The Effects of Gender Interaction Patterns on Student Participation in Computer-Supported Collaborative Argumentation

In this study we examined response patterns in exchanges between males and females and their effects on gender participation in five online debates. Students classified messages into arguments, evidence, critiques, and elaborations while posting messages to the debates to facilitate argumentation and the sequential analysis of message-response sequences. The findings revealed no differences in number of critiques posted in response to arguments because females were just as likely as males to critique messages from both males and females, and because females responded to males with critiques at a higher than expected frequency. Posthoc analysis revealed strong indications that females posted fewer rebuttals to the critiques of females than males, and males posted more rebuttals to the critiques of females than females. The methods used in this study illustrate a process-oriented approach to explain and predict gender differences in participation and serve as a framework for future research on gender participation, group interaction, and strategies for facilitating collaborative argumentation and problem solving.     

The Gateway Science Workshop Program: Enhancing Student Performance and Retention in the Sciences Through Peer-Facilitated Discussion

Minority student attrition and underachievement is a long-standing and widespread concern in higher education. It is especially acute in introductory science courses which are prerequisites for students planning to pursue science-related careers. Poor performance in these courses often results in attrition of minorities from the science fields. This is a particular concern at selective universities where minority students enter with excellent academic credentials but receive lower average grades and have lower retention rates than majority students with similar credentials. This paper reports the first year results of a large scale peer-facilitated workshop program designed to increase performance and retention in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics at a selective research university. After adjusting for grade point average or SAT-Math score, workshop participants earned higher final grades than nonparticipants in Biology and Chemistry, but not in Physics. Similar effects on retention were found. While, positive effects of the program were observed in both majority and minority students, effect sizes were generally largest for minority students. Because of practical constraints in Physics, implementation of the program was not optimal, possibly accounting for the differential success of the program across disciplines.     

Towards Knowledge Building: From Facts to Explanations in Primary Students' Computer Mediated Discourse

Educational institutions are required to find new pedagogical and cognitive models and practices to cope with the challenges of an emerging knowledge society. In creating a theoretical and practical model for future education, Scardamalia and Bereiter have proposed the concept of knowledge building. An early implementation of this idea was in the networked classroom software and ancillary structures known as Computer-Supported Intentional Learning Environment (CSILE). The present study aimed to explore the indicators of knowledge building in computer-mediated discourse among 26 11-year-old Finnish students. The data were collected during a four-week course on Energy, and consisted of students' postings stored in the CSILE database. Analysis revealed three pedagogically and cognitively different modes of discourse: social-oriented, fact-oriented, and explanation-oriented. These modes differed essentially from each other in the nature of the knowledge which students constructed during discourse and in the object and focus of students' communication. During explanation-oriented discourse, students actively used abstract and scientific concepts and the objects of their comments were theories, ideas and methods of research. Such activity is a component of knowledge building. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

计算机辅助合作讨论中开放和性别对批判性思维培养的影响

这项研究考察了学生在参与计算机辅助合作讨论中,思想开放和性别对批判性教学的影响。研究发现：1）思想开放的学生在讨论问题时在提出的反驳次数上会有明显差异;2）性别不同的学生在提出反驳的次数上有显著差异;3）思想开放程度不同的男生之间,提出反驳的次数有显著差异;而在女生中则没有这种差异。4）思想开放程度不同的学生在面对挑战时作出的反应是一样的。这些发现表明了思想开放程度与性别之间是如何相互作用的、计算机辅助合作讨论中开放是如何影响学生的表现的,以及应对策略如何能用来分析和建构批判思维讨论的。     

Gender Differences in Introductory Atmospheric and Oceanic Science Exams: Multiple Choice Versus Constructed Response Questions

An analysis of 295 male and 194 female examinations from introductory atmospheric and oceanic science courses is conducted to determine whether or not there exists gender differences in the performance on multiple choice versus constructed response sections of the exams. The difference in the mean performance of males and females on constructed response relative to multiple choice sections of final exams, even in years where the females performed better than or worse than the males on both sections, is on average 5% that is significant at the 0.1% level. Gender differences on time-limited midterm exams are not significant. It is further shown that final exam performance is not significantly related to whether or not the exam starts with a multiple choice versus constructed response set of questions. While our analysis is unable to differentiate between the possibilities that multiple choice questions favor male students and the competing hypothesis that constructed response questions favor female students, existing literature is reviewed to suggest that a combination of both is possible. Nevertheless, from the analysis of our examination results, we can conclude that an exam of introductory atmospheric or oceanic science curricula, which is made up of 60% multiple choice questions and 40% constructed response questions, would not be skewed to favor any particular gender.     

