The Emergent Architecture of a Theory-Informed Learning Sciences Program

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 11:45 am - Gold 3
  In Roundtable Session: Roundtable: Higher Education and the Learning Sciences

Abstract

This study introduces a method for visualizing the "lived curriculum" to address the "design-reality gap." We analyzed 136 student reflections from a master's program redesigned around a "constructionist waterfall" model integrating theories like constructionism and transformative learning. A co-occurrence network analysis of coded reflections revealed the emergent structure of the student experience: a four-cluster system centered on a “Core Engine of Integrated Construction.” This dominant cluster shows the tight interweaving of social, cognitive, creative, and reflective processes. Our work provides an empirical map of theory-in-practice, demonstrating how a complex design framework can manifest as a coherent and integrated learning experience for students.

Author

• Jonan Phillip Donaldson, University of Alabama - Birmingham