UCLIC/Knowledge Lab Seminar - Creating tools for teachers and children to support Design-Based Learning (DBL) in schools

Speaker: Dr Tilde Bekker, Eindhoven University of Technology

Following a Design Based Learning approach can provide an integrated process to teach children some of the 21st century skills, such as problem solving, creativity and critical thinking in an integrated process. Children can for example use technology toolkits in a design-based learning approach to develop digital literacy and design thinking skills. 

Furthermore, children can be supported in self-directed learning by tools that help them select and reflect on learning goals A major challenge is to develop an easy to use and flexible digital toolkit /learning environment that fits with the specific 21st century learning goals and course specific learning goals. Embedded technologies can support teachers in creating learning activities, keeping track of students’ development, managing diverse time schedules, etc. We have conducted design explorations with input from diverse stakeholders, such as teachers, children, publishers and educational scientists to examine how to develop tools to support design-based learning in schools.

About the speaker: Dr.ir. M.M. (Tilde) Bekker (1964) is an Associate Professor in User Centered Engineering at the department of Industrial Design, Eindhoven University of Technology. She has a Master degree and a PhD in Industrial Design (Delft University of Technology).  She leads and participates in research projects on designing for playful interactions and playful learning. Her main research interests are designing for playful interactions between multiple people and multiple objects or systems, design for persuasion, design for learning and designing products for children and older adults. 

Her current research and teaching include User Focus and Perspective Basics, Design Research, Design Thinking, Interaction Design for Children and Elderly, User Centered Design Methodologies, Design for Teaching and Learning, and Persuasive Technologies.

She is project leader of the Tools for Teachers project on developing a tool to support teachers in developing design-based learning activities [July 2016 – October 2017]. Furthermore, she is participating in the H2020 project on Responsive Engagement of the Elderly promoting Activity and Customized Healthcare (REACH) project [2015 -2019]. Previously, she participated in diverse national and international projects (e.g. INTERREG and Life-long Learning) on designing for playful persuasion for children, teenagers and older adults, and on creating interactive movement-based games for children with motor disabilities. 

She has supervised 4 PhD Students to successful outcome of their project, and is currently (co-)supervising 6 PhD students. She has over 100 publications in international, peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings (H-index of 24 in Google Scholar). She is co-founder of the Interaction Design and children conference series. She is a member of the editorial board of the International Journal of Child Computer Interaction and of Personal and Ubiquitous Computing.

Time: Wednesday 9 November 2016 12:30pm

Venue: UCL Knowledge Lab, 29 Emerald Street, London WC1N 3QS