Group Learning Processes Research Articles

Community of Inquiry in an Online Undergraduate Information Technology Course

Introduction Within the Community of Inquiry theoretical framework (Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 2000), a successful higher education experience is held to be supported by the presence and interaction of the elements of cognitive, social and teaching presences. Although the framework has been extensively used, from a constructivist perspective, to examine the quality of asynchronous educational interactions enabled by computer-mediated communication (CMC) media such as e-mail and discussion forums, less is known about its applicability to the more discursive educational exchanges facilitated by the synchronous CMC medium. This paper describes an innovative case of the instructional application of online synchronous (chat) interaction in a distance IT undergraduate course that enabled the examination of the three presences during tutorial discussions. Results from discourse analysis of chat exchanges and web survey of student learning experiences during collaborative group learning processes in virtual tutorials are presented. The paper concludes with discussion on the implications of findings for guiding the pedagogical design of online synchronous instructional environments that facilitate collaborative group learning processes in distance educational programmes. Background Interaction is considered crucial to learning experiences from the sociocultural constructivist perspective (Vygotsky, 1962) which assumes that participation in discursive practices of the community supports knowledge construction. Furthermore, the learner's potential capacity for intellectual growth is held to be enhanced by the presence of scaffolding or guidance in the form of tutor/peer support through interaction. In online educational contexts, the move from constructing learning conversations in traditional classrooms to virtual settings presents benefits and challenges to educators as the range of educational interactions has been extended yet limited by technological decisions. Moore (1989) introduced three types of interaction now widely described and accepted in the field of distance education: learner-content, learner-instructor, and learner-learner interactions. With greater acceptance of constructivist learning approaches and improved web/CMC technologies, learner-learner interaction represents a new dimension in distance education which normally eschews group/collaborative learning approaches due to the geographically separated learning parties. Extending on these three basic interaction types, Anderson and Garrison (1998) proposed that online transactions could occur between three macro-components of student, teacher, and content producing student-teacher, student-content, and teacher-content interaction types. In addition, transactions within each macro-component could result in a sub-set of interactions: student-student, teacher-teacher, and content-content. In order to contextualize these interactions, Garrison Anderson and Archer (2000) developed a Community of Inquiry (COI) model which was elaborated on and refined in subsequent publications (Anderson, 2004; Garrison, 2003; Garrison & Anderson, 2003; Kanuka & Garrison, 2004). The following discussion draws from these main sources in describing the model. According to Garrison and Anderson (2003), the term 'community of inquiry' was originally used by Lipman (1991) to refer to a teacher-facilitated critical learning community where listen to one another with respect, build on one another's ideas, challenge one another to supply reasons for otherwise unsupported opinions, assist each other in drawing inferences from what has been said, and seek to identify one another's assumptions (Lipman, 1991, p.15 in Garrison & Anderson, 2003, p.27). Based on this broad concept of a critical learning community comprising students and teachers and the constructivist assumption that knowledge building is a contextualized social process which occurs within such a community, the COI model is conceived as comprising three mutually interacting and reinforcing elements of cognitive, social, and teaching presences supported in online instructional environments by CMC technologies (Figure 1). …

Developing a learning process framework for innovation management

This research paper explores the value of developing a learning process framework for groups' sensemaking of innovative activities. The authors provide an initial grounding on the creation of a group learning process framework, by presenting academic references to organisational learning frameworks that were used to identify themes and their interrelationship. Arguments are presented to support the authors' case approach to studying group learning, and the situational uniqueness of innovation management problems and issues within a Small- to Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) context. Research findings from a longitudinal study of an SME manufacturing organisation are used to support the continual research and to provide evidence regarding the importance of group sensemaking in innovation management. Finally, the contributions to academic knowledge are presented, and considered against the value this process had for the participating organisation. Suggestions are made regarding future research opportunities, and the potential value of this process in other SMEs.

