Principal Investigator(s):
- Professor Michael Cole, Departments of Communication,
Psychology, and Human Development Program, and
Director of the Laboratory of Comparative Human
Cognition (LCHC), UC San Diego
Contact: Michael Cole, Professor, mcole@ucsd.edu
Site Description:
- The Torrey Pines Fifth Dimension program is an
in-school adaptation of the original Solana Beach
Fifth
Dimension model for after-school learning.
Three classes of 5th graders, each sponsored by
a different teacher, participate in Fifth Dimension
activities twice a week throughout the school year.
The teachers design their own theoretically appropriate
Fifth Dimension activities to fit their individual
goals as educators while meeting California State
standards. UCSD students work with the 5th grade
children in guided formal and informal learning
activities, including digital storytelling, supervised
online (email) communications, and interactive projects
using both educational software and hands-on materials.
One day a week, Torrey Pines has includes a three-hour
after-school enrichment program exclusively for
children bused to the school from San Diego’s
Barrio Logan district. UCSD undergraduates work
with the Latino students, who are predominately
low-income English language learners, to provide
homework help, mentoring and informal guidance on
a variety of technology-based, hands-on literacy
activities. Undergraduates take part in the program
by enrolling in Communication 115 and Human Development
115 a theory and practicum course that engage undergraduates
in field work in the after-school setting.
Courses:
Participants (based on 2005-06
data):
- Approximately 75 5th grade students per academic
year
- 60% White, 25% Latino,15% Southeast Asian
- 50% male, 50% female
- 15% ELLs
- Approximately 20 undergraduates per academic
year
Collaborators:
- Torrey Pines Elementary School in the San Diego
Unified School District
- Torrey Pines Elementary School Foundation
- UC San Diego Department of Communication and
Human Development Program
- The Laboratory of Comparative Human Cognition
(LCHC), UC San Diego
Goals:
- Increase academic achievement and narrow the
achievement gap;
- Increase technology and basic literacy skills
through computer-based games and multi-media storytelling
- Promote collaborative and group learning skills
- Increase participants’ knowledge and improve
attitudes and aspirations toward higher learning
for participating youth;
- Provide a laboratory for the design and testing
of new curricula and pedagogies
- Expose classroom teachers to new approaches to
teaching and learning and using computer technology
to assist them in integrating new approaches into
classroom teaching
- Develop model curricula that meet state and district
standards and that can be implemented in other
in- and after-school educational programs
- Improve the quality of graduate and undergraduate
education by connecting academic coursework to
practicum field experience
Activities:
- Collaborative learning activities using a wide
array of educational software, hands-on materials,
and board games which promote the development of
literacy knowledge and skills
- Daily online (email) communication and letter-writing
activities
- Homework assistance and mentoring from undergraduate
participants
Evaluation:
- University of California Student Academic Preparation
and Educational Partnerships (SAPEP) Annual Performance
Report
- UC Links Reading Assessment
- Survey of undergraduate interest in pursuing
graduate or professional school studies
- Teacher evaluation of participant performance
on assigned activities via grades or other teacher
assessment tools
- Analysis of participants' daily activity logs
and progress charts to measure task completion
Research Focus:
- Sociocultural approach to informal learning and
literacy development
- Mediation of learning by material culture
- Impact of the social framing of program activities
on literacy (specifically vocabulary) development
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