Re: Digital support for teaching as a design science

Diana Laurillard, April 20, 2012

Last catch-up point:

If teaching is a design science, what are the artefacts - good question:
"What are the artifacts created that can be evaluated? The digital lesson is one answer, but how are they evaluated?" - the lesson plan, or 'pedagogical pattern' designed in advance is one artefact, yes. It may or may not be digital, in the sense that it may be a conventional design, but it could still be expressed digitally. This is what we explored in the 'Learning Design Support Environment' project. I sent in the links last week, but I think this was another problem with my internet link as what is in the intro here is the first draft I sent in two weeks ago, and not the updated version. So I'll make that my next post.

Is it because they make meaning to the students? Is it because students can interpet better? - yes sort of, but the real value of the lesson design (or lab design, or fieldwork design, or homework design) is that it works for the students. So what is evaluated is the design in action - what happens in the classroom, or online, or at home. So all the aspects of the design process listed by brainysmurf apply.
So teaching is a design science in the sense that as teachers we design a plan with a rationale and expected outcome, then we test it out with students, see how it works or not, refine the design, and try again... and so on.

"Part of the profession is social worker and manager" - certainly, the teacher has many skills other than design, but that's true of an architect too, the equivalent being client relations and project manager, I guess, plus many other things. But ACKNOWLEDGE it as a design profession too - that's my plea - along with all that follows. Which brings us back to the first point raised in this discussion, that teachers need time for this. And politicians, school governors, quality inspectors, etc should acknowledge that if they want innovation from teachers. [Comment] [Permalink] [Previous][Next]