Shaaron Ainsworth to Lead EWC’s Professionally Speaking 2024 event

There is still time to register to hear Shaaron give the EWC annual keynote address on Wednesday. She will be "unlocking the mysteries of learning" at 4pm online and you can register here https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/education-workforce-council/professionally-speaking-2024-unlocking-the-mysteries-of-learning/e-kdamqz The EWC are the independent, professional regulator for the education workforce in Wales, covering teachers and learning support staff in school and further education settings, youth/youth support workers, and work-based learning practitioners. ...
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Peter Woods: New publications on educational practices of experimental music scenes

Furthering his research into the educational practices of experimental music scenes, LSRI member Peter Woods recently had two new papers published that examine this informal learning context through a critical lens. In The Pedagogy of Gear Touchers, Woods argues that aspiring musicians in do-it-yourself (DIY) music venues use the lack of an audience/artist barrier to talk about music technology with performers. However, these conversations amplify the overtly masculine framing of technology in society at large and further marginalize women, trans, and non-binary participants in these scenes. Woods therefore raises questions about the kinds of informal pedagogies that surround technology outside of schools (i.e., the constructionist approach to learning found in maker spaces). You can find the paper here: https://doi.org/10.1177/01614681231190498 And in Conceptualizing Anti-Racist Pedagogies Within Experimental Music's Community of Practice, Woods presents new findings drawn from an experimental music venue's recent DEI initiative focused on addressing issues of white supremacy within their organization. In exploring how the board of this venue conceptualized their efforts, Woods argues that community organizers in all contexts can look to...
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The Educational Implications of Representing Covid-19

The Educational Implications of Representing Covid-19

Gharib, M., and Turner, C. (2020). A Comic Just for Kids: How to Stay Safe from the Coronavirus [Online Image]. NPR. Retrieved from: https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/11/16/934679210/just-for-kids-how-to-stay-safe-from-the-coronavirus (Accessed May 14, 2021). Andrew Manches and I did what many of you did too last year. We spent a lot of time looking at pictures, videos, models, gestures and animations of Covid-19. But then we decided to put this to good use and analyse the implications of how we represent Covid-19 (and other viruses) to children and young people. The resulting paper is published in Frontiers in Education and available open access at Frontiers | Learning About Viruses: Representing Covid-19 | Education (frontiersin.org) (best read the pdf version as the figures are clearer). Please share with your educator friends if you think they will find it helpful. ...
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SRHE Prize Success for Dr Charlie Davis

We are delighted to share the news that Charlie (@charliejjdavis) has been awarded a prize by the Society for Research in Higher Education to research his project titled "Working-class academics talking: a participatory critical storytelling project with Russell Group academics". Charlie will be working with participants to develop stories about their routes into academia which will be then shared in podcasts. This study seeks to contribute to discussions about how to meet challenges that impede access to higher educations for academics and students identifying as working-class. ...
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New Paper: Recognising and Limiting Teleological Explanations

Children’s use of teleological explanations can pose problems in science education. But can children be taught to recognise teleological explanations? And does recognition of such explanations mean that children will no longer endorse incorrect teleological statements? In a recently published paper, LSRI members, Johnny Halls, Shaaron Ainsworth and Mary Oliver report two studies that attempted to answer these questions. You can read about these results of these studies here.   Halls, J.G., Ainsworth, S.E. & Oliver, M.C. (2021) Using dialogic interventions to decrease children’s use of inappropriate teleological explanations, International Journal of Science Education, https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2021.1936271 ...
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Virtual Learning Dens: A Third Space for Playful Reflection – Webinar

Join us on 7th April 2021 for the thirteenth session from the CSCL in Times of Crisis webinar series. This is the last session in the current sereis. We hope to see you there to explore Virtual Learning Dens: A Third Space for Playful Reflection with Will Freudenheim, YJ Kim, Peter Kirschmann, and Leslie Coles, MIT Playful Journey Lab. Virtual Learning Dens: A Third Space for Playful Reflection In partnership with the Mendon-Upton Regional School District, the MIT Playful Journey Lab is developing Learning Dens—virtual spaces that provide a weekly activity series to promote playful interactions and reflection among learners. These spaces create a safe, social, virtual opportunity to help educators connect with and support their students and for students to connect with and support one another. Learning Den activities emphasize creative and collaborative forms of reflection and empower each student to recognize the different circumstances that their peers have faced over these past months of the pandemic, fostering a sense of...
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Facilitating Productive Disciplinary Engagement in an Online Class: Reflections from a Covid-19 hub in India – Webinar

Join us on 31st March 2021 for the twelfth session from the CSCL in Times of Crisis webinar series. We hope to see you there to explore Facilitating Productive Disciplinary Engagement in an Online Class: Reflections from a Covid-19 hub in India with Chandan Dasgupta, V. Alekh and P. C. Herold, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay. Facilitating Productive Disciplinary Engagement in an Online Class: Reflections from a Covid-19 hub in India This pilot study focuses on an introductory course on Human-Computer Interaction for Educational Technology. This course is intended for graduate students who are interested in learning about design issues and key considerations while designing or evaluating educational technology. As such, the topics in this course cover the basics of interaction and usability issues and also go beyond by introducing students to various pedagogical and learning theories that influence the design of educational technology. You can stream the webinar and participate in the subsequent Q & A session here on Wednesday, March 31st 2021, 3:00...
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Fostering Social Presence and Sense of Belonging in University Students – CSCL Webinar

Join us on 24th March 2021 for the eleventh session from the CSCL in Times of Crisis webinar series. We hope to see you there to explore Fostering Social Presence and Sense of Belonging in University Students with Kris Isaacson and Kevin Tharp, University of Wisconsin-Stout. Fostering Social Presence and Sense of Belonging in University Students by Creating an Extracurricular Online Community The goals related to building an online community outside the classroom is to create a positive, holistic learning experience that contributes to improved engagement, sense of belonging, and retention. A well-curated online community provides scaffolds for building social presence. It also encourages interaction between groups of students who are usually perceived as separate groups (e.g., campus-based and online), thus enabling a sense of cohesion and mutual support. Studies suggest increased social presence and sense of belonging contribute to higher levels of engagement and retention among college students. You can stream the webinar and participate in the subsequent Q & A session...
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