Teaching collaborative skills with a group leader computer tutor

This paper discusses how a group leader computer tutor may aid students in learning collaborative skills in a co-operative learning environment. However, students need to learn collaborative skills and practice using them. The group leader computer tutor discussed in this paper is designed on the principles of co-operative learning, intelligent tutoring systems and computer-supported collaborative work within an intelligent collaborative learning system (ICLS). The group leader aims to facilitate group work on the task level and to teach students how to use collaborative skills in the discussion level as students work on networked computers in the Jigsaw method of co-operative learning. The ICLS and its group leader were used by two classes at a liberal arts university. Qualitative research shows that the students' co-operative attitudes changed and academic achievement improved from pre- to post-treatment. Students, especially, used the communication skill of openness in comment type discussions. The students enjoyed working collaboratively through the ICLS and their teachers thought that the experience was valuable for them.     

任务驱动协作在高职计算机教学中的应用

结合高职院校及计算机学科的特点,探讨如何将协作式学习引入课堂,并有效地组织学生进行协作式学习,从而培养学生的合作意识。     

Student' Strategic Actions in Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning

Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) can be a powerful tool in creating learning communities in which students have a chance to construct knowledge collaboratively and to develop explanations of the subject to be studied. It is obvious, however, that collaborative inquiry is a cognitively-challenging task for an individual student. More evidence on the nature and quality of students' actions and strategic processes in CSCL is needed to make these models more applicable in different domains of classroom learning. The aim of this study was to analyse students' strategic actions in Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning. Eighteen secondary school students, ages 13–14 years, participated in CSCL inquiries in their literature class. The networked technology environment used was CSILE. The students had three inquiry-based CSCL projects, each lasting for six weeks. The data-collection procedures used were questionnaires, students' written computer notes and repeated process-oriented interviews. The results show the dominance of a superficial approach toward inquiry. This is evidenced by the students' fact-oriented computer notes and their self-reported, surface-level strategic actions. However, the results show a growing amount of collaborative discussion in the networked database. Collaborative networked discussions manifest an increase in deeper-level cognitive strategies and progressive student inquiries. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

网络环境辅导性学习模式下学生学习效果分析研究—以计算机排版系统为例

依托信息技术的计算机排版系统专题学习网站是一个学习者自主学习、创造性学习、协作型学习的互动平台,通过这个平台我们构建了网络环境下的辅导性学习模式。从学生的学习反馈、学生参与专题网站的建设等方面,分析了利用该专题网站的学习效果情况,为今后的教学改革和研究深化提供了重要信息。     

云计算支持下的计算机协作学习研究

随着云计算技术的不断发展和教育教学的联系越发密切。在计算机支持的协作学习基础上,加入云计算辅助教学元素,通过对班级学生进行试验尝试,对结果进行分析研究,总结出云计算支持的协作学习的规律和特点,肯定了学习效果,同时对未来进行展望。     

Facilitating effective digital game-based learning behaviors and learning performances of students based on a collaborative knowledge construction strategy

Researchers have recognized the potential of educational computer games in improving students’ learning engagement and outcomes; however, facilitating effective learning behaviors during the gaming process remains an important and challenging issue. In this paper, a collaborative knowledge construction strategy was incorporated into an educational computer game to facilitate students’ knowledge sharing and organizing during the game-based learning process. An experiment was conducted to examine the students’ learning behavioral patterns, group efficacy, and problem-solving awareness. The experimental results revealed that the proposed approach improved the students’ learning achievements and awareness of problem-solving. Moreover, from the analysis of the students’ behavior sequences, it was found that, with the collaborative knowledge construction mechanism, the students revealed significantly more aggressive learning behavioral patterns, such as “comparing and observing the learning targets” and “seeking clues and answers” during the gaming process. This implies that integrating the collaborative knowledge construction mechanism into the gaming process has great potential for helping students effectively learn and organize knowledge as well as fostering their awareness of applying the acquired knowledge to dealing with problems.     

Effects of learning styles on learners’ collaborative patterns in a mobile-assisted,Chinese character-forming game based on a flexible grouping approach

This paper reports a novel, mobile-assisted, game-based learning design for Chinese character learning. In playing the ‘Chinese-PP’ game in a 1:1 (one-device-per-student) setting, each of the 31 target students in Primary 3 (9 years old) is assigned a Chinese character component. A student may make use of his/her own and peers’ character components to form a legitimate Chinese character, and invite the peers with matching components to join his/her group. The intention is to assist the students in developing general orthographic awareness (understanding the structures of Chinese characters) through social negotiation. In this paper, the students’ collaborative learning processes in three game sessions were analysed. The relationships between students with varied learning styles and their game behaviours and learning gains were unveiled as a result. Through the Chinese-PP learning activities that stimulated active peer coaching and social learning, we found that all the target students became active learning participants and achieved high learning gains in the last game session. Recommendations for the future development of such a novel learning approach will also be given.     

