#914: Co-design as a Catalyst for Becoming: Identity, Practice, and Learning Trajectories in Undergraduate Science

Co-design is a collaborative methodology for creating educational innovations involving researchers, educators, and developers. While research-practice partnerships in the Learning Sciences have historically co-designed with teachers, recent developments have begun involving students. However, research on students’ experiences of co-design remains limited. This study explores what students learn from engaging in co-design through a situated learning framework linking learning to identity formation. Using a multiple case study methodology, the relationships between the identities, learning, and participation of six undergraduate science students were examined in a co-design project for creating educational virtual reality simulations. Findings reveal that identity, practice, and learning exist in dynamic and reciprocal relationships within co-design contexts. Students’ existing identities informed their co-design engagement. Through practice, students developed collaboration skills and learned about themselves which led to diverse identity development trajectories. These findings suggest engaging students as co-design partners creates unique opportunities for integrated learning and identity development.