Computational tools as tangible support for social learning

This article investigates how tangible, computational tools support HE- students' social learning. Through abductive analysis of data collected during interventions in a Media Studies class at a Danish university where students used a computational tool to explore ideas for their exam synopsis, several roles for the tool were uncovered and conceptualised drawing on sociocultural and activity theory: 1) Mediating tool, boosting the learner's capacity to engage in key practices, such as independently generating ideas and sharing and discussing these. 2) Computational tool, providing a tangible, modular, external representation of the subject that made it possible for students to compute with concepts when generating ideas and bolstered their discussion. And 3) Facilitator of students' exploratory talk, supporting them in thinking together in a sustained, disciplinary dialogue. Consequently, the tool offers tangible and computational mediation of social learning and of engagement in disciplinary inquiries; as students manipulate the tool, compute with concepts and dialogue with peers, they develop their ideas and understanding. This makes the tool a possible solution to the wider challenge of engaging students. Future research should explore the mediating potential of such tools in relation to other key practices and investigate the mediating effects of different tool designs.