Learning experiences and learner identity in the digital age: mapping learning pathways across formal and non-formal educational settings [BLE_LI]

In the context of the Information Society (IS), the incorporation of ICT in practically all areas of human activity has fostered new and multiple opportunities to learn, as well as it has considerably expanded the potential of traditional scenarios as sources of learning. That is the reason why participation in activities that take place in diverse contexts is becoming a more important source of learning. People move through these contexts, participate in activities that take place there, take advantage to a greater or lesser extent of the opportunities they offer to learn and have learning experiences that provide the raw material to build a representation of ourselves as learners, in other words, they favor the construction of our learner identity (LI). In this line of ideas, BLE_LI project was aimed at deepening in how people build themselves as learners and in the LI construction processes.

The project Learning experiences and learner identity in the digital age: mapping learning pathways across formal and non-formal educational settings was funded with the support of the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness of the Government of Spain. Call for R & D & I Projects of the Programa estatal de investigación, desarrollo e innovación orientada a los retos de la sociedad. Reference: EDU2017-82321-R.

Start date: 2014

End date: 2017

BLE_LI Project had three goals:

  • study learning itineraries of pupils who are at different moments of their school experience, attending to their reports of their learning experiences, to the contexts in which these experiences take place and to the associate activities;
  • study the impact that the learning experiences referred by students have on the meanings that they construct about themselves as learners; and

study two aspects with particular relevance in the construction of meanings about oneself as learners: the patterns or cultural schemes used by pupils to construct these meanings and the impact of other identities (principally cultural and gender identities) on the construction of LI.

In order to achieve these objectives, the project was organized in three stages, so that the results of each one of them constituted the starting point of the next one.

Stage 1

  • Objective: to identify the activities in which children and youth regularly participate outside of school that offer them opportunities and resources to learn, the settings and socio-institutional contexts in which these activities take place, the role that ICTs have in them and the learning experiences to which they are linked.
  • Methodology:focus group interviews.
  • Participants: groups of children and teenagers enrolled in primary and secondary schools of three different age ranges (10, 13 and 16 years old) and groups of parents.

Stage 2

  • Objective:to explore the frequency and extent of children’s and youth’s participation in activities and socio-institutional contexts identified in stage 1, as well as the role that ICTs have in them and the related learning experiences.
  • Methodology:
  • Participants:children and teenagers of three different age ranges (10, 13 and 16 years old) attending primary and secondary schools.

Stage 3

  • Objective:in-depth exploration of science and technology related activities and the learning experiences associated to them, and of the attitudes and the interest in science and technology in a limited number of students chosen based on their contrasting answers in the questionnaire.
  • Methodology:individual interviews.
  • Participants: children and teenagers of three different age ranges (10, 13 and 16 years old) attending primary and secondary schools, selected according to their responses to the questionnaires in step 2.

Escola Agustí Gifre, Plaça del poble, s/n  – 17150 Sant Gregori, Girona

NS d’Alcarràs, Plaça del l’Arquitecte Ignasi Miquel, 1, 25180 Alcarràs, Lleida.

Escola d’Almenar, C/ Escoles,1 – 25126 Almenar, Lleida

INS d’Almenar, C/Espados, 75 Almenar, Lleida.

Escola Antònia Simó i Arnó, Tossal de les Creus, s/n, 25100 Almacelles, Lleida

Escola Calderón de la Barca, C/ Nil, 27-29  – 080031 Barcelona

SES Caldes de Malavella, Av. Països Catalans, s/n – 17455 Caldes de Malavella, Girona

INS Canigó, C/ Canigó, s/n – 25100 Almacelles, Lleida

Escola Carme Auguet, Port Lligat, 11 – 17007 Girona

Escola Comtes de Torregrossa, C/ Escoles Noves, s/n, 25180 Alcarràs, Lleida

IE Costa i Llobera, C/ Capella de can Caralleu s/n , 08017 Barcelona

Escola El Rodonell, C/ Major, 10 – 17121 Corçà, Girona

Escola Els Secallets, Av. Parlament de Catalunya, 5-7 – 43880 Coma-ruga, Tarragona

INS Josep Brugulat, Ctra. Figueroles, 19 – 17820 Banyoles, Girona

Escola La Benaula, C/ Pau Casals, s/n – 17455 Caldes de Malavella, Girona

Escola La Farga de Salt, C/ Sant Dionís, 40 – 17190 Salt, Girona

Escola La Salle Cassà de la Selva, C/ Germà Agustí, 25,  17244 Cassà de la Selva, Girona

Escola La Salle, C/ La Salle, 12,  17002 Girona

Escola Llagut, St. Pere el Pescador, Girona

INS Salvador Espriu, Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes, 20, 08018 Barcelona

Escola Sant Esteve, C/ Vall·llobera, 62, 17455 Caldes de Malavella, Girona

Escola Taialà, Carretera Taialà, 75, 17007 Girona

INS Tossa de Mar, Avda. Catalunya, 19, 17320 Tossa de Mar

INS Vallvera, C/ Camí de les Guixeres, 2, 17190 Salt, Girona

Escola Verd, C/ Joan Maragall, 32, 17002 Girona

Main researcher:

César Coll Salvador (Universitat de Barcelona)

Researchers:

Aldana, Mónica (Universitat de Barcelona)

Bagnoli, Anna (University of Cambridge)

Díaz-Barriga, Frida (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México)

Engel, Anna (Universitat de Barcelona)

Esteban, Moisés (Universitat de Girona)

Falsafi, Leili (Municipality of Botkyrka, Sweden)

de Gispert, Inés (Universitat de Barcelona)

Latinjak, Alexander (Universitat de Girona)

Lopez, Víctor (Universitat de Girona)

Oller, Judith (Universitat de Girona)

Ratner, Carl (Institute for Cultural Research and Educatiio)

Remesal, Ana (Universitat de Barcelona)

Rochera, María José (Universitat de Barcelona)

Siqués, Carina (Universitat de Girona)

Vidosa Horacio (Universitat de Barcelona)

Vila Ignasi (Universitat de Girona)