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