Scaffolding student online discussions using past discussions: PedaBot studies

We are developing instructional tools that will help students and instructors use discussion boards more effectively, with an emphasis on automatically assessing discussion activities and promoting student discussion participation and learning. In this paper, we present a discussion scaffolding tool that exploits natural language processing and information retrieval techniques. The PedaBot tool is designed to aid student knowledge acquisition, promote reflection about course topics and encourage student participation in discussions. It dynamically processes student discussions and presents related discussions and document from a knowledge base of past discussions and course materials. This paper describes the system and presents a comparative analysis of the information retrieval techniques used to respond to free-form student discussions, including a combination of topic profiling, term frequency-inverse document frequency, and latent semantic analysis. Responses are presented as annotated links that students can follow and rate for usefulness. The tool has been integrated into a live discussion board and has been used by an undergraduate computer science course for three semesters. We report current studies of PedaBot from its usages based on student viewings, student ratings, and a small survey. Initial results indicate that there is a high level of student interest in the feature and that its responses are moderately relevant to student discussions. We are exploring more opportunities to exposing the tool to students.     

Use of blogs in pre-service teacher education to improve student engagement

Web 2.0 technologies allow average computer users to be able to publish on the Internet without having to know complex computer technical knowledge, which gives these technologies powerful potential to facilitate student engagement in various learning environments. However, a knowledge gap exists in the literature related to factors affecting student engagement with Web 2.0 technologies. The purpose of this study is to understand factors affecting student engagement in a pre-service teacher education program that uses blogs to expand in-class discussions about technology integration. First year pre-service teachers in a mathematics education department participated in the study. Data were collected with a survey that was developed to measure student engagement with blog use. Results show that student motivation, reasons to use blog in the course, and level of challenge perceived by the students affect students' engagement with blog use. Gender and technical ability of students do not impact students' engagement. As a result, blogs can be utilized to expand in-class discussions equally well for all students.     

Towards identifying unresolved discussions in student online forums

Online discussion is a popular form of web-based computer-mediated communication and is a dominant medium for cyber communities in areas of information sharing, customer support and distributed education. Automatic tools for analyzing online discussions are highly desirable for better information management and assistance. For example, a summary of student Q&A discussions or unresolved questions can help the instructor assess student dialogue efficiently, which can lead to better instructor guidance for student learning by discussion. This paper presents an approach for classifying student discussions according to a set of discourse structures, and identifying discussions with confusion or unanswered questions. Inspired by the existing spoken dialogue analysis approaches, we first define a set of forum “speech acts” (F-SAs) that represent roles that individual messages play in threaded Q&A discussions, such as questions, raising issues, and answers. We then model discourse structures in discussion threads using the F-SAs, such as whether a question was replied to with an answer. Finally, we use such discourse structures in classifying and identifying discussions with unanswered questions or unresolved issues. We performed an analysis of the discussion thread classifiers and the system showed accuracies from 0.79 to 0.87 on several discussion classification problems. This analysis of human conversation via online discussions provides a basis for development of future information extraction and intelligent assistance techniques for online discussions.     

Fuzzy fusion for attending and responding assessment system of affective teaching goals in distance learning

Teachers can handle learning situations during activities in peer-to-peer classes, and assess student achievements associated with teaching goals in the affective domain. In distance learning, teachers cannot directly observe student states and assess achievement concurrently. Many distance education studies adopted frequency of interaction as the basis of student participation when assessing the student achievements in class. However, the number of times a student interacts is not equal to discussion quality. Although synchronous discussions during class can help teachers assess learning states, these discussions are not suited to all courses. If a teacher can supervise student images from computer’s webcam and observe student status, the teacher can assess achievement accurately. Image processing technology can be applied in an assessment system in distance learning, student states can be observed and these observational results can be combined with behavior detection to help teachers assess student achievement in terms of teaching goals in the affective domain.This study had analyzed the theory and method of assessing affective domain teaching goals. The assessment system had been implemented and simulated using image processing technology and records to analyze student achievement of attending and responding stages with a class period, via fuzzy logic and a fuzzy integral. Simulation results indicate that this assessment system can accurately assess student achievement in terms of attending and responding stages of affective domain teaching goals.     

