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Culture, Cognition and Technology

Course Activities and Schedule

Week 1: Getting to Know Us!

Meeting each other: tell us about a time you became aware of a different culture. Maybe while traveling, or teaching, or just going about your everyday business. What happened? What did you decide? About other people? About yourself?
Post your thoughts about the seminar topics: What is culture? What is technology? How do they relate to each other? How do they affect thinking and learning? Include specific examples from your own experience as a learner or teacher.
Make a home page. What would you like others to know about you? How did you get here? What do you hope to get out of this seminar?

Week 2: Culture, Mind, & Education

Discussion:

Key concepts from readings and their implications for design/use of learning technologies (e.g., cultural models, multiple perspectives, constraints [on meaning making], constructivism, identity, narrative).
Read other posts from last week, and comment on at least two. What stands out? How are your own experiences and perspectives similar and different?

Creation:

Write a short case study—a first draft that you will return to and expand throughout the seminar: think about a specific example of technology use (e.g., a student using a web resource for the first time) and how you might examine and evaluate its learning potential in relation to culture, cognition, and technological features. Write a description of the scene (real or imagined), and list some questions that would be useful for your evaluation. Post for others to read.

Week 3: Technology Through a Sociocultural Lens

Discussion:

Key concepts from readings and their implications for design/use of learning technologies.
Read case studies from last week. Compare and contrast at least two frameworks. What aspects (questions) are unique to a specific example (case study)? What aspects are more general?

Creation:

Update your case study / framework using ideas from the readings and discussion, post new version.

Week 4: Apply Your Framework

Activity:

Observe and record (use video, audio, and/or notes) an example of technology in use.
Read others' case studies / frameworks.

Discussion:

Share issues, insights from the activity.
Write a new case study from your observations: describe the event, and analyze using your framework; post for others to read.

Creation:

Update your case study and framework using ideas from the readings and discussion, post new version.

Week 5: Compare Cases

Activity:

Read others' cases.

Discussion:

Compare and contrast at least two cases. What have you learned about culture, cognition, and technology?

Creation:

Extend your case study based on new insights and comments from others. What are the implications for your future teaching? Post final case with the new epilog.

Week 6: Looking Forward

Activity:

Read epilogs.

Discussion:

Share issues, insights.

Creation:

Complete seminar feedback survey.

Course Readings

Bruner, J. (1996). The culture of education. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Rogoff, B., Baker-Sennett, J., Lacase, P., & Goldsmith, D. (1995). Development through participation in sociocultural activity. In J. Goodnow, P. Miller, & F. Kessel (eds.), Cultural practices as contexts for development (pp. 45-65). San Francisco: Jossey Bass.

Shore, B. (1996). Culture in mind: Cognition, culture and the problem of meaning. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Warschauer, M. (1998). Online learning in sociocultural context. Anthropology and Education Quarterly, 29(1), 68-88.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation