The American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting is the largest North American conference for educational research. Several divisions and special interest groups (SIGs) award scholars and papers or posters for outstanding contributions to educational research. This year, I was awarded the best graduate student paper for my work, which I submitted last summer, while still a graduate student at NYU in the dolcelab, and which was accepted as a poster for presentation. The paper is titled, Fostering equitable digital identities for inclusive 21st century learning: Exploring identity, agency and informal learning in game culture and online environments, and was awarded best student paper for
the Joint Learning Sciences and Advanced Technologies for Learning SIG of AERA. It will be presented during the Business Meeting on Sat, April 5, 6:30 to 8:00pm in the Convention Center, 100 Level, 120A.
Paper Abstract:
Culture and experience have strong implications for school learning. The new digital divide is a complex mix of access, experience and resulting efficacy, which is often grounded in social experiences as well as economic inequalities. The study is informed by social identity theory and stereotype threat research, which underscore the importance of social identities, group affiliation and social context in the way individuals invest in and perform in fields and domains. This paper explores the impact of socio-cultural experiences on informal learning in game culture and with digital games, as well as how differences in efficacy and identity can potentially impact equitable 21st century learning.
