Abstract
The term ‘orchestrating learning’ is being used increasingly often, referring to the coordination activities performed while applying learning technologies to authentic settings. However, there is little consensus about how this notion should be conceptualised, and what aspects it entails. In this paper, a conceptual framework for orchestration-related research is evaluated by an international panel of learning technology experts. The results of this evaluation show that the framework is complete and understandable, and it is particularly useful as an integrative list of aspects to consider when designing and evaluating learning technologies. To illustrate a way in which the framework can be used to help researchers structure their classroom innovation evaluations, an example is presented that follows the adoption of the framework by a group of researchers in Singapore. Finally, a new evolved version of the framework is presented, taking into account the evaluation feedback.Keywords: orchestration; conceptual framework; analytical lens; expert panel(Published: 24 September 2015)Citation: Research in Learning Technology 2015, 23: 28019 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/rlt.v23.28019
Highlights
There is a growing concern in the educational technology research community about the lack of adoption of research-based results in everyday educational practice (Chan 2011)
In the spirit of what Boyer (1990) called the ‘scholarship of integration’, we have taken one of these synthetic views on orchestration, and we have proposed its evaluation to a wide range of educational technology researchers, focusing mainly on internationally recognised experts interested in this topic
Participants’ prior definitions of orchestration were very rich, even if the mix of concepts was for the most part similar to those in the ‘5'3 Aspects’ framework and the pilot study
Summary
There is a growing concern in the educational technology research community about the lack of adoption of research-based results in everyday educational practice (Chan 2011). Roschelle, Dimitriadis, and Hoppe (2013) synthesised 11 papers in a special issue on orchestration, highlighting a common theme of veering away from laboratory studies, and emphasising ‘attention to the challenges of classroom use of technology’ and ‘supporting teachers’ roles’ They drew parallels with ‘design research for implementation’ (Penuel et al 2011), concluding that ‘researchers from a range of TEL and CSCL [computer-supported collaborative learning] fields have much to gain by joining in the debate’. Synergy: how the multiple elements present in the scenario (new technologies and legacy tools, learning activities at different social levels, students’ prior knowledge and learning styles) can be aligned by the orchestrators to achieve effective learning Based on this framework, Prieto (2012) offered another definition of orchestration, as ‘the process by which teachers and other actors design, manage, adapt and assess learning activities, aligning the resources at their disposal to achieve the maximum learning effect, informed by theory while complying pragmatically with the contextual constraints of the setting’. An initial researcher instrument based on the framework was developed: a reflective interview guide to be used when collecting data about how orchestration is performed in an authentic setting (see Prieto 2012, Appendix A)
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