The Team Balancing Act - Enhancing Knowledge - Building Activity in On-Line Learning Communities

Online learning in the university sector is a given. Constructivist views of learning (often team based) and the notion of knowledge-building, mediated through the use of ICTs seemingly address many of the imperatives to equip individuals for emergent knowledge-age work practice. While teamwork has many perceived advantages, teams also inexplicably fail despite the apparent quality of the participants. Teams are successful when members address what is a relatively narrow range of actions. However, even within this limited range of actions individuals demonstrate definite preferences towards certain activities and roles. This paper reports on the findings from a study that investigated if knowledge-building activity can be enhanced in tertiary education CSCL environments through the use of groups balanced by Team Role Preference (Margerison & McCann, 1995, 1998). The study found that higher quality knowledge-building activity was more likely to occur in balanced groups than in random groups. The analysis of data revealed that a diversity of ideas was more likely to emerge from within balanced groups than from within random groups particularly when the random groups were heavily skewed towards one team role preference. This provided a compelling reason for explaining why balanced groups may lead to better knowledge-building activity

Investigating knowledge building dialogues in networked communities of practice. A collaborative learning endeavor across cultures

We have analyzed data from two online courses, designed to promote collaborative online learning, and in the contexts of two different cultures. Ongoing assessment (self, group, instructor) that actively engages students within the course (as opposed to instructor assessment at the end) is a central feature for achieving collaborative knowledge building in online dialog. Careful articulation and deployment of assessment criteria is a design feature that promotes meta-awareness, which, in turn, together with student-centeredness and operationalization of student experiences in the design of the curriculum, enhances student participation, motivation and ownership in the dialog. From eight years of experience with online dialog and two quite different implementations we offer a set of design principles, having a sound theoretical basis, that enhance the quality and quantity of online knowledge building. Our analysis suggests that the characteristics of the discussion threads emerging under these design criteria give evidence of true collaborative learning.We have analyzed data from two online courses, designed to promote collaborative online learning, and in the contexts of two different cultures. Ongoing assessment (self, group, instructor) that actively engages students within the course (as opposed to instructor assessment at the end) is a central feature for achieving collaborative knowledge building in online dialog. Careful articulation and deployment of assessment criteria is a design feature that promotes meta-awareness, which, in turn, together with student-centeredness and operationalization of student experiences in the design of the curriculum, enhances student participation, motivation and ownership in the dialog. From eight years of experience with online dialog and two quite different implementations we offer a set of design principles, having a sound theoretical basis, that enhance the quality and quantity of online knowledge building. Our analysis suggests that the characteristics of the discussion threads emerging under these design criteria give evidence of true collaborative learning

Investigating knowledge building dialogues in networked communities of practice. A collaborative learning endeavor across cultures

We have analyzed data from two online courses, designed to promote collaborative online learning, and in the contexts of two different cultures. Ongoing assessment (self, group, instructor) that actively engages students within the course (as opposed to instructor assessment at the end) is a central feature for achieving collaborative knowledge building in online dialog. Careful articulation and deployment of assessment criteria is a design feature that promotes meta-awareness, which, in turn, together with student-centeredness and operationalization of student experiences in the design of the curriculum, enhances student participation, motivation and ownership in the dialog. From eight years of experience with online dialog and two quite different implementations we offer a set of design principles, having a sound theoretical basis, that enhance the quality and quantity of online knowledge building. Our analysis suggests that the characteristics of the discussion threads emerging under these design criteria give evidence of true collaborative learning.We have analyzed data from two online courses, designed to promote collaborative online learning, and in the contexts of two different cultures. Ongoing assessment (self, group, instructor) that actively engages students within the course (as opposed to instructor assessment at the end) is a central feature for achieving collaborative knowledge building in online dialog. Careful articulation and deployment of assessment criteria is a design feature that promotes meta-awareness, which, in turn, together with student-centeredness and operationalization of student experiences in the design of the curriculum, enhances student participation, motivation and ownership in the dialog. From eight years of experience with online dialog and two quite different implementations we offer a set of design principles, having a sound theoretical basis, that enhance the quality and quantity of online knowledge building. Our analysis suggests that the characteristics of the discussion threads emerging under these design criteria give evidence of true collaborative learning

