Courses

Harvard College

ANTHRO 1795 The Politics of Language and Identity in Latin America

Introduces theory and research in linguistic anthropology in the context of ethnographic research, film and popular music, from narco-corridos to reaggeton in Latin America. Examines how the multiplicity and contention of language ideologies play out in everyday practices. What are the social, linguistic and discursive means by which social identity is constructed? How do ways of speaking, such as border talk and code switching, link face to face communities to the national and transnational spheres? Texts include regional ethnographies and documentaries from the region as well as the literature in the burgeoning new field of linguistic anthropology.  This course, when taken for a letter grade, meets the General Education requirement for Culture and Belief or the Core area requirement for Foreign Cultures.   See Fall, 2013 trailer

ANTHRO 1740 Transformations of Mind: The Role of Orality, Literacy and Cybercy  

How do transformations of modes of knowledge production and reproduction relate to specific language and communication media? Drawing upon research on the transformation of primary oral into literate cultures, this course engages three trends associated with computer mediated communication: the production of knowledge workers, the use simulations in science and, more broadly, the emergence of intentional virtual communities. During lab-time, students experience and reflect on how knowledge building in cyber-environments is both distinct and related to face-to-face and literacy-mediated communication.
Fall 2003-2006

Harvard Summer School

ANTH S-1741d Study Abroad in San José, CostaRica: An Anthropological   Perspective on Media in Education

Costa Rica—with its cloud forests, volcanoes, and idyllic beaches—is known as a destination for eco-tourists. But the Central American country also has a vibrant society and varied industries. It is the only LatinAmerican country without an army. With a literacy rate around 95 percent, it boasts more educators than police officers. And as one of Latin America’s oldest democratic republics, Costa Rica has a diverse economy that features notably ecotourism but also pharmaceuticals, electronics, and software development. The strategic importance of education for realizing CostaRica’s ambitious socio-economic development plans,  makes it an ideal location for this program, which explores how anthropological knowledge can inform the design of culturally responsive learning environments. We collaborate with the Omar Dengo Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Costa Rica that for the last 20 years has investigated and implemented several endeavors on technologies of education. Through this program, students participate in the implementation of Costa Rica’s One Laptop per Child initiatives. This course consists of two interrelated strands:  a theoretical and an applied one.  At  the theoretical level we will  explore the intersection between anthropological and educational research and theory building. Topics include the comparative ethnographic studies of educational forms (including craft apprenticeship and formal schooling); socio-cultural theories of cognitive and linguistic development;and varieties of literacy, including computer-based literacy, which we term “cybercy.” This body of literature demonstrates how ethnographic inquiry and theorizing can provide critical insight into the ways digital technologies mediate practices of the school and local community.

To situate our research in the context of Costa Rica’s institutions and culture, we will read about the history of education in CostaRica, and its link with Costa Rica’s economic development plan.  We will invite local researchers to our class and visit both the ministry of education and the INCAE .  

At the same time the students will be carrying out ethnographic research in two public schools where the 1:1 computing initiatives are being tested.  After a period of systematic participant observation and in close dialogue with students and teachers, the class will design and implement a number of educational improvements/innovations and try them out in the local classrooms.   At the end of the program, students will present their results to both faculty and students at the schools.  Summer 2008

ANTH S-1741 Anthropology and Education

This course explores the intersection between anthropological and educational research and theory building. Topics include the comparative ethnographic studies of educational forms (including craft apprenticeship and formal schooling), socio-cultural theories of cognitive and linguistic development, and varieties of literacy. In conclusion, the course explores how anthropological knowledge can inform the design of culturally responsive learning environments.   Summer 2007

Harvard Graduate School of Education

gse-t504 Transformations of Mind: On the Role of Media and Culture in Learning

How do different kinds of information technologies shape the way we produce and reproduce knowledge? Starting from an examination of the societal effects of past innovations, from the alphabet to the printing press, this course will introduce sociocultural learning theories to gauge how the advent of computers and telecommunications affect the process of thinking, learning, and knowledge-building at the individual and aggregate levels. While actively using various technological artifacts, students will experience and reflect on how these electronic “tools of the intellect” transform the ways we construct knowledge and understanding. Students will experiment with computer mediated learning in three different kinds of environments: a knowledge-building community, a virtual community in a specific domain (e.g., science, math, history, writing), and simulations in science. As participant-observers, students will be expected to document their individual and collective learning experience by writing three cases and a broader, theoretically informed cross-case analysis. Aside from their own firsthand learning experience, students will analyze selected classroom implementation examples and reflect on the sociocultural conditions that enable a wide range of students to participate in active, meaningful learning activities. From the perspective of policy, this course will raise issues having to do with literacy, equity, and access to knowledge of all students, including those who normally fall through the cracks of cultural discontinuities.  Fall 2000 and 2001

Harvard Extension School

EDUC E-210 Education E-210: Graduate Research Methods and Scholarly Writing in Educational Technologies

This proseminar guides students through the process of qualitative research design, which culminates in writing a detailed thesis proposal. Students learn how to define a theoretical context for their research on technologies of education; formulate researchable questions; select a research site; and pick sampling, data collection, and analysis techniques. Students critically examine validity threats and alternative explanations to their research. Prerequisites: successful completion of five Graduate Program in Educational Technologies courses and a satisfactory score on the test of critical reading and writing skills.  Fall, 2009

SSCI E-104 Applied Research Methods and Data Analysis in the Social Sciences

(with Dr. Trisha Craig and Dr. Eddie Spicer)

This course introduces students to various methods of conducting empirical research in the social sciences. The course starts by examining the purposes of applied research, program evaluation, and policy analysis. It then addresses particular data gathering methods: observation, interviewing, focus groups, and survey design. In addition to reading research based on each inquiry method, students carry out, analyze, and write up data using each method. Readings demonstrate how ethnographic, sociological, and organizational theory are applied to research in education, environmental management, and museum studies. Fall, 2006

EDUC E-104 The Theory and Practice of Web Pedagogies

As electronically mediated communication becomes more prevalent, new ways of enhancing and expanding teaching and learning are possible. This course examines theories of teaching and learning as well as best practices associated with incorporating web-based materials and teaching tools into traditional and distance education effectively and efficiently. The course also examines the systemic conditions necessary to promote the adoption and sustainability of technology-based innovations in education.  Spring, 2000-2010

EDUC E-104/W  Same as above but writing intensive.

ANTH E-166 Transformations of Mind: The Role of Media and Culture in Learning 

How do information technologies shape the way we teach and learn? In particular, how do oral, written, and computer-mediated communication compare with each other in different educational contexts? The course takes a sociocultural and cognitive approach. In the lab section, students work with two collaborative learning environments and a multilevel simulation in biology. Students may not count both ANTH E-166 and EDUC E-121 toward a degree or certificate. Prerequisite: familiarity with computers.   Fall, 2006