COMMUNICATIVE PERSPECTIVES AND SOCIAL INTERACTION WITHIN INTELLIGENT

CLOTHING PROJECT: A CASE OF ELECTRONICS

Matti Pirttimaa, Jukka Husu & Mika MetsärinneTurun opettajankoulutuslaitos, Rauman yksikkö

eNorssi -seminaari Helsinki 2.9.2011

The aim of the study

The aim of the study is to research communicative approaches and social interaction during craft and technology processes within the intelligent clothing (ICL) project.

The project was put in practise in two 6th grade classes in Rauma Teacher Training school in Finland during a crossover period between crafts’ technology and textile groups.

The focus of this research is in the phase of electronics and programming of the project.

The theoretical frame of reference is based on socio cultural perspective on learning.

The socio-cultural perspective emphasizes interaction between teacher and students: language is a tool for mediating understanding.

Knowledge and concepts

Craft includes theoretical, cognitive knowledge, practical “how to” knowledge and knowledge involved in the making or creating something, creative act brought together with an idea or concept. (Risatti 2007, 162-168.)

Learning is not something like transferring knowledge or skills from teacher to student: It is an ongoing process of meaning making, comparing and checking understandings on the social plane, conducting to assimilation and internalization of knowledge. (Mortimer & Scott 2003, 10.)

Concepts concerning electricity and electronics are problematic: they are complex and abstract: at the same time, they are topics of modern technology and they are a central area of physics and science curricula at all levels of education.

Knowledge and skills in craft and technology

Traditionally in Finland, school craft has emphasized individual knowledge and skills in design and crafting.

In this article, we regard human development, knowledge construction, learning and the development of skills as socio-cultural phenomena, in which language and other semiotic systems can be thought as psychological tools for understanding and development.

Engaging students in learning dialogues would be a means for familiarize them to the abstract knowledge

Knowledge and skills in craft and technology

Craft and technology skills are a series of dimensions, concerning for example ability to plan and design, problem solving, to take risks, esthetical skills, technical skills, evaluation and psychological-motoric abilities. (Kojonkoski-Rännäli 2005, 290 – 291.)

The skills’ development can be thought to be a process, in which the modelling, provided affordances, discourses, mental training and physical exercising are leading to a better management of trained skills.

Productive disciplinary engagement (Engle & Conant 2002)Productive disciplinary engagement is possible, if the teacher :

a)allows students to problematize subject matter,

b)gives students authority to address such problems,

c)holds students responsible to others and to shared disciplinary rules and

d)provides students with relevant resources.

(Engle & Conant 2002, 399.)

Coal oriented working towards completed craft and technology product entails more different practical work than pure scientific exploring and related discourse.

Productive disciplinary engagement (Engle & Conant 2002)Making possibilities for the students to learn scientific knowledge, to design and to work productively, in other words productive disciplinary engagement in craft and technology project is a challenge for the teacher

The time for scientific inquiry and discourse is away from the time for designing and manufacturing.

The balance between productive practical work, learning craft and technology skills and learning science is important to be obtained.

Discourse and dialogue is essential, but real dialogue is rare and challenging related to graft and technology project.

Classroom discource and communicative approachThe teacher has a central role to guide the meaning making processes on the social plane (Vygotsky) in the classroom (Scott, Mortimer & Aguiar 2006, 627).

For advancing learning and teaching it is important to make visible the structure of the classroom discourses

Teachers need theoretical tools to see the possibilities of different communicative perspectives which allow them to reflect upon and modify their classroom practises (Scott, Mortimer & Aguiar 2006, 624).

For describing the communicative perspectives we use the framework based on dimensions dialogic – authoritative, and interactive – non-interactive discourses. (Mortimer & Scott 2003, Scott, Mortimer & Aguiar 2006, also Hackling, Smith & Murcia 2010.)

 

Classroom discource and communicative approachClassroom talk is dialogic when several “voices” or more than one point of view or idea is represented and taken into account. The ideas are explored and developed.

The talk is authoritative when attention is just in one point of view and there is no exploration of different ideas. More than one point of view may be heard, but they are not taken into account and there is no exploration between them.

The talk is considered to be interactive when it allows for the participation both students and the teacher, but non-interactive if one of the classroom agents excludes the others

 

Classroom discource and communicative approachFour types of communicative approaches can be defined by combining these two dimensions: interactive – dialogic, non-interactive – dialogic, interactive – authoritative, and non-interactive – authoritative.

Both authoritative and dialogic passages of interaction is needed during the science lessons, if the learning goal is the meaningful understanding of scientific conceptual knowledge (Scott, Mortimer & Aguiar 2005, 606).

The concept of current flow is one example of scientific phenomena during the intelligent clothing project .

As stated earlier, the balance between practical work, learning craft and technology skills and learning science is important to be obtained.

 

Research of organizing teaching through the learning dialoque  

Wells (1999) suggests define thematic units as tools for observation and inquiry: He uses the term spoken or written genre.

The genres could emphasize the social functions of classroom discourse. They constitute a tool kit for coordinating actions and for negotiating and communicating participants’ understanding to their activities. (Wells, 1999, 161- 163)

In this research we are analysing dialogues between teacher and student using several (nine) essences of language genres: management (Mortimer & Scott 2003, 26), paving, controlling, diagnostic, exploratory, instructional, modelling, reflective and directive (Lockhorst, Wubbels & Van Oers 2010, 103).

