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- Axell, Cecilia, 1965-, et al.
(author)
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Artificial Intelligence in Contemporary Children’s Culture : A Case Study
- 2022
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In: PATT 39. - : Memorial University of Newfoundland. - 9780889015050 ; , s. 376-386
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The overall aim of the school subject technology is to develop pupils’ understanding of technological solutions in everyday life. A starting point for this study is that it is important for teachers in technology to have knowledge of pupils’ prior conceptions of the subject content since these can both support and hinder their learning. In a previous study we found that when pupils (age 7) talk about digital technology and programming, they often refer to out-of-school experiences such as films, television programmes and books. Typically, their descriptions include robots with some form of intelligence. Hence, it seems like children’s culture may have an impact on the conceptions they bring to the technology classroom. In light of this, it is vital that technology teachers have knowledge about how robots and artificial intelligence (AI) are portrayed in children’s culture, and how pupils perceive these portrayals. However, knowledge about these aspects of technology in children’s culture is limited.The purpose of this study is to investigate how artifacts with artificial intelligence are portrayed in television programmes and literature aimed at children. This study is the first step in a larger study aiming to examine younger pupils’ conceptions and ideas about artificial intelligence. A novice conception of artificial intelligence can be described as an understanding of what a programmed device may, or may not, “understand” in relation to a human, which includes discerning th edifferences between the artificial and the human mind. Consequently, as a theoretical framework for investigating how artificial intelligence is portrayed in children’s culture, the concepts of Theoryof Mind (ToM) and Theory of Artificial Mind (ToAM), are used. The empirical material presented in this paper, i.e. four children’s books and a popular children’s television programme, was analysed using a qualitative thematic analysis. The results show that the portrayal of AI is ambiguous. The structure and function of the robot has elements of both human and machine, and the view of the human fictional characters of the robot is sometimes that of a machine, sometimes of a human. In addition, the whole empirical material includes portrayals of AI as a threat as well as a saviour. As regards implications, there is a risk that without real-life experiences of robots, the representations children’s books and other media convey can lead to ambivalent feelings towards real robots.
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| 2. |
- Axell, Cecilia, 1965-
(author)
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Att läsa Pettson och Findus med teknikglasögon
- 2018
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In: Teknikdidaktisk forskning för lärare. - Linköping : Linköping University Electronic Press. - 9789176853269 ; , s. 51-61
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Book chapter (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Detta kapitel bygger på analyser av det tekniska innehållet i böckerna om Pettson och Findus. Utgångspunkten är att skönlitterära barnböcker kan bidra med viktiga perspektiv på teknik och därför kan ses som betydelsefulla för teknikundervisningen. Genom att skönlitterära berättelser skildrar tekniken i ett sammanhang och individers upplevelser av den, kan de bidra med fördjupning av en mängd olika aspekter av teknik liksom öppna upp för diskussioner om tekniken samt vilken inverkan eller syfte den har eller har haft genom historien. Analyserna visar att teknikens mångskiftande karaktär lyfts fram i berättelserna om Pettson och Findus och exempel på aspekter är: den odödliga tekniken, att det är användaren som bestämmer teknikens funktion samt tekniken som resultat av ”gör-det-självarens” kreativa lösningar.
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| 3. |
- Axell, Cecilia, 1965-, et al.
(author)
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Barnlitteratur och bokpraktiker i fritidshem
- 2019
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In: Fritidshemmets möjligheter. - Lund : Studentlitteratur AB. - 9789144119953 ; , s. 185-214
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Book chapter (other academic/artistic)
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| 4. |
- Axell, Cecilia, 1965-
(author)
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Broadening the Horizons of Technology Education : Using Traditional Cultural Artefacts as Learning Tools in a Swedish Sámi School
- 2020
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In: Design and Technology Education. - Wellesbourne, United Kingdom : The Design and Technology Association. - 1360-1431 .- 2040-8633. ; 25:2, s. 192-216
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The aim of this case study was to explore the nature of technology education in a Sámi school setting and to examine how knowledge about traditional cultural artefacts can contribute to broadening the horizons of technological literacy. The participants (teacher and pupils) in the study were all from the same Sámi primary school in Northern Sweden, and the activities connected to the artefacts took place with year 2 and 3 pupils. The method employed was participatory observation, and field notes, recorded conversations, photographs and children’s drawings were analysed using a qualitative content analysis.The findings show that technology education in this school was connected to specific artefacts that are important in Sámi culture. Using these traditional cultural artefacts as a starting point, the pupils were given the opportunity to see that technology is more than modern high-tech; it is an age-old tradition of problem-solving, modification and adaptation to fulfil human needs. Technology education in this school was grounded in a holistic view of knowledge and was largely integrated with other school subjects. Myths and storytelling were frequently used to contextualise the technological content, and the historical aspect of technology was clear since connections between older and newer technological solutions were frequently made. The knowledge system embedded in the technology teaching can be described as collective and related to both artefacts and activities. Technological knowledge, activities and specific artefacts were not only attributed a practical value, they were also given a symbolic value, since a common knowledge base in technology contributes to strengthening the children’s cultural identity.This study confirms that artefacts can play an important role in technology education and that an understanding of the relationship between technology and culture can be regarded as a critical part of technological literacy. A cultural context, in combination with a holistic perspective on learning, gives artefacts meaning and provides a context within which they are used. Including indigenous technological knowledge can thus not only prevent a marginalisation of indigenous knowledge, it can also provide opportunities to broaden pupils’ perspectives of what technology is, how it evolves, and the driving forces behind technological change
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| 5. |
- Axell, Cecilia, 1965-
(author)
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Critiquing literature : children's literature as a learning tool for critical awareness
- 2017. - 1
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In: Critique in design and technology education. - Singapore : Springer. - 9789811031069
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Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A starting point for this chapter is that children’s literature can be a source of reflection and can encourage children to think critically about technology. In contrast to many textbooks and non-fiction books, fictional stories reflect the complexities and contradictions inherent in technology and at the same time reveal its less obvious and concealed aspects and messages. By using books with a strong story line, which are of interest to children, technology can be presented as part of the world around them. Children’s literature can thus be seen as a mediator of values and attitudes, which makes it an interesting subject matter for Design and Technology education. This chapter involves an exploration of critical aspects of technology found within a selection of children’s books. The stories originate from different historical and cultural contexts, and the basis for the selection is that it represents a variety of critiques and aspects of technology found in children’s literature. The conclusion of the analysis is that children’s literature can contribute to making technology and the nature of technology more comprehensible and visible to pupils. The ambiguous messages in the books reveal the multifaceted and complex nature of technology and make it possible to problematise it in ways textbooks seldom can. As the stories form the basis for critical discussion about the nature of technology, they could also help to broaden perspectives, thereby acting as a pedagogic tool in fulfilling the aims of Design and Technology education.
