This design-based research study investigates the development of progressive discourse among participants (n=15, n=17, n=20) in three online graduate course contexts. Progressive discourse is a kind of discourse for inquiry in which participants share, question, and revise their ideas to deepen understanding and build knowledge. Although progressive discourse is central to knowledge building pedagogy, it is not known whether it is possible to detect its emergence in the patterns of participation in asynchronous conferencing environments or what kinds of instructional scaffolding are most effective to support its development. This study offers a unique perspective by characterizing episodes of discourse where participants honor the commitments for progressive discourse and by refining designs of peer and software-based scaffolding for progressive discourse. Results showed that measures such as note count, replies, and thread sizes can determine some qualities of online discourse but do not shed light on the development of progressive discourse. Thus an in-depth analysis of discourse for groups was developed to trace the interdependent individual contributions to the group discourse. Peer scaffolding that made norms for progressive discourse explicit was introduced to encourage participants to engage in sustained student-centered discourse for inquiry. Findings show that this intervention was most effective at the beginning of a course for newer online learners and newer graduate students, and least effective for students who were practicing K-12 teachers. A significant barrier to fostering progressive discourse is the tendency for teachers to reject these norms and revert to belief-mode thinking and devotional discourse typical of traditional schooling. Additionally, findings suggest that software-based scaffolding (as found in Knowledge Forum’s scaffold support feature) is a promising avenue for future design innovations to encourage progressive discourse. Although the results of this study are only suggestive, the findings do illustrate ways in which graduate students can uphold the commitments to move beyond expressions of socio- affective connection and opinion to discuss ideas in ways that lead to more useful explanations. The implications for these results for analyzing the quality of online discourse and the designs of instructional scaffolding in online learning environments are discussed.

Der vorliegende Beitrag beschäftigt sich mit der lernerorientierten Entwicklung von mobilen Bildungsmedien am Beispiel einer ePortfolio-Lösung und eines Kompetenzchecks für die duale Ausbildung. Nach dem Ansatz des Design Based Research (DBR) werden diese Bildungsmedien zur Verbesserung der Ausbildungsqualität in gewerblich-technischen Berufen in engem Dialog mit den zukünftigen Anwendern1, den Ausbildern, Auszubildenden, Lehrern und Meistern entwickelt und erprobt. Das Ziel der forschenden Entwicklung ist die Stärkung des lernenden Individuums im Prozess der Aneignung und Reflexion von Wissen und Können. Bei der Entwicklung der hier vorgestellten ePortfolio-Lösung wird aufgezeigt, wie qualitative Methoden aus dem Ansatz der agilen Softwareentwicklung (User Stories, Crowdtesting) den DBR-Ansatz im Hinblick auf eine gesteigerte Nutzerakzeptanz implementiert werden können.

Innovative mobile Endgeräte und Applikationen durchdringen nicht mehr nur das Berufs- und Privatleben, sondern finden auch zunehmend Einsatz in der Aus- und Fortbildung. Dies gilt sowohl in Hinblick auf das „Lifelong Learning“ als auch in der schulischen und universitären Ausbildung. Neue Regelungen zu Bachelor- und Masterprogrammen, Lehrformen wie Gruppenarbeiten und die zunehmende Mobilität der Studierenden verlangen nach neuen Lernmedien und Lehrkonzepten, die es ermöglichen, bisherige Lehrlaufzeiten im Studium sinnvoll zu nutzen. (...)

This design-based research study investigates the development of progressive discourse among participants (n=15, n=17, n=20) in three online graduate course contexts. Progressive discourse is a kind of discourse for inquiry in which participants share, question, and revise their ideas to deepen understanding and build knowledge. Although progressive discourse is central to knowledge building pedagogy, it is not known whether it is possible to detect its emergence in the patterns of participation in asynchronous conferencing environments or what kinds of instructional scaffolding are most effective to support its development. This study offers a unique perspective by characterizing episodes of discourse where participants honor the commitments for progressive discourse and by refining designs of peer and software-based scaffolding for progressive discourse. Results showed that measures such as note count, replies, and thread sizes can determine some qualities of online discourse but do not shed light on the development of progressive discourse. Thus an in-depth analysis of discourse for groups was developed to trace the interdependent individual contributions to the group discourse. Peer scaffolding that made norms for progressive discourse explicit was introduced to encourage participants to engage in sustained student-centered discourse for inquiry. Findings show that this intervention was most effective at the beginning of a course for newer online learners and newer graduate students, and least effective for students who were practicing K-12 teachers. A significant barrier to fostering progressive discourse is the tendency for teachers to reject these norms and revert to belief-mode thinking and devotional discourse typical of traditional schooling. Additionally, findings suggest that software-based scaffolding (as found in Knowledge Forum’s scaffold support feature) is a promising avenue for future design innovations to encourage progressive discourse. Although the results of this study are only suggestive, the findings do illustrate ways in which graduate students can uphold the commitments to move beyond expressions of socio- affective connection and opinion to discuss ideas in ways that lead to more useful explanations. The implications for these results for analyzing the quality of online discourse and the designs of instructional scaffolding in online learning environments are discussed.