Developing Metadiscourse: Building Mathematical Discussions in an Urban Elementary Classroom

Abstract

This study aims to understand an effective model of mathematical meaning-making in classrooms with a majority of Latina/o English learners. This analysis is grounded in the cultural–historical ideas that learning is mediated through organized activity and learners show greater awareness of problem-solving strategies through metadiscourse practices. In particular, we focus on the use of discussion builder stems and OK/Pitfall stories to mediate discussions and develop metacognitive awareness for English learners.     

The interplay between learning and the use of ICT in Rwandan student teachers' everyday practice

The paper describes a study conducted in Rwanda involving 12 participants selected from a larger cohort of 24 final-year university students who were part of a group-based training programme. The programme was about how to search, retrieve, and use web-based literature. Empirical data were collected through interviews and focus group discussions. The purpose was to explore ways of using information and communication technology (ICT) in student teachers' everyday learning practice. The study draws from a sociocultural perspective and emphasis is put on a literature review involving ICT in teacher education. The findings reveal that utilization of ICT pertains to three major types of variation among student teachers who use ICT: passive, reluctant, and active users. The active ICT users demonstrated a capacity to cross group boundaries and play a central role as agents of change in learning practice. The point is that more experienced student teachers can assist their colleagues in the zone of proximal development and, therefore, enhance the integration of the new technology in teacher education. This implies that having access to ICT together with some instruction is not sufficient to prompt students to start using this technology as a pedagogical tool. Moreover, confrontation of different experiences regarding the use of ICT can spearhead change in student teachers' learning practice through critical reflection.     

Blended Learning to Increase Student Satisfaction: An Exploratory Study

Undergraduate nursing research courses are often difficult to teach due to the challenging content and lack of student satisfaction. To address this issue, two nursing instructors and a librarian embedded online discussions into an accelerated format, introductory nursing research course. The study was conducted over two semesters with two different instructors. The researchers investigated if using the blended learning strategy of discussion boards enhanced the learning experience and tested their theory with two measures: a weekly qualitative questionnaire and a post-study survey. Results suggested that asynchronous online discussions increased student satisfaction in introductory nursing research course work.     

Collaborative learning as a collective competence when students use the potential of meaning in asynchronous dialogues

The aim of this study is to examine and to describe how student teachers engaged in courses in web-based learning environments over a period of 40-weeks develop a collective competence to collaborate. The collective competence of collaboration is defined as the level of learning ability a group of students express when using dialogues as a tool for their own and other’s learning in a web-based learning environment. The students’ contributions to the course assignments, the group responses and the collaborative discussions and dialogues were analysed and interpreted based on Bakhtin’s and Rommetveit’s theories on dialogic interactions and meaning potentials. The results describe three different levels at which students use dialogues as a tool for learning when they collaborate within the group.     

“Telling tales”: Stories,metaphors and tacit knowledge at the fuzzy front‐end of NPD

Breakthrough ideas depend upon the generation of new knowledge, which emerge from the conversion of tacit knowledge at the fuzzy front‐end (FFE) of new product development (NPD). The occurrence of stories and metaphors has been strongly linked to tacit knowledge, however, empirical studies that examine how stories and metaphors harness tacit knowledge in the FFE are lacking. In addition, how managers can use stories and metaphors to develop breakthrough product ideas is unclear. To address these gaps, an ‘in‐situ’ empirical case study was conducted in the European subsidiary of a B2C multinational. This study investigated the role, characteristics and interplay of stories and metaphors emerging in discussions between managers and customers in a collaborative design workshop (CDW). Taking a knowledge management theoretical perspective, the data were analyzed using the well‐known SECI framework. The results clearly show that significant new knowledge was created based on the discussions in a CDW and stories and metaphors were important mechanisms for this. Importantly, it was stories related to product usage that triggered breakthrough ideas. The study extends the understanding of how breakthrough ideas emerge; it proposes a tentative conceptual framework; and it provides managers with recommendations of how to use stories and metaphors effectively during the FFE.     

