This project aims to examine the effects of incorporating collaborative learning methods extensively in a core first-year mathematics subject and to investigate students' individual learning style preferences, their attitudes towards group-work in mathematics and the objectives for setting group work, their attitudes towards using computers, in particular, Mathematica and their concerns regarding the assessment of group-based work. Following the rapid increase in the use of technology in education over the last decade, one would perhaps expect to find an overabundance of literature regarding the effects of its use. However, the number of technology related research studies has been surprisingly low, especially those pertaining to the curriculum area of Mathematics at the tertiary level. The availability of quality software, the need for curriculum redesign, and limited research on the effectiveness of computers as a teaching tool, are factors to have hindered the rate of implementation and of subsequent research. Also, despite the rapid growth in the use of collaborative methods of learning, and widespread belief in the importance of such methods, there have been calls for increased research especially at the tertiary level, and particularly in engineering education looking at students who have to study mathematics because it is a requirement and not because they are majoring in mathematics, therefore needing to determine how best to make their learning a meaningful and enjoyable experience. This project aims to investigative the effects of incorporating a rich collaborative learning based curriculum in either face-to-face or computer-supported environments in the subject Mathematical Modelling 1. The carrying out of this project is a response to the lack of research in a curriculum area of tertiary mathematics. Within the context of mathematics, issues of attitude, gender differences, motivation and achievement are considered. The chief purpose of this investigation is to explore the effectiveness of collaborative learning in mathematics at university, and to provide some insight as to what degree, if any, the use of such methods enhance mathematics learning. The research uses an experimental methodology, an attitudinal questionnaire and indepth interviews to elicit students' feelings and/or opinions toward the incorporation of collaborative learning. The questionnaire sought demographic information from the students, namely, name, age, gender, length of stay in Australia and language spoken at home, and investigates the role of these factors in the effectiveness of, and interest during the tutorial and laboratory sessions a time when students were working on collaborative-based activities. This project maintains interest in the use of collaborative problem solving, and the belief that the findings could be of international significance if the effectiveness of this style of learning can be finnly established. It is also hoped that grounding the collaborative activities in the literature, and providing statistical and theoretical support for their use might promote them more widely in mathematics in particular and more generally, across universities in Australia. The broad issue of whether the use of collaborative learning enhances mathematics learning can be broken down into a number of specific inquiries. The key research questions may thus be expressed as follows: I. What are tertiary students' preferred learning styles? 2. What are students' opinions about group work in mathematics? 3. Does collaborative group work foster a deep, meaningful understanding of mathematics? 4. What are students' attitudes about using CAS such as Mathematica? 5. What are students' attitudes about the assessment of group-based work? 6. Are there any differences in students' learning style preferences across the various demographics? 7. Are there any differences in students' attitudes towards collaborative learning methods across the various demographics? 8. Are there any differences in students' attitudes towards the use of Mathematica across the various demographics? 9. Are there any variations in students' attitudes towards the assessment of group work in mathematics across the various demographics? This study does not claim to fill the void into the effectiveness of computers or collaborative learning methods, but should provide greater insight and support to future research.

Cross-media games are evolving as a new exciting platform for gaming where different devices are used to create a type of game play were a variant of devices, such as mobile phones and laptops are used. This thesis investigates the possibility of merging cross-media games into the domain of Mobile Learning to create a type of mobile learning game where collaboration becomes a vital part of the game play and style enhances collaboration between the users. By studying cross-media games, key features are captured and converted into requirements that are realised in a prototype that enables cross-media gaming with the intention of creating an environment in which learning could be supported. The development process of the prototype is described and evaluated in the thesis. The result presents a categorization of the key features for cross-media gaming and a prototype of a cross-media game. The thesis investigates which are the key technical features for creating cross-medial games for learning that can be identified for supporting the development process? The results presents a categorization of identified features along with potential future work based on the thesis. It is shown that features related to data sharing are highly prioritized and that certain features are absolutely required to enable cross-media gaming whilst others have less priority.

