June 28, 2018

Progressive and inclusive learning will be the main topic at the inaugural Connected Learning Summit, set to take place Aug. 1-3 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab, 75 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, Mass.

The summit will feature discussions aimed at inspiring educators, game designers, learning scientists and others to promote digital citizenship, equity and access in their deployment of educational games, virtual reality and other digital media in and out of school.

“Digital, networked, interactive technologies offer tremendous promise to expand access to engaged and meaningful learning experiences,” said Mimi Ito, director of the Connected Learning Lab at the University of California, Irvine. “But, this will only happen through alliances between educators, designers, researchers, and change-makers with shared values and vision. The goal of the summit is to support this alliance and community building.”

Among the more than 200 talks, workshops and tech demos to be presented during the event, will be a keynote address, featuring Baratunde Thurston, a comedian, co-founder of Cultivated Wit and the About Race podcast and author of the New York Times bestseller “How To Be Black.” He will be in conversation with Joi Ito, director of the MIT Media Lab.

“You learn by doing. People facing challenges often are not alone so if people want to make more resilient communities, we have to make sure we’re always learning,” Thurston said.

Summit Schedule

The full schedule is available online. Besides the keynote address, the summit includes myriad sessions by leaders in academics, industry and nonprofit organizations; presentations on innovative learning projects and research; interactive workshops on technology research and design, games and other media; a lively “hall of failure,” featuring honest post mortems on projects, programs and products; smart, fast, performative “ignite” sessions; a community showcase evening event for working papers, tech demos, and ideas; and fireside chats with luminaries across fields.

Highlights include:

• A plenary session, featuring Michelle King, a middle school teacher who will talk about how to create empathetic institutions that remind us of our humanity, how to redesign for equity and social justice in and out of school learning and how to design learning institutions to build connections.
• A plenary discussion on connected communities, featuring Mimi Ito, director of the University of California Irvine’s Connected Learning Lab, Scot Osterweil, creative director of the Education Arcade and a research director in the MIT Comparative Media Studies/Writing Program, and Constance Steinkuehler, professor of informatics at UCI.
• An esports symposium about how competitive video games can enrich the academic curriculum.
• A spotlight on SciGirls CODE, a pilot program that with 16 STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) partners nationwide uses the principles of connected learning to provide 160 girls and their 32 leaders with computational thinking and coding skills.
• A workshop on the innovative music-making STEAM (STEM + arts and design) projects of the Expressive & Creative Interactive Technologies Center (ExCITe) at Drexel University.
• A tech showcase, featuring 30 technological wonders advancing learning.
• A research reception, featuring 40 working papers on topics ranging from creating digital learning games to hip hop music making in the classroom and middle school computer science coaching.

Background

Organizers of the Digital Media and Learning (DML) Conference, the Games+Learning+Society (GLS) Conference and Sandbox Summit joined forces to create the new annual summit.

“The convergence of these three communities — DML, GLS and Sandbox — promises to catalyze the field of learning technologies in a whole new way,” said Steinkuehler, former chair of the GLS Conference.

The summit is being hosted by UCI’s Connected Learning Lab, the UC Humanities Research Institute, MIT Media Lab and MIT Scheller Teacher Education Program.

Registration and Info

Attendee cost is $200-$410. For more information, visit connectedlearningsummit.org.

Media Contact:
Mimi Ko Cruz, mcruz@hri.uci.edu

The post New Conference Promotes Progressive, Inclusive Learning appeared first on DML Hub.

In an effort to raise awareness of marine conservation, the Ocean Institute and Connected Camps are inviting young people to take part in a Minecraft social media activation on World Oceans Day today.

A video, featuring Minecraft’s new Aquatic Update and fun facts curated by the Ocean Institute, will debut on Connected Camps’ social media channels — YouTube, Twitter and Facebook. Kids are encouraged to watch and share the video using the hashtag, #WorldOceansDay, in their own social media posts throughout the day. To top off the collaboration, the Ocean Institute will bring a low-income school class on a free field trip to visit the ocean for the first time at its headquarters in Dana Point.

“We are thrilled to partner with Connected Camps and to see kids using the tools that are important to them — and their peers — to celebrate our ocean,” said Wendy Marshall, vice president of education at the Ocean Institute. “With 95% of the ocean yet to be explored and many threats to the ocean health, we need to develop the next generation of innovators and discoverers. We believe that the habits of mind that students develop through the learning experiences that Connect Camps offers are the very attributes that are needed! Curiosity, creativity, persistence, collaboration, and flexibility will be critical to furthering our knowledge of the ocean and solving the most pressing problems. Ocean Institute is thankful to the students who are participating and are using their creativity to engage others.”

“Indeed,” said Mimi Ito, Connected Camps founder and director of the Connected Learning Lab at the University of California, Irvine.

“We are seeking to connect kids’ enthusiasm for Minecraft to science and civic engagement in conservation,” she said. “The new aquatic patch lets us meet kids where they are, having fun with their friends, and connect them to these new potential areas of interest. It’s about educators and civic activists fishing where the fish are already swimming, so to speak.”