Gender Salience and the Use of Linguistic Qualifiers and Intensifiers in Online Course Discussions

Past studies of online discourse found social presence to be a critical element in the learning process. Social presence connotes the extent to which students perceive themselves as intellectually connected to the other participants in an online dialogue. Impediments to the development of social presence can disrupt knowledge formation as a group activity. This study analyzed differences in the language styles of men and women as one such impediment. When students self-categorize by gender, the expository speaking style of men may crowd out the epistolary style of women, leading women to cognitively disengage from the group learning process. However, in online course environments, where self-categorization is by shared identity, such crowding out is less likely to occur. This study found no evidence of a male crowding-out effect.

The Language of Virtues: Toward an Inclusive Approach for Integrating Spirituality in Management Education

There is an increasing recognition that spirituality is an important variable in organizational life, and in the study and practice of management. As a result, a growing number of management educators are incorporating discussions of spirituality in the workplace into their classrooms. Because of the newness of this field and the lack of experience with teaching about this topic, it is important to pay attention to issues of language when speaking about spirituality in the workplace. The first key issue that management educators will face is what language to use that will be effective and inclusive. In this paper we will address the issue of a working definition of spirituality for the academic or training classroom and how the management educator can create a bridge from the personal to public language for the group learning process. We shall introduce the concept of virtues (transcendent values such as compassion, courage and integrity) as an inclusive language that can integrate the private languages of individual spiritual traditions into expressions of positive organizational practices. This includes a simple model for extracting a public language and learning exercises we have found useful. In addition, the implications of inclusive language will be considered in relation to the need for an expanded learning paradigm.

Student learning strategies, mental models and learning outcomes in problem-based and traditional curricula in medicine

Kelson and Distlehorst (2000) state the PBL outcomes should be discussed on a broad basis including a useable knowledge base, skills in problem solving, self-directed learning and collaboration. The present research compares students in a PBL programme and in a traditional program on learning strategies, mental models and outcomes. Learning strategies and metal models of learning were measured for two student groups in 2001 using an adaption of Vermunt's (1994) “Inventory of learning styles”. Learning outcomes were measured for the same groups in 2002 using a test of medical knowledge. PBL-students showed significantly more self-regulated learning and more constructive conceptions of learning. No significant differences in learning outcomes were found between the two groups. Students in the PBL-programme perceived students as more active contributors to group learning process and made use of a broader range of resources than students in the traditional programme.The findings confirm effects of educational programmes on student learning strategies (Vermetten 1999) and also confirm lack of significant differences in medical knowledge (Albanese 2000, Colliver 2000, Norman & Schmidt 2000, Wiers-Jensen & Aasland ). The curricular influence on students' learning strategies challenges educators to design approaches that promote lifelong learning skills as well as disciplinary knowledge.Practice points•Problem-based programmes can affect student learning strategies and mental models of learning.•Problem-based programmes can promote more active engagement in group activities than traditional programmes.•Problem-based learning can promote more active and broad use of resources than traditional programmes.•Self-regulated learning and constructive conception of learning may be promoted through educational activities.•Future studies of differences between students in problem-based and traditional programmes should consider a broad scope of learning outcomes.

Market feedback and group learning within organisations

This paper proposes a model to represent the organisational learning process at group level. The paper first sets up the analytical framework from the variety of research purposes and epistemological premises characterising the multidiscipline context in which scholars study cognitive activities of collective agents. In this theoretical ground, it is shown how to deduce from relevant literature and empirical contexts an architectural proposal for the representation of the group learning process. According to this architecture, a group within an organisation uses heuristics while performing cognitive activities activated from a market feedback different from that expected. The structure of the learning process consequent to a perceived gap between desired and measured outcome suggests a strong analogy with greedy structures of some heuristics in artificial intelligence, and starts off some methodological discussion over the simulation of the whole process.

