UNCODE: Uncovering Hidden Cognitive Demands on Global Learners

Stanford University, Stanford CA

Investigators

Abstract

The collaborative proposal will connect the researchers from Stanford with their colleagues in the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health and Aalto University, Finland to identify the stresses and cognitive demands that are placed on learners who are participating in multi-cultural and cross-disciplinary collaborations in a rich technology-enabled learning environment. The research will be situated in the Architecture, Engineering, Construction Global Teamwork course in the Problem Based Learning Laboratory at Stanford University that engages students in teamwork with partners worldwide. Multiple sources of data will be collected that examine a number of dimensions of student learning experiences including the number of disciplines embodied by the team structure, the number of cultures that influence the communication within the teams, the impact of space and time interactions and the multiple channels by which communication takes place among team members. Physiological data will be collected to identify indicators of stress, and ways that learners and instructions can monitor and self-regulate their well-being and engagement will be identified. In an increasingly global economy, the conditions under which teams will be required to work and learn together are increasingly diverse and require that virtual learning environments become more collaborative. This research has the potential to inform those who design virtual learning environments that engage individuals and teams from different cultural milieus whose interactions are separated by time and space. Ways to mitigate the stresses that occur across these separations that foster better communications across cultural differences will contribute to design elements for learning experiences in not only post-secondary courses, but also interactions in the global workspace.