PBI and Sociocultural Learning

This is a "working paper" briefly discussing PBI's connections to Sociocultural Learning.

My most immediate Place-based Inquiry project is a place-based augmented reality game for a deep-woods camp. In this project there are many influences from and connections to topics like video games, environmental education, embodiment, design-based pedagogy, sociocultural learning (communities of practice, activity theory, situated action, distributed cognition, etc.), human-computer interface, place-based education, informal learning, etc.

I've summarized Bonnie Nardi (1995) discussion of Activity Theory, Situated Action Models, and Distributed Cognition. There are a number of flavors of sociocultural learning that generally agree on the tenets set down by Lev Vygotsky -- learning is framed by our social experiences. But part some on questions of the extent of the influence. I believe they complement rather than compete with each other -- the influence of our various cultures varies depending on the situation and distance from the cultures.

It is exactly the immersive nature of the 4-day deep woods ARG experience that makes a study of the sociocultural elements of the game a viable option to study. As far as informal learning spaces outside of the classroom go (discussed here), on-line video game communities is one, and this summer camp is another -- one that is especially ripe for examination because of its particulars. The players tend to be somewhat homogenously nested: a group of four or five 12-15 year old males who work together in a camping situation (setting up campsites, cooking, fire-building, etc.) for four days, nested in a larger culture of forty to fifty 10-16 year old boys who move between trip groups and tent groups for a three to seven week summer camping experience, nested in a larger culture where they may return for two to five summers. And for many, their brothers, fathers, and/or uncles, and grandfathers may have similar experiences at the same place. Schools provide an experience that is, to some extent, universalized, but it's not as intensive of a 24/7 experience -- the social groups outside of the school "interrupt" the culture and Discourse of the school everyday at 3pm. In a four day camping trip, or three week session, these other Discourses are at a farther distance from the study.

With this project, I am most interested in studying elements of Activity Theory (collaborative tool-mediated activity) and Situated Action (the actual activity rather than the plan). But I'm not sure what my question for this would be.

I hope to map out other areas that have connections to PBI experiences. With all of these, and really, all the work I post, I'd love to hear ideas and suggestions.