Transformation of Participation and Learning: Three Case Studies of Young Learners Harnessing Mobile Technologies for Seamless Science Learning

The main goal of this research is to understand how young children use mobile technology such as smartphones to traverse different learning contexts and harness a constellation of resources to make sense of their science learning in daily lives. We adopted Rogoff’s sociocultural lens of transformati...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Asia-Pacific education researcher 2017-10, Vol.26 (5), p.305-316
Main Authors: Toh, Yancy, So, Hyo-Jeong, Seow, Peter, Chen, Wenli
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
CAI
Case Studies
Computer assisted instruction
Cultural Influences
Education
Educational Policy and Politics
Educational Technology
Elementary School Students
Experiential Learning
Foreign Countries
Handheld Devices
Informal Education
International and Comparative Education
Learning
Learning and Instruction
Portable computers
Regular Article
Science education
Science Instruction
Social Influences
Sociology of Education
Teaching Methods
Technology Uses in Education
Telecommunications
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Summary:The main goal of this research is to understand how young children use mobile technology such as smartphones to traverse different learning contexts and harness a constellation of resources to make sense of their science learning in daily lives. We adopted Rogoff’s sociocultural lens of transformation of participation that helps us understand how students’ science learning experiences can interact with their wide array of cognitive, social and cultural resources and be mediated through personal, interpersonal and cultural–institutional forces in formal and informal learning spaces. We present an analysis of three contrasting case illustrations of Primary 3 (aged 9–10) students in a Singapore ICT-enriched primary school, and discuss findings in relation to the virtuous and vicious cycles of learning trajectories. In conclusion, we contend that mobile technology, which is considered as a cultural tool and learning hub, has the potential to elevate learning, but this potential can only be realized under two conditions: (a) when learners have created the habit of mind for utilizing and harnessing cultural, epistemic and social resources to foster connections between formal and informal knowledge; and (b) when the use of mobile technology is situated within the broader knowledge bases that our current formal curriculum recognizes.
ISSN:0119-5646
2243-7908
DOI:10.1007/s40299-017-0350-5