A short presentation of my exploration of a framework to mediate collaborative knowledge-building in the informal social networking setting.

1. School of Education CRSC: Food for Thought 'The Caribbean Educators Network (CEN) E-mediating framework: a learning design exploration' June 17 2011 LeRoy Hill Centre for Research in Schools and Communities

2. Context The CEN: the research environment CPD: The design challenge NING: The technological environment “…every story has a deeper meaning that drives the narrative.“

3. Learning designs “A methodology for enabling designers to make more informed decisions in how they go about designing, which is pedagogically informed and makes effective use of appropriate resources and technologies. This includes the design of resources and individual learning activities right up to whole curriculum level design. A key principle is to help make the design process more explicit and shareable. Learning design as an area of research and development includes both gathering empirical evidence to better understand the design process as well as the development of a range of resource, tools and activities”. (Open University Learning Design Initiative, P 483. Conole 2010)

4. Research questions

5. Methodology

6. Cycle 1: An initial look at the CEN

7. Cycle 2: Developing a Deeper Understanding of the CEN – The Utility of the AODM Approach

8. AODM: 6 Stages, 4 Tools Stage 1 & 2 Interpreting and modelling the CEN. The Eight-Step-Model

9. The Tools… AODM’s Activity Notation (Mwanza 2002, p.152) AODM’s Eight-Step-Model (Mwanza 2002, p.128) AODM’s Technique of Generating General Research Questions (Mwanza 2002, p.155) AODM’s Technique of Mapping AODM Operational Processes (Mwanza 2002, p.162)

10. Why AODM As a planning tool, AODM tends to be largely iterative and aims to help designers “generate insights for further study and refinement” (Greenhow & Belbas 2007, p.369) The AODM provides a comprehensive and empirically tested set of tools in operationalising Activity Theory in design analysis and development process by making explicit the “process of gathering, analysis and communicating design requirements” (Mwanza 2002, p.214). Clearly outlined in 6 stages and methodological tools: (1) A Eight-Step-Model (2) An activity Notation (3) A technique for generating Sub-Activity-Oriented Research questions (4) A technique for Mapping Operational processes. Application of AODM in CEN Context provides a different setting to test…

11. Cycle 3: The CEN advisory group: Exploring the nature of the CAG - the participatory design working group

12. Design Suggestions

13. Initial categories

14. Initial representation

15. Cycle 4: Exploring the CEN Collaborative Knowledge-Building e-Mediating Framework

16. Sample coding by Coder

17. Table of codes and inter-subjective codes

18. Linking codes to processes and presences

21. The CEN e-mediating Framework

22. Research outcomes

23. A Proposal for classroom practice implementation

24. References Conole, G. & Oliver, M., 2006. Contemporary Perspectives in E-learning Research (Open & Flexible Learning) 1st ed., Routledge. Conole, G., 2010. An overview of design representations. In Proceedings of the 7th International Conference of Networked Learning. Networked Learning Conference 2010. Denmark: Aalborg university, p. 482–489. Greenhow, C. & Belbas, B., 2007. Using activity-oriented design methods to study collaborative knowledge-building in e-learning courses within higher education. International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, 2(4), 363-391. Mwanza, D. (2002) “Towards an Activity-Oriented Design Method for HCI Research and Practice.” PhD Thesis - The Open University, United Kingdom. Mwanza-Simwami, D. (2009). Using Activity-Oriented Design Methods (AODM) to investigate mobile learning. In: Vavoula, Giasemi, Pachler, Norbert and Kukulska-Hulme, Agnes eds. Researching Mobile Learning Frameworks, tools and research designs. Oxford, UK: Peter Lang Verlag, 97–122.