More than a game: The participatory Design of contextualised technology-rich learning expereinces with the ecology of resources.

Abstract

The development of technology enhanced contextualized educational experiences that are personally meaningful for learners is an essential research goal, which is enabled by the ever-increasing wealth of networked, pervasive, mobile technologies. The developments in the rich variety of technologies is not however matched by the development of a rich variety of models and frameworks that can support the contextualized design process. These models and frameworks are essential for the adoption of contextualized technology enhanced education. Methods to support these design frameworks and evidence of their usefulness are essential if the potential of progressive technology development is to make contextualized technology enhanced education a reality. We describe the Ecology of Resources approach, which offers a model and a framework to support the design of Technology Enhanced Education (TEE). Participatory design is embedded in this approach and offers a key contribution to the development of TEE by enabling researchers and designers to tap into the complex and subtle circumstances in which and through which people learn. The case study that we present demonstrates this participatory process and provides evidence that its combination with the Ecology of Resources approach effectively supports the development of TEE.