O uso de Tecnologias de Informação e Comunicação (TICs) impacta diretamente a forma como indivíduos encaram e se relacionam com os diversos aspectos da vida social. Hoje se vê que o espaço está no tempo e o tempo está no espaço, e verifica-se que estas duas dimensões estão sendo remodeladas pelo uso de intenso de TICs. No âmbito educacional, a Educação a Distância (EAD), tem se apresentado como uma modalidade de ensino em que professores e alunos podem tratar de forma mais flexível as dimensões de tempo e espaço, e isso se deve ao uso intensivo da internet e das TICs. Diante dessa realidade, o presente estudo tem como objetivo analisar a gestão da EAD nas Instituições Públicas Federais de Ensino Superior (IFES) do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul sob a perspectiva de um território influenciado pelas TICs. São utilizadas como bases teóricas para operacionalizar este objetivo a abordagem territorial e as visões da sociomaterialidade e dos estudos de tempoespaço, enquanto perspectivas analíticas do uso de TICs no território. Com essas perspectivas teóricas é desenvolvido e utilizado um modelo de estudos. O objetivo da pesquisa é abordado de forma qualitativa, utilizando como método de pesquisa o estudo de caso único e incorporado. Os dados da pesquisa foram conseguidos por meio da coleta de documentos e da realização de entrevistas com o principal gestor do Setor de EAD e com professores das IFES; e a análise dos dados se deu utilizando a análise de conteúdo. Os resultados apontam para diferenças nas estruturas organizacionais das IFES do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, bem como para a influência dos programas de fomento do governo federal na estrutura do Setor de EAD dessas IFES. São apresentadas estratégias para lidar com alguns desafios da modalidade EAD identificados pelos entrevistados. No que tange a visão sociomaterial, fica evidente a impossibilidade de serem definidos resultados a priori de uma interação entre agentes humanos e tecnológicos num interesse organizacional; sejam essas interações de cunho administrativo ou pedagógico. A influência das TICs na concepção das ações humanas evidencia o entrelaçamento constitutivo dos aspectos sociais e materiais da vida organizacional das IFES estudadas. Percebe-se a existência de um ‘tempoespaço socialmente construído’ por meio de um contínuo de relações entre atores humanos e tecnológicos; e também a necessidade de se conceder ‘liberdade de adaptação contextual’ aos atores da EAD, para que possam fazer uma leitura contextual adequada dos tempos, espaços, tecnologias e conteúdos com que venham a se relacionar. / The use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) directly impacts the way individuals perceive and relate to the various aspects of social life. Today we see that space is in time and time is in space, and it is verified that these two dimensions are being remodeled by the intense use of ICT. In education, e-learning has emerged as a method of teaching in which teachers and students can, more flexibly, address the dimensions of time and space, and this is due to the intensive use of the Internet and ICTs. Given this reality, the present study looks to analyze the management of EAD in Federal Public Institutions of Higher Education (IFES) of the State of Rio Grande do Sul from the perspective of a territory influenced by ICTs. As a theoretical basis to operationalize this goal, the territorial approach and the visions of sociomateriality and studies of timespace are used, while analytical perspectives of the use of ICTs in the territory. With these theoretical perspectives in consideration a study model is developed and used. The objective of the research is approached in a qualitative manner, using as a research method a single and embedded case study. The research data were obtained by collecting documents and interviewing teachers and the main manager of the Elearning Department of IFES; and the data analysis was based on content analysis. The results indicate differences in the organizational structures of IFES on the State of Rio Grande do Sul, as well as the influence of the incentive programs of the Federal Government in the structure of E-learning Department. Strategies to deal with some challenges of E-learning identified by respondents are presented. Regarding the sociomateriality view, it is evident the impossibility of defining “a priori” results from an interaction between human and technological agents in organizational interest; being these interactions of an administrative or educational interest. The influence of ICT in the design of human actions demonstrates the constitutive entanglement of social and material aspects of organizational life. It was perceived the existence of a 'socially constructed timespace' through an ongoing of relations between human and technological actors; and also the need to grant ‘freedom of contextual adaptation' to the actors of the E-learning, so that they can make a proper contextual reading of the times, spaces, technologies and content with which they will relate.

