Computer Supported Collaborative Learning

I recently co-authored an article on infusing cooperative learning in distance education: http://www.tesl-ej.org/wordpress/issues/volume24/ej93/ej93a1/

That article wasn't very practical. Attached is the draft of a second article that we are promising will be more practical, with 9 lesson plans. We need help to see if the lesson plans really are practical. Thus, we wonder if you and/or your colleagues would like to try out one or more of the lessons and let us have your ideas for improvements.
thx --george.jacobs@gmail.com

Online education can play a crucial role in increasing access to educational opportunity and in promoting lifelong learning. The Covid-19 pandemic has done even more to raise awareness of the importance of online education. The pandemic has been a Category 5 disruptor of education systems. This article was written to help teachers at all levels of education facilitate cooperation among their students as a key element of online education. While many teachers believe in the benefits of student-student cooperation, and theory and research support this view, many teachers worry that distance learning is already difficult enough without adding the complications of cooperative learning, no matter how beneficial it might be. The article begins by discussing some of the obstacles teachers may encounter as they seek to integrate cooperative learning as part of online education. The main part of the article presents nine lesson plans for language education via cooperative learning in online e...

The paper reviews work on informal technical help giving between colleagues. It concentrates on the process of how colleagues help each other to use a computer application to achieve a specific work task, contrasting this with the focus of much prior work on surrounding issues like the choice of whom to ask, information re-use and the larger work context of encouragement or otherwise of such learning. By an analysis of the literature and a study of office activity, some strengths and weaknesses of the method are identified. The difficulties of talking about the process of performing graphical user interface actions are explored. Various design implications for functionalities to improve the efficiency of informal help giving are explored. A consideration of informal learning can help in designing more effective, learnable, robust and acceptable CSCW systems. It also provides a different perspective on interface design as an exploration of features to support human–human interaction, using the computer screen as a shared resource to support this. In this way CSCW research may contribute to HCI research, since during such help giving, all computer systems are at least temporarily collaborative applications.

Meeting new people and socializing can be a fun and stimulating experience. Yet, for some the task of breaking the ice between themselves and another person can be difficult. In this paper, we present a model in an attempt to explain and understand different aspects of icebreaking, in particular the sequential phases of which the act can be broken in to. Moreover, we present a game prototype that utilizes changing of gameplay to help encourage this sequential icebreaking. In-context case studies showed several positive design aspects and points of both model and prototype. Evaluation of the study raised important questions about relevance and validity. However, all in all the study gives incentive for future work and research.

This report documents the program and the outcomes of Dagstuhl Seminar 13272 “Computer Science in High Performance Sport – Applications and Implications for Professional Coaching”. There were 25 presentations organized into 5 sessions over the course of three days focusing on various aspects on the relevance, applications and current issues pertaining to computer science in sport and it’s applications for professional coaching. Each session covered miscellaneous topics that looked at its broad topics ranging from hardware devices for mobile coaching, modelling sports as dynamical systems, use of neural networks in performance analysis as well as theoretical issues in human movement science, and serious games. Once again the Dagstuhl seminar concept provided benefits for the experts from different fields and countries that otherwise would hardly meet and have the opportunity to exchange their ideas in an informal way. Several ideas were presented aiming to reduce the gap between spor...

RAFT (Remote Accessible Field Trips) provides the possibility for students to participate in field trips from remote locations. This paper reports on two studies to test the RAFT concept. The first study used video-mediated communication (VMC) to allow students to communicate with experts. The second study tested students’ experiences of using off-the-shelf technologies to transfer data while assigned with specific

This chapter presents a multi-method qualitative study of an active blended learning (ABL) activity in an undergraduate English for academic purposes program at a North American university. The purpose of the study was to understand how instructors facilitated ABL in five online book clubs. The community of inquiry (CoI) framework is used to analyze the comments and posts in the book clubs. This data is discussed with data from interviews with three case study students and four book club instructors and data from a CoI student survey. The findings indicate that instructor book selection, questions, scaffolding strategies, modelling, and manner significantly mediated student perceptions regarding their engagement, participation, and interaction in the ABL activity, specifically whether students scaffolded each other's learning, read extensively, and practised academic reading strategies. Implications of how instructor pedagogy mediated student perceptions about their participation and learning in the ABL activity are then presented.

ABSTRACT This study examines the effect of goal instructions on students’ reasoning and argumentation in an interactive context (discussing a topic on-line). Goal instructions specify the goal of a discussion. General goals (to persuade or explore) were crossed with specific goals (to generate reasons or counterarguments/rebuttals) in a 3×3 randomized design using 224 undergraduates. The design also controlled for need for cognition, which measures dispositions to think. The goal instruction to “generate as many reasons as possible” resulted in deeper, more contingent arguments, closer to Mercer’s (1996) notion of exploratory talk, whereas the persuade goal resulted in arguments that were more adversarial and somewhat better supported. The other goals had less dramatic effects. Need for cognition also predicted total argument claims and depth. These findings have important implications for building richer interactive discussions that promote the integration of ideas.

