Experiential Learning

On each site visit, we arranged map-making focus-groups with FYW instructors (full-time, part-time, and graduate students), in which we asked them to map the techno-ecologies on their campus.  

Our map-making focus groups were 90-minutes long in total. The first 10 minutes of each focus group were devoted to introductions and shuffling, and then we structured our remaining time into three distinct activities: 

1. A Semi-Structured Group Interview protocol (30 minutes) where we talked with participants about digital writing and professional development
2. A Map-Making protocol (30 minutes) where participants first created a list of the experiences they felt had best prepared them to teach digital writing and then followed instructions to map out their understanding of the techno-ecology on their campus
3. A Debriefing Dialogue (20-30 minutes) where participants talked about their maps and how their maps did or did not align with the experiences they identified as having prepared them to teach digital writing

You can find additional detail about these focus groups on our Current Project Background page in the section titled "Details: Map Making Focus Groups." Below are pictures of maps made by participants. Below the visual of each map, we have transcribed each participant’s list of meaningful experiences and the items listed on their map.

Many of our participants indicated that Purdue’s size was a factor in the lack of collaboration or interaction across programs, departments, and resources on campus. Both maps have groupings of people and resources with distinct boundaries that visually demonstrate the siloing that is described on campus. Both maps also place ICaP as central to the tech ecology, which is reflective both of how each department provides its own resources and of the rich level of resources available through ICaP including the tech mentors, the ICaP website, and the anti-practicum course.

An obvious difference between their maps is in how they depict the relationships between areas of the university. Erin’s map separates ITaP from ICap and the English Department, while Derek’s map connects the three more relationally. Additionally, Dererk’s map remains more campus-focused while Erin’s map includes spots for the Digital Rhetoric Collaborative, Twitter, etc. that engage with campus, but are not campus-specific.

Both lists of influential experiences include the tech mentors and tech mentoring role as key in their techno-pedagogy development. Additionally, both lists focus on practice-based experiences, including teaching, creating digital web-texts, tutoring, and tinkering.  Most notable, however, is that both participants indicate that experiences prior to their time at Purdue, including graduate school and professional experiences, were highly influential in their development as techno-pedagogues.

Below, you will find listed (1) the name of map-making participants along with their titles and number of years teaching in the program; (2) a photo of the map that they created; (3) a transcribed list of their ranked list of experiences that they felt best prepared them to teach digital writing; and (4) a map key that explains what the dots/stars on each map mean (e.g. People, Physical Spaces) along with a transcribed list by dot/star category naming elements that participants included on their maps. 

Erin Brock Carlson, PhD Candidate, Former Tech Mentor

2 Years Teaching in the Program

Erin's list of ranked influential experiences: (1) Being a Tech Mentor; (1) Jason Palmeri as mentor; (2) Tech mentoring during PhD teacher training; (3) Teaching remediation project; (3) Writing Kairos webtext (+coding); (4) Teaching 419 (Multimedia Writing); (5) Digital comp. class @ Miami with Linh Dich; (6) Undergrad work on campus newspaper (InDesign, web); (7) Brown Bags; (7) online community (Twitter); (8) Digital comp consultants

Map Key

• People (GREEN): Tech mentors!; ITAP support; ITAP student trainers; Faculty like Sam Blackman (digital scholars)
• Events (PURPLE): Convocation; Weekly workshop; Brown Bags (RIP); Extra workshops; Workshops
• Groups (YELLOW): Digital Rhetoric Collaborative; ICAP; Professional Writing; Rhet/Comp; Tech Initiative Working Group (historical); ITAP; Center for Instructional Excellence
• Physical Spaces/Places (BLUE): Wilmeth Active Learning Center (and other buildings with computer labs); Heavilon Hall (where English Dept. is); Stewart - Video Express; Weatherill; ITAP Labs
• Digital Spaces/Places (RED): Women in TC Sites; Twitter/Slack, Slack; Tech mentor website; Library websites; Digital archives; Blackboard; Purdue Community Hub (software)
• Other/Small Spaces (ORANGE): Labs; "Sam's Room" (205, games room/audio equipment); Grad lab; Video express rooms; HSSE Library
• Other/Tools (PINK): 3D printer; Slack; Google docs; Printers/Scanners; Green screens, etc.; Digital archives; Computer Labs; Blackboard; Labs; Tools

Derek Sherman, Assessment Research Coordinator

2 Years Teaching in the Program

Derek's list of ranked influential experiences: (1) Digital writing focused clsses with Dr. Tulley; (2) Teaching digital writing, high school and university; (3) Master's degree with multimodal focus; (4) Tech mentoring; (5) Experimenting with technologies on my own; (6) Tutoring digital writing

Map Key

• People (GREEN): Cohort Members; Students; Director of Composition; Writing Lab Tutors; Professors
• Events (PURPLE): PD Workshops; Convocation
• Groups (YELLOW): ICaP; ITaP; English Department; Technology Mentors
• Physical Spaces/Places (BLUE): Libraries; Writing Lab; Computer Labs (Printers, Sam's Room, Center for Instructional Excellence); Video Studio; Rhetoric Classes, Research Assistantships (at Purdue Polytechnic)
• Digital Spaces/Places (RED): Libraries, Rhetorik; Twitter/Facebook/Listservs; ITaP Software Downloads; Google/Tech Searching; Blackboard; Google Documents; Research Software; Research Writing
• Other (ORANGE): Learning Communities; Service Learning; Purdue Polytechnic; Assessments/Submissions