of learnings in 21st century. A qualitative study on meaningful learning experiences

“…Notions such as 'learning lives connected' (Erstad, Gilje & Arnseth, 2013), 'connected learning' (Ito et al, 2013), the 'mobile-centric society' (González-Patiño & Esteban-Guitart, 2014) 'funds of identity ' (Esteban-Guitart, 2014, 2016 or 'new ecology of learning' (Barron, 2004;Coll, 2013) have set out the need to situate learning as the result of a lifelong personalized set of socially and culturally mediated transactions or experiences. The school, as an institution, has traditionally been regarded as the repository and transmitter of information and knowledge; now, with the Internet and digital information and communication technologies, access to knowledge that is constantly reissued and re-constructed is available to anyone, anywhere, anytime.…”

Full Issue

“…Notions such as 'learning lives connected' (Erstad, Gilje & Arnseth, 2013), 'connected learning' (Ito et al, 2013), the 'mobile-centric society' (González-Patiño & Esteban-Guitart, 2014) 'funds of identity ' (Esteban-Guitart, 2014 or 'new ecology of learning' (Barron, 2004;Coll, 2013) have set out the need to situate learning as the result of a lifelong personalized set of socially and culturally mediated transactions or experiences. The school, as an institution, has traditionally been regarded as the repository and transmitter of information and knowledge; now, with the Internet and digital information and communication technologies, access to knowledge that is constantly reissued and re-constructed is available to anyone, anywhere, anytime.…”

“…In this regard, previous studies have described the relationship between academic learning and the emerging social identities of students (Wortham, 2006), emphasizing the importance of certain orientations in classroom discourse that facilitate a sense of competence and recognition as learners among students (Mortimer, Wortham & Allard, 2010). The second, however, shows interest in tracking individual learning trajectories in informal situations arising from participation in communities of practice, interaction with technology and the popular culture of young artists, entrepreneurs and professionals (Erstad & Sefton-Green, 2013;Erstad, Gilje & Arnseth, 2013). It is obvious that both formal and informal situations provide resources and opportunities for learning.…”

En språkfundert kompetansemodell for planlegging av undervisning

“…Selv om perspektivene over gir sterk støtte til Visjon 2 legger jeg til grunn at Visjon 1 også er viktig, og jeg peker på en et mer generelt kompetansebegrep som er felles for Visjon 1 og Visjon 2. Denne inngangen til å forstå "scientific literacy" som språklig fundert deltakelse i ulike praksiser er i tråd med perspektivene i New Literacy Studies feltet (Barton, 2007;Erstad, Gilje, & Arnseth, 2013;Heath, 1983;Maybin, 2007). Det naturfagdidaktiske feltet har blitt mer oppmerksomt på betydningen av språk for undervisning og laering gjennom de siste par tiårene, også i norsk sammenheng, se f.eks.…”