A literature review of the use of Web 2.0 tools in Higher Education

This review focuses on the use of Web 2.0 tools in Higher Education. It provides a synthesis of the research literature in the field and a series of illustrative examples of how these tools are being used in learning and teaching. It draws out the perceived benefits that these new technologies appear to offer, and highlights some of the challenges and issues surrounding their use. The review forms the basis for a HE Academy funded project, ‘Peals in the Cloud’, which is exploring how Web 2.0 tools can be used to support evidence-based practices in learning and teaching. The project has also produced two in-depth case studies, which are reported elsewhere (Galley et al., 2010, Alevizou et al., 2010). The case studies focus on evaluation of a recently developed site for learning and teaching, Cloudworks, which harnesses Web 2.0 functionality to facilitate the sharing and discussion of educational practice. The case studies aim to explore to what extent the Web 2.0 affordances of the site are successfully promoting the sharing of ideas, as well as scholarly reflections, on learning and teaching

CSCL: Structuring the Past, Present and Future Through Virtual Portfolios

Web-based processes of learning and collaboration produce an enlarged structural opportunity at many levels. Careful structuring of the virtual space supports and adds quality to both collaborative learning between students, and to instruction. Such enhancement in quality may take place through use of individual and collaborative spaces for learning activities, overview of process and content, increased clarity of learning expectations, and facilitation of collaborative and individual processes of reflection and self-reflection. This chapter investigates the structuring potential of a virtual version of portfolios for supporting these aspects. It discusses the conceptual and structural complexity associated with design and use of virtual portfolios from the perspective of, both learners and instructors, and on the basis of the design and use of virtual portfolios in a web-based American course on global change

At school with Instagram: An Action-Research Project in Italy and Portugal

According to a survey reported by DataReportal dated April 2023, Instagram ranks as the fourth most-used social media network among the world’s population, with more than 1.5 billion registered users. This ranking, preceded only by Facebook, YouTube, and WhatsApp, shows how the Meta company’s social network has influenced trends and convinced more and more people and professionals to take advantage of its internal features to communicate, entertain, and work. However, despite the wide membership of professors, science disseminators, and projects within Instagram, teaching and learning are still under-recognized as possible practices with social networking sites. Considering that most social networking platforms allow membership from the age of 13, the question arises as to how aware schools are of the teaching-learning techniques that can be applied in this context. To this end, the article proposes theories, methodologies and experiences for considering Instagram as a virtual learning environment in formal education, especially with the latest generation of students. In particular, after selecting studies that justify its choice, value and practice, this paper will illustrate the methodological model “Edu-social Algorithm”, developed through an international action-research with netnography that led 130 students and 77 teachers to connect on Instagram to study and teach together

Choosing a Supporting Technology for Learning a Preliminary Approach

In this paper we attempt to reach a method for evaluating the fit of different supportive technologies with a course. To achieve this we make use of a categorization of important factors, to deduce the four learning models we use. Using these characteristics we analyze different supportive technologies and arrive at a method of choosing

Back To Basics, Understanding The Choice Of Supportive Technologies

In this paper we attempt to break down the barrier of choosing a supportive technology for learning. We try to simplify the process by reducing it to a set of elementary steps. A perfect fit is difficult to achieve, in part due to the multitude of subjective interpretations. Having an in depth understanding in the different elements involved in choosing a appropriate technology, will make the decision process easier. We propose to evaluate both the technologies and courses on basis of a rating on characteristics. This forms the basis for the matching. The closer the match, the more likely the technology will be appropriate