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Becoming 鈥極ISE-fied鈥: Learning Technologist Preeti Raman arrives at Convocation ready to advance how students solve problems

November 7, 2022
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Preeti Raman has completed her second OISE degree, a PhD, and has an expanded vision and mission. Photo courtesy Preeti Raman.

After working as a Computer Science Engineer for about a decade, Preeti Raman arrived at OISE with a plan to earn a Master of Education degree. However, she is leaving with a PhD and an expanded vision and mission.

鈥淭he magic of OISE took hold,鈥 says Raman, who will take part in OISE鈥檚 November Convocation ceremony. 鈥淚 often use the word OISE-fy, right? You come to OISE as a different person and you leave a different person.鈥 

Raman recalls, 鈥淚 was working with school teachers in Peel, and introducing them to educational technology, because I have the experience with the technology part. But, I didn鈥檛 quite get the nuances of the education part.鈥 

It was that itch to understand education鈥檚 relationship to technology that urged her drive to study at OISE. 鈥淚t鈥檚 easy for me to tell teachers, 鈥極kay, let鈥檚 go use Kahoot鈥 鈥 because it does have some good features. But, how they use it, and in what ways it actually impacts their classroom, is an important question,鈥 explained Raman, who eventually earned her Master of Arts from OISE in 2019.

鈥淵ou can go into any depth you want and that reflection is something that I鈥檝e experienced at OISE,鈥 she adds. 

Early courses with Professors Kathleen Gallagher, Jim Hewitt and Jim Slotta were all eye openers for Raman because they challenged what she knew and urged her to inquire further than she ever had. 鈥淚 think it's important for any of us to go to those uncomfortable spaces. I think that鈥檚 what OISE encourages you to do,鈥 says Raman, who is grateful for those early months. 鈥淪o, I took courses that, yes, spoke to technology, but then, push your thinking beyond that.鈥

It is a curiosity around education technology that formed Raman鈥檚 doctoral focus. Under the tutelage of Professor Marlene Scardamalia, a Royal Society of Canada fellow and a global leader in education technologies, Raman sought to design and research about data-enhanced education experiences and technologies 鈥 ones that support pedagogies across a range of settings. Raman鈥檚 work is at the intersections of Affect Studies, Human Computer Interaction, the Learning Sciences, and Knowledge Building. 

Scardamalia saw that curiosity and passion immediately, when they met in her Introduction to Knowledge Building course. 鈥淪he stood out from the first moments,鈥 said Scardamalia, whose innovations helped create and shape the field of Knowledge Building to engage students directly in the means by which knowledge in the world is advanced. 鈥淓ach comment was insightful and conveyed careful study of material鈥攂efore the material was even assigned! The quality and quantity of contributions was exceptional and other students often thanked her for her contributions to their research.鈥

She adds, 鈥渟he is genuinely interested in the ideas of others and spends significant time advancing their ideas鈥攖o the benefit of the entire community. She advances community knowledge regardless of the context.鈥

Working with the department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning 鈥 in particular with Scardamalia but with many others 鈥 Raman鈥檚 focus refined and evolved over time. It was changing her, for the better. 

鈥淵ou come in thinking, 鈥極h, I鈥檓 going to design technology that鈥檚 going to work,鈥 but then you leave asking questions around critical pedagogy and [ask] where鈥檚 the action in this for students? Is this technology actually contributing to epistemic agency? How am I knowledge building?,鈥 she adds.

鈥淭he questions become deeper 鈥 you start with something simple and you just go deep.鈥


 

Keeping the user at the centre

鈥淚t鈥檚 about going back to Julia.鈥

For Raman, Julia 鈥 or any person or user 鈥 should always be at the centre of developing learning technologies.

Her dissertation on learning analytics 鈥 that is, the measurement, collection, analysis and reporting of data about learners and their contexts 鈥 is just as personal. She introduced the concept of the five koshas, which she learned from her from childhood in India, into her treatise titled 鈥淭he Role of Integrative Analytics for Knowledge Building: Supporting Practices of Care.鈥 

In her defense, she successfully connected those five kosha, or layers of human growth and existence 鈥 that is, Annamaya (physical body), Pranamaya (breath and energy), Manamaya kosha (feelings and emotions), Vijnanamaya kosha (knowledge and wisdom), and Anandamaya kosha (creativity and bliss) 鈥 to core care practices in Knowledge Building, including self-care, care for the other, care for the community and care for the world. 