PBL in Undergraduate Medical Education: A Qualitative Study of the Views of Canadian Residents

At McMaster University, the birthplace of problem-based learning (PBL), administrators and curriculum planners have begun the process of renewing the undergraduate MD curriculum. One step has been to conduct an environmental scan that includes input from medical residents. Individual interviews with 17 medical residents and fellows currently enrolled at McMaster University and are graduates of six Canadian medical schools. PBL appears to be well known even by graduates of non-PBL Canadian medical schools. Tutors are key to a successful PBL program, should be knowledgeable about the content area under study and able to effectively facilitate groups. Tutorial problems should be realistic, up-to-date, and challenge students to investigate more than the medical aspects of the case in question. Students need to be prepared, willing to participate in peer teaching, and supportive of the group learning process. PBL programs can be improved if they incorporate elements of traditional medical programs (e.g., mini-lectures, clear learning objectives, and unbiased evaluation of student progress) while retaining the essence of student-generated learning. Medical residents are an underutilized source of information about undergraduate medical programs. According to our participants, more emphasis on faculty development and upgrading health care problems will improve PBL-based undergraduate medical education.

AN EPIDEMIOLOGICAL MODEL OF KNOWLEDGE DIFFUSION IN VIRTUAL LEARNING NETWORKS: AN APPLICATION TO LEARNING STATISTICS IN MEDICINE

ABSTRACT Some authors claim that the genetic metaphor can be used for describing intergenerational cultural transmission. In analogy with genes, memes can be conceived as cultural units that can be transmitted from one generation to another. A variant of this metaphor conceives cultural transmission as a sort of contagion within a social network of individuals.In this respect, distance learning networks provide a valuable tool for analyzing the spreading of information in virtual communities. In this article, the time evolution of the student's applications to an interactive distance learning platform was analysed. The platform DVLN was developed at the University of Naples and allows tracking all the students' interactions with the system. The diffusion of the innovation among the students of the Course of Medical Statistics was modelled by means of a system of differential Equations where the diffusion of the innovation adoption depends on the contact rate between two types of students: the innovators and the potential imitators. Furthermore, by means of k-means cluster analysis of the interactions of the students with the system, three learning styles, i.e. lurkers, socializers, utilitarists, were found. An attempt to explain the macroscopic spreading of innovation adoption on the basis of individual microscopic decisions to accept or refute the innovation was carried out. The authors claim that the representation of the learning process as a temporal dynamics of a network of cognitive agents opens new perspectives to the scientific analysis of the learning process in human groups.

A transdisciplinary learning approach to foster convergence of design, science and deliberation in urban and regional planning

In this paper we look at relationships between design, science and deliberation in urban and regional planning. Each of these activities can be used to inform policy, either in isolation or in different forms of combinations. The combinations usually involve hierarchies, which use the framework of one activity to integrate the others. Such hierarchies create an unbalance among the three activities, resulting in a competition for the integration monopoly, and therefore ineffective cooperation. There is a lack of theory that would allow us to combine these three activities in an equivalent way. Based on experiences in the Delft Interfaculty Research Program ‘The Ecological City’, we propose a transdisciplinary model, which conceives design, science and deliberation as learning processes that follow the same sequence of creative, descriptive and normative steps. From a learning perspective, design, science and deliberation are complementary and can therefore be integrated in a group learning process. The learning model assigns roles to the different activities and supports the planning team in establishing a common orientation and adapting the methods to a common goal. Applications have shown that the transdisciplinary learning model only works if the participants work with articulated methods, if the limitations of these methods are made explicit, and if the participants accept the superiority of common learning over disciplinary rigour, which involves all participants engaging in both an integrating and a serving role. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Explaining IT Implementation Through Group Learning

Implementation of an information technology (IT) system in an organization takes a certain amount of time. System usage becomes stable when users have appropriated the system and new work practices have been established. We propose a concept of group learning as a framework to highlight relevant aspects of such a process. A longitudinal case study with two opposite research results has provided a preliminary validation of the proposed model. A human resource information system (HRIS) was introduced in a hospital in two different settings. With one user group it was successfully implemented, and it failed in the other group. Analysis of the qualitative data shows a marked difference in the group learning processes between the two groups, which significantly contribute to the differences in success. These results confirm our assumption about the importance of learning processes in groupware implementation.

