Experiencing the smart learning journey : a pedagogical inquiry

Abstract

This study investigates smart learning conceptualised as real world journeys formed of a series of geo-spatially relevant points of interest related to a topic of learning, with digital interactions providing access to context-aware content. Using free mobile apps to provide digital augmentation and interactions, two smart learning journeys were implemented, 'Literary London' in London, UK, and 'Malta Democracy‘ in Valletta, Malta. Real-world learning environments can increasingly be augmented by technology to support interactive engagement or participant contributions, therefore investigating how we might understand pedagogy in these future smart learning scenarios is useful to guide activity design and potential measurement of effective learning. Phenomenography, the chosen methodology of the study, is novel in the field of investigating smart learning experiences, and places the researcher in the shoes of the participants themselves. This study investigated what may be of value or considered as learning from the participants perspective, and showed that unplanned or incidental learning may be of much value in these kinds of activities. In relation to the research questions, outcomes of the study suggest possible ways to measure the process for and content of effective smart learning, offers a practical pedagogical model of considerations based in connectivist principles to plan for participant experience complexity, and indicates how this might inform design for smart learning. Twenty-four participants took part in phenomenographic semi-scripted emergent interviews, reflecting on their experiences of participating in a smart learning journey. Interviews were analysed at individual and collective level to discover variation and commonality of experience across all transcripts. This resulted in a series of phenomenographic 'outcome spaces' of relational categories of description for ways of experiencing a smart learning journey. 'Experiencing the Smart Learning Journey‘, the primary outcome space, consisted of four categories of description, with four levels of experience complexity in each. In order to apply these findings to pedagogical practice, the primary outcome space was considered as four experience relevance structures, to facilitate planning for this kind of experience complexity in activity design. This led to related pedagogical insights and formed the Pedagogy of Experience Complexity for Smart Learning (PECSL). The PECSL is composed of a four-tier model of considerations: the experience relevance structures, related pedagogies, pedagogical relevance structures and further epistemological contexts. Inspired in part by user-centred design, these offer a series of iterative flexible considerations to support scoping, planning and design of similar smart learning activities. The PECSL tiers can be further aligned with cognitive domain factors using Bloom‘s Revised and SOLO taxonomies for potential measurement of the effectiveness of any learning that may be present or possible in an activity, acknowledging implicit as well as planned learning outcomes. This is demonstrated by analysis of learner generated content from participants in the smart learning journeys in this study. The PECSL does not set out to be a definitive guide to smart learning, as different researchers may discover different aspects of significance depending on the nature and aspects of interest in their study. Every activity, group of participants and group of locations are different and may create different experiences and meanings. While acknowledging these differences, the PECSL may offer a 'thinking and planning roadmap' of considerations to indicate areas of experience relevance, related pedagogical approaches, pedagogical relevance structures and underlying epistemological context to inform decision making in the design and development process of a smart learning activity.