Several concepts are used to describe ethnographic approaches for investigating the Internet; com... more Several concepts are used to describe ethnographic approaches for investigating the Internet; competing concepts include virtual ethnography, netnography, digital ethnography, web-ethnography, online ethnography, and e-ethnography. However, as the field matures, several writers simply call their approach "ethnography" and specify new fields of practice. In this paper, we will explore the content of ethnographic approach for investigating the Internet and the direction in which this new field of ethnography is moving, that is, whether it is the study of blended worlds or online worlds. We start by introducing the emerging field sites or fields of practice. Then, we describe how participant observation and other data collection techniques are carried out. Next, we describe how ethnographic practice is understood within the emerging field. Finally, we discuss some possible changes in the ethnographic landscape: unobtrusive methods, the communal-commercial relationship, and te...
Abstract—The aim of this paper is to study one application of blended learning in a large, multin... more Abstract—The aim of this paper is to study one application of blended learning in a large, multinational organization. The focus is on understanding what blended learning means in the context of workplace learning, what advantages and disadvantages can be identified and, based on empirical findings, to discuss how courses are set up with the objective of enhancing learning outcome through a combination of social interaction and individual learning at the same time taking into consideration critical factors such as cultural diversity ...
17th International Conference on Computers in Education. Hong Kong: Asia-Pacific Society for Computers in Education, 2009
Abstract: This paper reports on a study of blended learning in a large, multinational organizatio... more Abstract: This paper reports on a study of blended learning in a large, multinational organization. The focus is on understanding what blended learning means in the context of workplace learning, what advantages and disadvantages can be identified and, based on empirical findings, to discuss how courses are set up with the objective of enhancing learning outcomes through a combination of social interaction and individual learning. A sociocultural perspective guides our analysis, in particular Vygotsky's notions of “duality of ...
This paper presents a design-based study of pupils’ use of Minecraft in a whole-day school projec... more This paper presents a design-based study of pupils’ use of Minecraft in a whole-day school project in social studies involving three seventh-grade classes, student teachers and amateur historians. We used qualitative methods for data collection and analysis. We followed three groups through the following activities: 1) searching for historical information (introduction), 2) building in Minecraft and creating roleplay scripts (reconstruction), and 3) acting out the scripts and making videos for a class presentation (transformation). The activities combined generic and domain-specific skills practices in different ways. We analyze how these two modes intertwine and argue that the teaching model we used can bridge the gap between learning in and out school. Key concepts used in the analysis are intersubjectivity, tension, and temporality. Our findings indicate that through Minecraft pupils, teachers, and amateur historians contribute to intersubjectivity toward shared knowledge by sett...
We describe our experiences with two networked learning environments: Adobe Connect (AC) and Seco... more We describe our experiences with two networked learning environments: Adobe Connect (AC) and Second Life (SL) for supporting teaching and learning in distance education courses. We collected data in two separate case studies: one in Norway (AC) and the other in the United States (SL), using different but comparable methods of data analysis (qualitative methods). We compare the two environments through the lens of problem-based learning (PBL), using four application characteristics of PBL (learner activity, collaborative learning, feedback, and valuation of previous knowledge). AC's strength is its easy-to-use interface and its high-quality audio and video streaming that support facial expression and gesturing in communication. The SL interface is more complicated to learn, but it allows for movement in virtual reality by an avatar and interaction with three-dimensional (3D) objects. The avatar makes the users feel less apprehensive during communication.
We describe our experiences with two networked learning environments: Adobe Connect (AC) and Seco... more We describe our experiences with two networked learning environments: Adobe Connect (AC) and Second Life (SL) for supporting teaching and learning in distance education courses. We collected data in two separate case studies: one in Norway (AC) and the other in the United States (SL), using different but comparable methods of data analysis (qualitative methods). We compare the two environments through the lens of problem-based learning (PBL), using four application characteristics of PBL (learner activity, collaborative learning, feedback, and valuation of previous knowledge). AC’s strength is its easy-to-use interface and its high-quality audio and video streaming that support facial expression and gesturing in communication. The SL interface is more complicated to learn, but it allows for movement in virtual reality by an avatar and interaction with three-dimensional (3D) objects. The avatar makes the users feel less apprehensive during communication.
Fifth Annual IEEE International Conference on Pervasive Computing and Communications Workshops (PerComW'07), 2007
In this paper we describe primary school students' use and personalization o... more In this paper we describe primary school students' use and personalization of handheld devices (PDAs). The paper reports on a case study in a 6th and 7th grade classroom in Norway. The findings revealed that personalization is an important component in many educational activities and that it can lead to more motivated use. This included customizing the user interface and
Several concepts are used to describe ethnographic approaches for investigating the Internet; com... more Several concepts are used to describe ethnographic approaches for investigating the Internet; competing concepts include virtual ethnography, netnography, digital ethnography, web-ethnography, online ethnography, and e-ethnography. However, as the field matures, several writers simply call their approach "ethnography" and specify new fields of practice. In this paper, we will explore the content of ethnographic approach for investigating the Internet and the direction in which this new field of ethnography is moving, that is, whether it is the study of blended worlds or online worlds. We start by introducing the emerging field sites or fields of practice. Then, we describe how participant observation and other data collection techniques are carried out. Next, we describe how ethnographic practice is understood within the emerging field. Finally, we discuss some possible changes in the ethnographic landscape: unobtrusive methods, the communal-commercial relationship, and te...