The aesthetic in mathematics as story

Abstract

Human cognition is story based. We think in terms of stories; we understand the world in terms of stories that we have already understood; we learn by living and accommodating new stories; and we define ourselves through the stories we tell ourselves. In this paper we conceptualize mathematical engagement as aesthetic and place it within the context of mathematics as story. We imagine mathematics teaching and learning experiences as stories acted out on an educational stage. We consider what types of teacher and student roles make good mathematical stories and make a classroom story worth living and discuss the roles the aesthetic may play within such stories. We contend that mathematics is an aesthetic and a storied experience. In this paper we explore the interplay between what is anaesthetic mathematics experience and what is a good mathematics story. We do this in the context of a mathematical applet, namely the Colour Calculator (Sinclair, 2001), and in the context of our research into the mathematical and pedagogical thinking of elementary mathematics teachers. In the end, we suggest that it is redundant to use both aesthetic and story to describe the mathematics experience, as stories are aesthetic in nature. First, however, we discuss what we mean by aesthetic and by story.     

Why observing a dialogue may benefit learning

Abstract The Vicarious Learner project is investigating the fundamental role of dialogue for learning. More specifically, the project is exploring the benefits to learners of being able to observe others participating in discussion. Such opportunities are becoming fewer with the proliferation of computer-based courses and distance learning, as well as growing student numbers. This paper presents the theoretical aspects of the work. A high-level ‘process model’ of learning is presented and then a more detailed model of what happens in educational dialogues. This ‘logic model’ of dialogue breaks discussions into two parts: the introduction of new premises and the derivation of new premises by the application of rules of reasoning in the domain. It is argued that in ordinary conversation the first aspect dominates while in educational dialogues, many misunderstandings arise from the need for more emphasis on explicit demonstration of use of rules.     

Contextual perspective in analysing collaborative knowledge construction of two small groups in web-based discussion

This paper presents a methodology designed to explore the role of context in collaborative knowledge construction activity in asynchronous web-based discussion. The discussions of two student groups participating in a web-based teacher education course were compared. The comparison aimed to highlight the differences and similarities between the groups’ knowledge construction activity through studying the thematic structure, communicative functions and contextual resources used in their discussions. The results indicated that the different backgrounds of the two student groups influenced the way context was created and interpreted, and how meanings were negotiated. The differences and similarities between the groups’ activity illuminated the situated and mediated nature of learning. The possibilities of the methodology used in this study for evaluating collaborative knowledge construction in context are also discussed.     

It is about timing: Network prestige in asynchronous online discussions

Asynchronous online discussions are broadly used to support social learning. This paper reports on an undergraduate class's online discussion activities over one semester. Applying social network analysis, this study revealed a participation gap among students reflected by their varied levels of network prestige. The low‐prestige group initiated equivalent volumes of interactions but were less reciprocated. In‐depth analysis found the high‐prestige group also advantageous in other network measures such as closeness centrality and eigenvector centrality, as well as the strength, persistence, and reciprocity of their ties. To probe potential explanations of the revealed gap, we further contrasted post content and posting behaviours between two groups. Results did not identify any significant differences in post content but found low‐prestige students' participation less timely and more temporally compressed. This paper calls for attention to the participation gap in online discussions, microlevel temporal patterns of student activities, and practical means to scaffold student participation in asynchronous online discussions.     

When to jump in: The role of the instructor in online discussion forums

As asynchronous discussion forums become more prevalent in online and flexible-delivery modes of teaching, understanding the role that instructors play in student learning in these forums becomes an important issue. Whether the instructor chooses to lead discussions or to keep a low profile can affect student participation in surprising ways. In this study, we investigate how instructor participation rates, the timing of instructor postings (during or at the end of a forum) and nature of their postings (questions, answers or a mix of the two) relate to student participation and perception.     

Elements and implications of a hypertext pedagogy

This paper describes elements of a pedagogy for writing hypertext stories in year eight classes in secondary schools. Over a period of 18 months, 100 students in three schools completed handwritten and hypertext stories. The pedagogical elements identified include the use of pictures in hypertexts, collaboration, screen-based writing, non-linear writing and student oral presentations of hypertext stories with an LCD projector. Some future trends in students' hypertext writing research are identified. The paper argues that the teaching practices described challenge accepted notions of teaching.     

