Social theories and transdisciplinarity: Reflections on the learning potential of three technologically mediated learning spaces

ABSTRACT

Transdisciplinarity is often a natural response to complex problems that cannot be addressed with the typified and recurrent empirical approaches of a single disciplinary community. Engaging stakeholders with differing worldviews, knowledge, expertise, and experience to address such complex problems increases the potential quality and usefulness of the research. In this chapter, we report on research initiatives that were undertaken in order to enhance the learning of adult, university-bound English for Academic Purposes (EAP) students. The initiatives involved multiple partnerships with other stakeholders (e.g., software engineers/developers, language teachers, educational technologists), and used technology to optimize learning opportunities beyond the temporal and physical constraints of the traditional classroom. In this chapter we describe research regarding the affordances of three technologically mediated online learning spaces 3D Virtual Learning Environments, ePortfolios, and an HTML Content Creator, first introduced in physical bricks and mortar language classrooms, where teachers were free to use the technologically mediated spaces flexibly in relation to ongoing student needs. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the transfer of all language learning online and heightened the importance of teacher flexibility in using these spaces. While acknowledging the challenges of the exclusive shift to online language learning, this chapter highlights what we learned about the affordances and assessment potential of such online language learning. © 2022 Janna Fox and Natasha Artemeva.