A educação continuada é uma expressão que se refere à modalidade de ensino na qual a pessoa procura aprendizagem a vida inteira. Os cursos a distância não estão preparados para lidar com as singularidades de um aluno que busca esse tipo de educação, resultando em cursos que contém atividades de ensino que não são propostas de forma contextualizada à realidade do aprendiz. A tese propõe uma metodologia de trabalho para o EaD na qual o professor atua como orientador de estudo de cada aluno, percebendo as suas necessidades e o seu contexto de vida partir de diálogos assíncronos, possibilitando a criação e seleção de conteúdos e atividades de ensino que sejam contextualizadas a realidade do aprendiz. Para tentar resolver as questões técnicas e operacionais que são resultantes desta proposta, foi criado um software que implementa uma comunicação assíncrona entre professor e aluno e automatiza a execução de ações que devem ser realizadas pelo professor, liberando-o de executar tarefas repetitivas, e possibilitando ao docente concentrar-se na atividade criativa de individualização. Além disso, foi feita uma prospecção para determinar de que forma o paradigma atual da internet, chamada de WEB 2.0, pode auxiliar o professor nesse processo de individualização. O software foi testado com relação ao seu desempenho com alunos de dois cursos a distância, o que permitiu comprovar a eficiência do sistema. / Continuing education is an expression that refers to the mode of teaching in which the person seeks to lifelong learning. The distance courses are not prepared to deal with the singularities of a student seeking this type of education, resulting in courses that contain learning activities that are not contextualized to the reality of the learner. This thesis proposes a methodology of distance learning in which the teacher acts as an adviser to the study of each student, understanding their needs from asynchronous dialogs, enabling the creation and selection of content and teaching activities that are contextualized to the reality of the learner. A software has created to resolve the technical and operational issues that are resulting from this proposal. This software implements an asynchronous communication between teacher and student and automates the execution of actions that must be performed by the teacher, enabling the teacher to concentrate on the creative activity of individualization. In addition, a survey was done to determine how the current paradigm of the Internet, called Web 2.0, can help teachers in the process of individualization. The software was tested on two distance courses, which helped to check the efficiency of the system.

With the emergence of technology and the increased demand for online courses, traditional classroom facilitators, instructors and trainers are nervous, reluctant and sceptical to teach in the online environment because they do not know what is expected of them. The research goal was to establish what different roles the online facilitator played in the online environment as well as to identify which people competencies, thinking competencies and energy competencies the online facilitator needed to function in the online environment. The basis for this instrumental case study was the eLearn ORO 880 online module for the Master’s degree in Computer Assisted Education. The module simulated the popular reality television series, Survivor, implementing the same rules and events that took place in the television series – the location just shifted to cyberspace. The name was adapted to CyberSurfiver, emphasising ‘surf’, to indicate surfing the Internet to get to various locations. A specific online facilitator was selected because this facilitator had experience in teaching and facilitating online classes. She was also one of the students who obtained a distinction for this module in 1998 and had experience of the demands of this module. This online facilitator was particularly interested to facilitate this module for personal development reasons. Data were gathered by means of researcher field notes, being an observer participant; a focus group interview and a face-to-face interview with the online facilitator; a self-administered e-mailed questionnaire and various sets of text messages, after using pre-selected web-based communication tools. Content analyses were done by comparing the online facilitator’s text messages to the Blignaut and Trollip (2003) taxonomy of faculty participation in asynchronous learning environments to establish the online facilitator’s roles. The researcher conducted a second content analysis of the facilitator’s text messages to identify the ‘visible’ online facilitator roles. The researcher used the Blignaut&Trollip (2003) taxonomy as a framework. For visibility, the online facilitator fulfilled five roles: administrator, to conduct timeous course administration; social supporter, to maintain social and emotional support; instructor, to facilitate the learning process; guide, to encourage interactivity to foster the building of new knowledge; mediator, to ensure fair play. The identified five roles where then subjected to the Work Profiling System Job Analysis Questionnaires (JAQs) to rate ‘high’ and ‘extreme’ people competencies, thinking competencies and energy competencies for the role of an online facilitator. The results generated in the Work Profiling System report indicated that the online facilitator needed at least 13 competencies to be effective in the role of an online facilitator. The identified ‘high’ and ‘extreme’ people competencies were inter alia: motivating others; developing others; interpersonal sensitivity; teamwork; building and maintaining relationships. The identified ‘high’ and ‘extreme’ thinking competencies were inter alia: judgment; information gathering; problem analysis; written communication skills; technical skills and competence. The identified ‘high’ and ‘extreme’ energy competencies were inter alia: self-confidence; persuasiveness and oral communication skills. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Curriculum Studies / Unrestricted

