Touchy feely vectors: A compensatory design approach to support model-based reasoning in developing country classrooms |
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Authors: | DurgaPrasad Karnam Harshit Agrawal Pranay Parte Saurabh Ranjan Priyanka Borar Prasanna Prakash Kurup Amose Jebin Joel Pattamadai Sankaran Srinivasan Uddhav Suryawanshi Aniket Sule Sanjay Chandrasekharan |
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Affiliation: | 1. Learning Sciences Research Group, Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education, TIFR, Mumbai, India;2. Astronomy Education Group, Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education, TIFR, Mumbai, India;3. Learning Sciences Research Group, Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education, TIFR, Mumbai, India Centre of Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences, University of Allahabad, Allahabad, India;4. Swami Vivekanand Junior College, Vivekanand Education Society, Mumbai, India;5. Atomic Energy Central School-4, Anushaktinagar, Atomic Energy Education Society, Mumbai, India |
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Abstract: | Educational technology designs in developing countries mostly focus on making knowledge resources widely available, through MOOCs, repositories and computer-based tutoring. The use of digital media for cognitive augmentation, particularly interactive designs that help learners understand modelling topics in STEM, is underexplored. We report a 3-year design study examining this potential in the Indian context, testing two iterations of an interactive system, Touchy-Feely Vectors (TFV). The design supports learning vectors, a modelling topic pre-university students struggle with. Virtual lesson-plans were co-designed with teachers to augment — but not replace — their existing practices, and to address classroom and resource constraints. Pre-post testing of TFV-1 (a computer-based prototype) showed that it helped students develop a more integrated vector concept, and improved their reasoning. Field-implementation of TFV-2 (a textbook-linked touch-screen based design) in 6-classrooms (3-Control, N=135; 3-Experimental, N=131) showed that it fostered cognitive engagement in average-students and geometry-algebra integration (model-based reasoning) in good-students. These results, along with a requirements analysis based on textbooks, indicate that the interaction possibilities supported by different representational media critically shape student reasoning. The study also illustrates a systematic approach to design and test digital media systems that support cognitive augmentation in developing countries. |
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Keywords: | cognitive augmentation developing country context digital media geometry-algebra integration model-based reasoning vectors |
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