Language Learning: French autoethnography

[Study Home]  [Study Phase One]  [Study Phase Two]  [Study Phase Three]

[1.1] [1.2] [1.3] [1.4] [1.5] [1.6] [1.7]

1.1 Brainstorm Forms of Assistance (ZAA)

Here, we present a range of data generation and collection techniques used in these early stages. The starting point in this instance was very open and the approach was therefore exploratory. As in the case of the Self Managed Learning Case Study (001), there was no specific question to be answered at this stage and the loosely focused scope for inquiry into the setting was framed as: how can the learner identify and collect information about the resources of her ZAA?
 
The main source of data collection and generation was the blog created by the learner to record her experiences of learning the French language as they happened. This blog is also an aggregation of some of the language learning resources that were used.

Other data sources include:

Identity and date of visit for websites visited and other on-line resources used, as stored in the browser history (incomplete due to laptop failure), see example.

Browser bookmarks, see example.

learner ical diary of activities: synchronised with iphone, laptop, web through mobileme, see example.

Exercises and activities completed by the learner as part of her language classes: these are almost exclusively paper based, see example.

iphone activity history (incomplete due to phone hardware failure), see example:

sundry paper based jottings, see example:

images captured by the learner, see example:
 
These data sets are used and integrated to generate a preliminary outline of the resources that are available to the learner and that offer potential Forms of Assistance that might constitute the learner's Zone of Available Assistance (ZAA). By "forms of assistance" we mean the range of available things, potentials or opportunities that can support the learner to meet their learning needs in a particular situation (at this stage it does not matter if these resources are actually "activated" or not). In the present example, then, an initial (uncategorised) brainstorm of the data might generate a Learner's ZAA which looks like this:
 
Example of output from an early iteration of Phase 1, Step 1 - The learner's ZAA

Phase 1 Step 1 has produced a loosely framed, general description of the resources with which the learner could interact: an initial model of the learner's ZAA.

As with the Self Managed Learning case study, Phase 1, Step 1 of the EoR Design Framework - BRAINSTORMING - is about framing the learner's context in the form of the resources that could be available to assist the learner. The following relationships are revealed during this step:
 
1. The learner's context (real world) is equivalent to the interactions between the learner and the resources that comprise the Zone of Available Assistance (concept)
2. The material (e.g. objects, physical environment) or relational elements (e.g. people, practices, interactions) of the learner's context (real world) are equivalent to Forms of Assistance (concept)
3. The Zone of Available Assistance (ZAA) and Forms of Assistance are related concepts within the EoR Design Framework.
4. All Forms of Assistance are fully "immersed" in the Zone of Available Assistance.
 
Now that we have some preliminary ideas about the framing of the learner's context and potential forms of assistance, we can draw on the data samples to go on to the next step: (1.2) specifying a Focus of Attention.