Becoming a university learner through a distance course

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Becoming a university learner through a distance
course Learning in the ICT-extended
university Eva Wigforss Center for Learning
Lund, Lund University Eva.Wigforss_at_med.lu.se
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Learning in the ICT-extended University - LiEU

• Learning in the ICT-Extended University
  Experienced context and constituted meaning in
  ICT-supported outreach initiatives involving
  flexibility and diversity (Booth, 2003)
• Research application to be seen at the project
  homepage http//www.ll.lu.se/research/lieu/eng.htm
  
• The project is financed by the Committee for
  Educational Science, Swedish Research Council
  during 2004-2007

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Research Objectives

• to analyze and describe learning in the sense
  of constituting meaning from a variety of
  experiences and potential paths as it is found
  among the students of the courses we are studying

• to analyze and describe the context for learning
  as it is experienced by individuals and groups
  when course participation engages with their
  personal educational histories and their current
  situations

• to investigate the notions of flexibility and
  diversity as they are built in and assumed by the
  courses and the teachers, and as they influence
  the experienced context and learning

• to bring the results of the individual studies
  together, to compare and contrast the learning
  afforded there, and to relate them to ICT-based
  educational initiatives in a wider sense

• to turn the results into considerations of
  pedagogical design and support
•  

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Conceptual framework

• A phenomenograhic research orientation
• The Engeström Triangles Activity system theory

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Instruments
Object
Outcome
Subject
Division of labour
Community
Rules
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Study guide, pbl tasks, web platform, audio
conferences, etc.
Cognitive physical
University learner
Student
Division of tasks and roles in the community
Study group (4), family, workplace
Deadlines, report format, etc.
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Experiencing the activity

• Research question
• Method
• Preliminary results
• experiencing the course start
• experiencing the course assessment
• experiencing further academic studies

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Conclusions

• The understanding of the university learning
  context, as experienced by adult labour union
  members with no previous academic background, is
  the focus here.

• The study gives indications for what kind of
  factors (instruments, rules, communities and
  labour division) contribute to the experience of
  becoming a learner in a distance learning
  environment.

• It seems fruitful to use a combination of two
  theoretical approaches to learning (activity
  system theory and phenomenographic orientation)
  to understand how to design a powerful university
  learning context

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Some references

• Marton, F. and Booth, S. (1997). Learning and
  Awareness. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates
• Engeström, Y. (1987). Learning by Expanding An
  Activity-theoretical Approach to Developmental
  Research. Helsinki Orienta-Konsultit Oy
• Entwistle, N. and Peterson, E. R. (2005).
  Conceptions of learning and knowledge in higher
  education Relationships with study behaviour and
  influences of learning environments.
  International Journal of Educational Research,
  41, pp 407428.