Exploring Artifact-Generated Learning with Digital Technologies: Advancing Active Learning with Co-design in Higher Education Across Disciplines

Abstract

Active learning strategies increase student engagement and performances, however, there is student resistance toward such instructional interventions. To overcome student resistance groupwork can be useful. In addition, digital technology can be used to redesign courses to add active learning techniques and support learning with and not from technologies. We developed active learning strategies in a digital environment, artifact-generated learning (AGL). The aim of this exploratory research was to study student engagement in AGL setting by focusing on how student work together, student satisfaction, motivation, and roles. We conducted an open course with students from various disciplines. We applied Chi's conceptual framework of the three active learning levels of active-constructiveinteractive (interactive is highest level), to study the AGL intervention in student groups. Methods of focus groups, observations, and online questionnaires were conducted to analyze group interaction. Results, presented for four student groups, indicate two groups were active-constructive, one group was interactive, and one group reached beyond the highest level that we call co-design level. Implications raise awareness to distinguish between active learners and co-designers. An interactive group is not necessarily a co-designer. A co-designer is an active student who also acts beyond the given course design as s/he constructively searches for and utilizes other resources in order to accomplish set goals. To overcome student resistance, a new process-based assessment format may enhance students to become co-designers on the group level.

New alignments for the digital age: insights into connected learning

“…An emergent curriculum arises from the openness, interaction, and self-organization at scale of the information and knowledge production in social networks, which can generate an exponential growth of emerging learning modalities. Students can organize, co-design and determine both the process and the final application of learning, but both have been found to be unpredictable in dynamic and complex contexts (Gallagher and Wessels 2011 ; Jahnke et al 2020 ). Emergent curriculum is developed as students and instructors collaborate and share questions, problems and particular interests (Wein 2014 ).…”

Open Education Co-Design as a Participatory Pedagogy in an Online Graduate Program

“…In a user-centred approach, the user might be invited part way through a project, for example, to conduct usability testing, whereas when using a co-designed approach, the user is a partner and involved in all phases of development (Sanders & Stappers, 2008). Co-design relocates the user from consumer to producer and in educational contexts this situates students as knowledge creators in the learning activities instead of recipients of knowledge (De Rosa & Robinson, 2017;Jahnke et al, 2020). Students who are part of the co-design process within an interactive learning environment have a personal investment in the learning task, which can be described as participatory pedagogy used in the classroom (DiPietro, 2013;Sanders & Stappers, 2008).…”

“…Students can be empowered learners through participatory pedagogy and by co-designing open educational content, connecting with scholarly communities, and working in public spaces (DeRosa & Robinson, 2017). Co-design can provide an opportunity for students to take learning beyond the expectations of the instructor or intentions of a course design and extend the value of their work beyond the course (Jahnke et al, 2020;Paskevicius & Irvine, 2019).…”

Applying Co-Design Principles for the Development of Health Education and Workforce Development

“…Co-design has increased in popularity across many different domains [2] and has been applied to a wide range of applications and domains such as education, research and product/service creation. Examples include; creating student-centered innovations [3], generating artifacts with digital technology in higher education [4] as well as for digital interventions such as mHealth apps [5]. The University of Manchester working with Health Education England (HEE) has recently been involved in several projects aimed at workforce development for the UKs National Health Service (NHS).…”