Connected Camps is a nonprofit organization that teaches STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) concepts through Minecraft. When Microsoft/Mojang recently released Update Aquatic for Minecraft, Connected Camps teamed with the Ocean Institute and the Connected Learning Alliance and started using the game to teach kids about some core principles of ocean conservancy while they explore the new update to the game. Its campers now are making content and participating in the global conversation about the conservation of the world’s oceans.

“The Update Aquatic fills the oceans of Minecraft with marine life, shipwrecks and more, giving players a whole new world to explore. It’s great to see Connected Camps using this release to encourage young people to learn about environmental issues. Later this month, we will bring Update Aquatic to Minecraft: Education Edition, empowering educators with a series of new lessons to engage students in reef biology and conservation,” said Deirdre Quarnstrom, general manager of Minecraft Education at Microsoft.

“It’s about kids becoming creators of digital culture, and finding their voice and understanding that through the connected nature of our world, our voice travels,” Ito added. “The overall theme is around how community-based, interest-driven learning helps kids learn and develop new passions in their lives outside of the game.”

About Connected Camps

Connected Camps is a benefit corporation providing connected learning experiences that foster creativity, problem solving, collaboration and interest-driven learning. Its mission is to build a global online community where kids build, code, play, and learn from one another. Tapping the power of youth tech experts to teach and mentor, Connected Camps has served thousands of kids through its online and community-based programs. Connected Camps is a member of the Connected Learning Alliance.

About Ocean Institute

The Ocean Institute, founded in 1977 as the Orange County Marine Institute, is a community-based organization that educates 250,000 visitors annually through over 60 marine science and maritime history programs. Located on 2.4 acres in the Dana Point Harbor, adjacent to a Marine Life Conservation Area, the facility is an ocean education center that offers in-depth marine science, maritime history and outdoor education programs. It includes state-of-the-art teaching labs, the Maddie James Seaside Learning Center, two historic tall ships, and an oceanographic research vessel. Immersion-based field trips range from one-hour science labs to multi-day programs at sea and at the Lazy W Ranch, in the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains. All programs are designed to maximize immersion, spark curiosity, and inspire a deep commitment to learning.

About Connected Learning Alliance

The Connected Learning Alliance supports the expansion and influence of a network of educators, experts and youth-serving organizations, mobilizing new technology in the service of equity, access and opportunity for all young people. Learn more at clalliance.org. 

Media Contacts:
John Gillilan, Connected Camps, johngillilan@connectedcamps.com
Wendy Marshall, Ocean Institute, wmarshall@oceaninstitute.org
Mimi Ko Cruz, Connected Learning Alliance, mcruz@hri.uci.edu

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Nov. 28, 2017

Organizers of the Digital Media and Learning (DML) Conference, the Games+Learning+Society (GLS) Conference and Sandbox Summit have joined forces and announced the creation of a new annual event — the Connected Learning Summit — that will debut next summer at the MIT Media Lab.

“I’m excited about the launch of this event. It marks the beginning of the next phase of our collective effort to revolutionize how kids learn,” said Constance Steinkuehler, professor of informatics at the University of California, Irvine and former chair of the GLS Conference. “The convergence of these three communities — DML, GLS and Sandbox — promises to catalyze the field of learning technologies in a whole new way. We concluded the GLS event in order to enable this very merger, realizing that the silos we formerly operated within were no longer serving us well.”

The inaugural summit, to be held Aug. 1-3, will be hosted by UCI’s Connected Learning Lab, the UC Humanities Research Institute, MIT Media Lab and MIT Scheller Teacher Education Program. It will take place at the MIT campus every other year beginning in 2018 and every year in between at the UCI campus.

The summit’s purpose is “to fuel a growing movement of innovators harnessing the power of emerging technology to expand access to participatory, playful, and creative learning.” It will feature experts discussing creative and playful learning practices with a focus on access, engagement and equity for children and adults alike. Its aim is to be a place where those excited to take learning to the next level gather to learn about cutting-edge strategies in connected learning.

“The Summit will have a progressive and inclusive focus,” said Mimi Ito, research director of the Connected Learning Lab at UCI. “It will bring together people truly committed to progressive, catalytic, innovative and transformative approaches to learning.”

Summit attendees will be offered keynote and plenary sessions by leaders in academics, industry and nonprofit organizations; presentations on innovative learning projects and research; interactive workshops on technology research and design, games and other media; a lively “hall of failure,” featuring honest post mortems on projects, programs and products; smart, fast, performative “ignite” sessions; a community showcase evening event for working papers, tech demos, and ideas; and fireside chats with luminaries across fields.

“I haven’t been this excited about a conference — ever,” said Eric Klopfer, director of the Scheller Teacher Education Program and The Education Arcade at MIT. “We are bringing together unique communities of educators invested in educational innovation. With the diverse formats of interaction that the conference is supporting, I look forward to seeing, hearing and engaging with these innovators.”