This study examines the effect of goal instructions on students’ reasoning and argumentation in
an interactive context (discussing a topic on-line). Goal instructions specify the goal of a discussion.
General goals (to persuade or explore) were crossed with speciWc goals (to generate reasons or
counterarguments/rebuttals) in a 3x3 randomized design using 224 undergraduates. The design
also controlled for need for cognition, which measures dispositions to think. The goal instruction
to “generate as many reasons as possible” resulted in deeper, more contingent arguments, closer to
Mercer’s (1996) notion of exploratory talk, whereas the persuade goal resulted in arguments that
were more adversarial and somewhat better supported. The other goals had less dramatic effects.
Need for cognition also predicted total argument claims and depth. These Wndings have important
implications for building richer interactive discussions that promote the integration of ideas.

In this paper I use the conceptual change theoretical framework, in order to describe and evaluate the productivity of teacher's in-situ support to Situational misconceptions. I illustrate a case in which two students work together in order to solve a problem in math. The focal point is their teacher's intervention, in which she attempts to get her students out of a messy situation. This analysis helps to understand, in fine grain, the process – and consequences – of avoiding refutation of non-productive narratives, before adding new ones - in the context of math problem solving. In addition, we learn that in the process of solution, narratives might not always compete: ideas from two, or more, narratives could be forged to new Situational misconceptions.

Technology supported collaborative learning, assists individuals to work as a team for a common purpose or mission by using computer, internet and such technologies. For a common mission, active learning should be provided by applying collaborative learning approach. A lot of studies had been done with using collaborative learning. In order to learn the effectiveness of collaborative learning, a variety of studies and techniques should be prepared. Collaborative learning studies support individuals to be learners for a life time. Besides, there exist considerable numbers of studies that were done on the techniques of technology supported collaborative learning. In significant proportion of the presented studies, the online systems have been introduced that were developed for technology supported collaborative learning. In literature, meta-analysis studies were also found related to collaborative learning methods (Jigsaw etc.). When the literature is examined a lot of studies are found related to the particular subject however, there do not exist any recent made researches on the trends of this topic. The main purpose of this study is to determine new trends for those who aim to make research in technology supported collaborative learning, published in popular magazines in the field of education technology between the years 2005 and 2010. Four journals had been chosen in the study to be identified within the scope of SSCI from EBSCO database. 114 studies have been attained after the scan made on SSCI covered journals published between the years 2005 and 2010. The reporting of the study was grouped according to following criteria; publishing year of the finding, article number (of the journals), number of authors, research field, techniques, study environment, research country (sampling group), study model, number of references, researchers' county, the number of studies made with the researchers from different countries, type of the study (qualitative/ quantitative) and so on.

Seeking for knowledge is one of the most important problems that learners frequently face during their learning process. In this research, a computer supported collaboration learning in ubiquitous computing environment is designed and implemented. This environment is called Perkam (personalized knowledge awareness map). Perkam allows the learners to seek for and share knowledge, interact, collaborate, and exchange individual experiences. This system recommends the appropriate educational materials and peer helpers. The knowledge awareness map visualizes the relative distance between the learner's request and location from one side, and the suggested educational materials and peer helpers from the other side. This paper focuses on the design and the implementation of the knowledge awareness map which is personalized according to the learner's interest and location

English summary:

Multilingualism is a reality in South African classrooms. The Constitution of South Africa (Act 108 of 1996) and the national language policy recognize language rights and aims at supporting, promoting and developing the official languages. However, despite the advantages of mother tongue education, English is often chosen as language of learning and teaching at the cost of the African official languages. This study proposes the accommodation and promotion of multilingualism through blended learning.

Blended learning refers to the blending of traditional instruction methods, such as face-to-face instruction, with other forms of instruction such as online learning and teaching. Through a discussion of asynchronous and synchronous learning tools it was established that wikis would be used for this study. In terms of blended learning and learning theories the main emphasis in this study is on socio-constructivism as well as communal constructivism.

The empirical research in this study focused on the establishment and testing of a conceptual model for the accommodation and promotion of multilingualism through blended learning in the subject IT. The research took the form of a sequential embedded mixed methods design. Both quantitative and qualitative approaches were used. A questionnaire was used with IT teachers to investigate the language and blended learning context. This was followed up with qualitative research in the form of interviews aimed at provincial and national experts in terms of the subject IT and e-learning. Based on the literature and these two investigations, a conceptual model was developed. The conceptual model’s effectiveness was tested through a quasi-experimental study. A questionnaire was also completed by the respondents at the schools after the completion of the study. Through the testing of the effectiveness of the conceptual model it was found that multilingualism could successfully be accommodated and promoted through this conceptual model.



