This document discusses design-based epistemic metareflection as a key to evolving digital didactical design. It suggests that metalearning and reflecting on one's own learning process is important when designing digital education. The document outlines several studies and theories related to self-regulated learning, the importance of social interaction and feedback in online environments, and developing relational competence among teachers. It argues that digital didactical design should focus on fostering social interaction, empowering students to reflect on their own learning, and developing teachers' competencies in creating psychological safety and building relationships in technology-enhanced classrooms.

1. Design-based
epistemic metareflection
as a key to evolving
digital didactical design
HEEL SEMINAR
2018 – 03 – 13
ANNIKA WIKLUND-ENGBLOM

2. Hypothesis
What if it does NOT make much
difference HOW we teach and the
methods we chose,
as long as we do NOT talk about
HOW we learn?

3. Metalearning 2.0
Metalearning in relation to educational
technology is one of the most important socializing
practices of modern education and is something
that teachers have to prioritize in their digital
didactical designs.
(Säljö, 2004)
 Learning to learn with and for digital tools

4. The Importance of Context

5. Design-based epistemic
metareflection
Design-based
- awareness of affordances and constraints of the design and tools being used
Epistemic
- awareness of the knowledge creation process
Metareflection
- awareness of own reflection and ability to see more than one perspective
A key to self-regulation

6. Action Research for University Teachers
 Didactics course for university teachers
 Blended design: F2F, Moodle, Online material, literature
 Objectives of exercise
 See how online videos, forum discussion and collaborative writing could be
combined and optimised
 Become aware of own learning process and practice design-based epistemic
metareflection in relation to digital and social context
 Learn about action research as a method for course development
 3 variations of design
 Timing, group size, strategies for collaboration, writing, discussing,
summarizing

7. Visible Learning
“When students know where they are at,
where they are going and
what their next steps are,
they are developing the capabilities of
Visible Learners.
Visible learners are students whose
skills also include self-regulation and
who seek and are resilient to and aspire
to challenges.”
John Hattie, 2009

8. How to design for self-regulation?

9. Researching Self-Regulated Learning (SRL)

10. First 2 Waves of SRL Research
SRL = static and fixed SRL = a dynamic process

11. Corporate e-Learning Study
(Wiklund-Engblom, 2015)
Three types of SRL:
1. Instruction-directed navigation
2. Self-directed manipulation
3. Feedback-directed exploration

12. Third Wave of SRL Research
Feedback Metareflection SRL

13. Corporate e-Learning Study
(Wiklund-Engblom, 2015)
Learners asked for:
1. Social feedback
2. Meaning negotiation

14. How can we design for learner needs
in a digital environment?

15. Hierarchy of Needs 2.0
Hierarchical Stage Manifestations in online environments
Physiological System access: the ability to maintain one’s identity, and
participate in a Web community
Security and Safety Protection from hacking and personal attacks, the sense of having
a “level playing field”
Social Belonging to a community as a whole, and sub-groups within the
community
Self-esteem The ability to contribute to the community, and be recognised for
those contributions
Self-actualization The ability to take on a new community role that develops skills and
opens up new opportunities
(Bishop, 2016; cf. Kim, 2000/2006)

16. Social Interaction No#1 Need
“… In networked learning environments social interaction
is by far the most important factor that motivates
participation, as the evaluation into e-tivities showed. “
(Bishop, 2016)

17. Social Presence
in Distance Learning
Defined as:
“The ability of participants in a community of inquiry to
project themselves socially and emotionally, as ‘real’
people (i.e., their full personality), through the medium
of communication being used.”
(Garrison et al., 2000, p. 94)

18. • unequal roles of student groups
• lack of nonverbal cues
Study on Higher Ed Courses combining
Distance + Co-Located Students
(Wiklund-Engblom et al., 2016)

19. Social Presence was Lacking!

20. Usability dimensions
Multimedia content
Interface Styling
System design
Scaffolding & visualising learning
(Figure edited and adapted from Peters, 2013)
Collaboration, social meaning
negotiation
Metalearning
Metareflective
usability
Social usability
Pedagogical
usability
Technical
usability
Collegial
usability

21. Creating a new learning culture
by designing for:
Pedagogical Usability
 Giving more feedback
 Easily repeating content
 Providing an activating
atmosphere
 Plenty of tasks for practice
 Clear guidance, demands, and
structure
Social Usability
 Routines for collaboration
 Routines for supervision
 Equality among students
 Positive attitudes
 Relationships and authentic
meetings
 Lowering tresholds for asking
questions
Metareflective Usability
 Talking about learning and learning strategies
 Practicing design-based epistemic metareflection

22. Relational Competence
to design for social presence
Aspelin (2017):
• Social interaction
• Emotional communication
• Dialogue
• Personal development
• Personal connection
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tutoring_Center_(3349979270).jpg
Rimm-Kaufmann et al. (2003):
• Sensitivity
• Responsivity

