Publication list
2022
Active and passive transductions—definitions and implications for learning
Abstract: To move between different semiotic systems, such as graphs and formulas, is a necessary step in learning physics or solving problems. In social semiotics, this movement of semiotic material is called a transduction and during a transduction a student must unpack, filter, and highlight different aspects of the concept or problem. Unpacking, filtering, and highlighting have been shown to be important to the meaning-making process and transductions should be seen as indicators of meaning-making and learning. However, in this paper we argue that not all transductions performed by students requires unpacking, filtering, or highlighting, and hence the definition of transduction needs to be refined in its description. We introduce the ideas of passive and active transductions that separates transductions that may lead to meaning-making from transductions that may not. This separation is done through shown engagement with the semiotic material of the transduction. We connect shown engagement with the semiotic material to the already established anatomy of disciplinary discernment to create a useful tool when evaluating student engagement and discernment. In the paper, we showcase examples of passive and active transductions and provide a short description of how to identify them in different learning situations.
Svensson, K., Lundqvist, J., Campos, E., & Eriksson, U. (2022). European Journal of Physics Active and passive transductions - definitions and implications for learning. European Journal of Physics Eur. J. Phys, 43 ,13.
Linking Programming to Representations : Understanding meaning-making in physics education through semiotic resources
Abstract: Programming is investigated with a social semiotic lens to study how programming can contribute to meaning-making in physics. The analysis focuses on how new and dynamic representations can be created with the help of programming and how programming allows students to investigate and create their own models of physical phenomena. This is described from a semiotic perspective and the semiotic perspective is also developed with new theoretical constructions to better describe the students' use of representations in physics.
Svensson, K. (2022). Linking Programming to Representations: Understanding meaning-making in physics education through semiotic resources (Vol. PER 3). Lund: Media-Tryck, Lund University.
Comparison of two semiotic perspectives: How do students use representations in physics?
Abstract: The study of students’ use of representations is one of the main topics of physics education research and is guided by the overarching field of semiotics. In this paper we compare two semiotic frameworks, one coming from didactics of mathematics and one from physics education research; the theory of registers of semiotic representations and social semiotics, using the networking of theories methodology. A group of first year university students were audio and video recorded as they discussed concepts relating to thermal energy, a study that will be further explored in an upcoming paper. We find that analyzing the recorded data using two different semiotic perspectives provides a wider interpretation of students’ representational use, a descriptive approach to how students use the representations, and an approach to the cognitive aspects of the construction of knowledge. By comparing the theoretical constructs they employ, and how they are employed in the analysis process, we identify constructs that both frameworks have in common, but also where they differ. We have found that each semiotic theory provides a different perspective regarding students’ representational use. We also propose that comparing different theories may provide a space for complementing the constructs of each theory and providing a bigger picture to understand students’ representational use in physics and other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education areas.
Svensson, K., & Campos, E. (2022). Comparison of two semiotic perspectives: How do students use representations in physics? Physical Review Physics Education Research, 18(2), 020120.
2021
2020
Programming as a semiotic system to support physics students' construction of meaning: A pilot study
Abstract: Programming as a tool to be used for analyzing and exploring physics in an educational setting offers an unprecedented opportunity for the students to create and explore their own semiotic resources. Students may use programming to create and explore different models of physical systems. In this study a small group of upper secondary education students participated in a workshop where they learned to program physics simulations and to create their own models to implement using the programming language Python. Results from the study shows that upper secondary education students are able to create their own models of physical systems and implement them into code. The implemented models were models of hanging cloth and heat diffusion. Results were obtained by analyzing video and audio recordings of the students through the lens of social semiotics.
Svensson, K., Eriksson, U., Pendrill, A.-M., & Ouattara, L. (2020). Programming as a semiotic system to support physics students’ construction of meaning: A pilot study. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 1512 (1), 1–12.
Programming and its affordances for physics education: A social semiotic and variation theory approach to learning physics
Abstract: A small group of interested upper secondary education students participated in a workshop where they created a particle-based physics engine and used the engine to implement a hanging cloth simulation and a two-dimensional heat diffusion model of their own creation. During the implementation of their models, learning opportunities present themselves in the form of opening up and exploring different dimensions of variation for the students. By varying aspects and discerning how these changes affect the program, students can construct meaning about the system. The students were video and audio recorded during the workshop and interviewed afterwards. Based on the transcripts, students use of programming was analyzed using social semiotics and variation theory of learning with a focus on the three aspects: coding, visualization, and interaction. The analysis identifies usages of programming such as a transductive link between semiotic systems, the ease of varying and iterating aspects, and the ability to enter into a loop of discovery and understanding.
Svensson, K., Eriksson, U., & Pendrill, A.-M. (2020). Programming and its affordances for physics education: A social semiotic and variation theory approach to learning physics. Physical Review Physics Education Research, 16 (1), 1–15.
Concept of a transductive link
Abstract: This theoretical paper defines and explores the concepts of transductive links and transductive chains, as part of the theoretical framework of social semiotics. Social semiotics stems from the multimodal framework, which provides a theoretical perspective, constructs, and a language to describe a shift of semiotic material within or between semiotic systems, such as rewriting a text or moving from a function to a plot. Within this framework a shift of semiotic material between two such systems is referred to as a transduction. This paper aims to expand on the concept of transduction by identifying a theoretical contribution to the modeling of this process, referred to as a transductive link. This link is suggested to affect the transduction process and the resulting learning experience. For example, when plotting measurement data, a computer program can be employed to read the data and to transform the data into pixel information. In this case, programming, or the act of programming, acts as a link between the two resources in the transduction process—a transductive link. In other cases, multiple transductions can be performed one after another resulting in these links creating what we define as a transductive chain. By observing and analyzing the use of different semiotic systems in different learning situations, transductive links and chains can be identified and examined. From this identification one has the possibility to find weak links in the transductive chain and address them accordingly. As such, we suggest that transductive links and chains are powerful tools to be able to understand students’ learning experiences.
Svensson, K., & Eriksson, U. (2020). Concept of a transductive link. Physical Review Physics Education Research, 16 (2), 26101.
”This pen is a rocket” Semiotic resources, affordances and using programming in physics education.
Abstract: This thesis summarizes approximately two years of my work in the physics education field. The main bulk of the thesis is about a pilot-study designed to study how programming may be used as tool for meaning-making in physics education and is covered in papers i and ii. The thesis starts with a short history of the physics education research field and how programming has been explored in physics education in the past and what is currently being researched. A comprehensive description of the different theoretical frameworks used in this research; Social Semiotics, Variation Theory of Learning, Multimodality, Anatomy of Disciplinary Discernment and the concept of Affordances, follows after the literature review. The pilot-study inspired further development of the theoretical frameworks, especially focusing on semiotic resources and their interactions and modification combined with multimodality. The first result can be seen in the draft paper iv. Papers i and ii explain and explore how programming can be used as a tool for meaning-making in physics education and identifies some important aspects that are inherent to programming: the ability to get instant feedback and to enter into a feedback loop, the explicit transduction of formulas into code and animations. Using programming, students can construct their own semiotic resources and programming may act as a transductive link between different semiotic systems. This is explored in paper iv. Paper iii was a small departure from my main work and studies first year university students understanding about circular motion. However, paper iii was analyzed using social semiotics and variation theory and discovered that depending on how the problem is presented to the students will impact how the students will attempt to solve the problem.
Svensson, K. (2020). ”This pen is a rocket” - Semiotic resources, affordances and using programming in physics education (Vol. PER 1). Lund: Media-Tryck, Lund University.