Afrikaans summary:

Meertaligheid is ’n werklikheid in Suid-Afrikaanse klaskamers. Die Grondwet van Suid-Afrika (Wet 108 van 1996) en die nasionale taalbeleid erken taalregte en het die ondersteuning, uitbreiding en ontwikkeling van die amptelike tale ten doel. Hierteenoor, ten spyte van die voordele van moedertaalonderwys, word Engels dikwels as taal van onderrig en leer gekies ten koste van die Afrikatale wat amptelike tale is. Hierdie studie stel die akkommodering en uitbreiding van meertaligheid deur gemengde leer voor.

Gemengde leer verwys na die mengsel van tradisionele onderrigmetodes, soos gesig-tot-gesig-onderrig, met ander vorme van onderrig soos aanlynonderrig en -leer. Deur ’n bespreking van asinchrone en sinchrone leertegnologie is bepaal dat wiki’s vir hierdie studie gebruik sal word. Met betrekking tot gemengde leer en leerteorieë was die fokus van hierdie studie op sosio-konstruktivisme sowel as gemeenskapskonstruktivisme.

Die empiriese navorsing van hierdie studie het op die daarstelling en toetsing van ’n konseptuele model vir die akkommodering en uitbreiding van meertaligheid deur gemengde leer in die vak IT gefokus. Die navorsing was in die vorm van ’n sekwensiële, insluitende gemengde metode ontwerp. Beide kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe benaderings is gevolg. ’n Vraelys is aan IT-onderwysers gestuur om die konteks in terme van taal en gemengde leer te bepaal. Dit is opgevolg deur kwalitatiewe navorsing in die vorm van onderhoude met die provinsiale en nasionele kenners van die vak IT en e-leer. Op grond van die literatuur en die twee ondersoeke is ’n konseptuele model ontwikkel. Die konseptuele model se effektiwiteit is gemeet deur middel van ’n kwasi-eksperimentele studie. ’n Vraelys is ook deur die respondente by die skole voltooi nadat die studie voltooi is. Daar is, na aanleiding van die toetsing van die effektiwiteit van die konseptuele model, bevind dat meertaligheid suksesvol deur die konseptuele model geakkommodeer en uitgebrei kan word.

One of the important issues in learning is quality standards. Recently, many
studies discussed the importance of meeting the 21st century skills to ensure
the quality of the teaching and learning process. A few studies have used
21st century skills to evaluate their courses. This study looks at the extent to
which a Teaching English for Young Learners course offered by the English
Department at Hebron University, Palestine, met the 21st century skills.
Studies on language courses using the 21st century skills are hardly known,
as evidenced in the literature review. This study marks the first time such
skills have been used to evaluate a language course. A quantitative research
methodology was employed. Data was obtained through a questionnaire. It
was completed by 38 students who attended the Teaching English for
Young Learners course. 21st century skills were: (a) critical thinking skills;
(b) creativity and innovation skills; (c) communication skills; (d)
collaboration skills; (e) self-direction skills; (f) global connection; (g) local
connections, and (h) the use of information communication technology
(ICT). According to the participants, the course met the 21st century skills in
varying degrees; the use of information communication technology (ICT)
(M=4.62); collaboration skills (M=4.42); communication skills (M=4.38);
Critical thinking skills (M=4.22); self-direction skills (M=4.08); Creativity
and innovation skills (M=3.98); global connection (M=3.96; and local
connections (M=3.85) respectively. The results obtained from the open ended part of the questionnaire showed that the students felt that the aspects

“The world faces economic, social, and environmental inequalities and injustices” (IMAESC Manifesto, 2019). To avoid further exacerbation of present local and global issues, every individual has to be mindful of how their actions and choices contribute to certain issues and change their habits. Education has strong implications for society. Therefore, as educators, we need to recontextualise our learning process and collaborate to promote democracy, social and environmental justice in our learning spaces. Research on professional collaboration has mainly focused on western developed contexts. Thus, the purpose of this study is to contribute to the research with a focus on a developing country, namely, a former Soviet republic, Georgia. This study explores an innovative professional collaboration model developed by the CTEL project that integrates civic education, English, and ICT and involves three teachers from the subject areas. To understand its impact on Georgian educational context and implications for society, I took a special interest in how teacher participants’ experience of collaborative teaching influences their professional self-understanding and used Kelchtermans’ (2009) conceptualisation of teachers’ professional self-understanding in analysis. Since the focus of the analysis is teachers’ conception of themselves as teachers, I chose to conduct arts-based narrative interviews with purposefully selected nine teachers, workshop manual analysis, and lesson observations. The results show that the teachers immensely benefitted from collaborative teaching and the CTEL framework. The study suggests that other teacher communities in other countries, especially other post-Soviet countries should consider collaborative teaching for its beneficial implications for society.

