Guiding knowledge communication in CSCL via group knowledge awareness

Computer-mediated collaboration is not in and of itself a beneficial setting for learning. Environments for computer-mediated collaboration need to trigger learning-productive interactions. In this paper, we propose to implement tools providing group knowledge awareness (GKA), i.e., information about collaborators’ knowledge. GKA is typically restricted in CSCL environments. A GKA tool visualizing self-assessed learner knowledge, their partner’s self-assessed knowledge, and thus the distribution of knowledge, was studied in a computer-mediated collaborative learning scenario. Thirty-eight dyads were randomly assigned to either the GKA condition (GKA tool) or a control condition (only learner’s own knowledge was visualized). Results show that the GKA tool guided learners in their collaboration and, more specifically, in designing their communicative acts. Depending on the self- vs. partner-oriented purpose of the communicative act, the learner’s own vs. the partner’s knowledge guided communication. Guided communication was a mechanism for perceived learning gains and perceived knowledge convergence. A knowledge test failed to reveal a significant difference between the GKA and the control condition. In this paper, we will discuss characteristics of GKA tools and their impact on collaboration.     

Facilitating peer knowledge modeling: Effects of a knowledge awareness tool on collaborative learning outcomes and processes

We report an empirical study where we investigated the effects, on the collaborative outcomes and processes, of a cognition-related awareness tool providing learners with cues about their peer’s level of prior knowledge. Sixty-four university students participated in a remote computer-mediated dyadic learning scenario. Co-learners were provided (or not) with a visual representation of their peer’s level of prior knowledge through what we refer to as a knowledge awareness tool (KAT). The results show that, providing co-learners with objective cues about the level of their peer’s prior knowledge positively impacts learning outcomes. In addition, this effect seems to be mediated by the fact that co-learners provided with these objective cues become more accurate in estimating their partner’s knowledge - accuracy that predicts higher outcomes. Analyses on the process level of the verbal interactions indicate that the KAT seems to sensitize co-learners to the fragile nature of their partner’s as well as their own prior knowledge. The beneficial effect of the KAT seems to mainly rely on this induction of epistemic uncertainty that implicitly triggers compensation socio-cognitive strategies; strategies that appear to be beneficial to the learning process.     

Exploring gender and gender pairing in the knowledge elaboration processes of students using computer-supported collaborative learning

The aim of the study is to investigate the influence of gender and gender pairing on students’ learning performances and knowledge elaboration processes in Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL). A sample of ninety-six secondary school students, participated in a two-week experiment. Students were randomly paired and asked to solve several moderately structured problems concerning Newtonian mechanics. Students’ pretest and posttest performances were analyzed to see whether students’ gender and the gender pairing (mixed or single-gender) were significant factors in their problem solving learning in CSCL. Students’ online interactions were also analyzed to unravel the dynamic process of individual knowledge elaboration. The multilevel analyses revealed that a divergent pattern of knowledge elaboration was a significant predictor for students’ learning achievement, and in mixed-gender dyads students’ knowledge elaboration processes were more inclined to diverge from each other. Moreover, females in single-gender dyads significantly outperformed females in mixed-gender dyads. But this was not the case for male students.     

协同学习环境中的嵌套式知识空间模型及实现

针对传统协同学习系统中普遍存在着学习材料组织混乱、学习工具隔离使用和感知处理困难等问题，本文提出了嵌套式知识空间模型，该模型包含知识域、知识域之间的包含关系、相关关系、拟序关系和并行关系以及知识空间等概念。根据此模型建立的协同学习系统中，可将学习材料及学习工具和学生的学习过程有机的整合在一起，提高学生的学习效果。另外本文还给出了描述此模型的具体数据结构和相关算法，并开发了相应的工具给教师进行模型管理。     

Beyond threaded discussion: Representational guidance in asynchronous collaborative learning environments