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. …

Group work in higher education: a mismanaged evil or a potential good?

This study focuses on the modal proposition that group work in the context of higher education has the potential to enhance learning among students, but has yet to reach its valid zenith of utility value in didactical practice. The particular characteristics of the small group in the context of higher education are described and supplemented by an explication of the small group learning process students partake in. This is followed by a brief examination of structured activities for group work; the assessment of group work; and the implications for the managing of group work in higher education. Empirically, the study explores the perceptions of students regarding group work. Results show that students are positively inclined towards group work and have constructive views regarding the nature of group work as a learning mode. Theoretically speaking, group work has a wealth of potential to offer to the lecturer and the learner. The complexity of the phenomenon leaves the lecturer with no choice but to take great care in the use of group work. The fact that group work is not viewed as a mismanaged evil leaves the door open for further use of this mode of teaching, learning and assessing in higher education. South African Journal of Higher Education Vol.18(2) 2004:131-149

Distal and Local Group Learning: Performance Trade-offs and Tensions

There is increasing recognition that group members learn not only within the group (i.e., local learning), but also externally (i.e., distal learning), and these two group learning processes may facilitate group performance in different ways. Yet, despite this recognition, there is much that is not understood about whether they complement or inhibit each other in affecting group performance, and whether group social and task conditions that foster one type of learning do so at the expense of the other. The findings from this field study of teams from four firms show that (1) local learning and distal learning are positively related to group efficiency and group innovativeness, respectively; (2) distal learning negatively interacts with local learning to impede group efficiency; and (3) high levels of group cohesion promote distal learning but diminish local learning. Overall, these findings suggest that there are not only performance trade-offs to engaging in either only local or distal learning, but also performance disadvantages to engaging in both types of group learning because distal learning impedes local learning from achieving a high level of group efficiency. In addition, there is preliminary evidence to suggest that tensions can arise from simultaneously managing both types of group learning because a high level of group cohesion increases distal learning but decreases local learning.

Distal and Local Group Learning

There is increasing recognition that group members learn not only within the group (i.e., local learning), but also externally (i.e., distal learning), and these two group learning processes may fa...

Exploration and Analysis of Factors Influencing Group Learning

The purpose of this paper is to explore which factors influence group learning content, and content analysis is chosen as the research method. The sample for this study is the literature on group learning. 35 books and 1 paper are examined. The coding system for the content analysis is an opened and a self-expanded system in this study, which means that the original coding system can be updated if the new coding item is developed during the data collection. A total of 62 influencing factors are identified in terms of the content analysis. In order to organise them systematically, we categorised them into four aggregations according to one model of the group learning processes: planning, organising, learning process, and evaluation. The result of this study may be used to design a questionnaire and to model group learning process in our further research.

Aspectos da influência do líder na aprendizagem dos liderados em ambiente altamente estruturado: um estudo em agências de bancos

Este artigo trata da influência dos líderes na facilitação do processo de aprendizagem do grupo de atendimento aos clientes, em agências bancárias, que é um ambiente altamente padronizado e pouco flexível. Está fundamentado em uma pesquisa exploratória que utilizou a entrevista em profundidade realizada com 12 funcionários de atendimento de agências bancárias, de três diferentes grandes bancos privados nacionais. Foi aplicada a Análise de Conteúdo para interpretar os dados obtidos. Os resultados da análise mostraram que os líderes são tidos, de maneira geral, como capazes, apoiadores, incentivadores de um ambiente participativo, desde que isto leve ao cumprimento à risca das normas bancárias. A rigidez e homogeneização dos procedimentos engessam a autoexpressão e provoca uma elevada rotatividade de pessoal. Portanto, dado que o atendimento de clientes tem que ocorrer dentro das normas, ao líder cabe um papel de coadjuvante no processo de aprendizagem.

