The purpose of this study was to investigate how Scardamalia’s (2002) socio-cognitive determinants of knowledge building emerge in a computer-supported collaborative writing task, and to understand students’ perceptions of knowledge building experience and the use of tools, including wikis, to support the collaborative writing process. The setting of this study was a graduate level online course on Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL), in which all course activities were conducted collaboratively in an online environment. Data sources included: transcripts of online inputs in the wiki areas; interviews with 15 participants; participants’ reflective journals; transcripts of asynchronous online discussions and synchronous chats. Data were analyzed using content analysis for the transcripts of wiki areas and grounded theory approach (Strauss & Corbin, 1998) was used in the analysis of data from the interviews. Results of the data analysis indicated that the three groups in this study participated in the collaborative knowledge building activity in different ways. The three factors that influenced their participation in the activity included: group dynamics, collaborative writing task, and collaborative writing tools. These factors interacted with each another and impacted their knowledge building discourse in the following ways: improvable ideas, constructive use of authoritative sources, epistemic agency, and embedded and transformative assessment. As a result of their engagement in knowledge building discourse, participants successfully completed the collaborative writing project and shared a strong sense of community and co-ownership of the knowledge product. The findings of this study may shed light on the strategies and environmental factors that encourage knowledge building discourse as well as the synergetic combination of technology tools and knowledge building task. In addition, understanding the process of knowledge building in a computer-supported collaborative writing task and the participants perception of knowledge building and the use of tools may help instructor better prepare learners to become collaborative learners and effective knowledge workers. / text

Social interaction is a powerful medium in education. In this report, I discuss how computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL) helps K-12 students to enhance learning. I discussed why socio-constructivism in CSCL is a promising learning method. In addition I suggest that CSCL enhances students’ self-driven learning, motivation, and critical thinking. I also examine how CSCL can be successfully implemented in K-12 schools. In this context, the report identifies the challenges posed by technology implementation and changing teachers’ beliefs in introducing this innovation into schools, and how those challenges can be met. Finally, based on perspectives in support of CSCL, the paper does a critical analysis of the Korean e-learning project, which created a national online leaning network for K-12 students, called Cyber Home Learning System (CHLS), and suggests ways that CSCL may enhance this program. / text

During the past few years, pair-programming is a programming technique that has received an increasing amount of attention in the teaching of computer programming skills. Pair programming can briefly be described as a programming situation in which two persons sit at one computer and execute the task together. Although much research has been done on the advantages and disadvantages of pair programming, the assessment of computer skills acquired in pairs still remains a problem. The perception exists that pair assessment is not a reliable indicator of students' computer programming abilities. The purpose of the study was to determine whether (1) the results of programming skills assessed in pairs correlate with those of programming skills assessed individually, and (2) to investigate students' perceptions of pair and individual assessment. To reach these objectives, a literature study was performed to investigate pair programming as programming technique and the assessment of programming skills acquired in pairs. The empirical study has revealed that a positive relation exists between programming skills assessed in pairs and programming skills assessed individually. Furthermore, it was found that in general students' perceptions concerning pair assessment have changed positively. Based on the results arising from the empirical study, guidelines were suggested for the facilitation and assessment of pair programming skills. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

Promoting Mathematical Understanding Through Open-Ended Tasks; Experiences of an Eighth-Grade Gifted Geometry Class by Carol H. Taylor Gifted students of mathematics served through acceleration often lack the opportunities to engage in challenging, complex investigations involving higher-level thinking. This purpose of this study was to examine the ways mathematically gifted students think about and do mathematics creatively as indicators of deep understanding through collaborative work on four open-ended tasks with high-level cognitive demand. The study focused on the mathematical thinking involved in students’ construction of mathematical understanding through the social interaction of group problem solving. This case study used ethnographic methodology within a social constructivist frame with gifted education and sociocultural contextual influences. Participants were 15 gifted students in an 8th-grade gifted geometry class. Data collection included field notes, student artifacts, student journal entries, audio recordings, and reflections. Transcribed audio recordings were segmented (Tesch, 1990) into phases of interaction, coded by function, then coded by levels of exhibited mathematical thinking from observable cognitive actions (Dreyfus, Hershkowitz, & Schwarz, 2001; Williams, 2000; Wood, Williams, & McNeal, 2006), and analyzed for maintenance or decline of high-level cognitive demand (Stein, Smith, Henningsen, & Silver, 2000). Interpretive data analysis was connected to data analysis of transcribed recordings. Results indicated social interaction among students enabled them to talk through the mathematics to understand mathematical concepts and relationships, to construct more complex meaning, and exhibit mathematical creativity, inventiveness, flexibility, and originality. Students consistently exhibited these characteristics indicating mathematical thinking at the levels of building-with analyzing, building-with synthetic-analyzing, building-with evaluative-analyzing, constructing synthesizing, and occasionally constructing evaluating (Dreyfus et al., 2001; Williams, 2000; Wood et al., 2006). The results of the study support the claim of a relationship between mathematical giftedness and the ability to abstract and generalize (Sriraman, 2003), provide evidence that given the opportunity, students can construct deep mathematical understanding, and indicate the importance of social interaction in the construction of knowledge. This study adds to the body of knowledge needed in research on gifted education, problem solving, small-group interaction, mathematical thinking, and mathematical understanding, through empirically assessed classroom practice (Friedman-Nima et al., 2005; Good, Mulryan, & McCaslin, 1992; Hiebert & Carpenter, 1992; Lester & Kehle, 2003; Phillipson, 2007; Wood, Williams, & McNeal, 2006).