Collaborating with undergraduates: Obstacles and tips

An increasing number of educators have called for active learning strategies to educate college students. At the same time, college instructors are being called upon to publish at increased rates while maintaining high teaching loads. One way to merge the ideals of active learning with publishing is to engage students, particularly undergraduate students, in collaborative projects. Writing, re‐searching, and publishing with undergraduate students is not an easy task, however. In this paper, we address obstacles that likely keep faculty from working with undergraduate students in this manner. We conclude by suggesting strategies to facilitate student/faculty projects.     

Undergraduate teaching of ideal and real fluid flows: the value of real-world experimental projects

This paper describes the pedagogical impact of real-world experimental projects undertaken as part of an advanced undergraduate fluid mechanics subject at an Australian university. The projects have been organized to complement traditional lectures and introduce students to the challenges of professional design, physical modelling, data collection and analysis. An overview of two projects is presented: wind tunnel testing of buildings and wave loading on piles. Both studies are undertaken as group work within the undergraduate subject. The pedagogy of the projects is discussed in terms of the classical educational psychology literature concerning project-based learning, collaborative and guided learning and reflection. In terms of learning outcomes, the primary aim is to enable students to deliver a professional report as the final product, where physical model data are compared to ideal-fluid flow calculations and real-fluid flow analyses. Thus the students are exposed to a professional design approach involving a high level of expertise in fluid mechanics, with sufficient academic guidance to achieve carefully defined learning goals, while retaining sufficient flexibility for students to construct their own learning goals. The overall pedagogy is a blend of problem-based and project-based learning, which reflects academic research and professional practice. The assessment is a mix of peer-assessed oral presentations and written reports that aims to maximize student reflection and development. Student feedback indicated a strong motivation for courses that include a well-designed project component.     

The Centre for Research into Higher Education at the University of Amsterdam (Centrum voor Onderzoek van het Wetenschappelijk Onderwijs,COWO)

This study is part of a first study of collaborative socio-environmental projects that engage Jewish and Arab students in Israel in learning about their local environment and about each other through outdoor learning and environmental action. We used ideas of social learning and environmental citizenship to frame our research. We investigated students' knowledge regarding their local environment and their knowledge of each other's community. We also studied the participants’ views regarding their project-partners'environmental knowledge, awareness and behaviour in comparison to their own. Initially, differences were found regarding various aspects of the students' socio-environmental knowledge and in students' views of their counterparts' environmentalism. At the end of the projects, students showed better understanding of local socio-environmental issues and demonstrated changes in their original views towards the environmental awareness and behaviour of their counterparts. These findings suggest that projects which involve students from segregated communities not only promote environmental awareness but contribute to a reduction in mutual prejudices. We suggest that the differences we found are not related to ethnicity, but rather to students' socioeconomic status and experience in environmental education programmes.     

Strategizing computer-supported collaborative learning toward knowledge building

The purpose of this paper is to explore how university students can develop knowledge in small task-based groups while acquiring hands-on computer skills. Inspired by the sociocultural perspective, this study presents a theoretical framework on co-construction of knowledge and on computer-supported collaborative learning. The participants were selected from student teachers in Rwanda after a training program on searching, retrieving and exploiting web-based literature. The findings show that university students working together in small groups to acquire hands-on computer skills can adopt one of three major learning patterns: individual-led, group-led or individual-group hybrid-led. Moreover, the results indicate that the group-led framework seems to create a supportive environment for knowledge building. Nevertheless, university students showed a need for teacher support to enable them to focus on criterion-referenced reflection to regulate their learning.     

How Children Regulate their Own Collaborative Learning

In this article we analyze the dialogic learning of one pair of students in order to investigate how these students cope with a collaborative learning situation in the classroom. Our aim is to substantiate the claims that not only are young students (8 year olds) capable of solving mathematical problems collaboratively, but that they also take an active role in regulating their collaborative learning activities. More specifically, our claim is that children appear to apply constructs of “mathematical level raising”, “social interaction” and “division of time” to steer their own collaborative learning and that they are rather successful in balancing these three aspects. The analysis is exploratory, but this new perspective on collaborative learning is relevant theoretically and consequential for classroom practice.     

