Life in the Hive: Supporting Inquiry into Complexity Within the Zone of Proximal Development |
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| Authors: | Joshua A Danish Kylie Peppler David Phelps and DiAnna Washington |
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| Institution: | (1) Learning Sciences, Indiana University, 201 North Rose Ave, Wright 4040, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA;(2) Learning Sciences, Indiana University, 201 North Rose Ave, Wright 4024, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA |
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| Abstract: | Research into students’ understanding of complex systems typically ignores young children because of misinterpretations of
young children’s competencies. Furthermore, studies that do recognize young children’s competencies tend to focus on what
children can do in isolation. As an alternative, we propose an approach to designing for young children that is grounded in
the notion of the Zone of Proximal Development (Vygotsky 1978) and leverages Activity Theory to design learning environments. In order to highlight the benefits of this approach, we describe
our process for using Activity Theory to inform the design of new software and curricula in a way that is productive for young
children to learn concepts that we might have previously considered to be “developmentally inappropriate”. As an illuminative
example, we then present a discussion of the design of the BeeSign simulation software and accompanying curriculum which specifically
designed from an Activity Theory perspective to engage young children in learning about complex systems (Danish 2009a, b). Furthermore, to illustrate the benefits of this approach, we will present findings from a new study where 40 first- and
second-grade students participated in the BeeSign curriculum to learn about how honeybees collect nectar from a complex systems
perspective. We conclude with some practical suggestions for how such an approach to using Activity Theory for research and
design might be adopted by other science educators and designers. |
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