Embedding participatory design into designs for learning: An Untapped Interdisciplinary Resource?

Given the rapid evolution of social networks and online communities, interest in participatory cultures - online and offline social spaces with low barriers to entry and support for creating and sharing knowledge - is increasing. Design-based research (DBR) that invites children to share in the process of designing the technologies that support their learning is a natural extension of this participatory cultures movement. In this symposium, we establish a rationale for using Participatory Design (PD) techniques that can inform and enrich the process of designing technologies that support collaborative learning. We provide empirical examples from our own research of the ways in which PD can be incorporated into learner-centered technology designs. Our experiences demonstrate that PD is not only a key contributor in the design of learning technologies themselves, it can also be valuable resource that sheds light on the learning processes of the children who use them.