Interactivity Between Protégés and Scientists in an Electronic Mentoring Program

Interactivity is defined by Henri (1992) as a three-step process involving communication of information, a response to this information, and a reply to that first response. It is a key dimension of computer-mediated communication, particularly in the one-on-one communication involved in an electronic mentoring program. This report analyzes the interactivity between pairs of corporate research scientists (mentors) and university biology students (protégés) during two consecutive implementations of an electronic mentoring program. The frequency and structure of the interactions within each pair were examined to provide context: 542 messages were posted among the 20 mentors and 20 protégés. These messages were formed into 5–10 threads per pair, with 3–4 messages per thread, indicating a high level of interactivity (there were more responses posted than independent messages). Mentor–protégé pairs rated as effective by both mentors and protégés posted more messages overall, had well-structured threads, had protégé and mentor postings that were similar in topic coverage and message length, and had little overt “management” behavior by mentors. However, there appears to be no clear recipe for successful interaction. Not only are there a variety of factors at play in developing an online relationship in this context, but mentor–protégé pairs can falter at various stages in the process and in various ways.     

Fostering Distributed Science Learning Through Collaborative Technologies

TACTICS (French and Spanish acronym standing for Collaborative Work and Learning in Science with Information and Communications Technologies) is an ongoing project aimed at investigating a distributed community of learning and practice in which information and communications technologies (ICT) take the role of collaborative tools to support social construction of knowledge. This community is composed of researchers, graduate students, and high-school teachers and their students, from six schools and four universities in Canada and Mexico. It set out in fall 2000 to develop a community around the general topic of integrating concepts in science school subjects. Once a prototype community is established, it can become a terrain where different aspects could be studied. Subsequently, researchers could gradually take a back seat allowing as well as ensuring the autonomy of the school members involved and, thereby, the viability of the learning community. The set up of the proposed prototype distributed science learning community was therefore an essential yet far from trivial first step. This paper discusses the process of setting up the community and the lessons learned.     

Review of computer mediated communication research for education

This research review examines recent developments in computer-mediated communication (CMC) research for educational applications. The review draws on 170 recent research articles selected from 78 journals representing a wide range of disciplines. The review focuses on peer-reviewed empirical studies, but is open to a variety of methodologies. The review is divided into two sections addressing major areas of current research: (a) general CMC research in education, and (b) factors affecting computer-mediated learning. The review covers a variety of key research areas revolving around CMC in education, including, media effect and comparison, on-line courses and networks, course and program evaluations, learning and learning processes, problem solving, writing, decision-making, argumentation, group decision-making, group dynamics, peer evaluations, gender differences, anonymity, teaching practice effects, technology integration, teacher styles and characteristics, socio-cultural factors, and professional development effects. Findings suggest partial advantages of CMC in writing, task focused discussion, collaborative decision-making, group work, and active involvement in knowledge construction during group interactions. Other research findings revealed influences of peer interaction, group composition, group cohesion, goal commitment, group norm development, and process training, mixed-sex groups, and virtual cross-functional teams. Mixed-findings are revealed for performance advantages of computer-mediated versus face-to-face learning environments on various tasks and for the presence of gender differences in computer-mediated environments.     

话语风格上的性别差异研究

在具体的言语交际中,要针对具体的交际对象来调整话语.性别作为交际对象的客观存在,是语境中不可忽视的一个因素.从语言实际来看,在男女两性的言语交际中,由于性别的不同,形成两性话语风格的差异.语言学家们对社会交往中话语状况的考察表明,在话题的选择、话题量的大小、话语方式与言语策略等方面,男女之间都存在着不同程度的差异.两性在话语风格上的差异,是有其社会文化方面的根源的.     

Gender Difference,Misconceptions and Instruction in Science

The study examined into the relationship between gender and students' misconceptions in science. Two different groups were treated with two different teaching strategies, namely, teaching strategy 1, which is basically didactic in nature, and teaching strategy 11, which incorporates students' misconceptions and applies the Generative Learning Model. Two groups of secondary three students (N=26,27; randomly sampled), underwent 6 weeks of instruction, with the respective strategies mentioned above. Each group consisted of male and female students, the numbers of which resulted from the grouping based on their academic achievements. A constructed and validated diagnostic instrument was used as a means to measure the effectiveness of these two teaching strategies. The findings showed that gender differences did not relate well to students' misconceptions in science. The implications of this finding are discussed.     

教育过程公平的性别维度

教育过程性别公平是指从性别的维度审视教育内部的公平问题,使每一个学生不因具有某一生理性别而使其发展受到影响。教育过程的性别公平不只是关注女生的发展,而是同时关注男生与女生的发展。意志自由与选择自由是教育过程性别公平的首要原则;教育过程性别公平的最终目标是同时致力于女生与男生的最优发展,而不是致力于教育结果的性别均衡;价值多元是实现教育过程性别公平的关键;教育过程性别公平的真正实现必须同时促进四种性别认知的转变。     

论科学教育中的小组合作学习的有效实施

小组合作学习在科学教育中的重要性已经得到了广泛的认同.可以把合作学习的表现形式分成形式表现和实质表现两个层次,其中实质表现体现了合作学习的本质.可以从三个方面来促进其合作学习使之更为有效,这三个方面分别是:从小组成员的结构上、从小组的社会活动准则上以及从任务的设计上.     

