Short answer
Design communication and information systems to acknowledge and bridge the gap between users' everyday literacy practices and the specific literacies required by the designed product or service.
- Field
- Classic Design
- Source
- Discourse Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education (2009)
- Method
- Conceptual framework development based on qualitative data analysis.
- Evidence
- Moderate effect
Understanding the complex, interconnected nature of literacy practices, both within and outside formal education, is crucial for effective learning and academic success. This classic design research insight is drawn from a 2009 study published in Discourse Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education. Using Conceptual framework development based on qualitative data analysis., researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Design communication and information systems to acknowledge and bridge the gap between users' everyday literacy practices and the specific literacies required by the designed product or service.
The 'Scrumpled Geography' of Learning: Bridging Everyday Literacies and Academic Demands
Understanding the complex, interconnected nature of literacy practices, both within and outside formal education, is crucial for effective learning and academic success.
Discourse Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education · 2009
Key Findings
- 01Literacy practices are not monolithic but are 'scrumpled,' meaning they are a complex folding of micro-practices into larger conglomerations.
- 02Identifying and leveraging 'border literacies' – those that bridge everyday life and academic contexts – can significantly enhance student learning and attainment.
- 03Processes of purification, naturalization, and translation are key to how literacy practices are enacted and understood within educational settings.
Application
Design takeaway
Design communication and information systems to acknowledge and bridge the gap between users' everyday literacy practices and the specific literacies required by the designed product or service.
How to apply
When designing user manuals, tutorials, or interfaces, consider how to frame information in ways that resonate with users' existing knowledge and communication styles, rather than assuming a blank slate.
Project actions
- 01When researching user needs, ask about their experiences with information and communication outside of the specific design context.
- 02Consider how your design's language and structure might be interpreted by users with varied literacy backgrounds.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Provides a nuanced understanding of literacy beyond traditional definitions.
- +Offers a conceptual tool for analyzing the interplay between different literacy contexts.
Limitations
It can be challenging to accurately assess the full range of a user's 'everyday literacies' during a typical design project.
Reliability & validity
The conceptual nature of the 'scrumpled geography' makes direct measurement of reliability and validity challenging; however, the underlying qualitative data and theoretical grounding provide a basis for its validity within its domain.
Think critically
How might the concept of 'scrumpled geography' be applied to the design of digital interfaces to improve user comprehension and engagement?
Design Principles
"Design for literacy transfer: Recognize and facilitate the application of existing user literacies to new contexts."
Designers often create products and systems that require users to engage with information and instructions. Recognizing that users bring a diverse set of pre-existing literacy skills and practices, shaped by their everyday lives, can inform the design of more accessible and effective communication strategies.
What This Means for Your Design
People learn and understand things using different skills they pick up in their daily lives. When designing something new, it's important to think about these existing skills and how they can help people learn to use your design.
How to use in your project
- 1.Use this research to justify your design choices regarding information presentation and user guidance, demonstrating an understanding of user literacy.
- 2.Incorporate findings about 'border literacies' to explain how your design connects with users' existing knowledge.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
The 'scrumpled geography of literacies for learning' framework highlights the importance of recognizing that users possess a complex, interconnected set of literacy practices shaped by their everyday lives. This understanding is crucial for designing effective communication and learning experiences, as it suggests that successful engagement with a new product or system often relies on bridging these existing literacies with the specific demands of the design context.
Source
Discourse Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education
The scrumpled geography of literacies for learning
journal · 2009
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about the 'scrumpled geography' of learning: bridging everyday literacies and academic demands?
- Design communication and information systems to acknowledge and bridge the gap between users' everyday literacy practices and the specific literacies required by the designed product or service. Evidence: Discourse Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education (2009).
- Why does "The 'Scrumpled Geography' of Learning: Bridging Everyday Literacies and Academic Demands" matter for design?
- Designers often create products and systems that require users to engage with information and instructions. Recognizing that users bring a diverse set of pre-existing literacy skills and practices, shaped by their everyday lives, can inform the design of more accessible and effective communication strategies.
- How can designers apply this research?
- Design communication and information systems to acknowledge and bridge the gap between users' everyday literacy practices and the specific literacies required by the designed product or service.
- What were the main findings?
- Literacy practices are not monolithic but are 'scrumpled,' meaning they are a complex folding of micro-practices into larger conglomerations.. Identifying and leveraging 'border literacies' – those that bridge everyday life and academic contexts – can significantly enhance student learning and attainment.. Processes of purification, naturalization, and translation are key to how literacy practices are enacted and understood within educational settings.
- What research method was used?
- Conceptual framework development based on qualitative data analysis..
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2009 journal from Discourse Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When designing user manuals, tutorials, or interfaces, consider how to frame information in ways that resonate with users' existing knowledge and communication styles, rather than assuming a blank slate.
- What are the limitations?
- The concept of 'scrumpled geography' is abstract and may require further operationalization for direct application in design.