Research on development, interaction, cognition and activity - DICA

DICA  is a research collective within the Unit for Socio-cultural Research on Learning and Development, University of Luxembourg and has been active since 2007.

Putting diversity, multilingualism, multi-modality and multi-mediality at its center, the research field is stressing basic and applied research on Processes of Learning and Development, Data-driven Interaction and tool-bound Activity Research.

On the one hand side, learning is described and analyzed from a strong praxeological perspective, primarily drawing on conversation analysis and interaction research.

On the other hand, learning and developmental processes are analysed according to larger cultural-historical and socio-cultural perspectives, e.g., through the theoretical framework of cultural-historical activity theory.

The research puts a specific emphasis on the dynamics of innovation and transformation within networks of activity systems and the creation of mediating artefacts by combining micro-level analysis of interaction and discourse with broader systemic (institutional, organizational, community) levels of analysis.

The research field follows dialogical principles responding to the dynamics of running projects and cooperations within university, national and international contexts, currently grouped along three major research strands which are joining their efforts to achieve a common objective, e.g., analysing learning, development and change from a systematic interdisciplinary perspective.

The DICA collective: focus of current empirical studies

• transferable pedagogical and technical outcomes, such as discourse or media competences and their indicators for assessment design,
• scientific excellence in this research domain in which Luxembourg has become an important player within the past two years with regard to educational interventionist research, learning supervision and learning systems design (e.g., Learning ‘08, Précis du Plurilinguisme et du Pluriculturalisme, PluChiLu, CODI-SCILE-A, Fundamental English),
• expertise in the analysis, diagnosis and modeling of diversified developmental processes and their implementation as required by international standards and demands, notably in early education and multilingual professional learning.

Developmental processes are implemented on all relevant levels and settings from a life-long learning perspective.
The purpose of DICA is to create a strong visibility at national and international levels of research based on interactional, activity-theory and socio-cultural research frameworks.