Design and Technology Education: An International Journal
Welcome to Design and Technology Education: An International Journal (DTEIJ), hosted by Liverpool John Moores University. Design and Technology Education: An International Journal is a research journal that provides a broad and inclusive platform for all aspects of Design and Technology Education, Design Education and Technology Education in primary, secondary and higher education sectors, initial teacher education (ITE) and continuous professional development (CPD). The mission of the Journal to publish high quality research, scholarly and review articles at the leading edge of development of theories and practices of Design and Technology Education that increase insight, support understanding and add to global discourse. All content in Design and Technology Education: An International Journal is freely available through open access on the LJMU Library Open Journal Service and is linked from the Design and Technology Association's research webpage. There are no Article Processing Charges (APCs) associated with the inclusion of articles and papers. The work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. The Journal has moved from the previous hosting site at Loughborough University. We continue to publish DTEIJ as an Open Access Journal and to offer open access to all of the Journal’s Archives. Historic articles from Loughborough University have now been moved to Liverpool John Moores and are available under the ‘Archives’ tab on the Journal’s home page. Articles are available to anyone who wishes to view or download them. In order to submit an article, it is necessary to register, using the link in the top right-hand corner, before uploading a submission or go to “make a submission”. Registering on the site is also a good idea for those who wish to receive news, updates and notifications about new and upcoming issues. We are grateful for the support we receive from Liverpool John Moores that allows us to continue to welcome both old and new readers and contributors.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms: Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
Fostering Creativity in School Makerspaces: Principles and a Framework for Assessing Creativity-Supportive Design
School-based makerspaces are increasingly recognized as powerful contexts for fostering creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving. However, educational research on creativity has often prioritized individual traits or final products, underemphasizing the environmental conditions - physical, social, emotional, and cognitive - that shape creative engagement. This paper argues for re-centering Press, the environmental dimension of Rhodes’ Four Ps model, as a central driver of creativity in educational makerspaces. Drawing on interdisciplinary literature from creativity studies, learning sciences, and educational psychology, the paper identifies six interrelated principles that characterize creativity-supportive learning environments: a supportive socio-emotional atmosphere, learner autonomy, inspirational stimuli, collaborative culture, teacher support and guidance, and equitable access to technology and resources. These principles are synthesized into the Creative Educational Environment Assessment Model, a prospective conceptual framework designed to evaluate and enhance makerspaces in ways that are context-responsive, equitable, and pedagogically robust. The model emphasizes process as well as product, incorporates intellectual resources as a dimension of creative support, and situates teacher capacity as a systemic driver. Intended as both a theoretical scaffold and a practical tool, the framework offers researchers, educators, and policymakers actionable guidance for transforming makerspaces into environments where creativity is structurally supported and democratically accessible.
Copyright (c) 2025 Larysa Kolesnyk, Brynjar Olafsson, Camilla Groth, Eva Lutnæs https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Reclaiming Relevance: Positioning Design and Technology at the Heart of a Whole-School Creativity Framework
Design and Technology (D&T) in the UK is approaching a crisis point, with declining enrolment, staffing shortages and increasing marginalisation in the curriculum. However, this paper argues that D&T is not a problem to be solved. Rather, it is a solution to be scaled. Positioned at the intersection of material practice, iteration, and design thinking, D&T is uniquely placed to lead a whole-school strategy for embedding creativity, not as an abstract ideal, but as a set of teachable, observable competencies. This paper introduces a structured Creative Competency Framework, drawing on cognitive science, classroom research and cross-curricular theory. It outlines 15 core and meta-competencies, from divergent thinking and sequencing to translational and meta-cognitive awareness. Moreover, the paper demonstrates how creative competencies can be mapped onto existing D&T projects to reveal and develop their creative potential. Using a bespoke AI-powered tool, the paper presents trial analyses of two contrasting projects to show how creative depth can be made visible, measurable and actionable. Ultimately, the paper proposes a new standard for assessing creativity that is not merely based on outcomes. In contrast, it is rooted in the thinking processes embedded in a task. Finally, the paper issues a call to practitioners to contribute to the refinement of this tool, with the aim of developing a bank of high-performing, creativity-rich D&T projects for shared use. The result is both a defence and a reinvention of the subject, repositioning D&T as foundational to a future-facing, creative curriculum.