鈥淪he introduced us to this and 鈥 actually made a transition that all committee members thought was pretty brilliant,鈥 said Scardamalia, in public comments about Raman鈥檚 successful dissertation defence in September. For Scardamalia, Raman鈥檚 analysis successfully brought a refreshed outlook to Knowledge Building. 鈥淪he took this framework and expanded it to caring for others, and then caring for the community and the world.鈥

鈥淎s a global group we鈥檙e all trying to cope with issues of how to advance knowledge for public good and understand aspects of Knowledge Building that are hard to understand such as how the knowledge and feeling parts are inseparable. She just did a wonderful job showing how they are interwoven and can be advanced together; all of her committee members were really quite open about the fact that she is exploring new and important spaces for education.鈥

Ultimately, Raman wants to emphasize the importance of focusing on classrooms, students and teachers when taking learning analytics into account. 鈥淲hen you think about learning analytics, people think about it as the system that鈥檚 going to work for everyone 鈥 鈥業t鈥檚 not always about the algorithm or the data, it鈥檚 always about the purpose,鈥欌 she explains. 

But to Raman, who engaged in co-design work, the technology needs to go further. 鈥淚 engage in co-design and I think that鈥檚 been a really great experience for me [at OISE] because when you鈥檙e in the classroom, you鈥檙e listening to the teacher, you鈥檙e learning from them. And you鈥檙e designing with them.鈥

It is a philosophy that has guided Raman through the kinds of projects she collaborated on during her time at OISE. As part of , she is dedicated to the design of online and blended learning software that fosters 21st Century skills. As a consultant, she worked with different private sector clients and university departments across Ontario and the world. Under the guidance of Professor Clare Brett, she has also supported faculty integration of digital technologies into Teaching at OISE. 

Scardamalia reflected on Raman鈥檚 approach and work with regard. Preeti鈥檚 capacity for integrative thought is reflected in the fact that she has worked in the labs and published with all faculty in the Digital Technologies in Education emphasis, not to mention with many of the students of these faculty members, says Scardamalia.   

鈥淗er published work conveys yet another layer of integrative thought, spanning areas of research such as socio-emotional learning, critical action, equity, identity, socialization, data literacy, social and emotional presence, digital storytelling, gamification, award badges, empathy, design thinking, online learning and assessment鈥攁nd now new work in Knowledge Building and communities of care,鈥 added Scardamalia. 鈥淲hat good fortune for me to have met Preeti and to experience the joys of advancing cutting-edge work in Knowledge Building with her.鈥

It is this nature of care that Raman received from Scardamalia, something she is deeply grateful for. 

鈥淲hat Marlene did so well is that she cared for me in ways that I wanted to be cared for,鈥 she said. 鈥淪he gave me independence, but always guided me with critical feedback to help my ideas grow.鈥

Raman recalls when she would bring ideas to Scardamalia to consider. She would say that is a good idea, but 鈥渉ave you also considered鈥 how will you address it鈥︹

鈥淚 think having that kind of care was super helpful. And I think that pushed me to finish sooner, pushed my work further,鈥 says Raman.


Preeti Raman Kilimanjaro
During her doctoral studies, Raman reached the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro. 鈥濃橮ole pole鈥 until you get to the top 鈥 one step at a time, just like in my doctoral journey,鈥 says Raman. Photo submitted.

A teacher鈥檚 approach to MIT

 With her time at OISE done for now, Raman has already begun her postdoctoral life. Beginning this fall, Raman begins a postdoctoral placement at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) 鈥 in their (TSL). The Lab seeks to design, implement, and research the future of teacher learning.

鈥淭he work that TSL does is in teacher education, particularly in providing practice spaces for teachers to get uncomfortable in a safe environment, allowing them to rehearse for and reflect on important decisions in teaching鈥 says Raman, explaining the Lab鈥檚 intent.

Professor Scardamalia praises Raman for completing her doctoral studies and her new position at MIT. 鈥淥ff and away!鈥 says Scardamalia, citing from Dr. Seuss鈥 Oh, the Places You'll Go! 鈥淐ongratulations on your brilliant work at OISE and your new position at MIT.

鈥淵ou are an inspiration. Continue to align passion, purpose, and your capacity for Knowledge Building, and the path ahead will be bright for you, for education, and for the international Knowledge Building team.鈥

It is early days at MIT, but Raman says her OISE experience 鈥 gaining comfort in writing grants, academic writing and teaching courses 鈥 has given her the training she needs to excel at the vaunted institution.

TSL is part of the school鈥檚 department of Comparative Media Studies and Writing, and the only education lab of its kind there. 鈥淚 am still getting used to the not OISE feeling,鈥 she continues, 鈥淚t'll take some time. But, I am fortunate to collaborate with some wonderful scholars and students at MIT around important global issues that require our attention.鈥

That OISE feeling will come eventually, as she feels more at home and engages with the many 鈥渄eep thinkers鈥 at MIT, she says. And, it won鈥檛 stop her from OISE-fying that place, too.

鈥淥ISE-fy MIT? Yeah, for sure,鈥 she laughed.

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