Eipt Week 5

CSCL2: Ch 2, 3, 6, 8

Chapter 2 investigated expert and novice learners as they participated in face-to-face and CSILE learning within Japan. Studies indicated CSILE had positive effects on learning in Western Culture where students had open classroom discussions. Japan did not have an established curriculum for open classroom participation and discussions.

The authors' first research question asked how asynchronous communication in CSILE can change learners' discourse and knowledge advancement both with and without face-to-face communication. Their second research question asked what scaffolds could support novice learners engaging in productive discourse in the CSILE environment.

The Japanese study concluded novice users who used CSILE frequently and set learning goals instead of task performance goals adapted gradually to the environment through differentiating synchronous and asynchronous communications and collaboratively articulating their discourse.

Novice users were more comfortable with "knowledge telling" then with argumentation. Novice learners needed scaffolding for discourse skills and strategic knowledge. Novice learners needed to be supported in reflective thinking through comprehension facilitation scaffolds. A teacher should monitor the student's discourse and provide additional support during argument revisions. A novice learner's lack of domain knowledge may inhibit his/her ability to build an argument.

Expert learners used the CSILE to improve their knowledge building activities, appreciated the learning opportunities provided, modified their assigned roles for face-to-face interactions when CSILE communication was used, and performed self-reflection for improvement and adjustment.

I can understand and relate from personal experience the novice user's hesitance to enter into the discourse and arguments. I agree that experience and scaffolding will assist the novice user to participate in the discussions and build arguments that are relative to the discourse. It's easy to understand why expert learners will acclimate faster.

The chapter 3 studies focused on three research questions. 1) Can computer supported collaborative learning be introduced in the regular (university) curriculum effectively? 2) Is collaborative knowledge building being promoted when collaborative learning networks are being introduced? 3) What kinds of teacher interventions are needed for collaborative knowledge building?

Study 1 investigated the effectiveness of a CLN in the university course Psychology of the Teaching and Learning Process (PSYOLP) of the department of educational Sciences, University of Nijmegen. Knowledge Forum was used by educational sciences undergraduates.

The results indicated a high level of collaboration in the Knowledge Forum database. The students produced high-quality policy notes by rewriting ICT project proposals. Students focused on the activities of other groups as well as the activities of their particular subgroup.

Study 2 investigated out-of-school learning with Knowledge Forum software. CLNs were used within agricultural secondary vocational education.

The results indicated that the students responded positively if there was a specific teacher assignment. Student activity decreased during those periods between assigned tasks.

Teachers spent the time that was normally spent on lectures to monitor and stimulate the process of learning. Experienced students assisted students with less experience. Goal setting and teacher interaction were necessary because students were not accustomed to sharing their knowledge. The use of Knowledge Forum resulted in a much more collaborative form of learning. A level of collaboration was higher than is normally achieved in a conventional classroom. But, most of the activities occurred only after direct teacher involvement. It was concluded that Knowledge Forum encouraged students to take on more responsibility for their own learning and enabled teachers to be more effective coaches.

Chapter 6 compared computer and paper supported activities across settings. The purpose of the study was to investigate how organization of work and learning in modern institutional life shaped computer use and how computer use shaped organization. Reed Stevens explored the relations among people, tasks, and technologies. Particular technologies were used for functional purposes, out of habit, because of contingencies of local history, because they were convenient, or because authorities mandated their use.

The author asked if students were using computers because they were the right tool for the job or because there was no other option available to them (Clarke & Fujimura, 1992). We are reminded that it took a very long time for people to seriously question whether textbooks were the right tools for the job of supporting learning. Techno-enthusiasm coincides with deep skepticism about the need for computers in classrooms (e.g., Cuban, 1986; Healy, 1998).

Two case studies were presented, Case 1: Architectural Design at JC and Case 2: Architectural Design at Pine Middle School. The author advocated a "genuinely experimental attitude toward the introduction of new technologies into the classroom." "Settings are a combination of old and new, digital and analog, standardized and ad hoc." Hybrid practices incorporate the best of both worlds through diversified media.

Chapter 8 described two social context views for human learning. 1) Learning as an individual process (cf. Blaye & Light, 1995) 2) Vygotskian notions of "inter-psychological" functions and the "Zone of Proximal development" (or ZPD, Vygotsky, 1978). The latter is more popular in the field of CSCL (e.g., Kaptelinin, 1999; Koshchmann, 1996; O'Malley, 1995). Vygotsky claimed there were two steps in acquiring a new ability: 1) The ability emerges as distributed between people. 2) The ability is mastered by individuals. Once an individual develops an ability, the individual can make a bigger contribution to society. Intra-individuals and inter-individuals create and support each other. Collaboration directs and shapes individual development.