Copyright (c) 2025 Andrew Rockliffe https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Designing Futures: Place-Based STEM Learning through Cultural and Spatial Innovation
This study examines how culturally grounded and immersive design pedagogies can enhance STEM engagement for Native American middle school students, integrating Place-Based Education (PBE), Culturally Relevant Teaching (CRT), and Problem-Based Learning (PBL). Utilizing Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR and AR) and 3D printing, the project aimed to boost student interest and engagement in STEM through culturally responsive, problem-solving modules. A Design-Based Research (DBR) methodology facilitated a co-design process with educators, community members, and students from three Oklahoma tribes (Citizen Potawatomie Nation, The Otoe-Missouria Tribe, and United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians) to develop a curriculum incorporating local cultural narratives and environmental contexts. Findings show that place-based and culturally relevant pedagogies significantly enhance STEM education in tribal communities. Native educators effectively adapted the curriculum, integrating tribal origin stories and cultural practices into activities like architectural visualization and design thinking. Despite challenges such as irregular attendance and COVID-19 disruptions, the program successfully increased student engagement and motivation, particularly through hands-on hackathons. This research underscores the transformative potential of combining PBE, CRT, and PBL with advanced technologies to deepen students' connections to their heritage, enhance learning experiences, and strengthen STEM identities. Future plans include expanding professional development for educators and incorporating career narratives from Native American STEM professionals to further inspire students. Discussing these topics through the tangible contexts of architecture and interior design makes abstract ideas more engaging and accessible for students. As researchers committed to inclusive and community-centered educational design, our engagement with the three partner Tribal Nations stems from a longstanding collaborative relationship grounded in mutual respect. This partnership is guided by reciprocal learning, with communities benefiting through access to emerging technologies, tailored curriculum, and STEM enrichment for their youth. This study highlights the importance of culturally responsive, place-based STEM education in preparing Native American students for future STEM careers.
Copyright (c) 2025 Tilanka Chandrasekera, Tutaleni Asino, Nicole Colston https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Abstracts for each of the 4 research articles published in this issue of the journal
Copyright (c) 2025 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Copyright (c) 2025 Kay Stables, Lyndon Buck https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Book Review Studio Properties: A Field Guide to Design Education
There is something special about a studio as a place of practice and learning, and Studio Properties seeks to be a field guide to the design studio in education, presenting a single reference source for research and scholarship in this area. The authors explain that the Studio Properties project, and the Studio Matters project before it, were motivated by the absence of a comprehensive reference text of scholarship on studio pedagogy aimed at scholars and educators. Theoretical works and teaching guides exist but tend to focus on certain aspects of the studio and no single text brings these ideas together under the idea of Studio. It aims to allow educators and researchers to quickly find and directly apply content to their own disciplines and contexts.
Copyright (c) 2025 Lyndon Buck, Gary Underwood, Franziska Conrad https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Unsolved on Purpose: Reflections on the Rubik’s Cube and the Curriculum and Assessment Review for D&T
This reflection explores the evolving pedagogical and curricular landscape of Design and Technology (D&T) education in England, drawing on recent dialogues with the Department for Education and collaborative academic work. It challenges conventional, linear interpretations of designing, making, and evaluating by proposing alternative frameworks (ideating, realising, and critiquing) alongside key processes such as communicating, researching, and satisficing. Using the Rubik’s Cube as a metaphor, it argues for a curriculum that embraces complexity, ambiguity, and interdependence, resisting the urge for uniformity and predictability. The article advocates for intentional diversity in teaching approaches, encouraging educators to foster creativity, autonomy, and critical thinking in learners. Ultimately, it calls for a shift from a “solved” curriculum model to one that remains productively “unsolved,” reflecting the dynamic and iterative nature of real-world design.