Serving on the summit’s steering and advisory committee are: Ito, Steinkuehler, Klopfer, Drew Davidson, Samuel E. Dyson, David Theo Goldberg, Akili Lee, Scot Osterweil, Justin Reich, Mitch Resnick and Ricarose Roque.

The call for proposals to present at the summit is open through Jan. 22.

For more information about the summit, visit connectedlearningsummit.org.

For more information about connected learning, visit clalliance.org.

Media Contact:
Mimi Ko Cruz, 949-824-4587, mcruz@hri.uci.edu

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Free and open technologies do not democratize education, but strategies to combat educational inequity exist and should be replicated, a new report by digital learning experts recommends.

The report —“From Good Intentions to Real Outcomes: Equity by Design in Learning Technologies” — published today proposes following promising strategies the authors found that are addressing equity in learning technologies. New technologies, even free ones, they argue, disproportionately benefit students with the financial, social, and technical capital to take advantage of them.

The authors — Justin Reich, executive director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Teaching Systems Lab and a research scientist in the MIT Office of Digital Learning, and Mizuko (Mimi) Ito, research director of the Digital Media and Learning Research Hub at the University of California, Irvine and director of UCI’s Connected Learning Lab — met with leading researchers, educators, and technologists for in-depth working sessions to share challenges and solutions for how learning technologies can provide the greatest benefits for the most vulnerable learners. The group identified the challenges and solutions outlined in the report.

Among their solutions:

• Unite around shared purpose: equity-oriented efforts can bring developers, reformers, and learners together with common purpose, thus reducing social distance between these groups. When initiatives are co-developed with stakeholders, they are more likely to be better attuned to important elements of social and cultural contexts, and learners are more likely to take ownership of such initiatives.
• Align home, school and community: One fruitful strategy for reducing digital divide is building the capacity of parents and mentors alongside that of children. Intergenerational learning experiences can strengthen family ties while giving parents and children new skills to explore new domains.
• Connect to the Interest and identities of minority youth: Peer learning communities are exclusionary when they reflect a dominant culture in ways that create a hostile environment for outsiders, but they can also be harnessed to create safe affinity spaces for minority youth. Powerful learning experiences result when students have the opportunity to connect their interests from outside of school to learning opportunities in more academic contexts.
• Target the needs of subgroups: When developers and reformers understand the specific needs of the communities they serve, they can deploy targeted programs that give the greatest advantage to the neediest groups.

“We stand at the cusp of widespread adoption of new technologies that have the potential to both radically reduce or exacerbate existing forms of educational inequity. A concerted push for research, innovation, and joint action around a common purpose of deploying learning technologies in the service of equity could dramatically enhance our understanding of how new technologies can truly democratize education. The time is ripe for a coalition that unites research, practice, and design, and that cuts across the public-private divide in the service of a more equitable future for learning technologies,” Reich and Ito write in the report.

The full report is available free online. Published by the Digital Media and Learning Research Hub, it is part of a series on connected learning, funded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

Media Contact: 
Mimi Ko Cruz, 949-824-4587, mcruz@hri.uci.edu

The post New Report Finds Tech Inequality Persists, Proposes Solutions appeared first on DML Hub.

EVENT: Civic engagement in a networked world will be the featured discussion at the 8th annual Digital Media and Learning Conference this year.

“At a time when we are increasingly faced with serious social challenges — of living together in dignified ways, of electoral meddling and fake news, of changes in what work we do and how we work, of health care provision, of climate change and climatic challenges, racial aggression and violence — learning with and through others is crucial to our social futures,” said David Theo Goldberg, director of the University of California Humanities Research Institute and executive director of the DML Research Hub, which organizes the annual conference. “The DML Conference this year takes up these questions collectively, looking to develop creative networks, thought leadership, and learning practices critical for advancing digital citizenship.”

WHEN: All day, Oct. 4-6

WHERE: UC Irvine, Student Center (bldg. 113, grid E8 on campus map: http://bit.ly/2cqfB8r)

WHY: “The conference is the annual event that brings together scholars, educators, and technologists who are exploring how new technologies can best serve the needs of all learners and the public interest,” said Mimi Ito, research director of the DML Hub, co-founder of the Connected Learning Alliance and UC Irvine cultural anthropologist who specializes in learning and directs the Connected Learning Lab. “Our community is a unique and catalytic blend of innovators working in a wide range of organizations, united by a shared commitment to equity and a learner-centered approach.”

HIGHLIGHTS:

Oct. 4, all day — “Pre-Conference Workshops.” Featuring eight half- and full-day workshops, topics range from preparing teachers for the connected learning ecology to learning analytics, program evaluation, game design and tackling problems in research and practice.

Oct 5, 9 a.m. — The keynote address, will be delivered by danah boyd, a principal researcher at Microsoft Research and the founder of Data & Society. Her research examines the intersection between technology and society. Her talk, titled “Learning All the Wrong Things,” will focus on “the darker sides of networked media engagement: media manipulation, strategic harassment, and youth radicalization.” 