Self-regulated learning and students’ perceptions of innovative and traditional learning environments: a longitudinal study in secondary education

This study investigated the relationship between the development of students’ self-regulated learning and students’ perceptions of the learning environment in terms of autonomy support, the emphasis on relevance and collaborative learning. In addition, we compared innovative learning environments that aim to enhance self-regulated learning with traditional learning environments. Questionnaires for measuring self-regulated learning and perceptions of the learning environment were administered by 648 students. Self-regulated learning was measured at the start of secondary education and again half way through the first year. The results point to the importance of how students perceive the learning environment for self-regulated learning. There was a positive relationship between autonomy support and relevance and self-regulated learning. Furthermore, students in innovative environments perceived more autonomy support, more emphasis on relevance and more collaborative learning than those in traditional environments. Students in innovative environments, however, reported no more self-regulated learning than students in traditional environments.     

数据库系列课程实验教学的探索

尝试在实践性教学环节采纳研究性教学理念,以培养学生的主动学习能力和创新能力;精心设计多层次实验及其实施办法,以鼓励学生主动学习和积极参与;在综合性实验和设计性实验中以项目为中心采用分组协作的方法进行管理,以培养学生的团队协作能力.     

When Collaborative Learning Meets Nature: Collaborative Learning as a Meaningful Learning Tool in the Ecology Inquiry Based Project

This research suggests utilizing collaborative learning among high school students for better performance on ecology inquiry-based projects. A case study of nine 12th grade students who participated in collaborative learning sessions in the open field and in class is examined. The results show that the students concentrated on discussing the methods of measurement and observation in the open field, rather than the known methods from class or from the laboratory. Another major part of their discussions concentrated on knowledge construction. Knowledge construction occurred between students with same or similar learning abilities. The role of the teacher in these discussions was crucial: she had to deal with and dispel misconceptions; and she had to bridge the gap between low-ability and high-ability students, for enabling meaningful learning to occur. The article ends with a number of recommendations for using collaborative learning as a tool for achieving meaningful learning in high school ecology inquiry-based projects.     

基于WEB环境协作学习的有效性探索及应用模式构建

随着计算机和网络技术的发展,基于WEB的协作学习已经成为CSCL的研究热点。本文通过对协作学习（CL）、计算机支持的协作学习（CSCL）和基于网络的协作学习（WEBCL）的介绍,讨论了影响WEBCL有效性的因子,构建了一个WEBCL的应用模式,并在教学上进行试验,取得了一定的成果。     

Surveying digital competencies of university students and professors in Ukraine for fully online collaborative learning

Collaborative-constructivist online learning appears well aligned with Ukraine’s post-revolutionary aspirations for globalised and transformed higher education. This study explores digital competencies of students and professors at Kyiv National Economic University, Ukraine, to probe readiness for fully online collaborative learning. The General Technology Competency and Use profile tool was completed by 244 participants to measure digital experience and confidence across four categories of human–computer activity. To assess readiness, reported levels of competencies were related to the three dimensions of successful collaborative learning described by the Community of Inquiry model. Despite some key differences between students and teachers, general findings include moderate-to-low levels of self-reported technical, social and informational competency, accompanied by consistently low levels of epistemological competency. These findings suggest that neither students nor teachers are adequately prepared for achieving high levels of social, cognitive and teaching presence in a fully online learning environment. It is recommended that digital-competency development become an educational priority.     

Social Presence Online: Networking Learners at a Distance

This paper draws on two studies which researched the use of online small group environments where collaborative learning is a central structure for learning. The establishment of social presence is facilitated through the socio-affective aspect of small group interaction which contributed to the effectiveness of learning online. Social presence, the ability of online learners to project themselves into a textual environment which has few visual or contextual cues, will be explored as an important element in facilitating effective online learning. The teacher's role in helping students project their online social presence and in establishing an environment for learning within the larger group computer conference will also be discussed.     

泛在学习环境下基于凯利方格法的协作学习模式研究

物联网、无线网络、移动终端设备等的发展促进了泛在学习方式的普及应用,但泛在学习矛盾、不连续、随意、无节制、流程短的特点对有意义学习的发生提出了挑战。文章使用凯利方格方法与小组协作学习策略,针对学习者现场观察到的知识进行知识获取,以实时投票机制产生小组共识,对小组内学习者的知识进行整合。实验证明,在泛在学习环境下,使用这种学习模式的小组学生在知识建构能力和学习成效方面得到一定程度的提高。