The purpose of this study was to explore collaborative English language learning beyond formal classrooms. On the basis of Vygotsky¡¦s socio-cultural perspective, specific focus was placed on English as Foreign Language (EFL) learners¡¦ collective scaffolding and tension they experienced during the collaboration. The researcher utilized case study to design this research. Participants were eleven EFL learners who were non-English majors in a university and who joined the same English self-access community together. The period of data collection was from middle-March to early-October, 2009, during which the researcher conducted observation, interview, and document collection. Constant comparison method was used at the early stage of data analysis. Further analysis was influenced by the concepts of tension (Kramer, 2004; Montgomery, 1993; Spielmann & Radnofsky, 2001) and collaborative strategies, such as problematizing move (Ming & Law, 2006; Reiser, 2004). Three findings of this study were reported. First, these learners practiced collective scaffolding by co-shaping norms and co-constructing English knowledge. Second, during collective scaffolding, these learners experienced two kinds of tension. One of the tensions was their shared difficulties in developing English knowledge and maintaining English activities. When these learners could not overcome these difficulties, they terminated their English activities, which was negative for their collective scaffolding. The other tension was their conflictive voices deriving from different perceptions of English learning. When these learners were able to show their empathy toward conflictive voices among peers, they were more likely to handle these conflicts to practice collective scaffolding. Although this study centered on how these EFL learners assisted one another¡¦s learning, it also discovered that most EFL learners in this study highlighted the tutor¡¦s role in helping peer collaboration. Discussions of this study are as follows: 1) these learners¡¦ practice of collective scaffolding echoes Wenger¡¦s (1998) community of practice; 2) tension these learners experienced shows the importance of developing regular and predictable learning routines and maintaining the balance between product-orientation and process-orientation for learning; 3) these learners¡¦ concern about peers¡¦ English proficiency reflects their investment in distributing group resources and cultivating English knowledge. This study provides three implications for English learning and teaching. First, it is suggested that English language learners who participate in English self-access communities respect others¡¦ perceptions of English learning, so that peer collaboration for English learning can be enhanced. Second, English language learners are encouraged to cultivate their autonomous and active learning through developing and joining an English self-access community. Third, English teachers or tutors are encouraged to gain understanding about how to assist peer interaction appropriately in order to support collaborative learning. Finally, four directions for further studies are offered: 1) further studies can compare different English self-access communities to offer multiple perspectives on collaborative learning beyond classrooms; 2) further studies can investigate the assistance of tutors to understand the importance of expert scaffolding in peer collaboration; 3) further studies can analyze the role of a leader in different contexts of an English self-access community to examine how the leader can influence and enhance the practice of collective scaffolding; 4) further studies can examine the influences of distinct genders, majors, and media on collective scaffolding.

A Study of the Influence of Collaborative Learning in Arts and Humanities on the Professional Growth of Arts and Humanities Teachers ¡V with NanTz Primary School as an Example Chen Ying-Ming Graduate Institute of Education National Sun Yat-Sen University Abstract The purpose of this research is to examine the influence of the collaborative learning practice in arts and humanities curriculum in elementary school on the professional growth on the teachers of the subjects. The research employs action research as the methodology, with Nan Tz Primary School, Kaoshiung as the objects and the Head of the school as the researcher. In the observation of the collaborative learning in classes, the difficulties and problems arisen in the collaborative learning are located for further research. With the current situations concerning the teachers and students in collaborative learning and related materials, analysis is conducted. Further, interviews are also employed for profound understanding. In this research, a 5-scale questionnaire is employed. Concerning scores, positive marking is adopted; 4 is given to a perfect match, 3 for a majority match, 2 to a part match, and 1 for a minority match. The answers that do not match don¡¦t count. The average is 2. The questions with an average over 2 are inclined to be regarded as positive identification. Meanwhile, for those with an average lower than 2 are inclined to be regarded as negative identification. There are 10 valid questionnaires. The testing is conducted with a self-compiled questionnaire. A pretest is undertaken with the teachers as testees before the beginning collaborative learning curriculum. When the class collaborative learning ends, the post-test is conducted. In this research, the findings of the pretest and posttest concerning the collaborative learning in arts and humanities curriculum are as follows: (1) The research discovers that the teaching plan and course design concerning the arts and humanities curriculum, the professional ¡§teaching knowledge¡¨, including the understanding and applications of the nature and implications concerning the terrain of arts and humanities, the teachers possess are unclear. (2) The research discovers that concerning the issue of collaborative learning, the teachers show to have difficulties and lack motivations in the aspects of the operation of teaching media, the arrangement of