Participation and collaboration in hybrid interactional ecologies of learning (HyPaC)
Table of contents
Project description
Many Finnish higher education institutions have developed facilities that enable both physically present and remote students to participate in teaching simultaneously using synchronous communication tools (e.g., video platforms). The practical problem is how to make these so-called "hybrid ecologies" work from the perspective of interaction: so that remote and local participants have equal opportunities to participate in joint activities. Research on authentic hybrid teaching situations is also scarce. The ‘Participation and collaboration in hybrid interactional ecologies of learning’ (HyPaC) project gives new knowledge of the opportunities and limitations that hybrid ecologies create for participation and collaborative activities, and how interactional practices may develop over time. It does so by using video and screen recordings from authentic hybrid learning situations from multiple participants’ perspectives and teachers and learners’ interviews as research data and by taking a multi-method approach.
The project seeks answers to the following research questions:
1) What opportunities and limitations do hybrid ecologies create for participation in learning interactions and collaboration between learners?
2) What role does the chosen technology play in creating participatory and collaborative practices?
3) How do interactional practices change over time, and how does this reflect the development of routines or learning?
The project deepens our understanding of participation and collaboration (e.g., how they may look like in situ) and develops the chosen methodology through cross-disciplinary collaboration, which includes testing and critically evaluating an innovative artificial intelligence tool as part of social interaction research. The results will be used to create recommendations for the development of hybrid teaching.
