A dialogue model of the resolution of inter-individual conflicts : implications for computer based collaborative learning

As a result of empirical research into the benefits of peer interaction for learning and development, there is growing interest in designing systems to support collaborative learning. How best to do this for classroom learning is still unclear, and the aim of this thesis is to marry theory with empirical study to produce a set of guide-lines for informing the design of computer based collaborative learning.The resolution of inter-individual conflicts has long been proposed as a mechanism for learning in peer interaction and research indicates that in certain circumstances it does lead to learning. How this finding can be employed in the design of systems is problematic because researchers have typically not unpacked the notion of conflict and not explained how they are resolved.To overcome this a dialogue model of the resolution of inter-individual conflicts in joint planning is proposed. There are three key components in this model; the Task Representation, the Task Focus and the Dialogue focus. Using this model I begin to differentiate between three different types of conflict. Conflicts are caused by Task Representation Differences, Intersection Differences or Task Focus Differences . All three types of interindividual difference can be resolved with a set of discourse transactions and a set of internal resolution procedures. I propose that the resolution of all three can facilitate joint planning and subsequent individual planning.Three experiments are reported which investigate these claims. The first experiment shows that pairs performed better than individuals in a planning task and this beneficial effect carries over to subsequent individual planning. The proposed model is used to investigate this facilitative effect. A corpus of inter-individual conflicts is reported. Most of the conflicts identified in this corpus are either intersection differences or task focus differences and evidence is reported which supports the claim that their resolution can lead to learning. The second and third experiments investigate the claims made from the model about task representation differences and evidence was found to support them. The research reported in this thesis is then related to the design of software to support collaborative learning by presenting a set of guide-lines for informing their design. The work also has important implications for developmental psychology and classroom practice.

Activating Boxmind: an evaluation of a web‐based video lecture with synchronized activities

The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of synchronous computer‐mediated communication activities in a video e‐lecture. Previous research has reported that learning is facilitated when communication activities are added to a video lecture. Twelve postgraduate students participated in the study and they viewed a video e‐lecture on the perspective‐taking theory of communication. The lecture consisted of a video image of the lecturer, an audio track, slides, the transcript and a number of communication activities. They were given a pre‐test a week before the lecture and a post‐test a week after. They were also asked to rate the helpfulness of various aspects of the lecture. Students’ post‐test scores were statistically significantly higher than their pre‐test scores. They found the audio track, transcript, slides and activities helpful. The most helpful aspects were the communication activities. The implications of these findings are discussed

Game-Based Learning in Engineering Education

The new generation of undergraduates entering UK higher education have grown up with computer games of ever increasing sophistication. In this educational project a race game, Racing Academy, was developed to investigate how game technology and gaming communities could enhance undergraduate engineering education. The computer game embodied the principles of engineering dynamics to simulate and display in real time a car drag race in which students ‘designed’ their car by selecting an engine, tyres and gearbox from a set menu. The aim was to complete a set course in the minimum time and graphically display the dynamic performance in order to better understand the engineering system. The students and staff involved in this project provided extensive feedback on the exercise and identified the visual nature of game-based learning software as a positive feature that helped illustrate engineering dynamics. Game-based learning communities, organised around tutor groups, were seen as an excellent way of encouraging an element of competition in a small non-threatening environment while discussion forums based around Moodle provided efficient support for the large group of 160 students. Finally, learning through ‘doing’ in a game environment was proven to be a successful method of illustrating physical phenomena

Is seeing believing? The effects of virtual reality on young children’s understanding of possibility and impossibility

This study explored the effects of virtual reality on young children’s understanding of possibility and impossibility. It involved four-year-old children (30 boys and 30 girls) who were randomly allocated to a virtual reality group, a video group, or a picture book group. Each child was individually presented with three impossible and three matched possible events using their assigned medium. After each event, children were asked whether it was possible in real life and why/why not. Children in the VR group were more likely to correctly judge the possibility of possible events than children in the video group and they were more likely to incorrectly judge the possibility of impossible events than children in the video group. Furthermore, they were more likely to correctly judge the possibility of possible events than impossible events. The results suggest that virtual reality affects four-year-old children’s understanding of possibility and impossibility. Practical implications of these findings are discussed.</p

Effects of primer podcasts on stimulating learning from lectures: How do students engage?

A number of factors can influence learning from lectures such as students’ prior knowledge, their motivation, the instructional design, the lecturer and so forth. Instructional aid techniques such as preparing class notes, giving quizzes (either planned or spot quizzes) and the like can be used to maximise learning. This study uses two welldocumented tools for learning from text—advance organisers and higher order questions— adapted for use with podcasts. Student evaluations of their experience of being primed for lectures with podcasts are described. The findings show that audio advance organisers and questions experienced by students have a positive influence on learning, because they help students bridge the conceptual distance between new and prior knowledge, better understand the topics in the lectures and stimulate thinking more deeply about the lecture’s content and the possible applications of the subject of the lectur

Racing Academy: A preliminary evaluation of an online racing car simulation game for supporting students learning of engineering

This paper reports a study which evaluates an online racing car simulation game designed to support undergraduate students learning. A game based learning community was created to support undergraduate students learning of engineering at the University of Bath. One hundred and sixty one students (146 males and 15 females), aged between 18 and 22, average age 18, participated in the study. The results indicated that there was a significant increase in the students’ knowledge of engineering. They also felt that Racing Academy was motivating. They found it enjoyable, they felt competent playing the game and they put effort into the game. The analysis of the qualitative data is ongoing and will be focussed on investigating whether the students felt that Racing Academy helped their learning. Preliminary analysis suggests that the students did feel that Racing Academy supported their learning, but that further work is needed to fully embed Racing Academy into the course

Loosely coupled web representations: a REST service and JavaScript wrapper for sharing web-based visual representations

This paper presents the design and application of a web service architecture for providing shared access to web-based visual representations, such as dynamic models, simulations and visualizations. The Shared Representations (SR) system was created to facilitate the development of collaborative and co-operative learning activities over the web, and has been applied to provide shared group access to: a high-resolution image viewer, a virtual petrological microscope, and a forces and motion spring simulation. As well as explaining the architecture and three applications, we briefly present the findings from a user study looking at primary school children’s use of a shared spring simulation. The study findings indicate that shared access to a web-based simulation complements exploratory discussion and enables learners to demonstrate their understanding of a subject. Future work will explore how the system can be combined with dialogic support and embedded in activities to encourage learners with contrasting opinions to discuss and resolve their differing perspectives