Since individual and collective activities interact and create each other, a system can fail if people see it as a threat to their own interests even if the system is a good fit within the structure of the organization. Individuals pursue their own goals and they strive with other people to formulate and achieve collaborative or group goals. These activities overlap.

The Activity Theory (Leontieve, 1978) states "the human mind can only be understood within the context of interaction between individuals ("subjects") and the world ("objects")". "The mind does not exist prior to and without activities; rather, it develops as a constituent of human interaction with the world" (Leontieve, 1978)..

Victor Kaptelinin and Michael Cole described The Fifth Dimension Project. The Project focused on the social context of technology use in providing optimal learning opportunities for children (Nicolopoulou & Cole, 1993). The goal was to "design a generic social setting that could potentially be incorporated into existing institutions and could survive without special support from researchers" (Suzuki & Kato).

The Fifth Dimension Project required players to use task cards, a consequence chart, and a Constitution of the Fifth Dimension (rules of the game). A wizard resolved conflicts within the game. The Fifth Dimension included a wide variety of computer games.

Interaction between individual and collective activities enabled learning and development within a social context. Fifth Dimension appealed to both the individual goals of children and adults. Players formed teams to pursue their goals. Game players described their interactions and the pursuant collaborations.

The authors concluded with a list of factors that should be taken into consideration when setting up environments for collaborative learning. The factors included meeting a diversity of interests, meaningful outcomes of collaboration, choice, time, initial success, shared emotions, and constructive conflicts.

I enjoyed reading this chapter, especially reading about the collaboration between children and adults as they played The Fifth Dimension. I have more respect for the positive contributions created by interactive games. I also enjoyed learning about the Activity Theory (p. 305).

Koschmann, T., Hall, R., & Miyake, N. (Eds.). (2002). CSCL2: Carrying forward the conversation. Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates

Case Study I

Virtual Social Community

Introduction

I chose Facebook for Case Study #1. The social networking community was originally created in 2004 by Harvard undergraduates to provide an opportunity for students to network. I logged into Facebook to observe the structure of the community from a sociological and technological perspective.

I originally became a member to keep in touch with my son's family who live in Atlanta, Georgia. Since I've been online, I've been surprised by the number of friends that both my husband and I have established contact with. I observe more often than I participate in the discussions/comments. A friend at work, who also watches the comments more than she participates, said, "We are voyeurs". I think I like the "lurker" title better. J I've uploaded pictures. I've viewed the picture albums that my family and friends post and used the virtual gift feature. I've experimented with Poke, Chat, and Farm features when I interact with the grandchildren.

Type of Community

The purpose of the community is social networking. The goals are to enable interaction among members and to create an atmosphere conducive for friends to connect with "long lost friends". I've heard it described as a "front porch". Years ago, Americans had large front porches attached to their homes. It was a common custom for neighbors to gather on the front porch and exchange information about their daily activities and "tidbits" of local gossip. It was a way to build and maintain relationships. Today, families live and work miles apart. Some people believe that Facebook is a way to create a "front porch" relationship with friends and loved ones.

Structure of Community

Members setup logon information and profiles. The profile gives the member an opportunity to delineate the personal information that is available for others to view. The Wall is a profile page and a place for friends to post comments for other members to see. When a member wants to interact with another member, a Friend Request is sent to the member requesting "Friendship" status. Status updates allow users to post messages for all their friends to read. Friends can post comments in response to the status updates. The News Feed feature includes information about profile changes, upcoming events, and birthdays, etc. Photos and videos can be uploaded to the site. Most comments include simple phrases. Examples include: "The sun is shining!" "Beautiful picture." But, there are also more serious pictures and comments. According to the evening news, the first pictures of the Haiti earthquake were posted on Facebook.

Design Features and Roles of the Technology

The community gives the member numerous choices for activities that relate to social interaction. At the same time Facebook allows members the opportunity to secure their profile, limit the access of others to their comments, and observe without commitment. The site is embellished with activities, games, gifts, and features that promote positive interactions between members. Features are updated periodically to facilitate communications and interactions.

Conclusion and Implications

I've enjoyed meeting new friends and finding friends and family members that I had lost contact with. Facebook provides a positive forum for member comments. The length of comments are limited which prevents over satiation of one member's rhetoric. I believe the open communications inhibit malicious gossip because everyone can see the comments you have made. Most of the comments are upbeat and positive. Facebook is addictive. I look forward to finding additional friends through Facebook.

Virtual Learning Community

Introduction

I chose MERLOT (Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching) because the site provides resources for my nursing class presentations and educational opportunities for me. I first visited MERLOT during a previous class. I was fascinated at the abundance of resources available. I obtained video clips for a PowerPoint presentation that I made for a nursing class requirement.