multidimensional evaluation, and the employment of multidimensional evaluations, the employment of teaching resources to assist instruction, and the professional capability¡X¡§teaching abilities¡¨ the teacher faces, including soft and hardware equipment, especially in the use of media and the creation of learning situations, etc. (3) To review the profession as problems, as a reflection in teaching, the input of time in class preparation and ¡§teaching attitude,¡¨ including the teachers that stick to the traditional teaching method, the teachers that are not willing to spend time and energy in using the new teaching method, etc. These problems will lead to the lessening of enthusiasm in teaching. (4) According to the research findings, it is discovered that collaborative teaching in arts and humanities curriculum can allow the teachers to understand the meanings, essence, and importance concerning professional growth. (5) After employing collaborative learning in arts and humanities, teachers in elementary schools can follow the circulatory process of ¡§plan>teaching>observation>reflection>amendment¡¨. Following this process, they can keep improving; and the teachers team can work in teams habitually, as part of the teaching goals, design of syllabus, and sharing their concepts. They can also keep cooperation in teaching activities to elevate the teaching knowledge, teaching abilities, teaching attitudes, to promote the teachers¡¦ growth. Eventually, according to the research results suggestions future development is given to education units, school executives, and future researchers concerning the professional growth. Keywords: arts and humanities, collaborative learning, teaching professionalism, professional growth

Although there are numerous online classes now, yet it is still questionable whether it can achieve the purpose to be initiative, diversified, interactive and collaborative. Taking a look at the current online classrooms, the functions developed by the systems are getting more and more complete; meanwhile, the user-friendliness which is getting improving has brought more convenience for users. However, if there should not be any powerful drive that is pushing from behind, most students would not spend much time getting online to participate in interaction and such classrooms with nearly no students were similar to nonexistence at all. Even for those online classrooms that are more popular among students, the messages left on their bulletin boards are mostly questions for requirements of the class and reposting of some online articles. Not many students can share what they know about these lessons and express how they feel in a profound way, which does not help a lot for learning efficiency of knowledge construction. This study is based on the related theories of learning communities by referencing Tsai, Chung-Yuan¡¦s (Tsai, Chung-Yuan, 2001) instructive interactive design of control, feedback, and facilitate strategies to provide students an online classroom for their spare-time learning by themselves as an experimental platform. Based on a mode of quasi-experiment, it is to group them and manipulate the dependent variables, and to observe the learning behaviors and participation of the subjects in order to empirically test the instructively and socially interactive strategies among teachers and students, students and their peers. For teachers, this study is expected to find an empirically proved strategic mode that can encourage students to have initiative learning and highly participation in the online classroom, and designs a questionnaire aiming at students¡¦ motivations and satisfactions, and the efficiency of group collaborative learning and studying groups. As for students, it is to explore the bottleneck that they have faced and couldn¡¦t break through all the time, then makes a deduction and designs some successful operational strategies to make online classroom work in order to achieve the learning efficacy so that online classroom will not become just another BBS established on the internet platform but can help to fulfill the dream of online learning.

With the emerging use of technological interventions in education, e-learning systems contribute immensely in educational delivery. However, with substantial efforts from the Rwandan Government, there were still claims about the lack of online support systems for thesis process in Rwandan higher education, which significantly affect the quality of research. Furthermore, previously implementations of e-learning systems at University of Rwanda have failed because of a low adoption rate. This study follows the introduction of the learning management system “SciPro” used for supporting supervisors and students in thesis writing. The purpose of the study was to understand the adoption of the SciPro System in support of thesis process for bachelor and master’s programs from a supervisor’s perspective at University of Rwanda (UR). An embedded case study was used as a research strategy. The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) was used as the theoretical frame of reference for the study. Data was collected from 42 workshop participants using a questionnaire. Moreover, convenient interviews and participant observations were conducted at 5 of the 6 colleges during and after system testing. A researcher realized that the current thesis process is still manual-based and there is no holistic computer-supported system for thesis related activities. Results from correlation analysis and regression analysis for the questionnaire showed that the facilitating conditions provided by UR were the key factor that would influence the adoption of SciPro positively. Effort expectancy perceived by supervisors proved to have a significant correlation to their Behavioral Intention to use the system. The study also revealed that there were other factors outside SciPro System, such as management support, Internet access, lack of a clear ICT policy and E-learning policy; and to motivate innovators and early adopters that should be considered throughout the implementation process to enhance adoption.

