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Short Abstract

Dialogical engagement with students and teachers in demanding situations can advance strategies for more inclusive digital learning opportunities. In our contribution, we discuss why dialogue is crucial, the obstacles we encounter, and the strategies and resources we use to overcome them.

Abstract

Educational inequalities and digital divides show not only in unequal access to digital technology but also in the way it is used or the effects it has (Massimo & Muschert, 2017; van Dijk, 2006). Normative expectations and stereotypes can exacerbate these divides, as students in demanding situations are more often taught in functional ways, while those in affluent areas are encouraged to use technology creatively and autonomously (Rafalow, 2020). To address this, it is essential to create inclusive, creative digital learning spaces that meet the needs of underserved students.

To this end, the project Daten*bilden (loosely translated as data building and learning) aims to collaboratively develop ideas. We engage in a serious of workshops with middle school students in schools in demanding situations, to learn about their demands for the ‘ideal’ learning platform as well as facilitate their own computational empowerment (Dindler et al., 2020, 2022).We engage in dialogues with students and teachers , (Freire, 2017, 2021) to co-create and advance knowledge about ways on how to enhance the benefits of using learning platforms and data for inclusive learning while mitigating some of the risks.

While dialogical engagement can be seen as essential and beneficial, it is not without challenges. In this contribution, we discuss not only the importance of such engagement but also the challenges we encountered and the strategies we developed and the support we rely on.