<p><font face="Times New Roman"> <p align="left">This study looks at the effect of a cross-cultural instructional approach on the learners&rsquo / conceptions of lightning and attitude towards science. It explored Basotho conceptions of lightning and thunder under the following themes: nature of lightning, protection against lightning, animalistic/humanistic behaviour of lighting and nature of wounds inflicted by lightning.</p> </font></p>

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal

The constructivist grounded theory, actualizing collaborative learning, conceptualizes how British Columbia primary grade teachers interacted with the professional learning endeavour Changing Results for Young Readers (CR4YR). CR4YR was a British Columbia Ministry of Education initiated and co-facilitated cross-school Network Learning Community that included educators from four levels of the school system. While Network Learning Communities, such as the CR4YR initiative, have been increasingly utilized as professional learning models for educators, a review of the literature indicated that questions remained as to how teachers, who were unaccustomed to collaborative learning endeavour, adapted to environments in which vulnerability was the primary learning tool. This study addressed this knowledge gap. The theory, actualizing collaborative learning, emerged from analysis of data gathered through semi-structured interviews with 22 CR4YR participants in five British Columbia school districts. The interviewees included school district administrators, Reading Advocates, and teachers. The resulting theory specifies that collaborative learning in CR4YR was built upon the interaction of the four sub-processes: establishing trust, identifying with collaborative learning, becoming vulnerable, and mobilizing collaboration to the school. The participants’ utilization of the four sub-processes was impacted by three contextual factors which were skilled leadership, interlinking points of contact, and the extended time period allocated for the CR4YR initiative. The theory extends current conceptualizations of professional learning in network learning communities by identifying the contextual factors and sub-processes that support teachers as they acclimatize to collaborative learning in cross-school environments with representation from multiple levels of the school system. / Graduate / wilmot94@telus.net

El objetivo de la presente tesis de especialización es describir la experiencia de desarrollo de una metodología didáctica para el trabajo con foros en un entorno virtual. Esta experiencia fue realizada en el marco del curso "Tecnología para la educación matemática" de la UNSa, con el tema: "Las tecnologías posibles a implementar en la enseñanza y el aprendizaje" para el subtema "Triángulo isósceles. Definición, propiedades y aplicaciones". Su aporte es el desarrollo de una metodología probada en este campo: análisis de la experiencia, evaluación y propuesta de mejora. Su estructura consta de dos partes interdependientes. En la primera parte se consideran los marcos teóricos referentes a los foros en comunidades virtuales. Se incluye la descripción de diferentes tipos de foros considerados apropiados para la enseñanza de la matemática y una posible manera de planificarlos. Se ejemplifica con foros realizados en cursos de capacitación y de postgrado realizados en diferentes plataformas virtuales. Todos abarcan problemáticas diferentes en los que la Matemática ocupa un lugar, desde la propia ciencia o desde la educación en esta área. En la segunda parte se relata la experiencia llevada a cabo en la Universidad Nacional de Salta con alumnos de segundo año del Profesorado de Matemática, en la asignatura Tecnología para la Educación Matemática. También se analiza el foro académico realizado, teniendo en cuenta los marcos teóricos de la primera parte. Se adjuntan dos anexos en los que se encuentran foros realizados dentro de la materia Tecnología para la Educación Matemática.

During the past few years, pair-programming is a programming technique that has received an increasing amount of attention in the teaching of computer programming skills. Pair programming can briefly be described as a programming situation in which two persons sit at one computer and execute the task together. Although much research has been done on the advantages and disadvantages of pair programming, the assessment of computer skills acquired in pairs still remains a problem. The perception exists that pair assessment is not a reliable indicator of students' computer programming abilities. The purpose of the study was to determine whether (1) the results of programming skills assessed in pairs correlate with those of programming skills assessed individually, and (2) to investigate students' perceptions of pair and individual assessment. To reach these objectives, a literature study was performed to investigate pair programming as programming technique and the assessment of programming skills acquired in pairs. The empirical study has revealed that a positive relation exists between programming skills assessed in pairs and programming skills assessed individually. Furthermore, it was found that in general students' perceptions concerning pair assessment have changed positively. Based on the results arising from the empirical study, guidelines were suggested for the facilitation and assessment of pair programming skills. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

This study examines the relationship between self-efficacy for group work and collective efficacy in terms of participation within a computer supported collaborative environment across two collaborative conditions: (a) structured chat, and (b) unstructured chat. The purpose of this study was (a) to examine the relationship between self and collective efficacy and student participation, and (b) to examine the structure of reciprocal teaching roles, scripts and prompts in moderating the relationship between self-efficacy for group work and collaborative chat participation. Data were collected from 62 grade 10 students assigned to one of the two conditions: (a) structured chat enhanced with specific cognitive roles, scripts and prompts, or (b) unstructured chat enhanced by only a text based chat tool. The participants collaboratively discussed a challenging text in groups of 4 using a text-based chat tool. A relationship was found between self-efficacy and participation where collaborative condition moderated the relationship between efficacy and participation.