Cooperative tutoring in a writing center setting consists of two tutors who work collaboratively with one student. It is a variation of one method of training new tutors, where the novice tutor observes the expert tutor during a tutoring session and eventually participates with the expert tutor. This study focused on the interactions between the tutors. Through cooperative tutoring, tutors learn new or different tutoring approaches from each other, which in turn serves as ongoing professional development. I explain the methodology used in the study, and I analyze the data. From the data analysis, I identify three preliminary categories, which are Equal Partners, New Alliance, and Trainer/Trainee. Equal Partners sessions are characterized by a strong sense of camaraderie between the tutors and a willingness to share both tutoring and academic writing strategies with each other and the student. During an Equal Partners session, tutors acknowledge the other tutor's strategies and incorporate parts of it into their own tutoring style. These sessions are more directive, and the tutors' focus is on teaching specific strategies for academic writing as well as passing on college survival lore. New Alliance sessions occur when both tutors are more actively engaged with the overall topic of the student's paper. Both of the tutors and the student share experiences and ideas on a personal level, working towards understanding how to craft ideas through academic discourse. In this way an alliance is formed with the writing center tutors and the student. During the Trainer/Trainee sessions, the tutors involved attempt to apply cooperative tutoring techniques but were unable to make the shift from the roles they once held as a trainer and a trainee. Finally, I present a summary and interpretation of my findings. I also discuss the limitations of the study and indicate areas for further research.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / This study looked at the implementation of a collaborative learning model at two schools in Sydney designed to realise the principles recommended by reform documents such as the Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (NCTM, 2000) and policy documents including Numeracy, A Priority for All (DETYA, 2000). A total of 158 year seven and year eight students ranging in age from 12 to 15 years old from two schools participated in the study. In all, seven classroom teachers participated in the study each completing two topics using the collaborative learning model. Four research questions were the focus of the current study. Three research questions were drawn from eight principles identified in the literature regarding what constitutes effective mathematics learning. These questions related to the nature of collaboration evident in each classroom, the level of motivation and self-regulation displayed by students in the different types of classrooms and the relationship between learning mathematics within the collaborative learning model and real-world mathematics. A final research question examined the degree to which the concerns of teachers relating to preparing students for examinations are met within the collaborative learning model. Several different data collection strategies were adopted to develop a picture of the different forms of activity evident in each classroom and the changes that took place in each classroom during and after the implementation of the collaborative learning model. These included classroom observations, interviews with student and teacher participants, questionnaires and obtaining test results. Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis were used to reduce the data collected. Factor scores and test results were compared using t-tests, ANOVAs and Mann Whitney nonparametric tests. Data collected from interviews and classroom observations were analysed using a grounded approach beginning with the open coding of phenomena. Leont’ev’s theoretical approach to activity systems (1972; 1978) was then used to describe the changing nature of classroom activity with the introduction of the collaborative learning model. Within the collaborative classrooms there were a greater number of mathematical voices participating in classroom discussions, a breaking down of traditional roles held by teachers and students, and dominant patterns of collaboration evident in each classroom reflecting pre-existing cultural ways of doing. Furthermore, there was some quantitative evidence suggesting that student levels of critical thinking, self-regulation and help seeking increased and students were also observed regulating their own learning as well as the learning of others. Classroom practice was also embedded in the cultural practice of preparing topic tests, enabling students to use mathematics within the context of a work group producing a shared outcome. Finally, there was quantitative evidence that students in some of the collaborative classes did not perform as well as students in traditional classrooms on topic tests. Comments from students and teachers, however, suggested that for some students the collaborative learning model enabled them to learn more effectively, although other students were frustrated by the greater freedom and lack of direction. Future research could investigate the effectiveness of strategies to overcome this frustration and the relationship between different types of collaboration and developing mathematical understanding.

