This document discusses using LEGO bricks as a qualitative research method to gain insights into how digital technologies impact learning. It presents the LEGO session methodology, which involves having participants build models with LEGO bricks representing their relationship to technology and then discuss their creations. The methodology was tested with 24 people split into groups. Results found models representing both the social and isolating aspects of technology, as well as depictions of favorite learning technologies. The document concludes by discussing further refining the LEGO session method and integrating it with other quantitative research methods.

1. Connecting ICT learning
insights & methods
Emanuele Rapetti, ph.d.
New media in Education Laboratory
Università della Svizzera italiana
emanuele.rapetti@usi.ch
Luca Botturi, ph.d.
Dipartimento Formazione e Apprendimento
Scuola Universitaria Professionale della Svizzera italiana
luca.botturi@supsi.ch
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2. Agenda
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•
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The problem with digital natives
Beyond surveys, behind LEGO
The LEGO Session methodology
Results
Outlooks
21/01/2014
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3. Digital technologies connecting formal and informal leaning
1. THE PROBLEM WITH DIGITAL NATIVES
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4. ICTs
Generation
of digital
learners
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5. It is now clear that
First sample
Prensky (2001)
today’s students
think and process information
fundamentally differently from their
predecessors
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6. Digital natives,
go to the Internet
not to store knowledge
in their minds,
but to retrieve material and pass it along.
Second sample
Bauerlein (2008)
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7. 7

8. Third Sample
Schulmeister (2008)
The expected media competence
of young learners
solely consists
of being able
in locating information
in the net
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9. One of our research questions…
What is the relevance
of digital experiences
for learning?
See the full dataset: http://doc.rero.ch/record/30474
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10. Developing a new qualitative research method
2. BEYOND SURVEYS, BEHIND LEGO
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11. Some research questions…
• … address our values and behaviors, not what we think
about it.
• … require us to look at out inner narratives
• Projective methods are instruments to collect data that
answer such research questions.
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12. 21/01/2014
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13. Projective methods, adults & LEGO
• Adults have “lost” their
• LEGO bricks provide support
expressive skills (drawing,
for “nice” products with low
acting, etc.)
effort
• Adults are not used to “play” • LEGO are a status-symbol of
with expression and media
“intelligent games”
• Adults fear the loss of
• Participants are asked to
control intrinsic to non-verbal
verbally narrate their own
media
creations
21/01/2014
Gauntlett, D. (2007). Creative explorations. New approaches to identities and audiences. London: Routledge, 141-142.
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14. RIGHT EMISPHERE
CREATIVE EXPRESSION
LEGO MODEL DEVELOPMENT
LEFT EMISPHERE
RATIONALIZATION
VERBAL METAPHOR
“This model represent
the many connections
That I make every day
thanks to
digital technologies”
SOCIALIZATION
CREATING A LANDSCAPE AND GENERATING A COMMON STORY
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15. LEGO bricks as a research tool
3. THE “LEGO SESSION” METHODOLOGY
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16. Rapetti, E., Butti, M., Misic, S., Botturi, L., & Cantoni, L. (2009). Realizing the technological potential of young employees with LEGO bricks. 16
In Ethnographic Praxis in Industry Conference Proceedings Chicago

17. 21/01/2014
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18. Typical setting for a ‘Lego session’
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19. Details of qualitative sample
• 2 LEGO sessions
– involving 24 people,
• split in 19 active participants
• and 5 observers
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20. Young people, digital media and learning
3. SOME RESULTS
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21. Build yourself using ICTs: “the centre of the world”
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22. “lecture in classroom”
“computer”
Build your favourite technology to learn
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23. Socialization vs isolation because of the internet

24. The technological hand

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26. 26

27. Next steps for research
3. OUTLOOKS
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28. Methodological outlooks
• Fine-tuning the method for different age groups and
settings
• Integrating LEGO sessions with quantitative methods
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