O uso de Tecnologias de Informação e Comunicação (TICs) impacta diretamente a forma como indivíduos encaram e se relacionam com os diversos aspectos da vida social. Hoje se vê que o espaço está no tempo e o tempo está no espaço, e verifica-se que estas duas dimensões estão sendo remodeladas pelo uso de intenso de TICs. No âmbito educacional, a Educação a Distância (EAD), tem se apresentado como uma modalidade de ensino em que professores e alunos podem tratar de forma mais flexível as dimensões de tempo e espaço, e isso se deve ao uso intensivo da internet e das TICs. Diante dessa realidade, o presente estudo tem como objetivo analisar a gestão da EAD nas Instituições Públicas Federais de Ensino Superior (IFES) do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul sob a perspectiva de um território influenciado pelas TICs. São utilizadas como bases teóricas para operacionalizar este objetivo a abordagem territorial e as visões da sociomaterialidade e dos estudos de tempoespaço, enquanto perspectivas analíticas do uso de TICs no território. Com essas perspectivas teóricas é desenvolvido e utilizado um modelo de estudos. O objetivo da pesquisa é abordado de forma qualitativa, utilizando como método de pesquisa o estudo de caso único e incorporado. Os dados da pesquisa foram conseguidos por meio da coleta de documentos e da realização de entrevistas com o principal gestor do Setor de EAD e com professores das IFES; e a análise dos dados se deu utilizando a análise de conteúdo. Os resultados apontam para diferenças nas estruturas organizacionais das IFES do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, bem como para a influência dos programas de fomento do governo federal na estrutura do Setor de EAD dessas IFES. São apresentadas estratégias para lidar com alguns desafios da modalidade EAD identificados pelos entrevistados. No que tange a visão sociomaterial, fica evidente a impossibilidade de serem definidos resultados a priori de uma interação entre agentes humanos e tecnológicos num interesse organizacional; sejam essas interações de cunho administrativo ou pedagógico. A influência das TICs na concepção das ações humanas evidencia o entrelaçamento constitutivo dos aspectos sociais e materiais da vida organizacional das IFES estudadas. Percebe-se a existência de um ‘tempoespaço socialmente construído’ por meio de um contínuo de relações entre atores humanos e tecnológicos; e também a necessidade de se conceder ‘liberdade de adaptação contextual’ aos atores da EAD, para que possam fazer uma leitura contextual adequada dos tempos, espaços, tecnologias e conteúdos com que venham a se relacionar. / The use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) directly impacts the way individuals perceive and relate to the various aspects of social life. Today we see that space is in time and time is in space, and it is verified that these two dimensions are being remodeled by the intense use of ICT. In education, e-learning has emerged as a method of teaching in which teachers and students can, more flexibly, address the dimensions of time and space, and this is due to the intensive use of the Internet and ICTs. Given this reality, the present study looks to analyze the management of EAD in Federal Public Institutions of Higher Education (IFES) of the State of Rio Grande do Sul from the perspective of a territory influenced by ICTs. As a theoretical basis to operationalize this goal, the territorial approach and the visions of sociomateriality and studies of timespace are used, while analytical perspectives of the use of ICTs in the territory. With these theoretical perspectives in consideration a study model is developed and used. The objective of the research is approached in a qualitative manner, using as a research method a single and embedded case study. The research data were obtained by collecting documents and interviewing teachers and the main manager of the Elearning Department of IFES; and the data analysis was based on content analysis. The results indicate differences in the organizational structures of IFES on the State of Rio Grande do Sul, as well as the influence of the incentive programs of the Federal Government in the structure of E-learning Department. Strategies to deal with some challenges of E-learning identified by respondents are presented. Regarding the sociomateriality view, it is evident the impossibility of defining “a priori” results from an interaction between human and technological agents in organizational interest; being these interactions of an administrative or educational interest. The influence of ICT in the design of human actions demonstrates the constitutive entanglement of social and material aspects of organizational life. It was perceived the existence of a 'socially constructed timespace' through an ongoing of relations between human and technological actors; and also the need to grant ‘freedom of contextual adaptation' to the actors of the E-learning, so that they can make a proper contextual reading of the times, spaces, technologies and content with which they will relate.

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With rapid development of science and technology, introduction of the ICT different methodologies into the learning environment today becomes one of the most important factors. Application of IT tools in classroom learning in and methodology for teaching and learning processes creates number of issues, which could be solved with the help of online Learning Management System (LMS). This paper presents experiment results using of Moodle, at the course of Linear algebra and analytic geometry (LAAG) in the first semester of 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 study year. The paper presents quantitative and qualitative rationale interdependence analysis and experiment conclusion based on midterm and final exam results of the freshman students of the National University of Mongolia.