STEP-Bees: Coordinating Embodied Interaction With Peers, Teachers, and Computer Simulation to Support Learning

• In Event: 56.060 - Designing With and for the Whole Learner

Abstract

While an increasing number of studies address the role of embodiment in individual learning, few are explicit about how the social context and social organization of the learning environment may influence the learning process. As the field begins to move from implementations which work with one or two students at a time to more ecologically valid whole-classroom implementations, it is particularly important to understand this sociocultural dimension. We report on a new iteration of the STEP environment where students take on the role of honeybees collecting nectar in their embodied play. By examining this new context through the lens of coordinated activity, we highlight how the intersection of opportunities for embodiment interact with social contexts to support distinct learning opportunities.

Authors

• Joshua Adam Danish, Indiana University

• Noel D. Enyedy, University of California - Los Angeles

• Asmalina Saleh, Indiana University

• Megan Alyse Humburg, Indiana University - Bloomington

• David DeLiema, University of California - Berkeley

• Maggie Dahn, University of California - Los Angeles

• Christine Lee, University of California - Los Angeles