Technology at school and 'distributed knowledge'.
Di Blas, N.
The paper investigates what happens when a “project-based” didactic, which significantly involves technologies, is implemented in terms of the “cognitive” RESOURCES needed to carry it out and the acquisition of knowledge/competences by all the actors involved (teachers, students…). It fits into the theory of distributed cognition applied to TPACK (Distributed & Dynamic TPACK). The case study is a collaborative digital storytelling activity delivered by HOC-LAB (Politecnico di Milano) in schools (all levels). The results of the study show that a complex system of resources is used, including not only the students themselves, but also the network, families, experts… of which the teacher is the “conductor”. Training in management and design skills, rather than technological skills, would be desirable.
Nicoletta Di Blas
Nicoletta Di Blas is professor of special pedagogy at the Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering of the Politecnico di Milano, where she directs and co-directs two master’s degrees dedicated to innovation at school (DOL and MIDIS) and is scientific head of HOC-LAB, a multidisciplinary laboratory that develops “educational technologies” tools and provides various services to schools (digital storytelling, MOOCs for teachers, online courses for students…).