Although most online learning environments are predominately text based, researchers have argued that representational support for the conceptual structure of a problem would address problems of coherence and convergence that have been shown to be associated with threaded discussions and more effectively support collaborative knowledge construction. The study described in this paper sets out to investigate the merits of knowledge mapping representations as an adjunct to or replacement for threaded discussion in problem solving by asynchronously communicating dyads. Results show that users of knowledge maps created more hypotheses earlier in the experimental sessions and elaborated on them more than users of threaded discussions. Participants using knowledge maps were more likely to converge on the same conclusion and scored significantly higher on post-test questions that required integration of information distributed across dyads in a hidden profile design, suggesting that there was greater collaboration during the session. These results were most consistent when a knowledge map with embedded notes was the primary means of interaction rather than when it augmented a threaded discussion.     

Tacit guidance for collaborative multimedia learning

Collaborative multimedia learning is a scenario placing various demands on the learners that go beyond understanding complex issues and coordinating a learning discourse. On the one hand, individuals have to mentally interrelate multiple external representations in order to understand the learning material and the underlying concepts; on the other hand, during collaboration, learners have to use the differently coded information in order to exchange conceptual knowledge. In this paper, the development and experimental evaluation of a group awareness tool (collaborative integration tool) is presented that is intended to simultaneously support both individual and collaborative learning processes during dyadic collaborative multimedia learning. The tool was experimentally compared with an integration task that already proved to foster meaningful individual learning processes. The results suggest that providing group awareness can lead to better individual learning gains by reducing demanding processes and by tacitly guiding learner interactions.     

The effect of asymmetrical body-mass distribution on the stability and dynamics of quadruped bounding

The effect of asymmetrical body-mass distribution on the stability and dynamics of two-degree-of-freedom quadruped bounding in place is investigated in this study. An analytical stability criterion for bounding of quadrupeds with asymmetrical mass distribution is developed. Bounding is found to be passively stable in the Hamiltonian sense when the dimensionless pitch moment of inertia of the body is less than 1-/spl beta//sup 2/, where /spl beta/ is a dimensionless measure of the asymmetry. The criterion is derived under the assumptions of infinite leg stiffness and no energy loss. With energy dissipation modeled as linear damping in the legs, simulation results show that the criterion is independent of the value of leg stiffness and a conservative estimate of the critical inertia value. Body symmetry appears to be more favorable to stable bounding than asymmetry, but only slightly so in practicality. The results show that asymmetry offers some advantages when the dynamic characteristics of bounding are compared for symmetrical and asymmetrical models. Lower stride frequency, larger vertical displacement, and smaller duty factor are obtained with this more animal-like model.     

同源数据的协同挖掘算法研究

围绕知识管理和提高数据挖掘模型的可解释性问题展开研究,提出了采用协同挖掘的方法对同源数据进行模式评估和知识管理的CMA算法(Collaborative Mining Algorithm)。与集成学习产生同一类型知识规则的组合学习方式不同,协同挖掘在同源数据的基础上建立不同类型的学习模型,并且每类学习模型产生的知识规则的表现形式各不相同,通过比对学习形成了一致的知识规则。实验表明,协同挖掘可以有效发现数据中的隐含信息,提高知识管理的性能。     

Users’ attitudes toward Web-based collaborative learning systems for knowledge management

The Web-based technology is a potential tool for supported collaborative learning that may enrich learning performance, such as individual knowledge construction or group knowledge sharing. Thus, understanding Web-based collaborative learning for knowledge management is a critical issue. The present study is to investigate learners’ attitudes toward Web-based collaborative learning systems. Based on this research, the results of factor analysis show that five attitude factors (system functions, system satisfaction, collaborative activities, learners’ characteristics, and system acceptance) should be examined at the same time when building a Web-based collaborative learning system. The results also provide an acceptance model for understanding users’ behavioral intention of facilitating Web-based collaborative systems.     

