Blending Commercial Software and Bespoke Technology to Promote Learning

• In Event: Poster Session 5
  In Poster Session: Design and Evaluation of Learning Experiences

Abstract

I conducted my dissertation pilot study using Goodreads (a social network based around books) in an English language arts class for "struggling readers." There were affordances and constraints to using Goodreads, which is not an educational software tool, in an educational setting. Affordances included increased student writing and mediated discussions about sensitive topics. Constraints included an interface that confused students and limited ability for the teacher to track student activity. Using a design-based research approach, I am developing a customized interface called Class Connections that uses the Goodreads API while addressing some of the issues uncovered in the pilot study. This paper demonstrates this case as one approach to combining commercial software with bespoke technology to promote learning.

Author

• Matthew Duvall, Drexel University