Speaker
Description
This presentation introduces an open-source study-abroad app that supports learning through walking, psychogeography, and contributory research. Drawing on a pilot conducted in Dublin, students explored James Joyce’s onomatopoeia through embodied urban exploration. Grounded in Bernard Stiegler’s theory of contributory research, the project foregrounds reflection, critical, collaborative knowledge production, and intercultural learning, challenging standardized, output-driven models of language education.
Short summary
This presentation introduces an open-source study-abroad app that supports learning through walking, psychogeography, and contributory research. Drawing on a pilot conducted in Dublin, students explored James Joyce’s onomatopoeia through embodied urban exploration. Grounded in Bernard Stiegler’s theory of contributory research, the project foregrounds reflection, critical, collaborative knowledge production, and intercultural learning, challenging standardized, output-driven models of language education.
Keywords
Freinet, Guattari, study abroad, app development
References
Guattari, F. (2000). The Three Ecologies. Continuum.
Freinet, C. (1994). Œuvres pédagogiques. Seuil.
Stiegler, B. (2018). The Neganthropocene. Open Humanities Press.
Joyce, J. (1922). Ulysses. Shakespeare and Company.
Abstract
This paper reports on an ongoing project to develop an open-source study-abroad app that encourages deep engagement with ecological and critical issues in the local environment through walking practices associated with dérive and psychogeography. I present findings from an experimental pilot conducted in Dublin, where students used a prototype app to explore onomatopoeia in the work of James Joyce through embodied, ambulatory encounters with the city. The pilot culminated in a visit to the Museum of Literature Ireland, where further guidance and instruction were delivered through the app itself.
The project is informed by Bernard Stiegler’s concept of “contributory research.” My guiding question asks what critical contributory research can look like within Japanese universities, particularly in faculties of foreign languages. I discuss how this framework shapes both the pedagogical aims and technical design of the app.
The app is designed to enrich study-abroad experiences by fostering intercultural understanding and collaborative knowledge creation. Students document learning walks through photographs, video, and text-based reflection, supporting in-situ engagement and post-return analysis. Drawing on Félix Guattari’s ecosophy and Célestin Freinet’s classe-promenade, the project promotes language learning, cultural exchange, and critical inquiry through situated movement.
To support navigation of unfamiliar environments, the app integrates curated insights from faculty and local students and enables users to revisit and annotate experiences after returning home. Emphasizing personalized learning over standardized outputs, it combines perspectives from semiotics, linguistic landscaping, and multiliteracies. Local students contribute quizzes, contextual commentary, and QR-code prompts, enabling reciprocal exchange aligned with Stiegler’s “journey of knowledge.”
| Scheduling preference | Anytime on Saturday |
|---|---|
| Title | Learning Walks and Contributory Research in Study Abroad Contexts |