协同学习环境中的嵌套式知识空间模型和感知处理

为使协同学习环境能提供合理的学习导航和灵活的感知处理,提出了嵌套式知识空间模型,其中包含知识域、知识域之间的4种关系和知识空间等．根据该模型建立的协同学习环境,可以对系统中的文档资料进行有效的组织和管理,帮助学习者找到学习目标以及所需的资料进行学习．为了消除用户在远程协同学习环境中的“孤独感”,在嵌套式知识空间模型的基础上,提出了协同学习环境中的多级感知处理模型．它包括两种感知方式：多层感知空间方式和定制监测方式．此外在感知处理模型中,为用户提供了信息过滤器和隐私保护器,可有效地进行信息过滤和隐私保护．     

Group awareness in CSCL environments

Group awareness is an emerging topic in research on computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL). It covers the knowledge and perception of behavioral, cognitive, and social context information on a group or its members. A central aim of CSCL-related research on group awareness is the development of tools that implicitly guide learners’ behavior, communication, and reflection by the presentation of information on a learning partner or a group. This special issue comprises six empirical contributions and a concluding discussion that present a broad spectrum of current research on this topic including behavioral, cognitive and social group awareness. An introductory outline of how group awareness is formed, processed and translated in action along the contributions is intended to integrate the diverse research activities on group awareness in CSCL environments.     

一种基于知识点结构的分布式协同学习一致性模型分析

现代远程教育是基于互联网和终端实现教学活动,协同学习是提高远程学习效能感的重要方式,需要深入研究基于协同学习语义的一致性维护、协同感知等关键技术,以达到足够高效的、自然的互动化及个性化学习。提出一种远程教育特点下协同学习的一致性模型及算法分析,在此模型基础上,形成基于知识点结构的特有的操作转换算法来保持一致性。     

A framework for collaboration moderator services to support knowledge based collaboration

Knowledge sharing is a major challenge for collaborative networks and is essential to improve the productivity and quality of decisions taken by both collaborative networks and their member organisations. A critical aspect of effective knowledge sharing within virtual organizations (VOs) is the identification of the most appropriate knowledge for reuse or exploitation in a particular context, as this requires efficient tools and mechanisms for its identification, sharing or transfer. Additionally, partners need to be aware of when knowledge needs to be shared, the implications of doing so and when their decisions are likely to affect other partners within the collaboration. Therefore, tools and methods are needed for identification, acquisition, maintenance and evolution of knowledge and to support effective knowledge sharing which includes awareness of possible consequences of actions and increased awareness of other partner’s needs during the collaboration. The Collaboration Moderator Services (CMS) are designed to address these issues relating to knowledge based collaboration by providing a set of functionalities to raise users’ awareness of opportunities, problem areas and lessons learnt from and during collaborations. This paper presents the system architecture and specifications of the CMS within the context of the SYNERGY system, whose purpose is to offer interoperable service utilities to help enterprises plan, setup and run complex knowledge collaborations. The CMS are designed to support both individual organizations and collaborations as a whole throughout the VO lifecycle and the different functionalities provided by CMS to achieve this are discussed in this paper.     

Designing computer support for collaborative visual learning in the domain of computer programming

Collaborative learning of visual information with computers can be particularly beneficial for acquiring complex and abstract knowledge. This article describes a computer-supported collaborative visual learning environment called TurtleGraph that was designed to assist learners in capturing the concept of recursion as well as recursive programming skills. In this distributed learning environment, students were requested to collaborate with their partners to write LISP-LOGO recursive programs in order to solve geometric pattern drawing problems. The instructional aim of the TurtleGraph collaborative visual learning environment was to foster active knowledge processes through collaborative work that helps learners make their strategic thinking more explicit and induce more reflective thoughts, and also helps them be more critical in evaluating and interpreting the adequacy of their knowledge.     