“A decade ago, my collaborators and I imagined a world of participatory culture where young people would be empowered to actively and strategically use technology to engage with the world around them,” boyd said. “Through a mixture of peer learning, self-learning, and formal education, we saw many young people develop sophisticated understandings of how to use social media to their advantage. Yet, not all of the practices that emerged as a result are inherently positive. From the rise of pro-Ana communities to the trolling associated with #Gamergate to the strategic manipulation of media for racist agendas, we’ve seen a form of participatory culture emerge that can be unhealthy, cruel, and socially devastating.”

During her address, she said, “we’ll think through different kinds of interventions — and the unintended consequences of good intentions in a world where the internet mirrors and magnifies the good, bad, and ugly.”

Oct. 5, 12:30 p.m. — Presenting “Contra Deportation: Fighting Injustice With Electronic Civil Disobedience” will be Ricardo Dominguez, a UC San Diego associate professor of visual arts and co-founder of Electronic Disturbance Theater. This event is free and open to the public. 

Dominguez will speak about the virtual sit-in his theater group staged to stop the German government from using commercial airlines to deport undocumented refugees and immigrants, the effect that action had and how activists can learn from it to fight injustice in the United States and abroad today.

Oct. 6, 11 a.m. — Henry Jenkins, USC Provost Professor of communication, journalism, cinematic arts and education, will interview Bahraini civil rights activist Esra’a Al-Shafei. Al Shafei has worked as a blogger, a civil rights advocate, and youth leader using networked communications to build platforms which deployed new media tools to amplify the voices of oppressed and underrepresented groups in the Middle East. Jenkins has headed the Media, Activism, and Participatory Politics Research group which has sought to better understand the political lives of American youth, who are seeking to change the world “by any media necessary.”

Their discussion will ask, “do we still believe that networked youth can change the world?” They will compare notes, reflecting on what we know now that we did not know a decade ago, after the Arab Spring, after Occupy, after #blacklivesmatter, and after Trump, about the ways young people may or may not be able to use social media to bring about social change.

SCHEDULE: For details on the more than 60 conference talks and workshops being offered, visit dml2017.dmlhub.net/schedule.

LIVE-STREAM: The keynote address, the conversation between Jenkins and Al-Shafei and the conference Ignite Talks will be live-streamed at dml2017.dmlhub.net/live.

BACKGROUND: The DML Conference is supported by the MacArthur Foundation and organized by the Digital Media and Learning Research Hub and the Connected Learning Alliance, which are part of the University of California Humanities Research Institute based at UC Irvine. It is an inclusive, international gathering of scholars and practitioners in the digital media and learning field, focused on fostering interdisciplinary and participatory dialog and linking theory, empirical study, policy and practice.

MORE INFO AND REGISTRATION: Visit dml2017.dmlhub.net.

MEDIA CONTACT: Mimi Ko Cruz, mcruz@hri.uci.edu, (949) 824-4587

The post DML Conference Targets Digital Citizenship appeared first on DML Hub.

The creations of 93 teenagers — finalists of “Twist Fate,” an international art and writing challenge for 13 to 17 year olds — are being showcased in a book that is available online at clalliance.org/twist-fate and at select libraries nationwide.

The contest, run by the Connected Learning Alliance (CLA) and hosted by the popular apps DeviantArt and Wattpad, called on teens all over the world to submit works, twisting the fate of storybook heroes and villains.

“We challenged teens aged 13-17 to ‘pick a story and character, and create an alternative scenario where a famous hero is the villain, or an infamous villain, the hero.’ And, we invited them to submit their entries to DeviantArt and Wattpad, homes to some of the most vibrant youth creative communities on the net,” said Mimi Ito, director the Connected Learning Lab, which coordinates the CLA, at the University of California, Irvine. “As a result, you’ll find a phantasmagoric teen neverland, often delightful, sometimes dark, and always surprising creations were produced. You’ll see characters varying from Snow White, to Harry Potter, to Jarvis (the A.I. in Ironman), all transformed in ways both familiar and unexpectedly strange. The Twist Fate challenge is an effort to connect and recognize the abundant creativity and learning that teens are engaged in through Wattpad and DeviantArt, showcasing how these sites are platforms for powerful new forms of learning to educators, parents, and others who might not already be tapped into this neverland.”

Thousands submitted entries and the best were chosen for publication online and in the “Twist Fate” book by its editors — writers Sara Ryan (author of “Bad Houses,” “The Rules for Hearts” and “Empress of the World”) and Lauren Kate (author of “Fallen,” Torment,” “Passion,” “Rapture,” “Fallen in Love” and “The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove”), Walt Disney Animation Studios story artist Brian Kesinger and Antero Garcia, Stanford University assistant professor of education.

“From the Dark Knight to the Emerald Empire, the worlds that ‘Twist Fate’ spans are impressive and — as a reader — initially overwhelming. There are a lot of interests captured in a collection that comes from just two popular online communities,” Garcia said. “The images, stories, comics and poems included in the ‘Twist Fate’ published collection illustrate the possibilities of youth production and online communication.”

Twist Fate was sponsored by the CLA, National Writing Project (NWP) and Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). A webinar all about the Twist Fate challenge will air at 4 p.m. EDT, Oct. 17 on Connected Learning TV.