Copyright (c) 2025 Matt McLain https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Design students’ views on future work at the stage of Industry 5.0 and Society 5.0: Dimensions and levels of resilience
This study investigates design students’ perspectives on future work environments shaped by the evolving paradigms of Industry 5.0 and Society 5.0, with a focus on their views of work communities, technological advancements and systemic problem-solving. The concept of resilience is used as an analytical lens. The study explores the relevance of Industry 5.0 and Society 5.0 frameworks in the context of the design profession and examines how design students anticipate and interpret future changes in their professional landscape. The study addresses the following research question: What are the dimensions and levels of resilience according to design students’ views of future work? Data were collected in 2023 from 92 design students at various stages of their studies. Using principal component analysis, three dimensions of resilience were identified: resilience in work community, in technological development and in systemic problem solving. The findings suggest that students are aware of major shifts in their field and express varying degrees of readiness and adaptability across the identified dimensions. These results offer insights into how design education might better support students in navigating the uncertainties of future work.
Artificial Intelligence as a Tool for Individual and Collaborative Creativity in Design Education
Integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the design process is a growing area of research interest. Less than two years after its public launch in 2022, AI has already established itself as the most disruptive tool revolutionizing how designers conceptualize, iterate and innovate. As AI technologies continue to evolve, it is pertinent that design students are acquainted with the potential of the technology and how it can be integrated in their professional practice. The objective of this paper is to explore the role of AI as a conceptualization and research tool in interior design. We aim to examine its effectiveness in enhancing the ideation process and facilitating collaboration and knowledge sharing in intercultural design teams. The case study presented is a collaborative online international learning project (COIL) with the participation of interior design students from the University of Monterrey (Mexico) and Wayne State University (USA). Students were involved in experimentation with various AI tools and platforms in the early stage of designing children’s spaces in commercial interiors. Through meticulous documentation and evaluation of all design variations generated were gained valuable insights on the impact of AI on the evolution of the ideas. To collect research data on how students’ creativity, idea exchange and decision-making were affected, surveys and reflection writings were distributed. The findings confirmed that students developed a greater understanding of AI as an essential tool in the design process. They acquired skills in utilizing it to aid the decision-making during the conceptualization phase. Furthermore, AI fostered their self-confidence in communicating within culturally diverse teams. The conclusion discusses the challenges encountered and lessons learned from the integration of AI technologies into the learning process.
Three levels in culturally oriented product design: a participatory approach to cultural inspiration in design education
Culturally oriented product design relies on inspiration from the local cultural heritage in the creation of unique products with specific local features. An authentic experience of cultural design inspiration can facilitate novel design outcomes. However, only a few studies have investigated the acquisition of cultural inspiration from a participatory perspective in the field. To narrow this gap, a design workshop was organized with local government in China. Design students were asked to combine local cultural characteristics in everyday products and to generate new concepts that reflect cultural diversity and support local tourism development. We collected students’ visual representations, text notes and recorded verbal explanations of the concepts behind the created product designs. The entire data was analysed following the method of holistic coding to identify the types of cultural inspiration and cultural levels. Data-driven analysis included two rounds of categorising. Using the product metaphorical mapping tool, we specified three cultural levels and the cultural elements related to them. The analytical method helped reveal students’ design intentions in applying both tangible and intangible cultural elements The results demonstrated that design educators can support young designers to apply the participatory approach in bringing ethical cultural transformations regarding visual, behavioural and philosophical design features.
The teacher's guide's way of communicating with the teacher – within the subject of technology
The materials and artefacts utilized by teachers and students play a crucial role in education. In a subject like technology, where many teachers feel they do not have sufficient competence, curriculum materials such as textbooks and teacher guides provide important support for teachers. Teacher guides, in particular, have the potential to support teachers in different ways. The guidance provided in a teacher's guide can be either directive and talk through the teacher, i.e. telling the teacher what to do, or educative and talk to the teacher, i.e. telling the teacher how to do it and why to do it this way, thereby providing the teacher with knowledge to better understand the teaching of the subject. In this study, we analyze a teacher's guide for grades 7-9 to find out what kind of support it provides the teacher. An adapted framework for the design principles of educative curriculum materials was used. The analysis shows that this particular teacher's guide mostly talks through the teacher, giving the teacher directives on how to teach but without explaining why or suggesting other possible ways. The few educative features found are short and not very detailed. The support an educative teacher's guide could provide would give the teacher agency over their teaching and a better possibility to adapt teaching to situations and students. However, we see little of that kind of guidance in the teacher's guide analyzed in this study and conclude by outlining the possible consequences for technology education.