Perceptions and experiences of,and outcomes for,university students in culturally diversified dyads in a computer-supported collaborative learning environment

The introduction of computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL), specifically into intercultural learning environments, mirrors the largely internet-based and intercultural workplace of many professionals. This paper utilized a mixed methods approach to examine differences between students’ perceptions of collaborative learning, their reported learning experiences, and learning outcomes when they collaborated in a CSCL environment working with a culturally similar or dissimilar partner. Culturally diverse student dyads worked together to perform an online learning task in the domain of life sciences. Our sample of 120 BSc and MSc students was comprised of 56 Dutch and 64 international students, representing 26 countries. The results showed that students from an individualist cultural background had a more negative perception of collaborative learning than did students with a collectivist background, regardless of group composition. For women, working in a culturally similar dyad consisting of students from an individualist cultural background resulted in a more negative perception of collaborative learning than did working in this type of group for men or women working in a culturally similar dyad consisting of students from a collectivist cultural background. Students from an individualist cultural background achieved better learning outcomes than did students with a collectivist background, regardless of group composition. These findings suggest that cultural background adds an important dimension to collaborative learning, which requires students to manage collaboration that is not only virtual but also intercultural.     

基于ANP-DEA-GRA的协同创新合作伙伴选择

合作伙伴选择是协同创新复杂的合作关系以及战略性新兴产业市场正常有效运行的重要前提。以战略性新兴产业与科研机构的协同创新需求为研究背景,按照合作伙伴选择原则,建立基于“投入能力-协同度-产出能力”框架的协同创新合作伙伴选择评价体系,并提出了一种新的网络层次分析（Analytic Network Process）,数据包络分析（Data Envelopment Analysis）和灰色关联度分析（Grey Relational Analysis）混合方法,称为ANP-DEA-GRA三阶段评价模型,该方法能利用各方法的优势,实现多指标、多方案的综合排序。分析了基于协同创新人力资源能力、财力资源能力、设备资源能力的投入能力指标,协同意愿、协同沟通能力的协同度指标,协同创新直接产出能力、经济产出能力的产出能力指标后,运用网络层次分析得出了各指标的优先级,从而筛选出对目标影响程度高的评价指标,然后计算合作伙伴协同创新能力的相对效率值和灰色关联度,实现对备选合作伙伴进行合理有效的排序。结果显示,构建的ANP-DEA-GRA三阶段评价模型既能够帮助企业择优合作伙伴,从源头上降低协同创新的风险;又能对协同创新合作伙伴进行效率评估,对其发现自身不足创造了条件,并为其提供了发展标杆。     

Facilitating application of language skills in authentic environments with a mobile learning system

We uncovered two critical issues in earlier studies: (a) some studies have shown that mobile learning technology is not beneficial for all students due to complexity of learning environments and student prior knowledge, skills, and experience and (b) familiarity of students with the authentic environments in which they learn using mobile technology did not receive much attention in earlier studies. To address these issues, we designed three learning tasks for a class of 26 junior high school students. The students applied language skills by completing the tasks in authentic environments individually in a first task, loosely collaborating with peers in a second task, and tightly collaborating with peers in a third task. A mobile learning system was also designed in this study to support students to accomplish the tasks. The aim of this study was to explore students' learning experiences using the learning system, their perceptions towards the system, and to assess how differently the students perform on the three tasks. According to our design, in the first task, the students took pictures of objects and described them orally or in writing using the mobile learning system. In the second task, after the students completed assignments, each student received comments from a partner through the system. In comments, the partner indicated flaws in student assignments and suggested how to fix them. In the third task, the students completed assignments, shared them using the system, and then exchanged comments with their partners face to face regarding issues related to their completed assignments and suggested how to improve them. Such learning behaviours in the three tasks enabled the students to practise writing and speaking skills. Our results demonstrate that most of the students highly valued our learning system and intend to use it in the future. Furthermore, the results show that the students performed best when they collaborated; namely, student performance was enhanced the most after the third task that required tight collaboration. Based on our results, we learned that students' familiarity with authentic environments is very important and beneficial for their learning. In addition, we learned that even in complex environment, less skilled and experienced students with low prior knowledge can perform well when they tightly collaborate with more skilled and experienced students with high prior knowledge, and our learning system can facilitate such collaboration.