Conference Agenda

Different non-formal educational institutions in Germany provide afternoon activities, school holiday programs or extracurricular activities in schools that revolve around the usage of digital technologies such as 3D-printing, basic coding with microcomputers, gaming or photography/image editing. “DILABoration”, a joint German research project, aims at identifying conditions under which such non-formal educational arrangements create opportunities for participation and education specifically for marginalised youth. Drawing on the approach as well as the data from “DILABoration”, this dissertation project focuses on the question how processes of subject positioning and subjectivation unfold via addressing practices within these educational arrangements and in relation to digitality.

Following the increase of digital media use in recent years, new specific forms of culture, interaction and expression have emerged, pointing to a “culture of digitality” (Stalder 2016, 12-13). Digital technologies have become relevant for processes of subjectivation and orientation (Jörissen / Marotzki 2009). However, specific forms of subjectivity are considered legitimate or illegitimate within a discourse on digitality (Allert et al. 2017, 223, 13). In accordance with this, research has pointed to the social reproduction of inequalities via digital media access (first-level digital inequality) and digital media use (second level digital inequality; Hargittai 2002), based on existing levels of social and cultural and economic capital (Rudolph 2019; Iske / Kutscher 2020).

Therefore, marginalized youth require opportunities to appropriate practices of digital media use in ways that are valuable within their everyday lives. Non-formal educational arrangements may be specifically valuable in creating these opportunities (Fujii et al. 2021). Here, non-formal educational arrangements are understood as organisationally framed educational contexts outside of formal education, characterised by voluntary participation, lower levels of standardisation and lack of relevance to formal educational certification (Rohlfs 2012, 37).

Within formal educational contexts, conservative structures of educational practices have been shown to persist despite the inclusion of technological innovations (Thiersch / Wolf 2021). This emphasises the question, whether contingencies related to the involvement of digital technologies in educational practices unfold more easily or differently in less standardised, non-formal contexts. Moreover, marginalised youth may be enabled to appropriate digital media practices in ways that relate to their everyday lives within these contexts, if respective supportive structures are provided (Fujii et al., 2021). At the same time, normative ideas of ‘legitimate’ and ‘illegitimate’ media use are inscribed all social interactions in a digitalised society and are reproduced in non-formal educational contexts as well. This may further increase marginalisation if not reflected upon appropriately (ibid. 43; Dawson 2014).

The integration of digitization in classrooms is reshaping teaching and learning methods, presenting new opportunities and challenges. Digital technologies offer the potential to expand the classroom's boundaries and connect it with the outside world (Gerholz, Ciolek & Wagner 2020). However, alongside these benefits, challenges arise, such as the increased and simultaneous use of media by contemporary students, leading to reduced attention and performance (Qian & Li 2017; Bolkan & Griffin 2017). The accessibility of digital tools like smartphones and tablets tempts students to engage in non-class-related activities during lessons (Kay, Benzimra & Li 2017). A study found that Generation Z students spend 19.4% of their school day on off-task mobile use, disrupting learning (McCoy, 2020). Teachers often resort to measures like deactivating Wi-Fi, blocking websites, or using monitoring apps, but these can hinder participation and motivation. Such tactics also limit the potential of digital educational technologies, making them counterproductive. Cell phone bans and digital monitoring are not effective. Instead, efforts should focus on enhancing active participation and learning engagement to prevent off-task behaviour (Flanigan et al., 2023). Previous studies have investigated off-task behaviour of learners in various educational contexts to identify factors that contribute to digital distraction. A comprehensive literature review was undertaken to encapsulate the diverse findings in this domain, culminating in the formulation of a cohesive model. The identified factors coalesce into three principal categories, each delineating distinct perspectives on the observed phenomenon. Primarily, the model underscores the significance of teaching quality dimensions, including the establishment of a conducive classroom climate and proficient classroom management. Empirical evidence attests that considerations of these quality dimensions yield enhanced learning outcomes on multiple instances (Praetorius et al. 2020; Kounin 1970; Qian & Li 2017; Kay, Benzimra & Li 2017). The maximization of effective learning time is intricately linked to the mitigation of unproductive learning time, typified by the aforementioned off-task behaviors (Fried 2008). To investigate off-task behaviour, it is also useful to consider the learner's perspective. The teacher should take into account individual learning prerequisites when designing lessons, along with planning methods and social forms. These prerequisites comprise of students' self-efficacy, motivation, and emotional states during learning (Pekrun 2006). Such factors emerge as predictive indicators for less off-task behaviour (Flanigan et al. 2023). In addition, the instructional design of the classroom can extend the amount of time spent on the task. Collaborative and interactive work phases can foster active engagement with the learning content (Kay, Benzimra & Li 2017). Furthermore, the quality of the integration of digital technologies is of great importance in achieving meaningful utilization. If digital technologies are used only as a replacement for traditional media, there is often no identifiable added value. However, increased integration has shown positive outcomes in terms of technology acceptance and motivation to learn (Gerholz, Ciolek & Wagner 2020. Therefore, it can be argued that purposeful use of technology in the classroom can lead to fewer off-task activities (Kay & Lauricella 2011). Preventing off-task behaviour in a sustainable manner requires successful consideration of instructional design features, students' learning prerequisites, and teaching quality dimensions. It is important to note that these three lenses, which combine the different causes of off-task behaviour, should not be considered separately, as they are characterized by overlaps and interactions.

The key research questions for exploring digital off-task behaviours of students during class in several subjects are therefore as follows:

1. which factors lead to digital off-task behaviour of students in lessons at vocational schools with digital educational technologies?

2. which instructional design patterns can prevent off-task behaviour of students in lessons at vocational schools with digital educational technologies?