Teaching Literature in a Society of Change – Rethinking L1 Education in Future Classrooms
Submitted by:
Wiebke Dannecker
Abstract:
A broad concept of inclusion aims at "moving beyond programs designed to rectify historical injustices of gender, or race, or class, we need a learning architecture that nurtures an open productive diversity, and a pedagogy of inclusion" (Kalantzis & Cope, 2017: 313). Therefore, teaching literature in L1-classrooms has to provide educational opportunities for all students, enabling individual learning progress as well as subjectively meaningful participation in collaboratively experienced teaching opportunities (cf. Booth & Ainscow 2011).
The DigiLi-research project, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, addresses the following research question from an interdisciplinary perspective: What potentials arise regarding the use of digital media in the context of cooperative learning scenarios in inclusive literature education?
Hence, the DigiLi-project not only aims at developing a concept for digital learning in inclusive literature classes based on theoretical research approaches and empirical data, but also pursues the conception of concrete, digital and barrier-free learning arrangements (cf. Carell & Dannecker 2023). The accessible or low-barrier design of the project's web-app was developed according to the principles of Universal Design for Learning (cf. CAST 2018). This involves making standard learning offerings accessible and meaningful for everyone. In the development and research of the DBR project, equal attention was given to learning with digital media for individualization, as well as learning with digital media in collaborative learning environments (cf. Schulz & Krstoski 2022).
The focus of initiating subject-specific learning processes in the DigiLi project lies accordingly in enabling access to the literary text and designing learning situations that encourage engagement with the subject matter - also in cooperation with so called competent others. Therefore, a diversity-sensitive design of a learning scenario that is characterized by collaboration, differentiation, as well as stimulating learning objects and discursive negotiations, was developed. In pursuit of this goal, a learning arrangement was developed through multiple design cycles in cooperation with the Inclusive University School of Cologne (IUS) and a media design agency from Cologne.
The project followed the idea of Design-based research, an innovative research approach that functions as a methodological link to application-oriented development work. The data analysis of the research-cycles was conducted using Qualitative Content Analysis, a method particularly suitable for communication-based materials (cf. Heins, 2018, p. 303-306). The lecture presents the results from three research-cycles, concentrating on the question of cooperation within heterogenous learning groups, with a particular emphasis on utilizing digital media to facilitate cultural participation for all. As results show meaningful conversations about the books read emerge in the sense of a follow-up communication, whereas the authenticity of the tasks is particularly important. In addition, it became evident that each student contributed to the follow-up communication with their potential in cooperation, using various communication modes such as verbal, as well as gestural, facial, and various tools such as the tablet. As each student brought and contributed with different potentials, it also became clear that cooperation allows for mutual development and the cultural participation of all students.
Literature cited:
Booth, T. & Ainscow, M. (2011). Index for Inclusion. Developing Learning and Participation in Schools. 3rd Ed. Bristol: Centre for Studies on Inclusive Education 2011.
Carell, L. & Dannecker, W. (2023). Nachhaltig, inklusiv, digital: Das Lerndorf als Common Space im Zeitalter gesellschaftlicher Transformation. In: MedienPädagogik 52 (gerecht - digital - nachhaltig), 277-297. https://doi.org/10.21240/mpaed/52/2023.02.14.X
CAST (2018). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 2.2. http://udlguidelines.cast.org
Heins, J. (2016). Qualitative Inhaltsanalyse. In J. Boelmann (Ed.), Empirische Erhebungs- und Auswertungsverfahren in der deutschdidaktischen Forschung. Schneider, 305-324.
Kalantzis, M. & Cope, B. (2017). New Media and Productive Diversity in Learning. In: Barsch, S.; Glutsch, N. & Massumi, M. (Eds.): Diversity in der LehrerInnenbildung: Internationale Dimensionen der Vielfalt in Forschung und Praxis. Münster: Waxmann, 308-323.
Schulz, L., & Krstoski, I. (2022). Diklusion. In L. von Schulz, I. Krstoski, M. Lüneberger & D. Wichmann (Eds.), Diklusive Lernwelten. Zeitgemäßes Lernen für alle Schüler:innen, 31-41. https://open.visual-books.com/
Biography:
Dr. Wiebke Dannecker, Junior Professor for Literature and its Teaching in Inclusive Settings,
University of Cologne, contact: w.dannecker@uni-koeln.de