Ethnographic Rediscovery of The Learning Context as ‘a Context’

Author(s):

Karen Borgnakke(presenting / submitting)

Conference:

ECER 2014

Network:

19. Ethnography

Format:

Paper

Session Information

19 SES 12, Paper Session

Paper Session

Time:

2014-09-05

09:00-10:30

Room:

B105 Sala de Aulas

Chair:

Christoph Maeder

Contribution

Based on ethnographic fieldwork the research project analyzes the scholastic, profession oriented and academic learning context. Conceptualized as context these three contexts are place and space for the ongoing fieldwork and for case studies carried out in Upper Secondary schools, Nursing education and education at universities. The main focus for the ethnographic studies is concentrated on educational innovation and strategies for organizational and pedagogical development (Borgnakke 2010b).

Using ethnographic approaches to explore the innovative context and to contextualize ideas, norms and values for organizational development the basic concept of context are placed in the center of research reflections. Further the shifting contexts, and in one of the cases even shifts between online and off-line contexts are a challenge for ethnographic analysis and methodology.

Concerning the ethnographic principle “following the field of practice” and the digital conditions concepts of ‘field place and space’ need to be renewed, though still related to the classic ethnographic approach (Marcus 1995; Borgnakke 2010a). In accordance with interpretation of ethnography in Online communities (Leander and McKim 2002, Hammersley 2006, Borgnakke 2013a) we can also stress a rethinking moving beyond a place-based ethnography, though we still need the fieldwork to be grounded and situated. In research terms ‘following the field’ therefor means following courses across online- and offline spaces tracing the flows of objects, texts and the embedded multiple contexts.

On this background the paper will rediscover the ethnographic meaning of the flows of objects, texts and multiple context as well as clarify the relation to sociological analysis and concepts of field (Bourdieu), discourse (Foucault) and paradigm (Kuhn).

Close to the empirical findings the paper will exemplify the ethnographic meaning of strong context marks related to the discourse of the life world of Academia and Profession. In the analysis the strong marks in the academic and profession oriented learning context represent the dilemma between the mass university and the classic Academia. Further the online learning context represents the new condition and shows how the virtuel university and the internet version makes the academic context visible by restoring the lost aura.

Method

The empirical phases in the project are characterized by comprehensive field research where the ethnographic strategies are developed closely related to the field and research question (Borgnakke 2010a, 2013a+b). The strength is that observations, interviews and material/product collections cover the field, the campus, and all the three organizational levels: The level of management, the level of co-workers, teacher/teacher relations, and the level of teaching and learning practice, teacher/student relations, the process of learning. In terms of theory the project is anchored in a variety of learning theories conceptualizing the spectra from the learning student to the learning organization. But in the specific case rediscovering the basic concepts of the academic and professional learning context the focus is on methodology and the possibility to combine the ethnographic approaches with basic concepts of organizational learning (like Argyris, Schön, Dale, Engestrøm). The aim is to strengthen the strategy for empirical analysis of the relation between the field, the context and the organisation.

Expected Outcomes

The concept analysis will clarify the basic concept of context and the perspective for this paper is to sharpen the empirical analytical strategy for overview and close up analysis of the learning context, discourse and innovative strategies. The paper will in part one identify the characteristic spectra of involved concepts of the learning context. In part two analysis of empirical materials from case studies in university campus will exemplify how a campus is expressed as an academic learning context and exemplify the tendency called ‘restoring the lost aura’.

References

Borgnakke, K. (2004a) Ethnographic Studies and Analysis of a Recurrent Theme: “learning by doing”, European Educational Research Journal, Theme: Ethnography of Education in a European Educational Researcher Perspective, Vol.3, No.3, www.wwwords.co.uk/EERJ. Borgnakke, K. (2005) Læringsdiskurser og praktikker, Akademisk Forlag. Borgnakke, K.(2010a) Études ethnographiques de pédagogie et d'apprentissage: Défis postmodernes, Revue Européenne d'Ethnographie de l'Education, SEE. 2010/78: 243 - 260. Borgnakke, K. (2010b) Projektportalen ITAKA (IT & Learning in Academia) University of Copenhagen: http://pur.mef.ku.dk/itaka/ and www.eresearch.ku.dk Borgnakke, K. (2011) Et universitet er et sted, der forsker i alt undtagen i sig selv og sin egen virksomhed. Institut for Medier, Erkendelse og Formidling & Institut for Nordiske Studier og Sprog, Københavns Universitet. Borgnakke, K. (2012) Challenges for the Next Generation in Upper Secondary School - Between Literacy, Numeracy, and Technacy, Schools for Marginalized Youth, Pink (ed.) Hampton Press. Borgnakke, Karen. 2013a. Etnografiske metoder i uddannelsesforskningen – mellem klassiske traditioner og senmoderne udfordringer. Institut for Medier, Erkendelse og Formidling, Københavns Universitet. Borgnakke, Karen. 2013b. Ethnography on IT-based learning contexts: A matter of blended methodology and blended learning. In E-Book: Rethinking Educational Ethnography: Researching on-line communities and interactions. eds. Hernández Hernández, F., Fendler, R., & Sancho Gil, J. M. Barcelona: Universitat de Barcelona. http://hdl.handle.net/2445/44009

Author Information

Karen Borgnakke (presenting / submitting)

University of Copenhagen, Denmark

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