“With the Twist Fate challenge, teens had an incredible opportunity to use text and multimedia to create a work of fiction on Wattpad and DeviantArt that now appears on library shelves across North America,” said Wattpad’s co-founder and CEO Allen Lau.

Added Christina Cantrill, of the National Writing Project (NWP): “Since we know that writing happens in many ways with words and images across mediums and communities, this project allowed youth to channel their interests and understanding into new skills which, in turn, will support them navigating a rapidly changing world of participatory engagement and communications.”

The mission is to nurture the artist in everyone, said Angelo Sotira, DeviantArt’s co-founder and CEO. “Young people experiment with all kinds of expression. The Twist Fate project, linked with serious educators, was an opportunity for our community to teach and give voice to teens in a peer setting. We have always done this organically and on a huge scale but this is the first time we have partnered directly with library and school programs.”

The challenge also was part of YALSA’s Teen Tech Week campaign, in which libraries nationwide showcase their digital resources and services that are available to help teens succeed in school and prepare for college and 21st century careers.

“Twist Fate provided libraries and classrooms across the globe an opportunity to link connected learning, creativity and technology and gave students a chance to improve their skills and get to know supportive, social communities that can help connect them as mentors, fellow artists, and friends,” YALSA President Candice Mack said.

To read all the stories and see the artworks, go to clalliance.org/twist-fate.

Media Contact
Mimi Ko Cruz
mcruz@hri.uci.edu
949-824-4587

About DeviantArt

Founded in 2000, DeviantArt is an online social network for artists and art enthusiasts, and a platform for emerging and established artists to exhibit, promote, and share their works with an enthusiastic, art-centric community. It has more than 38 million registered members and attracts more than 65 million unique visitors per month. Members — knowns as deviants — daily upload more than 160,000 original artworks, everything from painting and sculpture to digital art, pixel art, films, and anime. Learn more at deviantart.com.

About Wattpad

Founded in 2006, Wattpad is a free app that lets people discover and share stories about the things they love. More than 40 million people around the world turn to Wattpad to find entertainment that matches their interests and fits their schedules. Wattpad stories are serialized and the entire community participates in the storytelling process through comments, messages, and multimedia. The app offers stories in over 50 languages and works on mobile and web. The company is based in Toronto, Canada. Learn more at wattpad.com.

About Connected Learning Alliance

The CLA supports the expansion and influence of a network of educators, experts and youth-serving organizations, mobilizing new technology in the service of equity, access and opportunity for all young people. The Alliance is coordinated at the Digital Media and Learning Research Hub at UC Irvine. Learn more at clalliance.org.

About National Writing Project

NWP is a network of sites anchored at colleges and universities and serving teachers across disciplines and at all levels, early childhood through university. NWP provides professional development, develops resources, generates research, and acts on knowledge to improve the teaching of writing and learning in schools and communities. Learn more at nwp.org.

About Young Adult Library Services Association

YALSA is a national association of librarians, library workers and advocates with a mission is to expand and strengthen library services for teens. YALSA brings together key stakeholders from the areas of libraries, education, research, out of school time, youth development and more to develop and deliver resources to libraries that expand their capacity to support teen learning and enrichment and to foster healthy communities. Learn more at ala.org/yalsa.

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IRVINE, CALIF. MARCH 30, 2017 — The University of California, Irvine has launched the Connected Learning Lab (CLL), a new interdisciplinary hub dedicated to researching and putting into practice equitable learner-centered innovation in educational technology.

“Emerging forms of personalized, networked, and game-based learning represents a massive new wave of innovation in educational technology that is already impacting millions of learners around the world,” said Mimi Ito, CLL director. “The CLL is dedicated to ensuring that these innovations are informed by robust research, and lead to positive outcomes for learners in all walks of life. The lab includes interdisciplinary networks of faculty members across the UCI campus, from informatics and education to the social sciences.”

The lab is sponsored by UCI’s Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences, School of Education and School of Social Sciences, as well as the UC Humanities Research Institute. It supports interdisciplinary research and design, and partnerships with a broad network of educational practitioners and technologists. The CLL’s focus is defined by the “connected” in connected learning, which refers to social relationships and emerging digital and networked technologies.

Connected learning happens when someone is pursuing a personal interest with the support of peers, mentors and caring adults, and in ways that open up opportunities for them, the CLL explains. “It differs from technology and institution-centered approaches to educational technology in being people-first, prioritizing student interests, cultural relevance, and the life of communities. Connected learning also is a uniquely interdisciplinary approach that brings together the learning sciences, social sciences, design, informatics and computing to develop new research frameworks, engage in pressing real-world problems, and develop and test breakthrough innovations.”

The creation of the CLL is a result of more than a decade of John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation investment in the Digital Media and Learning Hub at UC Irvine, and the research of the Connected Learning Research Network and the Youth and Participatory Politics Research Network. And, the Connected Learning Alliance, a project of the CLL, is dedicated to building a cross-sector network of organizations dedicated to the spread of connected learning.

