Programming and makerspace in schools: Competences for the 21 st. century and adapted training for gifted students

The project is about developing technology-rich teaching programs for use in adapted education for gifted student's.The focus is on the use of programming in teaching as part of a makerspace context.

About the project

Background

The new curricula in Norway reflects the national and international desire to develop "21st century skills" for the students in their education. This is about an increased emphasis on generic competencies and skills such as problem solving, creativity, collaboration and critical thinking. 

Research design 

We will carry out two different interventions at three different schools over a period of two years. The students will be students from the upper secondary school in 7-10 class (age from 12-15 years). Students will meet for three hours every other week in a creative workshop classroom and participate in the various interventions: LUR and science
The focus of the LUR intervention is to use block-based programming as part of a teaching program in a creative workshop context.

The focus of the science intervention is to use screen-based programming as part of the teaching program in a regular classroom.

Method

We will use design-based research (DBR) as the overriding method in this project. DBR is a research methodology that is specifically adapted to projects in technology-supported learning that take place in natural contexts, ie that are difficult to investigate through controlled experiments in natural contexts, ie that are difficult to investigate through controlled experiments (Hoadley, 2002 ). DBR in combination with socio-cultural theory (Krange & Ludvigsen, 2009) can reveal how different aspects of a learning environment mediate a learning process. 

Publications

Mørch, Anders Irving; Litherland, Kristina; Andersen, Renate (2019). End-User Development Goes to School: Collaborative Learning with Makerspaces in Subject Areas. Malizia, Alessio; Valtolina, Stefano; Mørch, Anders Irving; Serrano, Alan; Stratton, Andrew (Red.). End-User Development: 7th International Symposium, IS-EUD 2019, Hatfield, UK, July 10–12, 2019: Proceedings. kap. 16. s. 200-208. Springer (uv.uio.no).