Collaborative concept mapping activities in a classroom scenario

The aim of this study is to test collaborative concept mapping activities using computers in a classroom scenario and to evaluate the possibilities that Elkar-CM offers for collaboratively learning non-technical topics. Elkar-CM is a multi-lingual and multi-media software program designed for drawing concept maps (CMs) collaboratively. Concept mapping is a widely accepted technique that promotes meaningful learning. Graphically representing concepts of the learning domain and relationships between them helps students integrate new knowledge into their current cognitive structure. This study was carried out with Social Education degree students at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU). The experiment included two learning activities. First, all students collaboratively constructed in the classroom a CM on the subject of Moral Development. Second, students were organised into groups to complete the CM generated in the first part.This work has been partially supported by the Spanish Ministry of Education, grant TIN2009-14380, the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, grant (EHU09/09) and the Basque Government, grant IT421-10.Elorriaga Arandia, JA.; Arruarte Lasa, A.; Calvo Fabo, I.; Larrañaga Olagaray, M.; Rueda Molina, U.; Herrán Izagirre, E. (2011). Collaborative concept mapping activities in a classroom scenario. Behaviour and Information Technology. 32(12):1292-1304. doi:10.1080/0144929X.2011.632649S12921304321

The comparative effect of individually-generated vs. collaboratively-generated computer-based concept mapping on science concept learning

Using a quasi-experimental design, the researcher investigated the comparative effects of individually-generated and collaboratively-generated computer-based concept mapping on middle school science concept learning. Qualitative data were analyzed to explain quantitative findings. One hundred sixty-one students (74 boys and 87 girls) in eight, seventh grade science classes at a middle school in Southeast Texas completed the entire study. Using prior science performance scores to assure equivalence of student achievement across groups, the researcher assigned the teacherâÂÂs classes to one of the three experimental groups. The independent variable, group, consisted of three levels: 40 students in a control group, 59 students trained to individually generate concept maps on computers, and 62 students trained to collaboratively generate concept maps on computers. The dependent variables were science concept learning as demonstrated by comprehension test scores, and quality of concept maps created by students in experimental groups as demonstrated by rubric scores. Students in the experimental groups received concept mapping training and used their newly acquired concept mapping skills to individually or collaboratively construct computer-based concept maps during study time. The control group, the individually-generated concept mapping group, and the collaboratively-generated concept mapping group had equivalent learning experiences for 50 minutes during five days, excepting that students in a control group worked independently without concept mapping activities, students in the individual group worked individually to construct concept maps, and students in the collaborative group worked collaboratively to construct concept maps during their study time. Both collaboratively and individually generated computer-based concept mapping had a positive effect on seventh grade middle school science concept learning but neither strategy was more effective than the other. However, the students who collaboratively generated concept maps created significantly higher quality concept maps than those who individually generated concept maps. The researcher concluded that the concept mapping software, Inspirationâ¢, fostered construction of studentsâ concept maps individually or collaboratively for science learning and helped students capture their evolving creative ideas and organize them for meaningful learning. Students in both the individual and the collaborative concept mapping groups had positive attitudes toward concept mapping using Inspiration⢠software

Use of C-Map as a Cognitive Tool in Collaborative and Individual Concept Mapping for Enhancing ELL Students\u27 Reading Comprehension

Among those who teach English to English Language Learners (ELL), reading comprehension is considered an essential language skill critical for knowledge acquisition and information exchange. However, in various parts of the world, including Jordan, reading comprehension has been reported as a difficult area for ELL students to master. The purpose of this study was to investigate in-depth the impact of the use of the reading software C-map as a cognitive tool in collaborative and individual concept mapping to promote reading comprehension among ELL readers. The independent variable of this study was concept mapping, which functioned on three levels: collaborative, individual, and control groups. There were four dependent variables: reviewing, listing, enforcing, and overall reading comprehension. 106 ELL high school students from Jordan, aged 17-18 years, participated in the study as subjects, divided into three groups: a collaborative group of 32, an individual group of 36, and a control group of 38. All groups were instructed by the same high school ELL English teacher for 10 weeks. Both the ELL English teacher and the rater received training appropriate to their responsibilities. At the outset of the study, all ELL students took the same pretest individually. They then underwent orientation training appropriate to their groups. Over the course of the study, the students’ work was rated using the same rubric 10 times, one time per a week. At the conclusion of the study, all subjects took the same post-test individually. All instructional materials were accredited by the Jordanian Ministry of Education and the reliability and the validity of study instruments were ensured. The collected data was analyzed quantitatively using the independent samples t-test and one-way ANOVA. Results, limitations, and recommendations were discussed and interpreted in light of study’s purpose, questions, and hypotheses

Collaborative Concept Mapping: A Study of Group Work Satisfaction in Vocational Higher Education

Collaboration is gaining traction in today's educational environment. Thus, teachers' primary concern is assisting students in experiencing group knowledge collaboration. As online education continues to grow in popularity, there is an increasing need to promote and understand collaborative learning processes. Its success is contingent upon implementing online collaborative learning strategies that foster critical thinking abilities while also providing meaningful collaborative learning opportunities. Collaborative concept mapping is one tool that could be used to foster student collaboration. Rather than creating and visualizing ideas individually, collaborative concept mapping involves two or more students working collaboratively to create one or more concept maps. In collaborative learning, interactions between learners are critical sources of idea generation. The purpose of this study is to examine students’ satisfaction with implementing the strategy in Second Language Reading class. The recent study advances our understanding of how to effectively use collaborative teaching tools in the classroom and improve student learning through group collaboration. The study's findings indicate that students demonstrated positive attitudes toward group collaboration, as evidenced by collaborative concept mapping. In addition, the collaborative learning processes embedded in concept mapping learning platforms support and facilitate reading comprehension achievement, resulting in successful foreign language learning for higher education students. The interaction in collaborative concept mapping, lacking in individual concept mapping, has facilitated individual and group knowledge building. As a result, implementing this strategy may benefit both group and individual learning