Abstract—The aim of this paper is to study one application of blended learning in a large, multin... more Abstract—The aim of this paper is to study one application of blended learning in a large, multinational organization. The focus is on understanding what blended learning means in the context of workplace learning, what advantages and disadvantages can be identified and, based on empirical findings, to discuss how courses are set up with the objective of enhancing learning outcome through a combination of social interaction and individual learning at the same time taking into consideration critical factors such as cultural diversity ...
17th International Conference on Computers in Education. Hong Kong: Asia-Pacific Society for Computers in Education, 2009
Abstract: This paper reports on a study of blended learning in a large, multinational organizatio... more Abstract: This paper reports on a study of blended learning in a large, multinational organization. The focus is on understanding what blended learning means in the context of workplace learning, what advantages and disadvantages can be identified and, based on empirical findings, to discuss how courses are set up with the objective of enhancing learning outcomes through a combination of social interaction and individual learning. A sociocultural perspective guides our analysis, in particular Vygotsky's notions of “duality of ...
This paper presents a design-based study of pupils’ use of Minecraft in a whole-day school projec... more This paper presents a design-based study of pupils’ use of Minecraft in a whole-day school project in social studies involving three seventh-grade classes, student teachers and amateur historians. We used qualitative methods for data collection and analysis. We followed three groups through the following activities: 1) searching for historical information (introduction), 2) building in Minecraft and creating roleplay scripts (reconstruction), and 3) acting out the scripts and making videos for a class presentation (transformation). The activities combined generic and domain-specific skills practices in different ways. We analyze how these two modes intertwine and argue that the teaching model we used can bridge the gap between learning in and out school. Key concepts used in the analysis are intersubjectivity, tension, and temporality. Our findings indicate that through Minecraft pupils, teachers, and amateur historians contribute to intersubjectivity toward shared knowledge by sett...
We describe our experiences with two networked learning environments: Adobe Connect (AC) and Seco... more We describe our experiences with two networked learning environments: Adobe Connect (AC) and Second Life (SL) for supporting teaching and learning in distance education courses. We collected data in two separate case studies: one in Norway (AC) and the other in the United States (SL), using different but comparable methods of data analysis (qualitative methods). We compare the two environments through the lens of problem-based learning (PBL), using four application characteristics of PBL (learner activity, collaborative learning, feedback, and valuation of previous knowledge). AC's strength is its easy-to-use interface and its high-quality audio and video streaming that support facial expression and gesturing in communication. The SL interface is more complicated to learn, but it allows for movement in virtual reality by an avatar and interaction with three-dimensional (3D) objects. The avatar makes the users feel less apprehensive during communication.
We describe our experiences with two networked learning environments: Adobe Connect (AC) and Seco... more We describe our experiences with two networked learning environments: Adobe Connect (AC) and Second Life (SL) for supporting teaching and learning in distance education courses. We collected data in two separate case studies: one in Norway (AC) and the other in the United States (SL), using different but comparable methods of data analysis (qualitative methods). We compare the two environments through the lens of problem-based learning (PBL), using four application characteristics of PBL (learner activity, collaborative learning, feedback, and valuation of previous knowledge). AC’s strength is its easy-to-use interface and its high-quality audio and video streaming that support facial expression and gesturing in communication. The SL interface is more complicated to learn, but it allows for movement in virtual reality by an avatar and interaction with three-dimensional (3D) objects. The avatar makes the users feel less apprehensive during communication.
Fifth Annual IEEE International Conference on Pervasive Computing and Communications Workshops (PerComW'07), 2007
In this paper we describe primary school students' use and personalization o... more In this paper we describe primary school students' use and personalization of handheld devices (PDAs). The paper reports on a case study in a 6th and 7th grade classroom in Norway. The findings revealed that personalization is an important component in many educational activities and that it can lead to more motivated use. This included customizing the user interface and
Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS) – Transactions on Computational Science (TCS), Volume 8490, Issue XXIII, 2014
Understanding culture is an integral part of international operations in developing countries and... more Understanding culture is an integral part of international operations in developing countries and conflict zones. Cultural encounters in countries such as Afghanistan might introduce a number of challenges. This article presents the experiences with the CAMO project (Cultural Awareness in Military Operations) seeking to address these challenges. Game-based simulations are to an increasing degree used for military training, but most of the systems are expensive to develop. The goal of the project has been to create an inexpensive game-based simulation in the 3D virtual world of Second Life for pre-deployment cultural awareness training among Norwegian military personnel preparing for service in Afghanistan. At the same time, due to the gradual withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, training cultural awareness among civilian personnel becomes more important. This article presents the results of the CAMO project, discussing how the proposed methodology could be extended for non-military use as well, and outlining the challenges and directions for future work.
Uploads
Papers by Anders Mørch