话语研究及其在教育学中的渐进

近年来,研究教育中的话语以及从话语的角度研究教育已经成为教育学研究领域中的一种趋势。从现有的文献资料来看,关于话语的文章在数量上并不占优势,但是从历时性看,有关话语的研究呈上升趋势确是事实。教学实践中的话语研究尤为必要,“教育叙事”作为教师日常话语研究中的一种新的视角将显示出其独特的生命力。     

Gender differences in the Australian undergraduate STEM student experience: a systematic review

ABSTRACT

In Australia, the number of female graduates in some science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines is as low as 15%. Previous reviews exploring the issues affecting female undergraduate STEM students are primarily based in North America and there is yet to be an Australian focused review. This review identifies the factors contributing to the gendered experience of Australian undergraduate STEM students. A systematic review was conducted in November – December 2018 using ERIC, PsycInfo, ProQuest and Scopus databases. From this review, 36 papers that focus on gender differences and university STEM students in Australia were identified. The Australian research suggests the most prominent issue for female STEM students is their lower self-efficacy. Gendered preferences for learning, gendered motivations to pursue STEM degrees, the masculine culture of these fields and gender differences in science identity were also themes identified through the review. This review indicates some gaps in the Australian literature, namely that identity, and other emotional factors, are understudied in the Australian context and an avenue for future research. The findings suggest that science educators should be aware of the gendered experiences of their students to ensure female persistence in university STEM degrees.     

Seeking Emergence Through Temporal Analysis of Collaborative-Group Discourse: A Complex-Systems Approach

Abstract

Research around problem solving in collaborative groups has made progress, but several conceptual and methodological issues remain. These issues include the appropriate choices of units of analysis; the ability of current theoretical sets of macrocognition codes to capture group dynamics; detection and identification of potentially emergent phenomena within groups; and the extent to which multiple dynamics are integral to understanding groups. Using data from a complex engineering challenge, we applied methods drawn from complex-systems analysis to offer insight into each of these issues, showing the need for multiple dimensions when studying group dynamics and highlighting methodological difficulties when dealing with emergent phenomena. We suggest future research to improve the understanding of the complex dynamics of collaborative groups.     

Supporting Communication in a Collaborative Discovery Learning Environment: the Effect of Instruction

We present a study on the effect of instruction on collaboration in a collaborative discovery learning environment. The instruction we used, called RIDE, is built upon four principles identified in the literature on collaborative processes: Respect, Intelligent collaboration, Deciding together, and Encouraging. In an experimental study, a group of learners (ages 15–17) receiving this instruction was compared to a control group. The learners worked in dyads on separate computers in a shared discovery learning environment in the physics domain of collisions, communicating through a chat channel. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of the logged actions in the learning environment and the chat protocols showed that the RIDE instruction can lead to more constructive communication, and improved discovery learning activities, as expected, although no direct effect on discovery learning results was found. This study shows the benefits of providing instruction on effective communication and the learning process in a collaborative discovery learning situation.     

Making the Hidden Explicit: Learning About Equity in K-8 Preservice Science Education

Preservice teachers in a K–8 science methods course used guided video reflection to examine their interactions with children during science teaching. This inquiry approach helped preservice teachers identify and respond to gaps between their beliefs and intentions about teaching all children and their enactment of those beliefs. The experience of teaching a science lesson and then viewing it multiple times through a critical framework provided an opportunity for preservice teachers to recognize hidden assumptions, unexamined behaviors, and the unintentional meanings they may have conveyed to children. This encouraged them to think more critically about their roles as teachers in creating spaces where all children have access to quality science learning experiences.

Collaborating in the Evolution of a Middle School Science Learning Environment

This study describes a collaborative study involving a teacher and university researcher using learning environment research to transform a middle school science learning environment. Habermas' idea of knowledge constitutive interests (technical, practical, and emancipatory) is used as a perspective to make sense of the learning environment. Student perceptions of science and the nature of science were explored. Classroom observations and student interviews were the primary data sources. Students perceived science as primarily a set of facts to be learned and did not view it as an inquiry method or a social process. Despite the characterization of the course by the teacher and students as hands-on and experimental, technical interests were prevalent. Through negotiation, a plan of action was outlined for recreating the learning environment to make it more practical and emancipatory, as well as more consistent with contemporary perspectives on the nature of science.     

科学教育的重要途径—非正规学习

非正规学习在培养学生科学素质方面具有正规学习不可替代的重要作用。了解非正规学习的特点、规律和怎样影响人的科学素质的形成和发展对当前我国政府倡导的大力普及科学教育,提高全民,特别是未成年人的科学素质具有重大意义。非正规科学学习不仅能为学生提供丰富的认知冲突和社会互动机会,使他们建立起更加完善的知识结构,而且还能提高他们的科学论证能力。非正规学习是发展学生科学素质的必经之路。     

山西基础教育在性别公平方面存在的问题和对策

进入新世纪以来,山西基础教育在性别公平方面取得了巨大的成就.而城乡之间的经济差距、"读书无用论"的思想观念、以"城市取向"的教育政策和以"升学为目的"的人才培养模式等,正成为新一轮制约山西省基础教育性别公平向前发展的屏障.因此,为了保障我省在基础教育阶段性别公平方面继续向前发展,就需在基础教育阶段的政策保障、经济支持、教育援助和职业引导等方面提供相应的政策措施.