Åke Ingerman, Maria Svensson & Anders Berglund, Shirley Booth, Jonas Emanuelsson

1. On the exploration, expansion and expression of experiencing technological systems across contexts: learning technology in the Swedish compulsory school Åke Ingerman, Maria Svensson& Anders Berglund, Shirley Booth, Jonas Emanuelsson Contact: ake.ingerman@gu.se or maria.svensson@ped.gu.se

2. Project nodes

4. Research questions Overall questions: • Whatdoes it taketolearn, and whatdoes it meantoteach for learning, Technological Systems, theirconstituent parts and the relations betweenthemwhen the systems areembedded in different contexts and encountered in different pedagogicalstructures? Specificquestions: • Whatdo students in the lowersecondaryschoolunderstandoftechnological systems in terms oftheirconstituent parts when given opportunitiestoexplore systems in different contexts? • Whatcanteachers offer as a platform for developing a general understandingofTechnological Systems withrecourseto different systems set in different contexts? • HowareTechnological Systems expressed in different contexts in different pedagogicalstructures in the classroom arena?

5. Technological systems in compulsoryschool • ‘technological systems’ form an important part of the school subject Technology in Swedish schools, focusing aspects such as components, subsystems, risks, advantages in the context of electricity, internet, transport etc. • Our working definition of technological systems - encompass much of what characterises technology - goal-directed, delivering both to society and to individuals, but have also unwanted effects- may concern detrimental influence on the environment- not tangible, thus less supported by informal learning than other themes in technology

6. Basic design • Design ofteaching and learning events • Audio and video documentationofsuch events. Focus how learning oftechnological systems manifest in 1) different system contexts 2) different pedagogicalconditions (e.g. Lecture, groupdiscussion, problem solving, praticalwork). • Analytical ”tracing” ofways in whichcriticalaspect manifest in these different context, and putting that in relation tocontent and pedagogicalconditions. Phenomenography and variation theory. • => Outcomeofproductivewaysofteaching and learning technological systems, howsuch learning is constituted and ways in which it manifests in different context (important for e.g. Assessment). Both process and productdescriptions.

7. Three major pedagogicalcontexts • Analysing problems, such as considering how the systemic nature of a particular system changes when a central component or aspect of the framework of relationships changes. Examples are the break of power wires connecting northern and southern Sweden and the merging of the mobile and land-line phone communication systems that is underway. • Working with representations. Examples are the tram time-tables in conjunction with the map of destinations, or a flow chart of normal mail distribution, and diagrams of power usage across different times of the year and times of day. • Experiencing systems, coming into physical as well as conceptual contact with systems. Examples involve visiting central components in different systems, such as airports, sewage works, or inspecting a power generator.

8. Tentative patternsof variation • Based on 1) variation theory design principles(contrast, separation and fusion), 2) empiricaldescriptionsofkeychallenges in understandingcomplex systems, and 3) empiricaldescriptionsofaspectsthatarecritical for learning technological systems in the targetededucationallevel • In each dimension – distinctcontrastbetween systems characteristics and non-systems characteristics • Double attention on intertwinedlevels: general conceptoftechnological systems and specific manifestation

9. Resource • Specificresource in contrastto systems resource • Exemplifyresourcesofdistinct different character – onlymatter, energy or information Information Matter Energy

10. Intention • Specific person seeing the need and ascribingtechnologicalartefacttomeetthatneed • In contrasttorecurrentneed, and establishing a communitytosustain a shared intention

11. Internalstructureof system • Components organisedlinearly • In contrasttocomponentsorganised in a network • Differentiatecomponentsand their relationships – transform and transport, relation to system intention Transportation Transformation

12. Externalstructure • Less central for coreunderstandingof systems • Limits of systems – otherpossible systems (”arbitrary”) • Interactionwithsurrounding – consequences and dependencies

13. Challenges • Dual focus: design for teaching – expressions ofknowingtechnological systems • Low level of knowledge and tradition on teaching and learning technological systems. • Delimit the object of learning – discernment and continuity across manifestations • Inherent tension between concept and the tradition of problem solvingand practical work in technology • Analytical tools for identifying variation and invariance of expressions of technological systems in pedagogical contexts of different character