Design Archives - Connected Learning Research Network

Support the n00bs: Community Design for Inclusivity

April 11, 2014

A common topic of discussion among our team of Leveling Up researchers is how communities maintain different barriers to entry. Every community, be it an online forum for Worldwide Wrestling enthusiasts, One Direction fangirls, or Starcraft II players, has its own etiquette and sets of rules for entering the community and becoming a full participant. But for platforms that wish to continually attract a new and engaged user base, designers must think through how to minimize barriers to entry. In essence, lea Read More...

Ugochi Acholonu

Junaid Khan

Sports for the Mind: How do you bring Connected Learning into the Classroom?

November 4, 2013

Ugochi Acholonu is a postdoctoral scholar for the Connected Learning Research Network looking at ways that formal learning environments can be adapted to support Connected Learning. Junaidullah Khan is a teacher at ChicagoQuest (a public charter school) implementing curriculum to support connected learning in his classroom. In this post they combine their perspectives to think about the theoretical and practical aspects of changing formal institutions to facilitate connected learning. Connected Learn Read More...

Ugochi Acholonu

Encouraging Connected Learning Means It’s Okay for Students to Opt-out

July 23, 2013

One of the purposes of developing Connected Learning environments is to support the development of the Connected Learner. The Connected Learner can, and seeks to, effectively knit together his or her social networks, academic inclinations, and individual interests to form learning communities that develop his or her expertise in a particular domain [1]. However, for individuals to become Connected Learners, they must first value this approach to learning.

Ksenia Korobkova

Design Thinking: New Directions for the One Direction Fandom

May 3, 2013

In exploring the fandom of a young boyband called One Direction (1D), I am often struck by the serious forethought and complexity woven into the lighthearted artifacts produced by the band’s fans. The fan artifacts they make include fanfiction stories, book covers, song remixes, and gifs.

Ugochi Acholonu

Boss Level: A School’s Experiment with Connected Learning

April 19, 2013

As a CLRN Research Fellow, I spend a lot of time thinking about Connected Learning and what it means for schools. At its core, Connected Learning is about equity and empowering students to become change agents in their communities now, and not just when they reach adulthood. But what does connected learning look like in practice, in a school setting? To gain some insight on this question, I have spent the last couple of months observing schools that are trying to integrate connected learning principles into their curriculum and organizational structures.

Ugochi Acholonu

The Tension between Convention and Innovation: What is the Norm in a Blended Space?

February 11, 2013

This is the second in a series of posts that explores the tensions between innovation and convention, and what it means for the design of Connected Learning Environments. This post focuses on blended learning spaces and their affordances for innovation and conflict.

Ugochi Acholonu

The Tension between Convention and Innovation: Reflections on Toddlers in Foldable Shopping Carts

December 10, 2012

This is the first of a series of posts that I will write exploring the tensions between innovation and convention, and what it means for the design of Connected Learning Environments. This first post focuses on the lure of convention, and why it is so much easier to go with the status quo, than to forge your own path.

S. Craig Watkins

Why Critical Design Literacy is Needed Now More Than Ever

May 1, 2012

One thing is clear in our work at Texas City High School (TCHS) this year: students like to create their own media. Students at TCHS create their own YouTube channels, compose original music, comics, games, Tumblr pages, art work, and fashion designs. As young people’s use of social and digital media applications continues to evolve they are developing what I call a “design disposition.” This is a reference to a distinct generational view that they expect to not o

Design

Support the n00bs: Community Design for Inclusivity

Sports for the Mind: How do you bring Connected Learning into the Classroom?

Encouraging Connected Learning Means It’s Okay for Students to Opt-out

Design Thinking: New Directions for the One Direction Fandom

Boss Level: A School’s Experiment with Connected Learning

The Tension between Convention and Innovation: What is the Norm in a Blended Space?

The Tension between Convention and Innovation: Reflections on Toddlers in Foldable Shopping Carts

Why Critical Design Literacy is Needed Now More Than Ever

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