""As more guided study abroad interventions move online, and into a collaborative format, it is important to examine the influence of students’ social interactions as related to their intercultural development and experiences in the interventions, as well as understand which variables influenced the success of an intervention.  The purpose of this study was to identify factors that influenced students’ intercultural development and experiences in a collaborative online international learning pre-departure study abroad intervention.  To explore these questions I designed a collaborative online international learning intervention for pre-departure study abroad students. 

Pre-departure U.S. study abroad students going abroad and international students coming to study abroad in the U.S. attended an online, collaborative seminar together over the course of six weeks in the fall and five weeks in the spring.  Garrison et al.’s (2000) Community of Inquiry model influenced the seminar design and data analysis.  A mixed-methods approach was used to gather data needed to study the intervention outcomes.  Data was obtained from: (1) a needs assessment; (2) pre and post IDI® scores from intervention and comparison groups; (3) focus groups; and (4) online discussions.  The three forms of data analysis used in this study, the IDI®, Community of Inquiry framework, and phenomenological review of participants’ text, provided a layered understanding of the research questions.  Data analysis suggested that designing sustaining a successful Community of Inquiry, and a successful online collaborative learning environment, is not without its challenges.  This research demonstrated several technical and social challenges of building a Community of Inquiry and how a redesign of an intervention can influence outcomes.  Several challenges of collaborative learning and creating online communities identified in CSCL research were also apparent in this study.  Overall, this study underscored several variables that influence learning outcomes and experiences within a collaborative online international learning intervention.  ""

Since the transmission of knowledge has started, it solely relied on traditional teaching methods but ever since technology-mediated instructions have emerged, they potentially brought a revolution in how we teach, when we teach, from where we teach and what gadgets, modes and apps can better cater learners' interest and motivation. In this context, hybrid learning is a novel approach in academic settings that embraces advantage of the retention of face-to-face component of traditional classes and e-learning environment. The present study aims at investigating Taif University's male and female English as Foreign Language (EFL) learners' satisfaction towards the onsite and online learning environments. An opinionnaire with 20 items was developed with closed ended questions by employing Likert's five-point scale to collect the data from 200 male and female EFL participants of Taif University, represents quantitative dimensions of the study. The research tool is designed to measure learners' satisfaction that is further categorized into five subscales. These include: (a) learners' satisfaction with the instructor and their real-time feedback; (b) perceived ease of use of technology and internet; (c) effective course content and interactive and collaborative activities; (d) finally engaging nature of hybrid learning and its impacts on learners' interest and motivation. The study finds no significant differences in male and female participants' perceptions regarding effective delivery of hybrid instructions except meek variations in male and female learners' preferences in perceived ease of use of technology. The statistics reveal that male participants and their female counterparts slightly differ in their satisfaction level towards the technical problems faced by them in recording their scores, flexibility in terms of time and space, and in smooth completion of online activities. Finally, the study provides few recommendations to fix certain issues and improve the quality of hybrid learning environment.

Partendo dalla volontà di situare la trattazione di un classico della letteratura inglese in un’attività didattica stimolante e collaborativa, è nato questo webquest, dove gli studenti sono chiamati ad affrontare Amleto utilizzando materiale reperibile sul web per poi costruire in gruppi un prodotto finale da presentare alla classe. Adottando la struttura ormai collaudata del webquest e rinfrescandola con una serie di fattori innovativi principalmente legati alle nuove possibilita’ offerte dal “Web 2.0”, l’autore propone un modello di webquest che ha prodotto risultati molto positivi e che può essere liberamente riproposto così com’è o modificato a piacimento dalla comunità dei docenti e degli studenti.

The current era of advanced display technologies, such as a head mounted displays, smart glasses and handheld devices, have supported the usage of mixed-reality and augmented reality concepts in smart educational classrooms. These advanced technologies have enabled enhanced collaboration and an interactive communication between distance learners and local learners. Being present’ is a key factor in both worlds (real and virtual) as it plays an important role in increasing the students’ collaborative engagement during the learning activity. However, few studies have considered how much using such immersive interfaces with various learning scenarios may ultimately affect learning outcomes, and whether students feel fully engaged or not in such environments. This work-in progress paper will demonstrate a MiRTLE+ prototype of how remote students can collaborate within mixed-reality environments by using an augmented reality approach. Secondly, it will explore the learning effectiveness based on the following factors: students’ presence, engagement, and immersion in smart environments. With regard to the learning task, we will consider a card game task to measure the learners’ progress as they progress from novice to expert player. To evaluate these factors, we utilise several existing frameworks which have been applied to our mixed-reality worlds