Penuel (2019) introduced the concept of infrastructuring as a theoretical framework designed to promote the equitable implementation and sustainability of educational innovations. He defined infrastructuring as “activities that aim to redesign components, relations, and routines of schools and districts that influence what takes place in classrooms” (p. 659). The main argument is that educational innovations often fail to be sustainable because educators “are unable to make a reliable working infrastructure” (Penuel, 2019, p. 660) without continuous external support. Penuel suggested that design-based research can be effectively used within long-term research-practice partnerships to create infrastructures that support systemic educational change. By studying infrastructure, he emphasized the need for researchers to focus on creating conditions that allow innovations to be integrated into school systems, ensuring equitable learning outcomes over time. Penuel’s concept of infrastructuring highlights the importance of creating long-term and sustainable support for educators, which is critical for my research on creating effective professional development. I think the idea that infrastructuring involves the redesign of “components, relations, and routines of schools” (p. 659) echoes the need for continuous professional development that supports instructors as they adopt new instructional strategies and technologies, especially in online settings. This perspective reinforces the idea that professional development should not be viewed as a one-time intervention but rather as part of a long-term commitment to supporting instructors in making sustainable changes in their teaching practices that promote equity and engagement.
Bell (2019) emphasized the critical role of collaborative teacher learning in advancing educational equity, especially through the development of professional resources. Early in the article, he pointed out that “infrastructures are fundamentally relational” and serve as “systems of substrates that support desired practices within a community” (p. 682). This idea of “relational infrastructure” directly relates to my research on continuous professional development (CPD) for higher education instructors, as it highlights the need for flexible structures that not only address instructors’ needs but also grow and adapt alongside them. He further described the importance of building infrastructures that support equitable teaching practices, arguing that “we need to promote cross-sector collaborations and educational development efforts that live between the boundaries of these social groups” (Bell, 2019, p. 682). This observation aligns with my focus on professional development programs that encourage collaboration across departments to ensure instructors are equipped to meet the diverse needs of their students. He criticized the common overemphasis on “problems of practice,” suggesting instead a focus on both “problems and opportunities in practice” to leverage teachers’ existing expertise and promote improvement through collaboration (Bell, 2019, p. 685). The main argument is the need for sustained infrastructural support for professional learning that is justice-oriented and designed to ensure long-term professional growth. The article highlights the integrated of equity and justice into science education, particularly through the use of STEM Teaching Tools, which provide accessible, open resources for educators. These resources illustrate how sustained learning can drive instructional innovation, equity, and justice. Drawing on Bell’s framework, I aim to integrate similar equity-driven strategies in my research, investigating how continuous instructor learning can promote more inclusive and justice-oriented teaching practices in online environments.
Unlike the other two articles, Hladik et al. (2023) presented the concept of “infrastructuring” within informal learning environments such as museums. They described infrastructuring as the process by which support systems for exhibits evolve and are maintained through ongoing practice. The authors argued that museum facilitators engage in this type of design work when they address breakdowns in the exhibit’s infrastructure, often making “on-the-spot decisions” based on their “epistemologies, values, and experiences” (Hladik et al., 2023, p.285). A key point is that this infrastructuring occurs in response to challenges such as the exhibit limitations or visitor needs, playing an important role in sustaining an exhibit’s success. The authors emphasized the relational and experiential aspects of facilitation, emphasizing that “facilitation, not merely access to code, is essential for deep engagement” (Hladik et al., 2023, p. 257). This perspective highlighted the importance of facilitators’ reflective practices in shaping both the visitor experience and the exhibit’s sustainability. They further explained that “[i]nfrastructuring is not a ‘what,’ but a ‘when’; it is relational, tied to people, things, and practices.” (Hladik et al., 2023, p. 253), reinforcing the idea that infrastructure in learning environments, including support systems, emerges through relationships and interactions rather than being a static system that can simply be implemented. The process of “infrastructuring” is ongoing and contextual, which aligns with my exploration of the Community of Inquiry (COI) framework, particularly in enhancing social and cognitive presence in online learning. Similar to museum facilitation, creating effective interaction and engagement in online learning is not a one-time setup. It requires ongoing, relational work from instructors to maintain engagement, facilitate discussions, and adjust to the needs of students. This concept can inform my research on building sustainable frameworks for interaction.
All three articles from this week, Penuel (2019), Bell (2019), and Hladik et al. (2023) focus on educational innovations, teacher professional development, and infrastructuring practices, though each approaches these topics from different perspectives. Penuel (2019) explored infrastructuring within design-based research to promote equity and sustainability in educational innovations. His work highlights the systemic changes required to implement and maintain innovations equitably in diverse school settings. Bell, on the other hand, highlighted the infrastructuring of teacher learning for equitable science instruction, arguing that “[w]e need to promote cross-sector collaborations and educational development efforts that live between the boundaries of these social groups” (Bell, 2019, p. 684). Hladik et al. (2023) explored the design of public computing spaces as infrastructure, focusing on informal learning environments like museums. A key connection between these works is their shared emphasis on the importance of infrastructure design in creating equitable learning environments. However, they differ in their focus: Penuel (2019) addressed formal educational systems, Bell (2019) focused on teacher collaboration in science education, and Hladik et al. (2023) explored informal learning settings. These perspectives are directly relevant to my research on instructor professional development using Design-Based Research (DBR), as Penuel’s emphasis on iterative design and Bell’s focus on collaborative learning align with my goals of enhancing online teaching through sustained, reflective practice.
References
Penuel, W. R. (2019). Infrastructuring as a Practice of Design-Based Research for Supporting and Studying Equitable Implementation and Sustainability of Innovations. The Journal of the Learning Sciences, 28(4–5), 659–677. https://doi.org/10.1080/10508406.2018.1552151
Bell, P. (2019). Infrastructuring Teacher Learning about Equitable Science Instruction. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 30(7), 681–690. https://doi.org/10.1080/1046560X.2019.1668218
Hladik, S., Sengupta, P., & Shanahan, M.-C. (2023). Museum Facilitator Practice as Infrastructure Design Work for Public Computing. Cognition and Instruction, 41(2), 248–289. https://doi.org/10.1080/07370008.2022.2129639
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