Exploring Design 2010 - Workshop on Exploring Design Practices and Methods for Novel Learning Technologies ICALT 2010

ICALT 2010, the 10th IEEE International Conference on Advanced
Learning Technologies
July 5-7, 2010, Sousse, Tunisia
Workshop on Exploring Design Practices and Methods for Novel Learning
Technologies
Chiara Rossitto, Daniel Spikol, Teresa Cerratto-Pargman, Monica Divitini

The use and adoption of portable technologies, mobile applications and
related data services has become pervasive in the field of education.
Such burgeoning, technological developments encourage the exploration
of new geographies of learning, and fields such as mobile and
technology-enhanced learning are emerging as well-defined research
areas, with their own design agenda and pedagogical concerns (Kukulska-
Hulme et al., 2005; Kelly et al., 2008; Sharples et al., 2007).
Nevertheless, designing learning activities, and their supporting
technologies, poses significant challenges emerging from the
intertwinement of technological issues with pedagogical objectives and
learning practices.

This workshop will explore how methods drawn from Interaction Design
(ID) and HCI methodologies (Monk et al., 1995; Helander et al., 1997;
Sears et al., 2003; Preece et al., 2007) could assist in designing
mobile technologies for learning across various contexts (see also
Vavoula et al., 2007). Whereas pedagogical theories do provide a set
of tenets to frame and organize educational curricula, we believe that
designing the related, supporting technologies should also be shaped
by an understanding of the context wherein such artifacts will be
used. In this regard, drawing on design research can help
investigating the fabrics of real learning activities and the settings
in which they are enacted. Such methods also draw attention to the
importance of involving different stakeholders (teachers, learners,
various education experts, but also administrators, etc.) throughout
different phases of the design cycle - from understanding learning
situations, to sketching technologies and evaluating them.
Furthermore, they assist design by bringing to the fore pedagogical,
cultural and social issues related to learners' active engagement in
real learning situations, rather than drawing on assumptions, or
models, of what they might do with a particular technology.

For this workshop we invite contributions from heterogeneous
backgrounds to explore methodological aspects concerning the design of
technologies for mobile and technology-enhanced learning. The aim is
to tackle methods and research issues that may arise when different
disciplines merge together, as well as to focus on opportunities and
challenges for design. Contributors may wish to address a range of
topics including, but not restricted to:

* Aspects related to the use of various methodologies for
different design purposes. Different methods and techniques might be
more suitable depending on the phase of the design cycle and on its
particular objectives (i.e. investigating a particular learning
setting, prototyping, evaluating and re-designing novel learning
technologies, understanding how technologies are used and
appropriated). On a methodological level, the challenge is to devise
and adopt a set of methods that would allow analysis of learning
practices across contexts and, to design technologies to be used at
several places. We invite papers addressing the value of novel methods
and techniques - map-drawing exercises, place walkthrough, diary
keeping, collection of probes, user self-documenting techniques,
sketching (Buxton, 2007), experience prototyping (Buchenau & Suri,
2000), and other human-centered design techniques.

* Methods that might be suitable to understand learners'
interactions with the technologies and general context where these
interactions occur.

? The range of formal and informal practices that might be
significant for learning activities and experiences.

? The balance and boundaries between design methodologies and
pedagogical approaches to learning.

? How to enable meaningful engagement with learning activities
occurring at a number of different sites.

? Conceptual frameworks that can assist the analysis and design
of technological artifacts and services for mobile learning.

? Design challenges for learning technologies meant to be used
across locations (indoor versus outdoor) and settings (formal versus
informal).

? How the adoption of pedagogical theories can help devising
techniques for involving learners as technology users.

Applicants should send a position paper of max 2 pages by Monday,
March 1 to rossitto-AT-idi.ntnu.no
Notification of acceptance will be communicated by March 25. Accepted
papers will be published on the conference proceedings.

For more information, please check out the workshop's website