Computer-mediated Learning Environments Research Articles

Impact of reading messages on student learning and note‐taking during a video lecture

AbstractBackgroundMany instructors transitioned their courses from face‐to‐face environments to computer‐mediated learning environments (CMLEs) following the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic. However, little was known about how teleconferencing platforms and their corresponding functions affect student learning when the COVID‐19 pandemic began.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to provide more clarity on the conditions through which online teleconferencing platforms influence student achievement. More specifically, this study investigated how displaying lecture‐relevant and lecture‐irrelevant messages in a chat box during a video lecture delivered via the Zoom teleconferencing platform affected student learning and note taking.MethodsParticipants viewed the video lecture either with (relevant or irrelevant) or without messages appearing in the chat box of the Zoom window. Participants completed a learning test immediately following the lecture.Results and ConclusionsNo difference regarding student achievement was observed between the three groups. However, results revealed that students in the relevant‐lecture messages group reported a higher extraneous cognitive load than the other groups even if they reported positive attitudes about the messages appearing on the chat box. Students in the lecture‐relevant group also recorded more notes during the lecture compared to the two other groups, but this result did not reach significance. This study extends previous research that investigated how messaging influences learning in classroom settings. Findings suggest that allowing relevant discussions is not the best strategy to promote learning in CMLEs as this information seems to compete with the other relevant information being presented during the ongoing lecture.

UNLEASHING THE POWER OF COMPUTER-MEDIATED ANONYMOUS PEER FEEDBACK IN ENHANCING SELF-REGULATED LEARNING

Students were expected to employ self-regulated learning (SRL) skills to take control of their learning in computer-mediated learning environments during emergency remote teaching (ERT). Considering its importance, it is a must to foster SRL through various practices in English writing classes. Peer feedback is practical in that it enables students to monitor their writing, foster SRL skills, and facilitate learning. Therefore, the study aimed to explore the impact of computer-mediated anonymous peer feedback on students’ SRL skills and find out students’ experiences of giving and receiving feedback. Employing a quasi-experimental design, the study used an online SRL scale and reflective journals for data collection from preparatory school students. The data were analyzed using paired samples t-test and coding of the reflective journals. Results demonstrated that computer-mediated anonymous peer feedback significantly improved the SRL skills of students. Moreover, students stated that reviewing peers’ papers and making self-evaluations helped them improve their linguistic performance. However, it was found challenging to trust the provided feedback. Students also felt anxious about offending classmates or giving inaccurate feedback, embarrassed of making mistakes, and exhausted from reviewing papers. Along with these negative feelings, they also reported positive emotions such as self-confidence and enthusiasm. The results emphasize that computer-mediated anonymous peer feedback can be incorporated into English writing courses, especially in online settings. Future studies should investigate how computer-mediated anonymous peer feedback affects students’ writing performance and SRL skills in different modes of instruction among different student populations.

ENHANCING STUDENTS’ WRITING QUALITY THROUGH COMPUTER-MEDIATED LEARNING: THE ROLE OF COGNITIVE ACTIVITY

Introduction. The use of computer-mediated learning environments has become increasingly important in enhancing students' writing skills. This study aims to explore the complex relationship between cognitive activity and writing quality in computer-mediated learning settings. By doing so, it aims to provide valuable insights for improving students' writing proficiency and maximizing the benefits of technology in language education. Methods. A quantitative approach, specifically a quasi-experimental design, was employed in this study. Assessment grades were collected as quantitative data to evaluate various aspects of students' writing skills, including narrative writing, oral language proficiency, reading and writing abilities, as well as nonverbal skills and working memory. Results. The number of online revisions made by students emerged as a predictive measure for both the quality of narrative structure and the length of the text. Students who engaged in more extensive online revisions demonstrated the ability to produce narrative texts of higher quality and greater length. Discussion. This study provides valuable insights into the significance of online revisions, cognitive factors, and writing fluency in relation to the quality of narrative writing. It suggests that students possess revision skills but often postpone revisions until they have completed the initial draft. Furthermore, it highlights the positive influence of strong reading and spelling skills on spelling proficiency and revision abilities. The findings contribute to the existing literature and deepen our understanding of the relationship between narrative writing, cognition, and the impact of revision frequency on the quality of written narratives.