Type of Community

MERLOT has free access and was developed by the California State University Center for Distributed Learning in 1997. Apple Computer, and other industry, university, and government collaborators hosted the community. MERLOT is a user-centered, searchable collection of peer reviewed and selected higher education, online learning materials catalogued by registered members and a set of faculty development support services. MERLOT states that their strategic goal is to improve the effectiveness of teaching and learning by increasing the quantity and quality of peer reviewed online learning materials that can be easily incorporated into faculty designed courses. I believe MERLOT is a task-based learning community. According to Riel and Polin (2004) "Task-based learning communities are groups of people organized around a task who work intently together for a specified period of time to produce a product (p.20)." Although MERLOT adds to the available resources over time, different individuals and groups work on each resource to produce an end product.

Structures of the Community

The University of Georgia System, Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, University of North Carolina System, and the California State University System created a cooperative initiative to develop new MERLOT collections, conduct peer reviews, and add student learning assignments. Each organization also makes financial contributions to support these endeavors. Individual members volunteer their expertise in developing resources for the site. I visited the Health Science Community where I accessed a simulation for electrode placement when administering an EKG. The creator's name was listed along with her email address for contact purposes. I was provided with an option to download a simulation to my "personal file" for later use. Each resource was rated with one to five stars. One is the least effective teaching tool and five is the most effective teaching tool.

Design Features and Role of Technology

The site is designed for easy access through user friendly menus. The MERLOT Repository contains learning materials along with assignments and comments to enhance the learning experience. A variety of Community Portals are categorized by discipline and program area. The Portals provide information about teaching strategies, professional associations, journals, conferences, and professional development resources.

Conclusion and Implications

MERLOT is a great resource for both instructors and students. The site is user friendly with easy access to the various communities and learning materials. I look forward to using MERLOT for my classroom presentations. I can't envision improvements to enhance the site. Maybe, when I've had more experience, I can recommend areas for improvement.

EIPT Week 3

1. What are the implications of the power of the virtual communities to education after reading the TIME's articles and CH. 1-3?
   
   We live in exciting times. Education can be enhanced, facilitated, and broadened through the use of virtual communities. Knowledge is available to anyone that has access to a computer and the internet. Students have the ability to almost limitless information and knowledge which can lead to self enlightenment. Virtual communities include groups of people with like interests to facilitate learning and educational opportunities.
   
   
2. I agree that teachers are losing authority regarding knowledge due to student's extensive exposure and access to all kinds of information and resources, but does it still make us experts in various ways?
   
   We need experts to help us decipher and assimilate the multitude of "bits and pieces" of information that we find on the WEB. Most of us are experts within our personal sphere of influence. "The fact is that most user-created content on the Web is not challenging the authority of a traditional expert. It's working in a zone where there are no experts or where the users themselves are the experts" (Johnson, 2006). We learn by doing and experiencing as well as interacting. The instructors that have influenced me most are the ones who have shared their clinical experiences with me. Granted, these experiences can be described on the WEB, but the instructors had to physically go into the hospital, clinic, etc. to get the experience that they are teaching about. These instructors are experts within the realm of their experiences. We need qualified experts to verify the data and point us in the right direction.
   
   A great deal of time and energy are required to become an "expert". Time could be described as a fixed asset. We each have a limited amount of time to learn, to spend time with our families, to love, to play, to give, etc. If we take time to learn the deep truths, then we must deduct an equal amount of time from other areas of our lives. As I read through the assigned readings each week, I realize there is a wealth of information not only on the WEB but within each chapter of each book. Unfortunately, especially in today's world, there is a limited amount of time for each of us to learn new concepts. Instructors can eliminate some of the informational "clutter" by directing students toward current, relevant, and up-to-date information.
   
   
3. How will education and the structure of schooling change in this digital age?
   Distance learning will broaden instructor's and student's world view.
   
   Students will be responsible for pursuing knowledge. Instructors will be responsible for guiding the students in their pursuit of knowledge. Instructors will need to understand virtual communities, and informatics to create an atmosphere conducive to the online learner. New and different media will be implemented to create an atmosphere for social interaction among peers due to an increase in virtual communities and a decrease in physical communities of learners.
   
   
4. What do you think this hyper-connectedness means to the future of nursing education?
   

   Healthcare information will be at the instructor's and the student's fingertips. Instructors will serve as expert guides, but students will be responsible for pursuing and assimilating information. Nursing will still need some "hands-on" experience to supplement the online classes, but simulation will grow. There will be more interactions with students from various geographical and cultural backgrounds. Instructors will be able to converse with educational experts from around the globe and access a multitude of visual aids along with applications. I used a video that I found on YouTube, within my PowerPoint presentation, to teach Acid Base Balance to OU nursing students last year. It was incorporated into my lecture and a copy of the PP with the hyperlink was attached to the Angel network for the students to review.
   