Lesson 3/6a 27.1. 2011 Starting time: 10:00 Time

Episode (litterated) The 3rd lesson, theory

Social mode, communicative perspectives: Interactive Non-interactive Dialogic Authoritative

Content mode procedural declarative

Teaching mode, Laguage genre: Management, Paving, Controlling, Diacnostic, Exploratory, Instructional, Modelling, Reflective, Directive

learning mode procedural (skills, pocedures) declarative (knowledge, facts)

00:00:00 00:24:14 00:33:11 01:00:02 01:10:11 01:20:15 01:23:04 01:26:08 01:41:01 01:43:15 01:44:03 01:57:05 02:03:14 02:06:10 02:12:05 02:13:00

Opett1: Opp1: Opett1: 01:31 Opp2: Opett1: Opp3: Opett1:

Mikro… foni.. Ja se loppuosan niti (nimi)… tuli siitä hei että… tämä on niinku semmonen… laite joka haistelee tulevia tietoja ja sit se lähettää ne eteen päi sun pipoos ledeihin …elikä se kontrolloi jotakin. Se nimi tuli siitä. Mikro… kontrolleri… mikrokontrolleri … otapa nyt hei se oma protolevy sieltä pussista esille, niin katotaan… mitä me viimeks tehtiin… No niin hei katsopa tänne… Nyt tuota… tätä varmaan sais vähä suurennettuuki mää en ny muista mistä se tapahtuu mutta, toss on siis se sun protolevys … josta alotettiin… ja sitten laitettiin ensin, noita osia, mitäs toi oli… muistatko? tommosii jossa oli värirenkaita, muistatko niitten nimiä? … Nimi tuli siitä että, nämä vastustivat sähkön kulkua jo joillekin komponenteille… eli…Opp2 pitäs tietää No vastus Vastuksia, oli kaks kappaletta me alotettiin niistä… sitten me laitettiin… seuraavaksi… olikohan tuo valkonen… vähän tommosen pienen sokeripalan näkönen… tämä oli se… sähkövarasto, muistatko tämän nimen?... Opp3… Jumpperi Ei ollu tämä… jumpperi oli toi missä oli kolme… sakaraa tässä valkosessa on vain kaks… tää oli semmonen mikä pystyy lyhytaikasesti varastoimaan sähköä… me Tunti jatkuu…

Interactive / authoritative Non interactive / authoritative Interactive / authoritative Non interactive / authoritative Interactive / authoritative Non interactive / authoritative

Paving: Paving: The teacher uses analogy that the component is sniffing data Instructional Directive Management Paving Controlling Paving Controlling, Paving Controlling Instructional Paving Instructional Controlling Instructional Instructional

Lesson 4/6a 27.1. 2011 Starting time: 11:00 Time

Student/ teacher

Episode (litterated) The 4th lesson, working and soldering

Social mode, communicative perspectives: Interactive Non-interactive Dialogic Authoritative

Content mode procedural declarative

Teaching mode, Laguage genre: Management, Paving, Controlling, Diacnostic, Exploratory, Instructional, Modelling, Reflective, Directive

learning mode procedural (skills, pocedures) declarative (knowledge, facts)

20:13:06 20:23:17 20:29:06 20:31:21 20:35:08 20:54:10 20:55:16 20:57:06 21:04:20 21:14:10 21:16:0021:17:09 22:17:04 22:22:14 22:35:07 22:39:12 22:57:05 24:21:12 24:28:06 24:40:10

Opp2: Opett2: Opett1: Opett2: Opett1: Opp4: Opett2: Opett1: Opp4: Opett2: Opp4: Opett2: Opp4: Opett2: Opp4: Opett2: Opp4: Opp4: Opett1: Opett:

Mist saa hyppylankaa? Joo… Eli Opett1:lla on täällä tämmöstä teräslankaa, ottakaa siitä pätkä Tästä näin tehdään hyppylangat Pari senttiä varmaan riittää, vai mitä luulet Juu … näin, sit katkaset, minkä tarttet… (Opett1. antaa pihdit Opp4:lle) Onks tää hyvän mittanen Joo se on varmaan hyvä katopa paperista miten se tulee se tarkka mitta (katsoo Opp4:n pätkää) loput voi leikata sitte… Se on … tossa … ja tossa… pitääkse pujotella tästä vai? Joo Pitääks sitä vääntää joo sää voit vääntää sitä joo (Opp4 yrittää pujottaa johtimen levyllä oleviin reikiin) Siis pitääks tää nyt mennä sitte niinku …pitääks se sit mennä tuolta vai? Eipäs… elikä mitenhän mää nyt selitän tän itseasiassa sun pitää saada see niinkun tämä jalka yhdistettyy tonne asti Mut mää olen tehny Mitäs sää sanoisit jos sää vetäisitkin sen suoraan katos pitää täältä saada yhdistettyy niinku tonne…jos sää vetäisit sensuoraa tohon kii tohon asti tai sit sää pistät tähän toisen tähän väliin se on toinen juttu Ai siis nää…Tästä nää vaan vetää vai… tästä joo… Jatkuu… (keskustelua Opp5 kanssa) Hei Opett1… (kysyy neuvoa hyppylangan kiinnit.) Ymm… Joo mut ei sun tartte samalla langalla sitä tehä… sää tinaat tämän ensin… ja leikkaat liian pois… tehään tuplalanka

Interactive / authoritative Interactive / authoritative Interactive / authoritative Interactive / authoritative Interactive / authoritative Interactive / authoritative Interactive / authoritative Interactive / authoritative (opettaja näyttää suunnitelmapaperista) Interactive / authoritative Interactive / authoritative

Directive, instructional Directive Instructional Directive, instructional Instructional Instructional Directive Instructional Directive, instructional Directive, instructional