The effect of automated feedback on revision behavior and learning gains in formative assessment of scientific argument writing

Application of new automated scoring technologies, such as natural language processing and machine learning, makes it possible to provide automated feedback on students' short written responses. Even though many studies investigated the automated feedback in the computer-mediated learning environments, most of them focused on the multiple-choice items instead of the constructed response items. This study focuses on the latter and investigates a formative feedback system integrated into an online science curriculum module teaching climate change. The feedback system incorporates automated scoring technologies to support students' revision of scientific arguments. By analyzing the log files from the climate module, we explore how student revisions enabled by the formative feedback system correlate with student performance and learning gains. We also compare the impact of generic feedback (context-independent) vs. contextualized feedback (context-dependent). Our results showed that (1) students with higher initial scores on average were more likely to revise after the automated feedback, (2) revisions were positively related to score increases, and (3) contextualized feedback was more effective in assisting learning. The findings of this study provide insights into the use of automated feedback to improve scientific argumentation writing as part of classroom instruction.

The Effect of Using Blackboard on English Majors’ Writing Proficiency and Attitudes

This article reports the findings of a case study on the implementation of Blackboard Learning Management System in the Department of English, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia. The study aims at exploring the effects of using Blackboard, an interactive computer-mediated learning environment, on English majors’ writing proficiency and examining their attitudes towards the use of Blackboard. Three indicators were used, namely, accuracy, fluency and complexity to estimate students’ writing proficiency. The Profile of Larsen-Freeman (2006) was employed to assess students’ writing proficiency. Students’ attitudes were measured through a questionnaire that is divided into three domains: (a) demographic and personal information, (b) implementation strategies of Blackboard and (c) students’ attitudes towards Blackboard. Results of the study revealed a significant positive effect of using Blackboard on developing English majors’ writing proficiency. In addition, students showed a positive attitude towards the use of Blackboard.

Regulation of collaboration in project-based learning mediated by CSCL scripting reflection

Many studies attempt to effectively support student regulation of collaboration using CSCL tools to enrich learning outcomes. However, few studies are aimed at facilitating development of students' internal scripts for regulation of collaboration. This study focuses on developing and evaluating a computer-mediated learning environment for project-based learning to facilitate student internal scripts for regulation by designing external scripts for effective reflection. Forty-eight first-year university students participated in this study as part of their curriculum. Our analyses of their internal scripts before and after PBL participation revealed that significantly more students who encountered an unfamiliar situation during collaboration constructed new regulation scripts. Moreover, in case studies, we found that students augmented their scripts for socially shared regulation when recognizing socio-cognitive challenges, whereas they augmented co-regulation and self-regulation scripts when recognizing socio-emotional challenges.

Facilitation strategies used in e-learning by nurse educators in Rwanda

Knowledge and skills for teachers to deliver course contents in an e-learning environment is essential. Information Communication Technology (ICT) is being increasingly used in tertiary education as it is flexible and offers many possibilities to meet the needs of a large number of learners. The implementation of e-learning platforms in Rwanda in 2012 for nursing and midwifery instruction has had a positive impact on the quality of nursing education. Educators' facilitation skills play an important role in motivating students in the computer-mediated learning environment. The aim of this paper is to explore the facilitation strategies used in e-learning by nurse educators in Rwanda. A non-experimental quantitative design was used, with 44 nurse educators from three campuses completing the research instruments. The results from this study indicated that the majority of the participants (84.1%) had the same vision of integrating ICT in teaching and learning as their colleagues, the institutional administration, and other staff. 97.7% used computers and/or the internet to prepare lesson and deliver instructions 95.5% reported using facilitation strategies of self-directed learning, 93.2% case studies, 88.6% group discussions, 81.8% small group activities, 72.7% formal lectures, 70.5% role play, 68.2% brainstorming, 63.6% situations of integration, and 63.6% videos. An average of 50% reported using research, and 43.2% workbooks. 27.3% used projects, 25% core lectures, and 11.4% Portfolio. E-learning requires a comprehensive approach of incorporating ICT in teaching and learning. The success of e-learning does not only depend on technological tools available, but also on the pedagogical design, with teachers being required to use innovative teaching approaches to deliver their course contents.