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| 6. |
- Axell, Cecilia, 1965-, et al.
(author)
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Images of Technology and Sustainable Development in Swedish Children’s Literature
- 2014
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In: Australasian Journal of Technology Education. - : University of Waikato. ; 1:1, s. 1-9
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The aim of this article is to investigate images of technology and how technology is linked to sustainable development in Swedish children’s literature. Our perspective is that such images represent values that are conveyed to the young generation. We have chosen to study books by four Swedish authors, Elsa Beskow, Inger Sandberg, Jan Lööf and Sven Nordqvist, all of them still read by many children, parents and teachers, both in and out of school. In the examined books, technology is portrayed in several modes: as a servant to man, as a deterministic force, as a loyal and equal companion to man, and as a natural phenomenon in a nostalgic world. Technologies that have a leading role in the stories examined are placed in different kind of contexts, more or less social, more or less utopian or idyllic. In all four authors’ writings there is an optimistic faith in children’s ability.
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| 7. |
- Axell, Cecilia, 1965-
(author)
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Indigenous Technological Knowledge Systems Education : Technology Education in a Sámi School
- 2023
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In: Indigenous Technology Knowledge Systems. - : Springer. - 9789819913954 - 9789819913961 ; , s. 75-101
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Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This chapter is about how Sámi culture and knowledge systems are reflected through Technology Education in a Sámi school. The aim is to discuss the benefits of using traditional cultural artifacts in Technology Education, as well as what aspects indigenous technological knowledge systems (ITKS) can contribute to Technology Education. The chapter is based on the results of a case study, including recurring visits to a Sámi school in northern Sweden. In this Sámi school, specific traditional cultural artifacts were used as starting points for technology teaching. The cultural context was central and included both historical and present perspectives, with clear connections to other subject areas, as well as the children’s own experiences. Sámi myths and fairy tales were also frequently used for contextualisation. Since each technology activity was linked to many different perspectives and subject areas, the technology teaching was grounded on a holistic view of knowledge. The traditional cultural artifacts were not only attributed a practical value but also a symbolic value connected to inherited knowledge and practical applications and skills. The pupils were thus given the opportunity to discover that technology is not only modern high technology. In summary, this chapter illustrates how traditional cultural artifacts can play an important role in Technology Education and contribute to broadening the understanding of the relationship between humans, culture, nature, technology, and history. An inclusion of ITKSs in the curriculum may not only prevent marginalisation of indigenous knowledge, but also provide opportunities to broaden pupils’ understanding of technology, how it evolves, and the driving forces behind technological change.
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
- Axell, Cecilia, 1965-, et al.
(author)
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Preschoolers’ Conceptions of Technological Artefacts and Gender in Picture Books
- 2016
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In: PATT-32 Proceedings Technology Education for 21st Century Skills. - : ITEEA. ; , s. 57-64
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Picture books are a frequent element of daily preschool activities (Damber, Nilsson & Ohlsson, 2013; Simonsson, 2004; SOU 2006:75). They are important pedagogical tools that can help children acquire an understanding of the everyday technology they come in contact with, as well as the human application of technology (Axell, 2015; Axell & Boström, 2015). These are skills that are emphasised in the Swedish preschool curriculum. In the curriculum it is also stated that the preschool should counteract traditional gender patterns and gender roles (Skolverket, 2010). However, an investigation of a selection of picture books aimed at preschool children shows that the books content is somewhat problematic. Many of the picture books provide a focus on the function of separate artefacts without any sort of context or explanation of their implications in a societal context. There also tends to be an emphasis on traditional masculine-coded technology in the books. Building and making and working with machines is depicted as a male activity. The male stereotype is essentially connected with different kinds of vehicles like cars, airplanes, motorbikes, tractors etc. (Axell & Boström, 2015; See also Holbrok, 2008). Based on these previous findings, the aim of this pilot study was to obtain an initial concept about how children’s literature may influence preschool children’s view on technological artefacts. The study was conducted through semi-structured interviews with four five-year-olds, two girls and two boys. Through a thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006) three overarching themes were identified: The relationship between design and function, anthropomorphic animals as users of artefacts, and gender and artefacts. Some of the key findings were that the 5-year-olds did not know what “technology” is, but had good knowledge about tools. Additionally, they did not genderise any of the artefacts included in the study.
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