23. Study on Distance Teachers’
Digital Relational Competence
Anticipative, Sensitive, and Responsive to Learner Needs:
1. Emotional
2. Cognitive-epistemic
3. Metareflective
4. Self-regulatory
5. Social
6. Practical-logistic
(Wiklund-Engblom, 2018)

24. Thresholds for
Authentic Interaction
• Less spontaneity
• Orchestration overload
• Shorter lectures due to logistics
• More effort needed for content planning/editing
• Less time for discussion and interacting
• Lack of proper equipment
• No prior norms how to relate/connect between groups
http://www.adobe.com/products/adobeconnect.html
(Wiklund-Engblom, 2018)

25. Excerpt 1:
Uncomfortable for co-located students
“Sometimes I placed the F2F-students around a table so
that everyone could be seen [by the distance students].
But, well… they weren’t comfortable [to be on camera]”
[T1]
(Wiklund-Engblom, 2018)

26. Excerpt 2:
Inequality for distance students
“… it is easier for F2F students to ask questions. It is a bigger step
for someone at a distance. Partly because they don’t really know
who is listening to them in class: is it perhaps 30 students? This is
perhaps creating a higher threshold and you feel that you have
to have a really good question in order to ask something.”
[T2]
(Wiklund-Engblom, 2018)

27. Psychological safety
Defined (for workplaces) as:
“A belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for
speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes.”
(Amy Edmondson, 2014)

28. Leadership for
Psychological Safety?
1. Define the task as a learning experience
2. Welcome uncertainty
3. Highlight interdependence
4. Scaffold collaboration
5. Model curiosity
6. Acknowledge your own fallibility
(Amy Edmondson, 2014)

29. Conclusion #1
Aim of Digital Didactical Design
Design for
social interaction
while maintaining
psychological safety

30. Conclusion #2
Aim of Digital Didactical Design
Design for
Metalearning 2.0
empowering students with
agency for
Design-based epistemic
metareflection

31. According to Hattie the best
teachers:
1. Create good relations with students
2. Scaffold students in using varied
learning strategies
3. Willingly explain the content
4. Are engaged in students’ learning
processes
(John Hattie)

32. How to develop a Growth Mindset
1. Focus on what hinders comprehension
and discuss new strategies to try
2. Have a positive attitude towards
failing
3. Create a learning culture for
psychological safety
(Carol Dweck)

33. Study on Teaching with Tablets
Data
Country
Number of
Schools
Classroom
Observations
Teacher
Interviews
Student
Interviews
Denmark 7 24 24
Sweden 8 26 26 17
Finland 5 30 30
See e.g.:
Peter Bergström, Eva Mårell-Olsson & Isa Jahnke (2017). Variations of Symbolic Power and Control in the One-to-One
Computing Classroom: Swedish Teachers’ Enacted Didactical Design Decisions, Scandinavian Journal of Educational
Research.
Isa Jahnke & Swapna Kumar (2014). Digital Didactical Designs: Teachers’ Integration of iPads for Learning-Centered
Processes, Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education, 30:3, 81-88.
(Wiklund-Engblom, Bergström, Mårell-Olsson, … ongoing)

34. Research Questions
Digital Relational Competence:
1. How do teachers create psychological safety while using iPads in the classroom?
2. How do teachers foster good relations while using iPads in the classroom?
Metalearning 2.0:
1. How do teachers scaffold a variety of learning strategies while using iPads in the
classroom?
2. How do teachers engage in students’ learning processes while implementing iPads in
the classroom?

35. How teachers together with students
can reflect on:
- What is the objective of the didactical design
- Why certain tools are chosen to support learning
- How it impacts learning
Research Aim:
To learn more about how teachers and students
can develop their competencies for teaching and
learning with digital tools.

36. Multimedia content
Interface Styling
System design
Scaffolding & visualising learning
(Figure edited and adapted from Peters, 2013)
Collaboration, meaning negotiation,
socially shared regulation
Metalearning Competence for design-based
epistemic metareflection
Relational competence
Didactical competence
Technical/digital competence
Teacher Competences

37. Evolving learners
”The most remarkable feature of the evidence is
that the greatest effects on student learning occur
when teachers become learners of their own
teaching, and when students become their own
teachers.”
(Hattie, 2009)

38. ”We drive into the future using only our rear view mirror”
McLuhan

39. Thank you!
Annika Wiklund-Engblom, Ed.D., M.A. dev.psychology
Post doc researcher
Applied Educational Science
Umeå University
Email: annika.wiklund-engblom@umu.se
Twitter: @awengblom
Blog: mediasolutionsblog.wordpress.com/
Publications: researchgate.net/profile/Annika_Wiklund-Engblom
Profile: linkedin.com/in/annikawiklundengblom