Mike,
(oops, hit the wrong button and posted a blank reply) Your points about the
differences between DEM and PCT are well taken. While not addressing fully
macro-sociological and political-economic levels, Collins does include levels
of analysis for learning (content knowledge, reasoning, dispositions) climate
(engagement, cooperation), and systemic (e.g., ease of adoption,
sustainability, spread of use) variables. To expand out further would be a
major shift for him to the ch paradigm. Generally, the macro-sociological
and political-economic factors influence 'design experiment' projects through
funding and policies for evaluation of project work, and directly in the
design of the project such as inclusion of the major actors, but they are
not, to the best of my knowledge, included in the analysis of outcomes or
acknowledged explicitly in the design.
Allan will be sending along the references to the book in which his and Jan
Hawkins chapters appear. A major point to make is that Allan is also arguing
for a methodology in what he views as otherwise weaker research and
development.
The in vitro/in house distinction is helpful and illuminates better the 5d
work, which I'd like to understand better. To push the analogy, unlike
curriculum efforts which attempt to modify an existing system of activity,
like surgery perhaps with an artifactual implant, 5d is a system born new and
relatively autonomous, which then you and others tried to encourage extant
systems to adopt, maintain and sustain, perhaps like grafting. Where does
activity theory come in to guide us in our efforts? Can we generate
macro-sociological and political-economic criteria for selecting one path
over another or generating yet a third?
Reflection on the work I did with Denis Newman et. al. in the 'Community of
Explorers' project in light of the above dimensions indicates that, as
envisioned, the project occured about 5 years too early with respect to
schools/technology/societal awareness. In this project the intervention was
the use of the internet to create a network community of high school teachers
that adopted computer modeling tools into science classrooms. Nearly a year
of effort was expended at connecting teachers to the Internet, training in
technology, establishing legitimacy of tools, which now could be expended in
building the capacity for sustainability. Yet, the nature of the funding
program was to seek these deficits as moments of opportunity to advance
knowledge and create agents of change. Timing was ripe for funding if not
for schools.
Bill B.
--------------------------------------
Date: 8/1/97 1:16 AM
To: Bill Barowy
From: xmca who-is-at weber.ucsd.edu
As I point out in the last chapter of CP, Bill, I figure I am doing a form
of experiment by design. I recall referencing Ann Brown who referenced
Allan Collins, but have never seen the book the Allan was going to put
out on this topic.
Your point about "envisioning" rings very true to me. The problem with
"in vitro" meaning "in house/lab" is that one's vision of possible
environments is poverty stricken. Reality runneth over.
Are all design experiments examples of what I am talking about as positive
critical theory? I don't think so. By and large, such research efforts do
not concern themselves with "higher" levels of context, and conduct design
resarch that include analysis of macro-sociological and political-economic
factors shaping the ability of the innovation to survive "in vitro." Its
a rich topic, you are right.
mike
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