Web-based Collaborative Learning Environment Research Articles

Study on Students’ Communication and Interaction in Collaborative Learning Processes with Web-based Social Tools

The rapid progression of ICT has influenced the social change and broadened the horizon of innovative learning which further enabled the web-based collaborative learning. Studies show that the use of web-based social tools is able to expand the social interaction and engagement among the students. In fact, many learning approaches in today’s higher education context have embedded collaborative learning activities. Therefore, it is important to investigate the student communicative acts and social interaction in the online communication process for sustaining and better supporting web-based collaborative learning. This study presents students’ feedback and their communicative acts in the process of collaborating on a multimedia project. Communicative Model of Collaborative Learning (CMCL) was used to analyze these inputs which obtained from open-ended questions, student interviews and students’ posting in social networking sites. The results showed that the CMCL was a useful tool for assessing the students’ social interaction and communicative acts in this learning approach. The outcomes of this study show that the use of CMCL is effective to analyze the student communication and interaction in web-based collaborative learning environments with more perspectives and reveal the impacts on student learning experience and attitudes.

An Approach to Encouraging and Evaluating Learner's Knowledge Contribution in Web-Based Collaborative Learning

Although previous research has demonstrated learning benefits for both instructors and students in the web-based collaborative learning environments, one of the major difficulties is the lack of a practical approach to assist teachers in evaluating the knowledge contribution of learners. A novel method of merging multi-modes of assessment and reward mechanism in a collaborative learning system was examined in this study. The developed system has been applied to a learning activity of a web programming and design course and 102 2nd-year college students from two classes were invited to participate in this research. The system logs and assessment results were analyzed through system use over 6 weeks. The experimental results showed not only could the proposed approach provide instructors with feedback, it could also evaluate and improve learning. In addition, learners could easily and efficiently manage their learning outcomes, share knowledge with one another, reflect on and notify others of learning outcomes and learning status, and engage in high-level reflective practices.

"웹기반 협력학습 환경에서 대리적 학습을 통한 학습효과 분석"

본 연구는 웹기반 협력학습에서 대리적 학습의 효과를 알아보기 위해 협력학습의 학습조건에 따라 전문가 관찰, 협력적 관찰, 학습자간 협력, 단독학습의 네 집단을 구성하고 학습효과(성취도, 만족도, 참여도)를 분석하고자 서울 모대학 학생 72명이 참여한 웹기반 협력학습을 수행하였으며, 본 연구 결과를 요약하면 다음과 같다. 첫째, 웹기반 협력학습에서 학습조건에 따른 학습효과 중 성취도와 참여도의 글 조회 수, 만족도 중 자기 평가와 동료 평가, 그리고 참여도 중 글 게시 수와 글 조회 수는 서로 정적인 상관을 가지는 것으로 나타났다. 둘째, 협력학습의 학습조건에 따른 성취도는 학습자간 협력 집단, 전문가 관찰 집단, 협력적 관찰, 단독학습 집단의 순으로 나타났다. 셋째, 웹기반 협력학습에서 학습조건에 따른 만족도 중 자기 평가는 세 집단에서 유의미한 차이를 보이지 않았으며, 동료 평가는 협력적 관찰과 학습자간 협력 집단에서 높게 나타났다. 넷째, 협력학습의 학습조건에 따른 글 게시 수는 협력적 관찰 집단에서 가장 높게 나타났으며, 글 조회 수는 전문가 관찰, 협력적 관찰, 학습자간 협력, 단독학습의 순으로 나타났다. 본 연구 결과를 종합하면 다음과 같으며, 이는 웹기반 협력학습의 효과를 증진하기 위한 설계방안을 수립하는데 구체적인 시사점을 제공할 것으로 기대한다. 첫째, 웹기반 협력학습에서 전문가의 튜터링 관찰이나 다른 팀의 모니터링을 통한 대리적 학습은 협력학습에서 학습자의 참여를 독려하는 효과적인 방법이다. 특히 협력적 관찰의 경우 글을 게시하는 활동을 좀더 적극적으로 하는 경향이 나타났다. 둘째, 웹기반 협력학습에서 성취도를 높이기 위해서는 교수자의 정리된 자료나 튜터링이 지식을 습득하는 데 효과가 있다. 셋째, 웹기반 협력학습에서 교수자가 개입되지 않은 협력적 관찰이나 학습자간 협력의 경우 동료에 대한 만족도를 높이고 팀웍을 증진하는데 효과적이다.

Bridging the gap between students and computers: supporting activity awareness for network collaborative learning with GSM network

The internet has been widely used to promote collaborative learning among students. However, students do not always have access to the system, leading to doubt in the interaction among the students, and reducing the effectiveness of collaborative learning, since the web-based collaborative learning environment relies entirely on the availability of computers and the internet. A web-based collaborative learning scheme based on activity awareness carried out through mobile phones is proposed herein. The proposed mechanism automatically sends SMS messages on a GSM network, based on student identity and learning activity, making the student aware of the collaborative learning context, and further improving the student's learning. A web-based collaborative learning activity was implemented in a Taiwan undergraduate class to examine the proposed scheme. Experiments demonstrated that awareness of the collaborative learning context through mobile phones significantly increased student participation in learning activity and improving student learning performance.

