Victor R. Lee and Deborah A. Fields
In light of growing interest in the maker movement and electronic textiles (e-textiles) as an educational technology, the purpose of this paper is to characterize competence…
Abstract
Purpose
In light of growing interest in the maker movement and electronic textiles (e-textiles) as an educational technology, the purpose of this paper is to characterize competence change in undergraduate students who participated in a semester-length course that used e-textiles.
Design/methodology/approach
This qualitative and exploratory research study used semi-structured pre- and post-interviews with undergraduate students (N=7) thinking aloud through novel tasks in order to understand their learning from a semester-long course involving e-textiles. This design was intended to elicit student thinking with commercial toys that differed from the types of projects they had completed in their course. A coding scheme was developed and organized into an analytical rubric to map depth of understanding in the three spheres of circuitry, computation, and crafting. Select cases of pre-post change were identified to illustrate growth in specific content spheres.
Findings
Students’ ability to reason through novel tasks showed growth in each sphere, provided that the student did not begin with a full level of sophistication in a particular area during the pre-interview. Although students may not reach normative or expert-like competence, there are demonstrable indications of growth for each of the dimensions.
Originality/value
As e-textiles are increasingly turned to educationally, the creation and presentation of a rubric for describing competence in three spheres, especially the previously understudied area of crafting knowledge in e-textiles, is itself a useful contribution to the field. This is also an extension of e-textiles learning research into undergraduate instruction, an as-yet understudied setting for maker education.
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Gayithri Jayathirtha, Deborah Fields, Yasmin B. Kafai and Joseph Chipps
The purpose of this paper is to report changes when a classroom-based makerspace moved from face-to-face to an online setting.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to report changes when a classroom-based makerspace moved from face-to-face to an online setting.
Design/methodology/approach
To better understand changes in teaching maker activities, as they move from face-to-face to online contexts, the authors analyzed video and interview data from six weeks of an introductory computer science high school classroom (38 youth) that was implementing an electronic textiles unit, shifting to asynchronous online teaching and learning during the March 2020 state-wide school closure because of the pandemic. The authors analyzed field notes and videos of face-to-face and online interactions between the teacher and his students in learning to craft and code their electronic textiles projects.
Findings
The analysis revealed changes in the role of physical and code artifacts, in improvising teaching, and channels for communication between the teacher and students.
Research limitations/implications
This study discusses the implications for future pedagogical design and research efforts, as the authors continue to engage youth and work toward designing equitable learning opportunities with maker activities online.
Originality/value
In maker activities such as electronic textiles, youth design, sew and program circuits to make personalized three-dimensional, textile artifacts. However, nearly all research on supporting and teaching making has been conducted in face-to-face settings.
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Luis Morales-Navarro, Deborah Fields, Yasmin B. Kafai and Deepali Barapatre
The purpose of this paper is to examine how a clinical interview protocol with failure artifact scenarios can capture changes in high school students’ explanations of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine how a clinical interview protocol with failure artifact scenarios can capture changes in high school students’ explanations of troubleshooting processes in physical computing activities. The authors focus on physical computing, as finding and fixing hardware and software bugs is a highly contextual practice that involves multiple interconnected domains and skills.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper developed and piloted a “failure artifact scenarios” clinical interview protocol. Youth were presented with buggy physical computing projects over video calls and asked for suggestions on how to fix them without having access to the actual project or its code. Authors applied this clinical interview protocol before and after an eight-week-long physical computing (more specifically, electronic textiles) unit. They analyzed matching pre- and post-interviews from 18 students at four different schools.
Findings
The findings demonstrate how the protocol can capture change in students’ thinking about troubleshooting by eliciting students’ explanations of specificity of domain knowledge of problems, multimodality of physical computing, iterative testing of failure artifact scenarios and concreteness of troubleshooting and problem-solving processes.
Originality/value
Beyond tests and surveys used to assess debugging, which traditionally focus on correctness or student beliefs, the “failure artifact scenarios” clinical interview protocol reveals student troubleshooting-related thinking processes when encountering buggy projects. As an assessment tool, it may be useful to evaluate the change and development of students’ abilities over time.
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Abhilash Acharya and Bijaya Mishra
This paper aims to understand in-depth the concepts applied to the domains of organizational learning (OL) and learning organization, based on the notional perspectives of…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to understand in-depth the concepts applied to the domains of organizational learning (OL) and learning organization, based on the notional perspectives of Professor Deborah Blackman and traces the evolutionary path of her academic journey and contributions in this regard.
Design/methodology/approach
A conversation with the distinguished academician, Professor Deborah Blackman.
Findings
How OL has pivoted around “shared mental models” that will enable in collective evidence-based decision-making across the organizational hierarchy.
Originality/value
The interactive session with Professor Deborah Blackman captured her ideas and critique pertaining to the theme of OL and the crucial aspect of “shared mental models” which promote “learning” in an organization. Delving deeper, it is seen that this trajectory offers the space and orientation to researchers and professionals to verify.