   Renninger & Shumar Ch. 5-8
   Ch. 5 discusses the evolution of an online education community of practice. CoPs are "small groups of people held together by a common sense of purpose and a real need to know what each other knows." CoPs are a great resource for teachers to access professional development opportunities and improve their instructional techniques. Tapped In (TI) is an educational CoP that includes online community wide activities. It's a virtual environment that supports education professionals and TPD organizations. Both real time and asynchronous activities occur. A list of nationally recognized education organizations was provided. These organizations serve as "tenants". The affiliated teachers are able to gain access to experts, ideas, and informational resources that no single organization could provide by itself. At least half of the membership consists of K-12 teachers.(I have not looked at Tapped In, but these readings and Jennifer's blog have increased my curiosity.) I am excited about the possibilities it creates. I look forward to viewing it.)
   
   Ch. 6 discusses creating and sustaining distributed learning communities. Sustaining distributed learning communities depends in a large part on communication. Communication between peers in distributed learning environments is important for information exchange. Since there is a lack of face-to-face interactions, distributed learning communities need a variety of media to channel communication options for students. (students need to communicate with each other, to support each other, and to learn from each other). (This can be difficult for students who are highly intelligent, but lack social networking skills.) Asynchronous communication, multiple addressing facilities, and simultaneous transmission to multiple recipients enhance communication within these communities. Wizards and webmasters manage conflict as diverse groups communicate online. Social network relationships are studied as "ties". Pairs who maintain one or more relationships are considered a "tie". Personal or ego-centric networks provide a view of the many ties that individuals maintain with others. (Reminds me of the "friends" list on Facebook).
   
   Hemeneutics, (identity and masks) were described from various philosophical viewpoints in Ch. 7 (Artistotle, Socrates, Plato, Neoplatonism, Platonism, Hume, Freud, Marcuse, Heidegger, etc. were reviewed.) The internet can "mask" our true identities. Gender, appearance, and age can all be changed within online chat groups. Is this a positive or negative event? Or, is it like a game where we play the game and then we get up and walk away from the table? – neither positive or negative – just a distraction for a short period of time. I'm not sure that it can be labeled. It's like anything else, it's not really good or bad unless it's overdone or deliberately used to manipulate others.
   
   WISE is a web-based Integrated Science Environment (WISE). Design considerations were discussed in Ch. 8. Netcourse is used to support teachers using WISE. WISE contains a partnership model wherein teachers, scientists, and pedagogy experts design projects. Although online discussions take place, a sense of community does not emerge until teachers, researchers, and scientists begin to work together on projects. (Very true of real life -Relationships are built as people work together for a common goal.) Design strategies facilitate the transformation and sharing of resources. Strategies for creating effective online learning communities included:
   
   -Support the actual practices and daily tasks of the participants.
   -Collect experiences and represent them in an accessible and
   equitable manner.
   -Provide a framework to guide the learning process.
   -Represent the identities of community members.
   
   Renninger & Shumar Ch. 9-10
   In Ch. 9, the theory of reflexive modernization was described within the framework of American's evolution into a risk society. The United States, the United Kingdom and various other parts of the world no longer trust authority figures and experts to provide accurate and true answers. "Instead of worrying about what nature does to us, we worry about what we do to nature." We are seeking our own answers. On-line self-help and social support are looked at from a sociological perspective in this chapter. We are overwhelmed by the volume of self-help sites and information that is available online. But, we continue to find answers to our questions. Examples were given of parents trying to decide whether or not to vaccinate their children, Usenet is a very popular self-help and social support site used by the citizens of the United Kingdom. Email, the WEB, mailing and discussion lists, news groups, MUDs, IRC and other forms of computer medicated communications are also being used to "support a massive range of health and social issues." I love the internet and the ability it provides me to answer any question that pops into my head. I use the web for all kinds of projects, issues, and questions - not just for social support.
   
   Ch. 10 helped us to understand the life cycles of network-based learning communities. The participant roles within network-based learning activities are better understood if life cycle patterns are understood. Patterns of change for network-based learning communities are birth, growth, mature functioning, decline, and when they cease to function. Although there is a continuum of development without discrete boundaries, the life cycle stages can be defined within the boundaries of proposal, refinement, organization, pursuit, wrap-up, and publication.
   
   The Zero-g Project was used as an example. Four schools participated in the year-long Project. Participants designed the activities that correlated with activities that existed in the space shuttle or in current space stations. The activities within the Collision Course Challenge involved students resolving problems that come up when the shuttle has a collision course. The activities within the Design Challenge and a Five Same and Different Challenge were also described. The activities were divided within the preceding stages. I like the structural framework that these stages describe. I can incorporate them within future projects.