Using learning methodologies and resources in the development of critical thinking competency: An exploratory study in a virtual learning environment

This study aims to design and implement new learning methodologies and resources that seek to advance the development and assessment of one of the fundamental students’ competencies from any Business Administration Degree, such as critical thinking, that is, this is an exploratory study on computing for human learning, specifically, learning of key competencies for business. We are going to use audiovisual case methodology through the use of short film clips, usually real stories, to help students understand the practical implications of theoretical concepts explained in the classroom. A theoretical model test uses data from 32 business students from the Open University of Catalonia. The first results show positive attitudes toward a new technological resource ‘audio-visual cases’. They indicate that the use of this tool can improve the comprehension of a problem and its origins and, at the same time, stimulate learning. In addition, this tool helps to develop critical thinking competency. This study offers important contributions to an e-learning environment and their applicability to the workplace, since it is the first type of research about the impact of audiovisual cases in the acquisition of critical thinking competency. Furthermore, this methodology promotes collaborative learning.     

Making hypertext lecture notes more interactive: undergraduate reactions

One hundred and eighty five undergraduates were resourced with hypertext lecture support documents that were readable with Internet browsers located throughout their campus. The materials included both a bulletin board facility and an email launcher. These features offered learners a more interactive engagement. Usage patterns and student attitudes to this resource were derived from system logs, questionnaires and focus group discussions. The materials were very popular but their study was assimilated to traditional patterns of paper‐based learning. No significant use was made of the interactive features. Findings are interpreted in relation to the resilience of established cultures of communication and study within higher education.     

EcoMOBILE: Integrating augmented reality and probeware with environmental education field trips

Positioned in the context of situated learning theory, the EcoMOBILE project combines an augmented reality (AR) experience with use of environmental probeware during a field trip to a local pond environment. Activities combining these two technologies were designed to address ecosystem science learning goals for middle school students, and aid in their understanding and interpretation of water quality measurements. The intervention was conducted with five classes of sixth graders from a northeastern school district as a pilot study for the larger EcoMOBILE project, and included pre-field trip training, a field trip to a local pond environment, and post-field trip discussions in the classroom.During the field experience, students used mobile wireless devices with FreshAiR™, an augmented reality application, to navigate the pond environment and to observe virtual media and information overlaid on the physical pond. This AR experience was combined with probeware, in that students collected water quality measurements at designated AR hotspots during the experience. We studied the characteristics of learning and instruction using measures of student attitudes, content learning gains, and opinions teachers provided via written and verbal feedback. We observed gains in student affective measures and content understanding following the intervention. Teachers reported that the combined technologies promoted student interaction with the pond and with classmates in a format that was student-centered rather than teacher-directed. Teachers also reported that students demonstrated deeper understanding of the principles of water quality measurement than was typical on prior field trips without these technologies and that students had expanded opportunities to engage in activities that resemble scientific practice. Overall, results of the students' surveys and teacher feedback suggest that there are multiple benefits to using this suite of technologies for teaching and for learning.     

Developing Engagement in the Learning Management System Supported by Learning Analytics

Learning analytics is an emerging technique of analysing student participation and engagement. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has significantly increased the role of learning management systems (LMSs). LMSs previously only complemented face-to-face teaching, something which has not been possible between 2019 to 2020. To date, the existing body of literature on LMSs has not analysed learning in the context of the pandemic, where an LMS serves as the only interface between students and instructors. Consequently, productive results will remain elusive if the key factors that contribute towards engaging students in learning are not first identified. Therefore, this study aimed to perform an extensive literature review with which to design and develop a student engagement model for holistic involvement in an LMS. The required data was collected from an LMS that is currently utilised by a local Malaysian university. The model was validated by a panel of experts as well as discussions with students. It is our hope that the result of this study will help other institutions of higher learning determine factors of low engagement in their respective LMSs.