ICLS08 pre-conference workshop on "Design Workshops"

Design Workshops (ICLS2008 Workshop #7)

ICLS pre-conference workshop, 24.06.08 (afternoon)

This workshop focused on the relationship between technical developers, pedagogical researchers and end-users in the educational field (including teachers), in the process of developing new e-learning, e-collaboration and e-mediation tools. Specifically, it introduced the instrument of tool design workshops involving teachers and researchers as a central means to integrate pedagogical knowledge and experience into the final technological product.  This was illustrated and exemplified with examples from the Argunaut project. Activities included simulated design mini-workshops, pedagogical modelling (incl. learning design) and discussions. The workshop made use of computer tools in terms of running prototypes and modeling and discussion tools.

These are the central questions dealt with in this ICLS pre-conference workshop:

 How can pedagogical knowledge and experience be expressed in the design process of technological tools for learning and teaching?

• Can tool designers accurately predict the use practices of end users working with their tools?
• How can computer scientists, pedagogical researchers and teachers collaborate and develop a common language?

In the first part of the workshop, we discussed models and roles in collaboration between technological developers, pedagogic researchers and end users in designing and implementing new tools and emergent practices. The design procedures and challenges were explored, focusing on the Argunaut model of repeated design workshops (RDW). The participants later played the part of teachers and students in a role play demonstrating a mini-design workshop and offered their insights both regarding the tool (in their role as "teachers") and regarding the process of the workshop.

 Our aim in this workshop was twofold: 1) to have varied and multi-cultural experiences with design workshops shared by the participants; and 2) to optimise the RDW approach through joint efforts and critical reflection and to develop guidelines for future successful applications.

The presentations shown during the workshop are now available for download:

• Models for Tech/Ped collaboration in tools design (Reuma's slides)
• UI engineering view (Matthias' slides)
• Argunaut’s 1st teachers’ workshop: An example of a design workshop in the initial stages of tool development (Rakheli's slides)