In this post we will examine the question of How could a new technology be introduced in schools in a way that it makes sense to the users??, as presented an analyzed by Hayashi and Baranauskas (2023) in their paper titled “Affectibility in Educational Technologies: A Socio-Technical Perspective for Design.”
To lay a baseline, the purpose here is to critically evaluate the sociotechnical plan presented in this paper. When we’re talking about sociotechnical approach, as Hayashi and Baranauskas (2023) articulated we’re looking at technologies that enlarges the scope of learning settings. This mean that were shifting our mindset to be less focused place and focused more on the aspect of learning necessary for the student to achieve knowledge. This required considerations for not only the informal, but also formal and technical aspects of learning. Where a loop between the three considerations would enhance or solidify the technology.
These considerations, and their resulting loop, were described as The Semiotic Onion. With the outer layer being the Informal, encompassing the sub-culture and the cultural. Here beliefs and responsibilities are formed, along with meanings you set upon yourself and the world. The next layer is the Formal. This is the bureaucratic layer, where rules replace logic or intentions. Lastly, the center of the onion is the Technical. Here the Formal layer is automated. Each of these layers then interact, creating a loop where the Informal is affected by the Formal, etcetera.
Within the paper Hayashi and Baranauskas describe four (4) case studies for leveraging socio-technical design via OLPC (One Laptop Per Child). The goal, feeding the loop is to embed the technical on behalf of the Formal, which would then ideally affect the Informal. The Informal here being rural Brazilian norms of not using technology. The case studies then sought to test the impact that Laptops at home had on the students
Case Study 1: Compared homework to in-class study
Case Study 2: Measuring mood of students after completing pre-canned scenario assignments
Case Study 3: Observe students expanding the use of the laptop beyond school, at an Independence Parade
Case Study 4: Observe students volunteering as technical support to other students
Ultimately all four (4) case studies illustrated how learning with the laptops went beyond the formal, but into the informal and the daily at-home lives of the children. These case studies ended up proving the thesis of the paper, that there are ways to introduce technology that it becomes a more natural aspect of their lives, that they can leverage beyond the formal school setting.
References:
Hayashi, E. S., & Baranauskas, M. C. (2013). Affectability in educational technologies: A socio-technical perspective for design. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 16(1), 57–68. https://www.jstor.org/stable/jeductechsoci.16.1.57
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