Task-Based Language Learning and Teaching with Technology

Task-Based Language Learning and Teaching with Technology

Experiences from First Time Blended Learning Courses: Implications to Design and Delivery

The convergence between face-to-face and computer mediated learning environments, also known as blended learning, not just require restructuring traditional class contact hours but also rethinking the course design to optimize student engagement (UNESCO, 2010). In this paper, the experiences of one hundred sixty six (166) online learners from six (6) first-time blended learning courses conducted using Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment (MOODLE) were examined. Adapting the Blended Learning Student Survey Questionnaire by Garrison and Vaughan (2008) and the Presence in Online Community of Inquiry Tool (Swan, et al., 2008), it was revealed that compared to their non-hybrid courses, there is an increase in the amount and quality of interaction between teachers and other students. This is strengthened by positive perceptions to the three types of online presence in the blended courses as expressed by the students. This resulted as well to significant differences in student achievement for some of the blended courses. It is recommended that additional features such as video lectures and more synchronous online communication be incorporated into the redesign of the courses to further develop online understanding and interaction among the participants. Corresponding professional development for the teachers on these features be conducted. Provision of quality internet connection within the university should also be ensured to improve delivery of the courses.

Community of inquiry framework: employing instructor-driven measures in search of a relationship among presences and student learning outcomes

The community of inquiry (CoI) framework is generally regarded as the most influential learning process model available to support a constructivist orientation in computer-mediated higher education distance learning environments. The framework is not without criticism - the central assertion is a lack of empirical evidence to support the claim that a CoI leads to deep and meaningful learning outcomes. A recent study, therefore, examined the relationship between student perceptions of a CoI and instructor-assessed learning outcomes. In reporting a lack of correlation, the results appear supportive of the criticism levelled. The current study takes this approach further by removing student perception measures, and investigates the relationship between instructor-driven measures of the CoI and learning achievement outcomes. Whereas a small sample size (n = 24) prevents the study from claiming full evidence of a relationship, significant positive relationships found between learning outcomes and most of the CoI presences and its dimensions suggest that instructor-driven measures may provide a way forward in the search for proof that a CoI leads to deep and meaningful learning outcomes.

Research Article Learning in Color: How Color and Affect Influence Learning Outcomes

Research problem: The purpose of the study is to understand how affective reactions to color impact learning attitudes and outcomes in a computer-mediated learning environment. Research question: How do color differences change affective processes and outcomes in computer-mediated communication? Literature review: Several previous studies exploring particular characteristics and learning in computer-mediated environments influenced the review of the literature. The literature on color psychology indicates that color preferences and affective reactions to color can influence behaviors and attitudes. The literature on goal achievement motivation posits that affective dispositions influence goal orientation, motivation, and individual outcomes. The literature on affect infers that affective reactions are responses to events, and these reactions influence attitudes and behaviors. The current study draws on these prior studies to examine affective reaction to color and learning outcomes in a computer-mediated learning environment. Methodology: We conducted a quasiexperimental study with 79 participants, who listened to a visual presentation lecture with either blue or yellow background and then completed a survey on their affective reactions, learning attitudes, and outcomes. Results and discussion: The results of our study indicate that color is not neutral and may influence learning attitudes and outcomes and, hence, the color of computer technology interface design can influence learning outcomes. Practitioners and academics must take people's affective reactions to color into account in designs and studies of visual information presentations. The sample size and the focus on two color hues (yellow and blue) may have some limitations on the conclusions and generalizability of this study. Future studies should examine more color hues and color saturation to further our understanding of affective reactions to colors and consequent impact on attitudes and behavioral outcomes.

Visualising Mathematical Knowledge and Understanding

Contemporary mathematics education attempts to instil within learners the conceptualization of mathematics as a highly organized and inter-connected set of ideas. To support this, a means to graphically represent this organization of ideas is presented which reflects the cognitive mechanisms that shape a learner’s understanding. This organisation of information may then be analysed, with the view to informing the design of mathematics instruction in face-to-face and/or computer-mediated learning environments. However, this analysis requires significant work to develop both theory and practice.