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Yasmin B. Kafai and Deborah A. Fields
This paper aims to present and discuss cheat sites and cheating practices associated with Whyville.net, a virtual world with over 1.7 million registered players aged eight to 16…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to present and discuss cheat sites and cheating practices associated with Whyville.net, a virtual world with over 1.7 million registered players aged eight to 16 that includes game and science activities. The goal is to examine how the development of cheats can present learning opportunities for players and designers alike.
Design/methodology/approach
The types of cheats were categorized and science content examined in hundreds of cheat sites created for Whyville. The work of a cheat site designer in developing a cheat together with other Whyville players was observed.
Findings
It was found that a great variety of cheats are available in educational worlds and that science games that require more than one simple answer also require the development of more sophisticated cheats.
Originality/value
Cheating is a transgressive practice widely accepted in gaming but mostly condemned in schooling. The features of cheating and its associated practices allow us to consider transgressive designs for learning in virtual worlds that offer opportunities for youth to participate in creative and critical media production, to engage in science inquiry, and to raise ethical issues.
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Brigid Limerick and Cheryl Andersen
Women find it difficult to achieve promotion into senior administration positions in education systems throughout the Western world. This paper reports on interviews with 23 women…
Abstract
Women find it difficult to achieve promotion into senior administration positions in education systems throughout the Western world. This paper reports on interviews with 23 women who are employed by Education Queensland (Australia). These women, who were all participants in a Women in Management course offered by the Queensland University of Technology, have been successful in being promoted into administrative positions in schools and school support centres. The focus of the paper is on why these women have gone for promotion and the successful strategies that they employed to achieve promotion. These strategies included “putting runs on the board”, being persistent, networking, managing in their own way and accessing appropriate professional development. The paper concludes with the warning that the culture of the central bureaucracy, however, is perceived as overwhelmingly male and this acts as a significant barrier to further career progress.
Jenny A. McCauslan and Brian H. Kleiner
In most businesses effective leadership is still considered to be tough, competitive, rational, impersonal, strategic, etc.— in short, the traditional male model. Recently…
Abstract
In most businesses effective leadership is still considered to be tough, competitive, rational, impersonal, strategic, etc.— in short, the traditional male model. Recently, however, sociologists and business writers have begun to challenge this model. Recognition increases that we need leaders who are participatory and supportive. Furthermore, increased world competition, new technologies, shifting markets, and other economic pressures are forcing corporations to change the way they do business. Even the old rules of management and leadership do not always hold true anymore. Fortunately, this period of change happens to coincide with the entry of more and more women into managerial positions, which works to their advantage. And it does because it puts them on the same footing as their male peers, who must learn the new rules, too.
Johnnieque Blackmon (Johnnie) Love
This chapter explores the role of librarianship, mentoring, leadership, community outreach, professional organizations, and change when infused with positive administrative…
Abstract
Purpose
This chapter explores the role of librarianship, mentoring, leadership, community outreach, professional organizations, and change when infused with positive administrative leadership. These elements are explored because they increase the likelihood of a positive climate for assessment of diversity, inclusion, and implementation of diversity initiatives in libraries. The chapter also examines cultural issues that impact the inclusiveness in libraries as well as identifies the barriers that leave an indelible imprint that institutional racism creates when the library’s effort to deliver quality services to users is in doubt. The author takes a cathartic look at her education, career trajectory, professional development, and how she has come to value her purpose and survival of 51 years in the profession.
Methodology/approach
Using as a lens for change in the profession, the author traces her career in K-12 schools, community college, and academic libraries in times of both segregation and integration.
Findings
Through the metaphor of “stepping back in order to move forward,” the author demonstrates best practices that can be taken by libraries, library professionals, and community organizations toward progress in terms of diversity and inclusion. The author also explores pioneers of color and has used their lives as models for training future librarians. Walking in the “back door” and going through the hotel kitchen has never been a positive example of appreciation for a professional as they make monumental contributions to serve the library profession. Our pioneers endured to serve as “lights” in spite of societal obstacles.
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Sharon Dotger and Deborah Walsh
– The purpose of this paper is to report on elementary students’ observational drawings, which were produced from two science lesson study cycles.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to report on elementary students’ observational drawings, which were produced from two science lesson study cycles.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors collaboratively studied student work from two science research lessons. The authors evaluated 50 students’ science notebook entries, paying specific attention to their observational sketches. The authors wanted to understand how fourth grade students approach observational drawing in science class to better inform science and art pedagogy.
Findings
Students represented their observations in a variety of ways. The structure of the lessons might have influenced students’ drawings, as did students’ orientation when constructing their representations.
Research limitations/implications
This research is limited in that it only analyzes observational drawing from two research lessons.
Practical implications
Through cross-disciplinary collaboration between a science educator and an art teacher, the authors developed shared ideas that were applicable in both spaces. In the near term, the authors have each changed the instructional practices to include more observational drawing.
Social implications
This paper could impact public attitudes about the inclusion of science and art in the elementary curriculum. The authors would expect that through articulating the purpose of observational drawing for the artist and the scientist, the public would be more supportive of teaching these skills in school.
Originality/value
This paper documents teacher learning across two content areas which students have limited access to in the USA during elementary school. It explains how science and art share objectives and can thus advocate for each other’s inclusion in the school day.