Choice and interest in designed learning environments: the case of FUSE Studios

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1108/ILS-09-2019-0098
Published date27 March 2020
Date27 March 2020
Pages137-154
AuthorDaniela K. DiGiacomo,Katie Van Horne,William R. Penuel
Subject MatterLibrary & information science,Librarianship/library management,Library & information services
Choice and interest in designed
learning environments: the case of
FUSE Studios
Daniela K. DiGiacomo
School of Information Science, College of Communication and Information
University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA, and
Katie Van Horne and William R. Penuel
School of Education, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
Abstract
Purpose Empiricalinvestigation into the e-learning innovation,FUSE Studios, is both timely and relevant
because FUSE is rapidly expanding domestically and abroad and there is continued interest in the
interdisciplinary elds of informationand learning sciences in the constructs of choice and interest as they
relate to the provision and design of learning experiences. In particular, this paper aims to contribute to
scholarly and design-based conversations on how e-learning innovations especially those situated within
the digital youth and constructionism strands of research can be designed in ways that support robust
opportunitiesfor learning for young people (Reynolds et al., 2019).
Design/methodology/approach Drawing upon a large corpus of mixed-methods data including
computer-generated activity log data, youth survey data and studio facilitator interview data, this paper
examines patterns of use and interest-related experience among young people in a range of FUSE Studios
settingsacross the USA.
Findings The results suggest that student choice within FUSEs curricular and Studio model tends to
support a broad explorationof interests across a wide range of youth, ratherthan a deep dive into particular
Science,Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics(STEAM) content areas.
Practical implications Alongside the broad explorationthat was found to characterize the patterns of
student choice in FUSE Studios, a striking number of students from those surveyed reported that FUSE
supported their interestdevelopment: they liked the FUSE challenges, were always able to nd something of
interest to do in the FUSE Studios and saw the FUSE challenges are supportive of their current and future
interests. (See similarndings in Stevens et al., 2016). We understand these student self-reportedexperiences
as evidence that the FUSE Studios model did well to encourage meaningful, interest-driven learning
experiencesfor youth.
Originality/value Committed to making researchusable for practice, this paper offers implications for
future e-learning designs that seek to make choice and interest central to the organization of activity and
environment.
Keywords Choice, Mixed-methods, Interest, Designed learning, STEAM environments,
Youth experience
Paper type Research paper
The material is based in part upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant
Number DRL 134-8800. Any opinions, ndings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in
this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reect the views of the National Science
Foundation. We are also very grateful to the FUSE design team at Northwestern University for their
support of this work.
Designed
learning
environments
137
Received20 September 2019
Revised20 November 2019
10February 2020
Accepted17 February 2020
Informationand Learning
Sciences
Vol.121 No. 3/4, 2020
pp. 137-154
© Emerald Publishing Limited
2398-5348
DOI 10.1108/ILS-09-2019-0098
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
https://www.emerald.com/insight/2398-5348.htm
Introduction
Despite years of research on learning and socio-technical systems design, choice-based
computer-supported educational environments where all students both nd something of
interest to do and stay engaged over time are few and far between (Gallagher et al.,2010;
Pryor et al.,2002). In this article, we examine patterns of use and experiencesof youth within
a rapidly growing e-learning innovation, FUSE Studios. Designed by a team of learning
scientists at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, USA, the FUSE curriculum and
Studio model aims to offer young people opportunities to engage in Science, Technology,
Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) content through interest-driven, multi-level
challenges that are pursued individually and/or collaboratively in a choice-based
environment through onlineand analog material resources. At the time of the writing of this
article, FUSE is being used by over 18,000students in 224 studios across the world most of
which are located in school-based classrooms (e.g. FUSE often replaces what was formerly
the Applied Technologymiddle-school elective class), but some of which are offered as
afterschool programming in out-of-school spaces such as Young Mens Christian
Associationss or public libraries.Figure 1 shows examples of FUSE challenges available on
the FUSE website. At present, there are over 30 STEAM FUSE learning challenges, but
FUSE challenges are alwaysunder construction and production.
Empirical investigationinto FUSE is both timely and relevant because:
The FUSE Studios model is rapidly expanding in both the USA and abroad.
There is a continued interest in the interdisciplinary elds of information and
learning sciences in the constructs of choice and interest as they relate to the
provision and design of high-quality learning experiences. (See, for example,
Peppler et al., 2016;Slot et al., 2020;Walkington and Bernacki, 2014).
In particular, this article contributes to scholarly and design-based conversations on how
e-learning innovations especially those situated within the digital youth and
constructionism strands of research can be designed in ways that support robust
opportunities for learning for young people (Reynolds et al.,2019). The denition of e-
Figure 1.
Example fromFUSE
Web portal of six
FUSE Challenges
ILS
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