Browsing by Author "Tenhovirta, Satu"

The purpose of this study is to describe, analyze and interpret the descriptions of tutor’s work, expertise and agency that appeared in digital peer-tutors’ interviews. I have also analyzed the tutors’ social networks from the perspectives of sharing resources and help. The theoretical perspective is socio-cultural, and expertise is examined from the perspectives of student expertise and networked expertise. Learning is seen as a wide phenomenon that transcends the formal learning in school context and is connected to interests and networks. This thesis can provide a basis for future empirical research and pedagogical experiments that consist of or combine peer-tutoring, technology education and design research that targets to create innovative learning environments. This study is part of a design, science and technology education research project Co4Lab, funded by Academy of Finland, which consists of several co-inquiry, co-design and co-teaching experiments in comprehensive school context in years 2016-2019. The data has been collected in spring 2017 from the first iteration in an upper secondary school in Helsinki. The data consists of the tutors’ (N=15) semi-structured interviews and maps that describe their social networks. Interviews were analyzed by using content analysis method. Network maps were analyzed by using CytoScape analysis program and they were used to describe both tutor group’s cooperation and the egocentric networks of three tutors. The tutors needed versatile technological, social, pedagogical and reflective know-how in the project. Tutor group’s social network revealed 3 students, who acted as cognitively central keyactors. These “expert tutors” acted as companions for teachers, they had deeper knowledge than others and they also organized the work of the tutor group. Analyze of the expert tutors’ egocentric networks showed that these students had interest-based network relationships and other resources outside the school context, which were critical for learning technology skills. Furthermore, they had been recognized as active and tech-savvy students in the school context earlier, and had gotten responsibilities and network connections in previous technology projects at school.