Internal and external scripts in computer-supported collaborative inquiry learning

We investigated how differently structured external scripts interact with learners' internal scripts with respect to individual knowledge acquisition in a Web-based collaborative inquiry learning environment. Ninety students from two secondary schools participated. Two versions of an external collaboration script (high vs. low structured) supporting collaborative argumentation were embedded within a Web-based collaborative inquiry learning environment. Students' internal scripts were classified as either high or low structured, establishing a 2 × 2-factorial design. Results suggest that the high structured external collaboration script supported the acquisition of domain-general knowledge of all learners regardless of their internal scripts. Learners' internal scripts influenced the acquisition of domain-specific knowledge. Results are discussed concerning their theoretical relevance and practical implications for Web-based inquiry learning with collaboration scripts.

Design of web-based collaborative learning environments

Seven pedagogical principles guided the development of a collaborative virtual environment, within an international project called ITCOLE. The progressive inquiry model as a theoretical framework h...

Do EU funded projects enable collaboration between scientists? The case of R&D in web-based collaborative learning environments

Do EU funded projects enable collaboration between scientists? The case of R&D in web-based collaborative learning environments

Teachers’ attitudes to and beliefs about web-based Collaborative Learning Environments in the context of an international implementation

Fifty-six teachers, from four European countries, were interviewed to ascertain their attitudes to and beliefs about the Collaborative Learning Environments (CLEs) which were designed under the Innovative Technologies for Collaborative Learning Project. Their responses were analysed using categories based on a model from cultural-historical activity theory [Engeström, Y. (1987). Learning by expanding: An activity-theoretical approach to developmental research. Helsinki: Orienta-Konsultit; Engeström, Y., Engeström, R., & Suntio, A. (2002). Can a school community learn to master its own future? An activity-theoretical study of expansive learning among middle school teachers. In G. Wells & G. Claxton (Eds.), Learning for life in the 21st century. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers]. The teachers were positive about CLEs and their possible role in initiating pedagogical innovation and enhancing personal professional development. This positive perception held across cultures and national boundaries. Teachers were aware of the fact that demanding planning was needed for successful implementations of CLEs. However, the specific strategies through which the teachers can guide students’ inquiries in CLEs and the assessment of new competencies that may characterize student performance in the CLEs were poorly represented in the teachers’ reflections on CLEs. The attitudes and beliefs of the teachers from separate countries had many similarities, but there were also some clear differences, which are discussed in the article.

The nature of the discourse in web-based Collaborative Learning Environments: Case studies from four different countries

The present paper describes a series of case studies of collaborative learning supported by two web-based learning environments: Synergeia2 and FLE3. The case studies were conducted in Finland, Greece, Italy, and the Netherlands as a part of international project called Innovative Technologies for Collaborative Learning. The general aim of this investigation was to examine the cases in a detailed way, and to find possible indications that might explain success and difficulties related to implementation of web-based Collaborative Learning Environments. The specific aims of the present study were to investigate the nature of the students’ and teachers’ computer-mediated discourse, whether and to what extent the students and teachers actually used the knowledge types in Synergeia2 and FLE3-environments (resembling CSILE’s thinking types); and finally, to what extent the use of knowledge types was connected to the content of knowledge produced by the students and the teachers. The results showed considerable differences in the nature of the discourse and difficulties in students’ labelling of their own notes. It is suggested that the adoption and development of collaborative practices takes time: collaborative learning in web-based environments is best organized around long-lasting learning activities; instead of weeks, whole academic terms. Further, it is underlined that the selection of good sets of knowledge types is important. Software must allow teachers to construct appropriate sets of knowledge types.

Teachers’ pedagogical designs for technology-supported collective inquiry: A national case study

The aim of the present study was to analyze teachers’ pedagogical designs, plans of organized technology-supported, collective student inquiry. Ten teachers in Finland designed and implemented eight, inquiry-learning units (‘designs’) in 12 primary and secondary level classrooms in various subject domains. The guiding principles behind the designs were the objectives of progressive inquiry, such as facilitation of question- and explanation-driven learning, and the use of collaborative technology to support the sharing of knowledge. The participating teachers received substantial pedagogical training on these issues before the classroom implementations. The present study concentrated on examining three aspects in the teachers’ pedagogical designs: solutions for supporting students’ inquiry efforts, organization of collaboration, and the role given to the web-based Collaborative Learning Environment (CLE). The teachers experienced the use of CLE as a valuable new possibility to foster collaboration in classroom work, but there was much variation in the ways that the affordances of the system were utilized. The results indicated that it was a challenge for the teachers, especially in secondary level, to find appropriate methods for supporting students’ inquiry efforts. The most difficult aim to achieve appeared to be the promotion of real collaborative knowledge building; the social arrangements of many designs still relied on rather individualistic ways of working.

Design of web-based collaborative learning environments. Translating the pedagogical learning principles to human computer interface

Seven pedagogical principles guided the development of a collaborative virtual environment, within an international project called ITCOLE. The progressive inquiry model as a theoretical framework had a large impact on describing these principles. Furthermore, this article describes the two web-based software systems – Synergeia and FLE3 – that were developed in the project. Teachers evaluated this software in the light of two perspectives: user friendliness (ease of use) and user satisfaction (especially the pedagogical usability). It is concluded that the participants find the software easy to use. The user satisfaction ranges between good and average. Details about the different types of evaluation are reported in the paper.

EVA: an interactive Web-based collaborative learning environment

In this paper, a Web-based learning environment developed within the project called Virtual Learning Spaces (EVA, in Spanish) is described. The environment is composed of knowledge, collaboration, consulting and experimentation spaces as a collection of agents and conventional software components working over the knowledge domains. All user interfaces are Web pages, generated dynamically by servlets, applets and agents. The article describes theoretical underpinnings, EVA's architecture, implementation of particular software modules and agents, and the application results.