Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Identity construction environments
Icoinedtheterm
identity construction environments
to refer to technological
tools purposefully designed to afford opportunities for exploring identity and
engaging in reflection and discussion about personal and moral values. Given
this definition, six design principles distinguish them from other technological
tools for learning:
1.
They are
purposefully
designed to help young people learn about their
identity, particularly personal and moral values.
2.
They are designed upon a theoretical model that understands identity as a
complex and dynamic construction composed by conflicting values.
3.
They afford opportunities for learners to engage in the design and creation
of computational objects. These objects represent aspects of the self and
can be created and programmed in a playful way.
4.
They integrate the use of objects and narratives. For example, compu-
tational objects are described with narrative attributes and storytelling
behaviors.
5.
Their design is informed by the constructionist learning theory (Papert
1980), theories of identity formation (Erikson 1950) and Kohlberg's theory
of moral development in a just community (Kohlberg 1982).
6.
They support the creation and participation in a community. No sense of
self develops in a social vacuum.
In the same spirit as other constructionist tools for learning, identity construc-
tion environments engage young people in a hands-on learning experience.
They support the construction of knowledge by building personally meaning-
ful artifacts that behave in the world. Identity construction environments are
designed following the “construction kit” metaphor: an environment with a
set of parts to be assembled and connected together. For example, structural or
mechanical construction kits, such as LEGO, have parts from the world of engi-
neering (e.g. bricks, gears, pulleys). Through the exercise of assembling them,
young people can develop knowledge about mechanics. Other types of kits,
such as computational construction kits (Resnick et al. 1996) are composed of
parts from both the world of engineering and the world of computation (e.g.
feedback loops, variables, control structures). For example Lego-Logo supports
explorations of powerful engineering, robotics, computational and mathemat-
ical ideas. In the same spirit as these construction kits, identity construction
environments provide dynamic building blocks focusing on identity and per-
