A Sociomaterial Lens on Crowdsourcing for Learning

Crowdsourcing is increasingly being applied in educational contexts to explore the ideation and problem-solving capacity of large, networked groups. Research is emerging on the use of crowdsourcing in education, yet little is known about how the particular affordances of crowdsourcing platforms facilitate student learning. This paper applies sociomaterial theory to analysing a case study of a crowdsourcing experiment undertaken at the University of Sydney. It reflects on the crowdsourcing experiment as an assemblage of different relations, dynamics and materials, building on a recent typology for analysing social learning software through a sociomaterial lens. We contribute to the growing discourse around sociomaterial approaches by exploring how the material affordances of a unique online learning environment participate to produce certain kinds of learning experiences. This supports future research into the potentialities of crowdsourcing pedagogies at a time when increased online and blended learning brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic has galvanised educators’ interest in exploring different online environments and approaches.