“CLL has grown out of the Digital Media and Learning Research Hub, based at UCHRI. It will provide the leading experimental site for pushing the boundaries of connected learning, on-campus and off,” explained David Theo Goldberg, UCHRI’s director. “UCI is enormously fortunate to host the CLL.”

As part of the transition from the DML Research Hub, the CLL will host the annual Digital Media and Learning Conference at UCI. This year’s conference is set for Oct. 4-6.

CLL’s lead researchers include:

• Mimi Ito, CLL director
• David Theo Goldberg, UCHRI director
• Richard Arum, dean of UCI School of Education
• Bill Maurer, dean of UCI School of Social Sciences
• Kurt Squire, UCI professor of informatics
• Constance Steinkuehler, UCI professor of informatics

They emphasize that the research is clear that young people learn best when actively engaged, creating and solving problems they care about, and when supported by peers who appreciate and recognize their accomplishments.

CLL’s researchers also believe that all young people should reap the benefits of new technologies for learning, creating and connecting, but the reality is that more privileged youth tend to reap these advantages more successfully. Hence, educational programs and policies must address equity head-on in order to ensure that new technologies do not contribute to a widening equity gap.

The research projects they are working on include these themes:

• “Connecting Higher Education,” a look at how massive open online courses and digital learning changes the landscape of higher education, and how university faculty can bring participatory and connected methods into their teaching.
• “Connected Learning for Informal Educators,” a look at how informal educators — such as librarians, teaching artists, museum instructors, coaches, and after-school providers — are champions of interest-driven learning and mentorship.
• Through “Digital Equity,” the CLL is working with the MIT Media Lab and Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society to bring the Scratch computer programming education environment to diverse populations and gear it toward young people’s interests. It also partners with the Institute for Money, Technology & Financial Inclusion to consider how to support connected learning and digital inclusion in the Global South.
• “Games and Participatory Learning,” a push to bring the best of today’s learning sciences to interactive gaming, with a focus on social, emotional and civic learning. The CLL is committed to growing the field of game-based learning by enabling and promoting cross-disciplinary and cross-sector knowledge-sharing and collaboration.
• “Open Learning for Youth,” a move toward developing more peer-to-peer and interest-driven learning that leverages the power of open networks. Researchers are investigating the learning dynamics of interest-driven online groups that support academically-relevant knowledge seeking and expertise development.
• “Participatory Assessment and Modeling,” an initiative to rethink how learning is valued, assessed and measured by leveraging the principles of participatory learning. The CLL is committed to assessments that are driven by students’ interests and passions, elicit authentic performances, and require meaningful participation in the world.

For more information about the Connected Learning Lab, visit connectedlearning.uci.edu.

About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 30,000 students and offers 192 degree programs. It’s located in one of the world’s safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County’s second-largest employer, contributing $5 billion annually to the local economy. For more on UCI, visit www.uci.edu.

Media Contact: Mimi Ko Cruz, 949-824-4587, mcruz@hri.uci.edu

Photo credit: Steve Zylius/UCI

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One lucky camper will win a Piper computer kit.

Igniting a passion for technology is the goal of Connected Camps’ online summer camps in coding, game design, architecture, engineering, and survival mode in Minecraft.

The weeklong virtual camps, priced from $69 to $99, commence June 26. There are 30 online camps to choose from, including girls-only options.

“We offer the fun hands-on projects, and cool counselors that you get at a tech camp, but in an online format that is much more affordable and accessible,” said Mimi Ito, Connected Camps co-founder. “We give kids a STEM learning experience at a tenth of the cost of the more traditional summer camps. The online format also means that kids can keep in touch with their new friends and counselors and keep working on projects even after the one-week camps. And, we run a free, moderated Minecraft server that kids can connect to year-round to continue their learning.”

It can be hard for parents to find tech camps that are affordable, work with their kids’ busy schedules and tap into a passion for all things Minecraft, added Katie Salen, Connected Camps co-founder.

“The best way for kids to develop tech skills and interests is through fun and challenging projects with peers and mentors they feel connected with. We run camps that meet kids where they are, catering to interests in games, exploration, and design, as well as girls-only camps.” Salen said. “Connected Camps draws on over a decade of research on STEM learning and online education.”

Campers, ages 8-13, can connect from the convenience of home, and learn in small groups from expert counselors who are passionate about topics like coding, game design, and creative building. Campers learn by doing, creating projects like race courses, cities, automated machines, mazes, and more. All campers receive a personal certificate of completion from their counselor, and can continue learning on the free Kid Club server with counselor-led building and survival challenges, mini games, and clubs for various interests.

“We think of Minecraft as more than just a game,” said Tara Tiger Brown, Connected Camps co-founder. “To us, it is a flexible, design-friendly environment that not only lets the imaginations of kids run wild, but also teaches them about problem solving, programming, and getting along with others.”

Those who purchase one camp are offered a 20% discount on all other camps. In addition, Connected Camps will be giving away a free Piper computer kit — a computer that kids assemble themselves and runs the Raspberry Pi Edition of Minecraft Story — to one lucky camper, who registers by March 19 this year.