Dynamic approach to learning disability assessment: DLD test.

A severe discrepancy between intellectual ability and achievement is one major criterion for diagnosis of learning disability (LD). This manuscript describes the shortcomings of this paradigm and offers a new dynamic approach for LD assessment based on evaluation of LD during a standard learning process of how to read and write a new language. The dynamic learning disability (DLD) test, K-ABC IQ test, and K-ABC reading test were administered to 56 normal 4th grade students and to 48 LD students. It was hypothesized that the results using the conventional criteria may mismatch the results of DLD, and that DLD predicts the progress of students in a long-term group learning process better. The results indicated that LD students, as a group, manifested significant difficulties in the DLD test. Among 48 students who meet the conventional criteria for LD diagnosis 14 students (29.16%) were able to learn a new language in the DLD test (Inconsistent LD sub-group). From the 14 students who have low achievement in reading without serious indications of cognitive difficulties, six students (42.857%) manifested serious difficulties in learning a new language in the DLD test (Latent LD sub-group). The DLD test as well as the labels of the sub-groups was validated by the amount of progress in the long-term group learning process. The DLD test proved to have high reliability and predictive validity coefficients. It is suggested that it become part of the diagnostic battery of tests of LD.

Enhancing farmers’ networking strategies for sustainable development

This paper analyses farmers’ networking strategies for sustainable agricultural development. The focus is on internal barriers of farmers’ networks with respect to the management of the group and collective learning processes. These aspects determine to an extent the success or failure of collective strategies. Based upon case study material we will draw lessons and present ideas on how management and learning can be enhanced. We argue that in collective strategies the focus should not only be on the goal of the group, but that attention to the process of cooperation such as safeguarding coherence, monitoring and evaluation of goals and views, shared responsibility and balanced leadership is a prerequisite for effective collective action.

Use of Group Discussion and Learning Portfolio to Build Knowledge for Managing Web Group Learning

To monitor and enhance the learning performance of learning groups in a Web learning system, teachers need to know the learning status of the group and determine the key influences affecting group learning outcomes. Teachers can achieve this goal by observing the group discussions and learning behavior from Web logs and aanlyzing the Web log data to obtain the relevant information. However, Web logs are not systematically organized and the discussions are extensive. Consequently, teachers must struggle to extract information from logs and intuitively apply teaching rules based on experience when managing the groups. Rather than using statistics packages to evaluate hypotheses, this work presents a methodology of applying existing data and text mining tools to automatically gather learning status and predict performance of learning groups from the contents of discussions and from log records of learning behaviors. Meanwhile, the methodology infers a causal network exists between learning features and learning performance. Knowledge is inferred based on statistics and probability reasoning and social interdependency theory. The causal network can suggest means of enhancing learning performance to teachers. Simultaneously, teachers can use the knowledge of learning groups obtained to manage group learning process on the Web. Experimental results of applying the novel methodology to manage a group learning class organized over the Web and containing 706 students are also presented.

Using a peer action learning approach in the implementation of communication and information technology in social work education

This paper reports on a peer group learning process developed within a School of Social Work to facilitate the implementation of intra-net sites to support all modules provided on a Masters Diploma in Social Work course. Based on principles of action learning, an exposition of the approach taken illuminates the value of using collective peer learning among a team of educators, especially when implementing teaching and learning methodologies which are relatively new and unfamiliar. Within the context of this demonstration, the importance of ongoing critical reflection about the use of C&IT resources to enhance learning and teaching is highlighted. The paper ends with a commentary on how learning from this process has enabled participants to become more advanced users of C&IT--advanced, not just in terms of the technical competence required to provide C&IT resources but also in terms of their ability to reflect critically on the pedagogical concerns. Possibilities for continuation and transferability of the learning process within social work education are considered.