Through the looking glass:
the digital lives of
University of Bristol
students
Festival of Education, 8 June
2015
Sue Arnold, Abigail Le Fevre, Sue
Timmis, Wan Ching Yee & Bernie
Munoz
Digital diversity
https://www.flickr.com/photos/slumadridcampus/
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/
Aims of the DD-lab research
• Funded by U of Bristol WP Research Programme
• How might (or might not) digital technologies support studying
(esp informal), peer support and sense of belonging amongst
WP students
• What are the effects on their progress, retention and well
being?
• Broad interpretation of widening participation
– Parents did not go to university
– Attended non fee paying school
– Intersections with - mature, BME, local
Research questions
• To what extent is a ‘culture of belonging’ and
engagement experienced by WP students?
• What are the impacts of informal support and peer
relationships on WP students in their learning lives?
• How are digital technologies being mobilised by WP
students for educational, cultural and social purposes?
• What new forms of learning interactions are created?
Inequalities in
student
experience
Social justice goes beyond social inclusion – both
participation and engagement (Gidley et al, 2010)
Institutions can make assumptions about prior experience
and cultural capital (Thomas, 2002)
‘Access
without
support is
not
opportunity’
(Tinto 2008)
Students need to integrate into culture and practices of university life
to sustain their engagement and confidence and be successful
A ‘culture of belonging’ is critical to the success and well-being of
students at university (Thomas 2012)
DD-lab methodology
•
•
Student co-researcher group
31 second year students – 17 women , 14 men, 11 mature , 11 BME, 7 local & 5
transfer from 6 Faculties
Female
Male
BME
Mature
Local
Transfer
Arts
Eng
Med&Vet
4
0
1
1
1
0
1
3
1
0
0
0
1
5
1
2
0
0
Science FSSL
Med &
Dentistry
2
5
4
3
2
1
3
3
2
4
1
3
3
1
2
3
2
0
–
Three data collection periods - November (+ 28 Interviews), February/March (+ 5 Focus
groups) and April/May (+ 26 Interviews)
–
Using ipad and Evernote to collect data: 637 documentaries including text accounts, audio,
video, photos, snapshots from screen or documents and annotated notes recording their
learning lives including informal studying, use of technology for studying, university matters,
connections to home and others
Evernote Documentaries
Being a co-researcher
Taking a critical role
in data collection
Contributing to the direction and
focus of the research?
Gaining experience in
research and research
methods
Positioning within the research
Opportunities for writing
and conference
Collaborative data
presentations
analysis sessions
Developing
understandings
of their own
learning and
On-going support and
studying
discussions
Timmis & Williams, 2013; Brew, 2006
DD-lab website
• https://digitaldiversitylab.wordpress.com/
Digital lives
• Sue Arnold: Social policy and politics
DD-Lab Project
Sue Arnold
Co-researcher
Culture of Belonging
• I do not work very much with other
students .....I live 30 miles from Bristol
• It mitigates against that sense of
belonging
• It is difficult balancing study and
family life
Informal Support and Peer Relationships
• I don’t work in complete isolation from other
students
• I have a couple of friends who are traditional
students
• No problems with working in small groups
Using Digital Technologies
• I was a Computer Programmer in the 1970s!
• Not so good at using screen for reading long
articles but used iPad to do this and was quite
surprised at ease of use
• Using e-books – not very successful for me!
• But I have moved on since DD-Lab – attached to
my iPhone and Apps for everything!
New Forms of Learning Interactions
• Moved on since DD Lab (because of DD Lab?)
• Was using Facebook, but now expanded to
WhatsApp, bus apps, reminder app etc....
• Have even used Twitter!
• More linked in to social media than previously
Digital lives
• Abigail Le Fevre: History