To register for camps, enter the giveaway, or for more information, visit connectedcamps.com.

About Connected Camps

Connected Camps is a benefit corporation providing connected learning experiences that foster creativity, problem solving, collaboration and interest-driven learning. Its mission is to build a global online community where kids build, code, play, and learn from one another. Tapping the power of youth tech experts to teach and mentor, Connected Camps has served thousands of kids through its online and community-based programs.

Connected Camps is a member of the Connected Learning Alliance, which supports the expansion and influence of a network of educators, experts and youth-serving organizations mobilizing new technology in the service of equity, access and opportunity for all young people.

Media Contact:
Mimi Ko Cruz, 949-824-4587

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The Digital Media and Learning (DML) Research Hub, in partnership with UCI’s School of Education, invites advanced graduate students and early career scholars conducting research in the field of digital media and learning to submit applications for the Digital Media and Learning (DML) Data Training Award. The award recipients will conduct secondary analysis of longitudinal data collected by the Connecting Youth Project.

The goal of the award is to engage and support scholars to conduct data analysis on a unique and comprehensive longitudinal dataset collected by the Connecting Youth project, led by UCI’s Dean of Education, Richard Arum. Participants will be invited to analyze the data set and develop a personal project such as a publication, dissertation, book chapter, or other relevant outcome. Participants will have access to staff support in order to access and analyze the data set. A detailed description of the data participants will have access to is provided below.

The DML Research Hub will provide funding for up to five advanced graduate students and early career scholars to travel to two institutes at UC Irvine in Irvine, California — one training day on June 1, 2017*, and one presentation day in spring 2018 (economy round-trip, coach airfare, ground transportation) — as well as meals, and accommodation. A data analysis and writing stipend of $500 will be provided upon attending the 2017 summer institute, and $500 upon attendance at the final presentation symposium and submission of a paper draft ($1000 total per fellow).

Expectations for participation include:

• Conducting analysis on the data set and developing a project
• Reading and providing feedback on each other’s projects
• Attending both workshops and presenting projects at the second workshop

Application Process

We welcome applicants from all disciplines, including social scientists, humanists, technologists, and education scholars. Applicants must currently be affiliated with an academic or research institution. Applicants need not be from U.S. institutions or be U.S. citizens, but must be able to obtain a U.S. visa to participate.

To Apply:

Submit a one- or two-page cover letter to dmlhub@hri.uci.edu that outlines:

• How your research interests relate to this award,
• The professional significance of participating in the DML Data Training Award,
• Your contribution to diversity and innovation in the field of Digital Media and Learning,
• A description of proposed writing or other outcome produced over the course of participation in the program.

Also provide:

• An updated CV.
• Contact information for two references who can speak to your academic work.

All application materials should be submitted to dmlhub@hri.uci.edu on or before February 27, 2017. Participants will be decided by a selection committee and notifications of selection will be sent by mid-Spring 2017. Any questions about the program should be addressed to the DML Research Hub at dmlhub@hri.uci.edu.

About the DML Research Hub

Supported by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation as part of its Digital Media and Learning portfolio, the Digital Media and Learning Hub is a major initiative of the University of California Humanities Research Institute. Both the UC-wide Humanities Research Institute and the Research Hub are based at the UC Irvine campus. The MacArthur Foundation launched its Digital Media and Learning initiative in 2006 to help determine how digital technologies are changing the way people, especially young people, learn, play, socialize, and participate in civic life. Answers are critical to developing educational and other social institutions that can meet the needs of this and future generations. To learn more about the DML Research Hub, visit dmlhub.net.

Description of Dataset**

Connecting Youth Project Overview

The Connecting Youth: Digital Learning Research Project, led by PI Richard Arum and postdoctoral scholar Kiley Larson, is a multi-method study of variation in behaviors, attitudes, and competencies around digital media and learning. Organizations in the study include cultural institutions that provide innovative after-school and summer programs via the Hive Learning Networks, as well as two schools in New York and Chicago. These networks and schools use innovative educational pedagogies, such as game design and digital learning, in attempts to enhance students’ interests, community awareness, and shape their educational outcomes. This project was funded by the MacArthur Foundation as part of the Digital Media and Learning initiative.

Survey Data from the Connecting Youth Project

Longitudinal pre- and post-surveys were administered to Hive program participants and consenting students at two schools, where youth ranged from about age 11 to age 18. One survey was administered at the beginning of the school year or program, and one at the end of the school year or program, beginning in summer 2011, with the most recent data collection from Hive programs in summer 2014 and the most recent data collection from the schools in spring 2016. There are data from more than 1,500 Hive surveys and more than 2,000 school surveys, but questions across surveys and years may differ.

Along with extensive demographic and home-life information, surveys gather data on students’ self-reported educational attitudes, work habits, creativity, experiences of the school or program environment, activities, utilization of technology and digital media, as well as engagement with features of the connected learning pedagogical model. As students are often present for multiple years, these surveys constitute longitudinal maps of change and development for youth at Hive programs and the two schools.