Using performative objects to foster creativity in an education setting to tackle 26-44 complex challenges
Creativity is often seen as something that occurs primarily during the ideation phase of design processes. However, this article argues that there is significant potential in enhancing creativity in the early stages and that this can contribute to youth learning and tackling complex challenges. Using a Danish educational setting as a starting point, the article illustrates how using performative objects in teaching situations fosters creativity in the early stages of a design process. The article concludes that creativity is not merely an individual skill but a social practice and process, where using performative objects creates a conducive context for creativity.
Crafting Humorous Soft Toys: Incorporating Humour to a Holistic Craft Process in Early Years Education
This study explores humour’s role in a holistic craft process when 7–8-year-olds design personalised soft toys. Humour enhances learning environments by fostering joy, belonging and a positive atmosphere, acting as a motivational tool in experiential and arts-based learning. The study aims to answer the following questions: (1) What are the humorous characteristics of the soft toys created by the pupils? (2) How does the crafting of humorous soft toys proceed? Employing an educational design research methodology, the project involved 36 first-grade pupils from an urban Finnish school over a 10-day intervention. The study examines how humour, when integrated into a holistic craft process, supports the making and designing of soft toys. In the study, the pupils created humorous soft toys, often anthropomorphised with exaggerated or contradictory traits. Challenges emerged in translating 2D drawings into 3D soft toys, particularly with sewing and fabric painting. Nevertheless, the final products were unique and evoked positive emotions. The findings suggest that incorporating familiar elements, such as humour and soft toys, into the holistic craft process in early years education can enhance motivation and learning outcomes, thus supporting the integration of humour into educational contexts to foster creativity and emotional expression.
Moving forward from challenges and test-driving a new approach for the Journal
Outputs of a Cross-Cultural Virtual Design Studio
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, research on Virtual Design Studios (VDS) increased significantly, revealing mixed opinions about their limitations. This paper aims to present these contrasting views on VDS education, with a particular focus on peer-learning. While many studies argue that peer-learning diminishes significantly, or even disappears in VDS, others claim the opposite. The conceptual framework of this study explores the possible limitations of peer-learning in VDS and critically highlights how COVID-19-related anxiety may have influenced many of these opinions. The empirical study discussed in this paper is based on an Erasmus+ project titled European Strategic Partnership Project: European Interactive Industrial Design Studio (EINSTUDIO). Students and instructors from three different countries participated in EINSTUDIO. The project aimed to leverage recent developments in online and web-based communication to address the challenges of teamwork in cross-national teams. Accordingly, this paper investigates whether current virtual technologies support the implementation of cross-national design studios. Variables such as motivation, collaboration, cultural diversity, and the contribution of the e-learning infrastructure are examined through participants’ self-evaluations. The findings indicate that although virtual peer-learning presents certain limitations and cross-national collaboration poses even greater challenges, a more structured methodology, syllabus and close supervision, such as EINSTUDIO’s semi-hybrid studio model, syllabus, and platform can help mitigate issues related to peer-to-peer communication and collaboration issues.
Copyright (c) 2025 Barış GÜR, N. Hande KUTBAY, H. Güçlü YAVUZCAN https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Looking, Experimenting, Creating, Telling – Testing a Pedagogical Model for Design Learning
This article shares the outcomes of international workshops focused on traditional costume construction and surface embellishment techniques and designs. These workshops were inspired by the findings of the Creative Europe TRACtion (Traditional Costume Innovation) project. The latter motivated students and adult learners in the Republic of Ireland, Finland, and Malta to develop creative, sustainable, and innovative responses to traditional textile artefacts. The Finnish Association of Design Learning (SuoMu) Design Learning Model was applied to support the development of creative thinking in the workshops. Additionally, teaching strategies developed by textile educators and craftspeople in each context complemented the SuoMu Design Learning Model, facilitating interactions between workshop ideas, materials and participants. The workshops aimed to foster design, creative thinking, sustainability, innovation, and a deeper appreciation of textile heritage. Participant feedback was analysed through thematic data analysis, and the visual outcomes were examined for indicators of creative thinking, such as fluidity, flexibility, elaboration, and uniqueness. The SuoMu model played a key role in guiding the design process and developing creative thinking skills. Sketching and brainstorming techniques sparked a wealth of ideas, while group activities and practical and experiential learning supported the ideation process. The workshops led to numerous fluent and flexible responses and ideas, many of which evolved into unique and innovative designs. Participants developed visual literacy skills and textile cultural empathy while achieving sustainability in material usage.
