3rd Education and Technology Summer School and Conference Bergen, 26. July – 6th August 2010

1. 3rd Education and Technology Summer School and Conference Bergen, 26. July – 6th August 2010 Common and typical aspects of a French academic research in Education: the case of CompUTICE Second call for Proposals Res@tice 2008-2010 Theme 3: Users and uses in French-speaking digital campuses (CNF) of the Agency of Universities of the French-speaking World (AUF) Najoua Mohib, Junior/Assistant Professor in Sciences of Education University of Strasbourg

2. Outline of the presentation • Before the project… • From Res@tice to CompUTICE • How do CompUTICE researchers work? • Objectives of the project •  Theory construction and Research methodology • Preliminary results • CompUTICE: a French-speaking “international” research project

3. Before the project…  A pedagogical experience  The Euro Mediterranean and African Community on Distance Education CEMAFORAD 4 , Strasbourg, 04-11th April 2008.

4. From Res@tice to CompUTICE  8 university and/or institutional partners, 6 countries, 16 researchers spread in 3 continents: Africa, Asia and Europe. France Morocco Burkina Faso Vietnam Senegal Madagascar

5. How do CompUTICE researchers work?  Team work • the national team: 1 meeting every three months • “Pair group” a group of two researchers: 1 meeting per month • the coordinating team: 1 office hour per week  Collaborative research • eWorking platform: Dokéos • Online meetings tools, Web-conferencing, Video-conferencing, Phone, Instant messaging, Emails... • 1st CompUTICE Seminar, Strasbourg, 5.-8th October, 2009

6. Objectives of the project Scientific objective - to indentify the obstacles (instrumental conflicts) that the users/learners have to face with and to analyse the development of skills/professional competencies (power to act) of the users/teachers in the French-speaking digital campuses (CNF) Research training objective - Introduction to data collection and analysis, discussions focused on personal experience in scientific research, collaborative research, training seminar…

7. Theory construction and Research methodology 1. Theory construction Adult Education and Training Activity Analysis (Pastré, 1995 ; Clot, 2001) ICT tools (Rabardel, 1995) Activity theory Educational Technology H1: The elearning platform users (learners) have to face with instrumental conflicts of which they are not conscious (Marquet, 2005) H2: Skills (Professional competencies) development = wanting to act + know how to act + power to act). The forms of “legitimization” leading to the process of authorization refer to a quest both towards socialisation (recognition by the group/authority figure) and pedagogy process (integration of educational models) (Durat & Mohib, 2008)

8. Theory construction and Research methodology 2. Research methodology Qualitative approach Overt observations (“pair group”: S+N), Semi-Structured Interviews (face to face with users/learners and members of the Agency of Universities of the French-speaking World, Interviews in crossed self-confrontation mode (face to face with the users/teachers) Quantitative approach Questionnaires (South North ), elearning trace analysis

9. Preliminary results 1. About Theory construction and Research methodology  Theory construction • Initial Theory and Hypotheses / + New concept: “Services” + Extend concept of “User” (Vs L&T): “Obvious” and “Non obvious” Users  Research methodology - Interviews in crossed self-confrontation mode (face to face with the users/teachers) + Semi-Structured Interviews (face to face with institutional members of the AUF in Paris)

10. Preliminary results 2. Common aspects  Obstacles - discreet visibility - Decreasing activity in the CNF  Measures of development launched by the CNF - Providing technical services - Supporting universities in the setting up of a real policy for ICT integration

11. Preliminary results 3. Typical aspects  Research perspectives • Update the typical aspects in terms of services and of users: • what are the provided services? who takes advantage of them? what can we draw from them?  Impact of South Countries' ICT Infrastructure on Higher Education • Development of new independent digital campuses

12. CompUTICE : a French-speaking “international” research project Common aspects • Difficulties ( material, financial, technical, time pressure…) • Quantitative and Qualitative methods • Intellectual skills (critical thinking, creativity, cognitive skills…) and personal effectiveness (self-reliance, enthusiasm, strategic approach, …) Typical aspects • Sciences of Education ≠ Education • International = French-speaking World area • Specific concepts (eg. users, uses, competencies…)

13. “Basic research is what I am doing when I don't know what I am doing ” Wernher von Braun (1912 - 1977) • Contact: • Najoua Mohib, Junior/Assistant Professor in Sciences of Education • CompUTICE Project Leader • University of Strasbourg • najoua.mohib@unistra.fr • http://lisec.u-strasbg.fr

14. References Andriamparanv, L.-M et Rakotomala, A.-N. (2008). Les campus numériques francophones de l’AUF et l’émergence des universités ouvertes au Sud. Distances et Savoirs, 6, 253-268. Depover, C. (dir). (2009). La recherche en technologie éducative. Un guide pour découvrir un domaine en émergence. Paris, Ed. des archives contemporaines. Durat, L. et Mohib, N. (2009). Le développement des compétences professionnelles au regard de l’engagement dans l’agir. Questions Vives, 10, 25-40. Marquet, P. (2005). Intérêt du concept de conflit instrumental pour la compréhension des usages des EIAH, in Tchounikine, P., Joab, M, Trouche, L. (Éds). Actes de la conférence EIAH 2005 (Environnements Informatiques pour l'Apprentissage Humain), Paris, INRP, 383-388. Pastré, P. (dir). (1995). Le développement des compétences. Analyse du travail et didactique professionnelle. Education permanente, 123. Rabardel, P. (1995). Les hommes et les technologies. Approche cognitive des instruments contemporains. Paris, Armand Colin. Wittorski, R. (1998). De la fabrication des compétences. Education permanente, 135, 57-69.