A comparative study of the effect of collaborative problem solving in a massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) on individual achievement

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Collaborative trails in e-learning environments

This deliverable focuses on collaboration within groups of learners, and hence collaborative trails. We begin by reviewing the theoretical background to collaborative learning and looking at the kinds of support that computers can give to groups of learners working collaboratively, and then look more deeply at some of the issues in designing environments to support collaborative learning trails and at tools and techniques, including collaborative filtering, that can be used for analysing collaborative trails. We then review the state-of-the-art in supporting collaborative learning in three different areas – experimental academic systems, systems using mobile technology (which are also generally academic), and commercially available systems. The final part of the deliverable presents three scenarios that show where technology that supports groups working collaboratively and producing collaborative trails may be heading in the near future

Collaborative mind mapping to support online discussion in teacher education

Mind maps that combine text, images, colour and layout elements, have been widely used in classroom teaching to improve retention, knowledge organization and conceptual understanding. Furthermore, studies have shown the advantages of using mind-maps to facilitate collaborative learning. However, there are gaps in the literature regarding the use and study of collaborative mind-mapping in online learning settings. This integrated-article dissertation explores the implementation of online collaborative mind mapping activities in a mathematics teacher education program at a Canadian university. The studies were developed with participants enrolled in three different courses where at least two of the online activities used collaborative mind mapping for knowledge construction. Rather than prove the efficacy of a visual tool, as other studies have, this research provides an understanding of how the learning and knowledge construction process occurs when student interact with one another using a mind mapping tool. The set of articles contained in this dissertation answers to the questions: (1) What are the roles that collaborative mind mapping plays in the participants’ education as mathematics teachers? (2) What are the differences between student interaction in threaded forums and mind-maps? (3) How does online collaborative mind mapping enhance the aspects of engagement, representation, and expression in teacher education? (4) How can grounded theory methods be developed with sources of online multimodal data such as online mind mapping? (5) How do students interact and construct knowledge when they engage in online collaborative mind mapping? The research view is qualitative and uses a variety of descriptive case study, content analysis, and constructivist grounded theory methods. This dissertation provides insights into online collaborative knowledge construction when using collaborative mind-mapping and adds to the existing literature on online learning, especially concerning the use of visual, collaborative tools. It contains guidelines and suggestions to implement this type of learning experiences in other courses and/or other education levels

Effects of computer-supported collaboration script and incomplete concept maps on web design skills in an online design-based learning environment

Web design skills are an important component of media literacy. The aim of our study was to promote university students’ web design skills through online design-based learning (DBL). Combined in a 2x2-factorial design, two types of scaffolding were implemented in an online DBL environment to support the students through their effort to design, build, modify, and publish web sites on processes and outcomes measures, namely collaboration scripts and incomplete concept maps. The results showed that both treatments had positive effects on collaborative (content-related discourse quality, collaboration skills, and quality of published web sites) and individual (domain-specific knowledge and skills related to the design and building of websites) learning outcomes. There was synergism between the two scaffolds in that the combination of the collaboration script and incomplete concept maps produced the most positive results. To be effective, online DBL thus needs to be enhanced by appropriate scaffolds, and both collaboration scripts and incomplete concept maps are effective examples

Investigating 6th Graders' Use of a Tablet-Based App Supporting Synchronous Use of Multiple Tools Designed to Promote Collaborative Knowledge Building in Science.

At this pivotal moment in time, when the proliferation of mobile technologies in our daily lives is influencing the relatively fast integration of these technologies into classrooms, there is little known about the process of student learning, and the role of collaboration, with app-based learning environments on mobile devices. To address this gap, this dissertation, comprised of three manuscripts, investigated three pairs of sixth grade students’ synchronous collaborative use of a tablet-based science app called WeInvestigate. The first paper illustrated the methodological decisions necessary to conduct the study of student synchronous and face-to-face collaboration and knowledge building within the complex WeInvestigate and classroom learning environments. The second paper provided the theory of collaboration that guided the design of supports in WeInvestigate, and described its subsequent development. The third paper detailed the interactions between pairs of students as they engaged collaboratively in model construction and explanation tasks using WeInvestigate, hypothesizing connections between these interactions and the designed supports for collaboration. Together, these manuscripts provide encouraging evidence regarding the potential of teaching and learning with WeInvestigate. Findings demonstrated that the students in this study learned science through WeInvestigate, and were supported by the app - particularly the collabrification - to engage in collaborative modeling of phenomena. The findings also highlight the potential of the multiple methods used in this study to understand students’ face-to-face and technology-based interactions within the “messy” context of an app-based learning environment and a traditional K-12 classroom. However, as the third manuscript most clearly illustrates, there are still a number of modifications to be made to the WeInvestigate technology before it can be optimally used in classrooms to support students’ collaborative science endeavors. The findings presented in this dissertation contribute in theoretical, methodological, and applied ways to the fields of science education, educational technology, and the learning sciences, and point to exciting possibilities for future research on students’ collaborations using future iterations of WeInvestigate with more embedded supports; comparative studies of students’ use of synchronous collaboration; and studies focused on elucidating the role of the teacher using WeInvestigate - and similar mobile platforms - for teaching and learning.PhDEducational StudiesUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/116748/1/casher_1.pd