Copyright (c) 2025 Kathryn McSweeney, Lorraine Portelli, Riikka Räisänen, Mari Kosunen, Zoi Arvanitidou, Päivi Fernström, Kaisa Hyrsky https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Roadmap to Early-Stage Medical Device Design through Experiential Learning and Role-Play
Purpose: Biomedical engineers that have the ability and skill sets to comprehend and retain basic anatomy and physiology (A&P) knowledge, apply fundamental engineering principles, use critical thinking, and communicate effectively across multiple disciplines to facilitate successful development and clinical translation of medical devices. The authors created an undergraduate medical device design course that follows a roadmap for developing novel devices and/or innovative technology from concept to clinical product with the course focusing on the early-stage of the development process. Methods: A holistic approach is taught from the unique perspective of inventors, investors, and surgeons (IIS) by integrating interactive presentations, guest lectures, labs, field trips, and role-playing activities into a 15-week curriculum and meets ABET student learning objectives. Individual assignments require oral presentations and written reports that mimic project leaders on design teams, and group assignments are completed through IIS role-playing. These activities culminate with individual student design projects that help build self-confidence in their ability to successfully jump into and navigate the medical device development process. This is accomplished by identifying a clinical need, formulating an innovative concept, defining design criteria, fabricating a prototype to demonstrate proof-of-concept, bench testing to demonstrate feasibility, completing an invention disclosure, making an elevator pitch with constructive classroom critique, and writing an executive summary and detailed report emulating a NIH SBIR Phase I grant. Results: Course effectiveness was demonstrated by: (1) 204% improvement in A&P knowledge, (2) positive role-playing evaluations (98.7% of students reporting that it was a useful educational experience, written feedback), and (3) favorable course evaluations. Conclusions: A roadmap for early-stage development of medical devices using a holistic, experiential learning approach is presented to prepare undergraduate bioengineering students for future healthcare careers as engineers, scientists, clinicians, and/or entrepreneurs.
Copyright (c) 2025 Steven C. Koenig, PhD, Gretel Monreal, PhD https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Copyright (c) 2024 Kay Stables; Lyndon Buck https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Book Review Center of Excellence for Technology Education (CETE) Vol. 4: Future Prospects of Technology Education
Copyright (c) 2024 David Gill, Alexander Taylor https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Book Review Maker Education meets Technology Education - Reflections on Good Practice
Copyright (c) 2024 Marion Rutland https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Book Review A Nomadic Pedagogy About Technology: Teaching the Ongoing Process of Becoming Ethnictechnologically Literate (Dakers, 2023)
Copyright (c) 2024 Matt McLain https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Copyright (c) 2024 Richard Kimbell https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Defining and Evaluating Argumentation Quality in the Context of Design Thinking: Using High School Students’ Design Critiques from Foundational Engineering Courses
This research investigates students’ argumentation quality in engineering design thinking. We implemented Learning by Evaluating (LbE) using Adaptive Comparative Judgment (ACJ), where students assess pairs of items to determine the superior one. In ACJ, students provided rationales for their critiques, explaining their selections. Fifteen students participated in an LbE exercise before starting their backpack design projects, critically evaluating multiple backpack designs and producing 145 comments. Writing comments required students to discern and justify the superior design, fostering informed judgment and articulation of their reasoning. The study used the Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning (CER) framework, adapted for engineering design thinking, to analyse these critiques. The framework emphasized three aspects: Empathy (understanding user needs), Ideation (deriving design inspiration), and Insight (gaining valuable understanding from evaluated designs). We employed both deductive and inductive content analysis to evaluate the argumentation quality in students’ critiques. High-quality argumentation was identified based on six codes: user-focused empathy, design inspirations, logical rationalizations, multi-criteria evaluations, aesthetic considerations, and cultural awareness. Poor-quality argumentation lacked these elements and was characterized by vagueness, uncertainty, brevity, inappropriateness, irrelevance, gender bias, and cultural stereotyping. By identifying critical elements of effective argumentation and common challenges students may face, this study aims to enhance argumentation skills in engineering design thinking at the secondary education level. These insights are intended to help educators prepare students for insightful and successful argumentation in engineering design projects.