Applying Concept Similarity to the Evaluation of Common Understanding in Multidisciplinary Learning

The success of an architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) project largely depends on the effective collaboration of project participants. This characteristic of the industry requires that AEC education shall foster multidisciplinary collaboration skills of students. On the other hand, many AEC education programs have started using information and communication technologies (ICTs) to facilitate teaching and learning such as distance learning. One of the challenges in a computer-mediated learning environment arises from the need for computer systems to determine whether a common understanding regarding a certain subject is established among a group of students. To achieve this goal, ICT needs to be able to detect changes in the knowledge structure of students in order to provide better mediation. This paper presents a study on the development of a concept similarity measure that has less computational complexity than graph-based similarity analyses. The similarity measure is intended to determine the similarity of multiple knowledge structures [e.g., concept maps (CMAPs)] of students. The concept similarity measure is developed based on the feature-based method in which propositions associated with a concept are considered as features of the concept. Therefore, the similarity of concepts can be measured by comparing the propositions of the concepts. In addition, since concepts are the key component of a knowledge structure, the common understanding of students can be determined by measuring the similarity of concepts in the knowledge structure of the students. The proposed measure is evaluated by (1) comparing it with the Dice coefficient for analyzing two sets of concepts; (2) analyzing its performance in a generic case of four CMAPs; and (3) applying it to a case using photovoltaic system as an example. In this case, results are intuitively obvious so that calculation results can be corroborated by human judgment. Finally, the concept similarity measure is applied to derive the similarity of CMAPs in the case study. Based on the initial evaluations, this study shows that the proposed measure has demonstrated promising features for determining the similarity of multiple knowledge structures or the common understanding of students. However, when the number of knowledge structures increases, concept similarity analyses become more complicated because uncertain situations arise due to ambiguous human perception to propositions that are shared by multiple concepts. Future research is thus needed to understand and clearly define concept similarity in those situations. In addition, other studies are also identified for future research.

Text-based peer–peer collaborative dialogue in a computer-mediated learning environment in the EFL context

This study investigates EFL learners’ dialogues in synchronous task-based computer-mediated communication (CMC). The focus is on whether learners engage each other in text-based dialogues regarding the language use in pursuit of the task goal in the CMC context and how their mutual engagement impacts their language learning. Sixteen Chinese tertiary-level learners voluntarily participated in this study. They were randomly assigned to eight virtual pairs, and completed four collaborative tasks via Moodle, a course management system. The study was conducted within a sociocultural framework, especially Swain’s concept of collaborative dialogue. Language-related episode (LRE) was employed as a research tool to analyze the learners’ dialogue concerning their language use during the completion of the tasks. The data set includes recorded online chat logs, a post-task survey that elicited the learners’ perspectives on the online collaborative learning and two individualized posttests (immediate and delayed). The findings revealed that learners did assist each other in attending to language forms through collaborative dialogue, which consequently enhanced their language learning. 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Students’ Online Interaction Styles: Can They Change?

Past studies indicate that students demonstrate different online interaction styles, which consist of the ways or habits students acquire knowledge from computer-mediated discussions (Sutton, 2001). Such interaction styles include the active interaction style (Beaudion, 2002), the vicarious interaction style (Sutton, 2001), and the mixed or balanced-interaction style. The purpose of this exploratory study was to further investigate whether students’ online interaction styles changed during a course utilizing asynchronous computer-mediated discussions; and if so how and why they changed. Results indicate that such changes did take place as 44% of participants adjusted to more active learning styles as the courses progressed. This study has implications for the design of online learning environments, instructor’s role in online courses, and educational tools to facilitate students in adapting to more active interaction styles in computer-mediated learning environments.

Designing social presence in e-learning environments: Testing the effect of interactivity on children

The “computers are social actors” paradigm asserts that human-to-computer interactions are fundamentally social responses. Earlier research has shown that effective management of the social presence in user interface design can improve user engagement and motivation. Much of this research has focused on adult subjects. This study discusses the effects of social presence management in child e-learning environment development by specifically examining the role of interactivity in a computer-mediated learning environment in relation to the development of children's attitudes toward computers as well as their intrinsic motivation. A quasi-experimental methodology was adopted for this study. It was found that interactivity had a significant effect on the computer's social presence, its social attraction to children and children's involvement, and intrinsic motivation. The findings suggest that enhancing the interactivity of an e-learning environment can stimulate the presence of social actors, which in turn can enrich a children's learning experience and increase their motivation.

Third Space: A Web-Based Learning Environment for Teaching Advanced Clinical Practice Skills

ABSTRACT This paper describes the design and integration of Third Space, an innovative computer mediated learning environment, in a couples therapy course for second year students in a MSW program. While most computer mediated teaching is used in distance education, we developed a web-based program to supplement the teaching of clinical skills in a traditional classroom. The Third Space web-based learning environment was developed to simulate couples therapy supervision by adding functionalities to a traditional bulletin board to enable student and instructors to view videotaped role-plays on the web and engage in online discussions about the role-plays. The effectiveness of this learning environment was evaluated with questionnaires and focus groups.