Engineering educators have called for research on how best to foster and assess the development of collaborative expertise, particularly around engineering design. Mental models are internal representations depicting understanding. The quality of mental models and their similarity amongst group members have been found to influence performance and group processes in a range of disciplines: For example, flight, military, medical, and business teams. The purpose of this thesis was to examine three attributes (content, structure, within-group similarity) of the mental models of first-year undergraduate engineering students hold about both collaboration and engineering design in the context of a course-based engineering design project. Participants were 251 undergraduate engineering students enrolled in a first-year engineering course. Mental models were measured using relatedness ratings. This exploratory study drew upon network analysis indices and used descriptive, correlational, and comparative statistical techniques. Findings indicate (a) monitoring was viewed as the least central collaborative idea represented in the engineering students’ mental models, (b) quality or expertise is indicated by the level of connection pruning in students’ mental models, (c) performance and the quality of mental models of collaboration are associated, and (d) within-group collaborative mental model compatibility was more related to performance than mental model overlap. This study contributes to engineering education by suggesting mental models of the collaborative process are an essential factor to consider when preparing undergraduate engineering students to engage in collaborative engineering design. / Graduate

Dans ce travail de recherche, nous nous sommes intéressés à la conception et au développement d'un système iNformatIque COmmunautaire mobiLe et AdapTatif, appelé NICOLAT. Ce dernier vise à supporter une CoP dans laquelle l'apprentissage s'effectue via la résolution communautaire de problèmes en offrant des solutions qui permettent de limiter les facteurs qui peuvent aboutir à la démotivation des membres de la CoP.Pour expérimenter et valider les solutions que nous proposons à travers ce système, nous ciblons la CoP des enseignants usagers de la méthode pédagogique MAETIC, qui peuvent rencontrer, en classe, des problèmes dans l'usage de celle-ci.Ainsi, nos principales contributions se résument dans les points suivants : 1) La mise en place du noyau communautaire du système NICOLAT. Ce dernier est sous forme d'un réseau social supportant la résolution communautaire de problèmes, 2) La mise en place d'une couche de résolution de problèmes ayant pour objectif d'aider le membre à résoudre son problème par exploitation de l'historique des problèmes résolus dans le passé. Ceci pour minimiser le nombre de demandes d'aide répétitives. Le cycle du raisonnement RàPC (Raisonnement à Partir de Cas) a été utilisé pour guider ce processus, 3) La mise en place de deux couches d'adaptation permettant de supporter les interactions des membres dans les outils d'interaction qu'ils préfèrent ou avec lesquels ils sont familiarisés le plus. L'objectif visé par cette adaptation est, d'une part, de dépasser les problèmes de prise en main de nouveaux outils d'interaction. D'autre part, de permettre l'accès au système en cas de mobilité et minimiser ainsi le temps de réponse, 4) La mise en place d'une approche de sélection des membres qui peuvent contribuer positivement à résoudre un problème à qui faire aboutir la demande d'aide. L'objectif est de permettre à un membre cherchant à résoudre son problème de recevoir une réponse pertinente / In this research work, we focused on design and development of an adaptive and mobile community system, called NICOLAT (iNformatIque COmmunautaire mobiLe et AdapTatif). The latter aims to support a Community of Practice (CoP) in which learning is done through community problem solving by providing solutions that limit the factors that can lead to the demotivation of the CoP members.To experiment and validate the solutions we provide through this system, we target the CoP of teachers users of the MAETIC pedagogical method, who can meet, in classroom, problems in the use of it.Thus, our main contributions are summarized in the following points: 1) Establishment of community kernel of the NICOLAT system. The latter is as a social network supporting the community solving of problems, 2) Implementation of problems resolution layer that aims to help the member solve his problem through the exploitation of the history of problems solved in the past. This is to minimize the number of repetitive help requests. The cycle of the CBR (Case-Based Reasoning) was used to guide this process, 3) Establishment of an interactions adaptation layer to support the members' interactions in the interaction tools they prefer or with which they are most familiar. The purpose of this adaptation is, firstly, to exceed the problems of interaction tools manipulation. On the other hand, to enable access to the system in case of mobility and thereby minimize response time, 4) Establishment of a dynamic approach of selection of members who can contribute positively to solve a problem, to whom bring the help requests. The objective is to enable a member seeking to solve his problem to receive a relevant answer