CER (Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning) framework, Design thinking
Copyright (c) 2024 Wonki Lee, Nathan Mentzer, Andrew Jackson, Scott Bartholomew, Amiah Clevenger https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Editorial Celebrating the 40th year of PATT conferences
Guest Editorial: 40th Pupil's Attitudes Towards Technology Conference (PATT40) Special Issue
Copyright (c) 2024 Sarah Davies, Matt McLain, Bhavna Prajapat https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Book Review Design and Technology in your school: Principles for Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment
Copyright (c) 2024 Mark Norris https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Development and Evaluation of a Novel Technological Product Development Tool for Education and Industry
Few digital product development tools are used in industry and academia compared to their historic paper-based counterparts. This is surprising as many parts of the product development process have digitised such as communication and Computer-Aided Design. Therefore, a gap in knowledge was identified which informed the development of a novel digital product development tool which allows users to undergo the 6-3-5 ideation process to generate concepts. The digital product development tool was tested with participants to gather insights and feedback. The experiment involved focus groups using the digital product development tool alongside the paper-based equivalent to generate concepts and compare both methods. Participants were then asked to complete a survey to receive feedback on the tool. The results indicated that two-thirds of the respondents favoured the digital product development tool compared to its paper-based counterpart. This preference was influenced by the application's capability to store and export concepts, as well as its potential for enhancing learning. Moreover, the digital environment allows for easy storage and reuse of concepts post generation activity, increasing the efficiency of the design process. Additional, lessons learnt for future digital tool development has been highlighted. The use of this tool has promise to support a greater efficiency of design process and ease of learning about the tool and method.
Copyright (c) 2024 Jack Frank Rutherford, Ross Brisco, Robert Alexander Lynch https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Empowering Student Teachers to teach Technology with a sustainability edge: Crucial aspects to address in Teacher Education
Technology education in primary schools must integrate sustainable development to provide young learners with the basic knowledge, skills, and values to understand, appreciate and contribute to a sustainable future. This integration prepares them for the challenges of a rapidly changing world, promotes responsible use of technology and fosters a sense of environmental responsibility from an early age. However, for this to happen, teacher education needs to adopt strategies that empower student teachers to seamlessly integrate sustainable development into technology education and equip them with environmentally and socially responsible attitudes. The aim of this study is to explore what needs to be addressed in teacher education to prepare student teachers to teach technology integrated with sustainability. The study is part of a project where to develop a teaching module that will prepare student teachers to teach technology in primary schools, with special attention to how student teachers develop relationships between technology education and sustainable development. The study includes 12 student teachers enrolled in a science and technology course. Data were collected in several steps, including focus group interviews, and written individual reflections by student teachers. Based on thematic analysis, we identified what student teachers experience as crucial to being able to teach technology with a sustainability edge. The results show that preparing student teachers to teach technology with a sustainability edge requires a multifaceted approach that integrates knowledge of technology and sustainable development with personal values, pedagogical competence, critical thinking competency, and the adoption of transformative teaching practices.
Copyright (c) 2024 Anne-Marie Cederqvist, Per Högström https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Understanding students’ learning of technology through interaction supported by virtual reality
Given the profound influence that technology has on society, shaping our behaviours, conversations, and decisions, it is essential to understand its development and nature. Obtaining a complete understanding of technology requires us to explore both the nature of technology and its historical aspects. This study examines how using supportive images in a virtual reality (VR) learning environment, combined with verbal interactions, supports students aged eight and nine in developing an understanding of the nature of technology. Data were collected during an ordinary technology teaching activity and the analysis highlighted that these students, through interactions and VR images, demonstrated knowledge of all dimensions of technology, as described by DiGironimo (2011). The analysis of the findings indicated that the students’ knowledge could be categorized, but there seemed to be more complexity in their utterances than DiGironimo’s model could capture. Additionally, I employed a discursive analysis to achieve a deeper comprehension of the students’ perceptions of the history of technology. Here, the findings indicate that VR images can promote students’ interaction related to the history of technology, which often leads to exploratory conversations. The findings have the potential to support teachers in planning and conducting technology activities in primary schools, where images and verbal interactions could provide decisive support for developing an understanding of the nature of technology, especially the historical dimension of technology.
Copyright (c) 2024 Johan Lind https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0