Survey questionnaires available upon request.

For more information, download the Connecting Youth Project’s presentation from DML 2016.

*Date subject to change based on participant availability.

**The clean, complete dataset will be in SAS format. In addition, all of the merging, cleaning, and coding files will be in SAS format, and it will be the responsibility of the participant to transfer SAS data into their preferred data analysis software. A comprehensive codebook will be provided, as well as access to the expertise of Connecting Youth Data Manager, Emma Mishel.

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EVENT: The 7th annual Digital Media and Learning Conference this year features a learner-centered, equity-oriented approach to educational technology.

“We cannot expect social equity in the absence of transformative modes of educational equity. Learning technologies can enable equity or exacerbate inequality, so design is crucial,” said David Theo Goldberg, director of the University of California Humanities Research Institute an executive director of the DML Research Hub, which organizes the annual conference. “The conference aims to bring people together to think through and build on the best ed tech design practices in an effort to promote thoughtful, critical 21st century learning.”

WHEN: All day, Oct. 5-7

WHERE: UC Irvine, Student Center, Doheny Ballroom and Emerald Bay Rooms (bldg. 113, grid E8 on campus map: http://bit.ly/2cqfB8r)

WHY: “The conference is the annual event that brings together scholars, educators, and technologists who are exploring how new technologies can best serve the needs of all learners and the public interest,” said Mimi Ito, research director of the DML Hub, co-founder of the Connected Learning Alliance and UC Irvine cultural anthropologist who specializes in learning. “We are focused on a learner-centered and evidence-driven approach to educational technology. We put people first and social equity is immensely important to us.”

HIGHLIGHTS:

Oct. 5, all day — “Pre-Conference Workshops.” Featuring half- and full-day workshops, topics range from courses in media making, learning analytics, program evaluation, and game design to working sessions focused on delving into cutting edge problems in research and practice.

Oct 6, 9-10:30 a.m. — The keynote address, “What is the Intellectual Culture of Games?” will be delivered by games and learning expert Constance Steinkuehler. She will discuss the promises and tensions around game-based learning amid the larger context of educational change.

Oct. 6, 3:15-3:45 p.m. — “Slow Meets Social Media: Out of Eden.” Carrie James, of Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, will present Out of Eden Learn, an online global education program that connects youth to take part in shared learning journeys that involve slow looking, listening and storytelling activities, supporting self-exploration and cross-cultural sensitivity and understanding.

Oct. 6, 4-4:30 p.m. — “Deconstructing Disneyland: An Experiment in Theme Park-Based Media Literacy Education.” Brigham Young University students and faculty members — Brent Barson, Chris Bowles, Jeff Parkin and Benjamin Thevenin — will present their mobile app-based alternate reality game that allows Disneyland visitors to critically engage with (while still enjoying) the popular theme park.

Oct. 6, 6 p.m. — Tech Showcase. Education innovators will display the latest in EdTech.

Oct. 6-7, 4:45-5:45 p.m. — Ignite Talks. Hosted by Gardner Campbell, of Virginia Commonwealth University, 18 speakers each will make 5-minute presentations, enlightening conference-goers on exciting and cutting-edge digital media and learning projects. The speakers represent a number of universities and organizations, including UC Irvine, Hamburg University of Technology, MIT, USC, Boston Public Schools and Get Schooled Foundation.

Oct. 7, 9-10:30 a.m. — “Art is What Your Digital Teaching Needs.” Participants in this hands-on workshop will learn about the growing number of free, online opportunities for expanding knowledge and experience in the arts and for supporting their teaching practice to include music and visual art digital resources. The presenters are Jordan Natan Hochenbaum and Deborah Howes. 

Oct. 7, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. — “Digital Dreamers,” is the title of a conversation between Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and undocumented immigrant Jose Antonio Vargas and USC’s Henry Jenkins. They will explore race, immigration, gender, American identity and the digital advocacy movement. This event is free and open to the public.

Oct. 7, 3:15-4:15 p.m. — “Identity Making in Online Spaces.” Researchers Alex Cho, Arturo Cortez, Cindy Cruz, Jane Van Galen, Olivia Gonzalez, Jose Lizarraga and Susannah Stern will present their studies on the digital practices and experiences of queer youth, first-generation college students and young people of color.

BACKGROUND: The DML Conference is supported by the MacArthur Foundation and organized by the Digital Media and Learning Research Hub and the Connected Learning Alliance, which are part of the University of California Humanities Research Institute based at UC Irvine. It is meant to be an inclusive, international gathering of scholars and practitioners in the digital media and learning field, focused on fostering interdisciplinary and participatory dialog and linking theory, empirical study, policy and practice. About 200 speakers will present 68 panel discussions, talks, workshops and interactive displays during the three-day conference.

MORE INFO AND REGISTRATION: Visit dml2016.dmlhub.net.

MEDIA CONTACT: Mimi Ko Cruz, mcruz@hri.uci.edu, (949) 824-4587

The post DML Conference Features Social Equity Approach to Ed Tech appeared first on DML Hub.