The Insiders’ Perspectives: A Focus Group Study on Gender Issues in a Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Environment

Introduction There is little doubt that the advent of collaborative technologies in recent years has brought some significant changes in the way students learn, communicate, and interact with one another. The deployment of computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL) is a good example of how collaborative technologies can be used to facilitate and enhance group learning and interaction (Alavi, 1994; Alavi, Wheeler, & Valacich, 1995; Briggs, Ramesh, Romano, & Latimer, 1995; Kwok, Ma, & Vogel, 2002). Despite our need to assess the impact of these technologies in education, the research still lags behind the adoption of collaborative technologies in practice. As Alavi and Leidner (2001) put it, there is a fundamental need to understand how the use of these technologies can improve the learning process. Indeed, our understanding of these technologies and their underlying impacts on learners and instructors remains fragmented. One important area that has been neglected in the research is the impact of classroom technology on gender classroom equity and learning processes. A glimpse of the relevant literature reveals that only a few studies have looked at the gender issues in a computer-mediated learning environment (Davidson-Shivers, Morris, & Sriwongkol, 2001, 2003; Larson, 2002; Wang & Sierra, 2002; Young & McSporran, 2001), despite the deep penetration of technology being deployed in classroom and the significant increase in the number of female computer users (Iankelevich, 2005; Ono, 2002). The field study described in the following pages was designed to explore learning and gender issues from an insider's perspective. The scope of this study is to look at the learning process within the implementation of a CSCL environment and document the perception and experiences of those who took part in the process. More specifically, the focus is on understanding issues related to the differences between male and female behaviors as well as the role and impact of technologies on gender classroom equity and learning experiences. In a broader context, this study conveys the importance and relevance of gender issues in today's technology-rich environment. To achieve the objective, focus group interviews were conducted to solicit insights from the participants in actual classes. The findings from these interviews and field observations are reported. The results of this exploratory study provide useful implications by recognizing a deeper understanding of both what female students experience, and the role of technology in group learning processes. This will be of value to academics and practitioners who use online learning environments. The paper is organized into eight sections. Following the introduction is a characterization of CSCL and the environment it supports. Section three highlights some of the gender issues relevant to CSCL environment, which motivated this study. Section four presents conceptual underpinnings derived from Habermas' Theory of Cognitive Interests (Habermas, 1972; Huynh, 2005). Section five describes the field study. Section six reports the analysis and results from the field study, while the section seven discusses the implications for research and practice and the directions of future research. The last section summarizes the study's contributions. Computer Supported Collaborative Learning For the purpose of this study, we characterized CSCL as an integration of information technology (IT) into the course design and teaching strategy to support collaborative learning approaches. Two key elements in this definition are the use of collaborative learning and the integration of IT to facilitate group work in the classroom. Collaborative learning in general refers to a pedagogical approach that allows students to work together in a small group. The intention is to create an environment where every student can participate in and contribute to an assigned task. …

Technology and the New Meaning of Educational Equity

This article investigates the changing meaning of educational equity as a result of the growth of technology, especially computer-mediated networks and learning environments. The work is grounded in an overview of educational equity and access in U.S. history and the changed meaning of access in a digital age. Perhaps the most important point made is the need to broaden our definition of access and equity and to focus on connections between leadership, teaching, and technology.

Using sentence openers to foster student interaction in computer-mediated learning environments

This paper reports two studies into the efficacy of sentence openers to foster online peer-to-peer interaction. Sentence openers are pre-defined ways to start an utterance that are implemented in communication facilities as menu's or buttons. In the first study, typical opening phrases were derived from naturally occurring online dialogues. The resulting set of sentence openers was implemented in a semi-structured chat tool that allowed students to compose messages in a free-text area or via sentence openers. In the second study, this tool was used to explore the students' appreciation and unprompted use of sentence openers. Results indicate that students hardly used sentence openers and were skeptical of their usefulness. Because both measures were negatively correlated with students' prior chat experience, optional use of sentence openers may not be the best way to support students' online interaction. Based on these findings, alternative ways of using sentence openers are discussed and topics for further research are advanced.