This research investigates what impact (if any) do personal epistemology (PE) have on individual’s engagement and ideas progression when engaged in a CSCL discourse designed to stimulate knowledge building (KB) (Scardamalia & Bereiter, 2003). Through literature review, this thesis sets out with an assumption that a learner’s engagement in a collaborative learning discourse is influenced by three kinds of beliefs: nature of knowledge, how learning takes place, and quality criteria for good knowledge. Reflective judgment (RJ), i.e. network of beliefs on knowledge and knowing underpinning personal judgments on ill-structured issues (Kitchener & King, 2002), is the key PE construct underpinning this study. Further, it is believed that the extent to which an individual pursues explanatory coherence (EC) (Thagard, 1989) when engaged in a CSCL discourse reflects his/her beliefs about the quality criteria for good knowledge. The empirical part of this study was undertaken in a grade 8 class involving 32 students over a 12-weeks period. Students worked in groups on an integrated-humanities module to develop proposals for new tourist attractions in Hong Kong. Students were encouraged to use Knowledge Forum® (KF) for online collaborative discussions throughout different inquiry stages of the module. A questionnaire instrument was designed and administered to assess students’ RJ. Using this instrument, fifteen students were identified as pre-reflective and seventeen as quasi-reflective. Independent-samples t-tests on students’ participatory statistics in KF show that quasi-reflective students’ usage of two metacognitive-oriented KF features, scaffolds and note revision, were significantly more frequent than pre-reflective students (p<=.05). Four qualitative indicators for RJ were developed to assess epistemic properties of all written notes students contributed on KF: purpose of the note, type of query raised, structure of claims, and basis for justification. The first two reflect disposition and the other two reflect argumentative rigor of a note. No statistically significant difference in the mean of epistemic properties contributed by students at different RJ levels was found. In average, students are disposed towards contributing argumentative notes and raise explanatory questions in the online collaborative discourse. Furthermore, student’s contributions are mainly justified on idiosyncratic basis. The study further investigates whether individual’s EC seeking notes in threads reflects his/her beliefs about quality criteria for good knowledge, and how EC seeking affects ideas progression. Qualitative analysis of threads show students sought EC on ideas and the inquiry process through raising concerns about contextual issues, challenging causal views, task-space evaluation, and methodological evaluation. In many threads analyzed quasi-reflective students were the initiator of EC seeking. They are also active contributors of argumentative build-ons that contribute towards changes in view among peers. Independent-samples t-tests suggest that quasi-reflective students have contributed significantly more notes that sought EC about contextual issues than pre-reflective students (p=.016). To conclude, epistemic properties of notes contributed and individual’s EC seeking acts provide preliminary evidence to support the notion that RJ and individual’s beliefs about quality criteria for good knowledge influence engagement and ideas progression in CSCL. Further studies on using developmental PE theories to study learner’s beliefs and engagement in KB discourse are recommended. / published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

The project-based collaboration setting is becoming increasingly common at different educational levels. Recent years have witnessed the rising use of wikis as computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environments. However, reports on the application of wiki technology in facilitating collaborative projects at the primary level are few; in particular, information on the affordances and constraints of wikis at this learning stage is limited. Such information is essential for educators when planning and implementing wikis as an effective educational tool. This study aimed to introduce wiki technology to facilitate collaborative project-based learning (Collaborative PjBL) in a primary “General Studies” (GS) course and to explore the associated affordances and constraints. A total of 388 Hong Kong Primary-five (P5) students from 4 local Chinese primary schools used a wiki for their social science group project during their GS course. Adopting a mixed-method approach, a combination of qualitative and quantitative data were collected, including focus group interviews, students’ activities within the wiki platform, students’ reflections written on the wiki pages, and a questionnaire. These data were used to explore the affordances and constraints of the wiki for collaborative projects as perceived by the primary-school students, and to gain an understanding of students’ attitudes towards and perceptions of the wiki in general. The findings showed that the wiki provided five kinds of educational affordances, six kinds of technological affordances, and two kinds of social affordances. The affordances that were aimed for the collaborative PjBL task were therefore achieved. At the same time, constraints were found to be related to technological factors and users’ dispositions. To counterbalance constraints, teachers could select wiki variants and provide more scaffolding on the use of wiki during the process of project completion. Students’ attitudes and perceptions towards the wiki were found to be strongly positive after the group project implementation. The research contributes to our understanding of the use of a form of social media, wiki technology, in primary education. On a theoretical level, it deepens previous research by identifying the categories of the wiki’s affordances and constraints for primary-school students’ collaborative PjBL. On a practical level, the pedagogical implications derived from this study may provide guidelines for primary-school educators to plan collaborative PjBL activities with wiki technology. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Philosophy

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published_or_final_version / abstract / Architecture / Master / Master of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Education / Master / Master of Science in Information Technology in Education

This study is intended as a contribution and upliftment to pedagogy in South- African Intermediate Phase Classrooms. The thrust of this dissertation revolves around attempts to unravel, intermediate phase educators’ perceptions and knowledge of co-operative learning, and to ascertain, to what extent co-operative learning enhances learning, in intermediate phase classrooms. Through a process of simple random sampling, three intermediate phase educators were selected as a sample for this research. An observation schedule was used to ascertain whether co-operative learning was being practised in the intermediate phase classrooms. Through my observation and discussion thereafter with the educators, it was clear that co-operative learning was not being used as a teaching strategy in the intermediate phase classrooms. Furthermore, these three educators, indicated to me that they were not knowledgeable on co-operative learning and were not exposed to this pedagogy at all. I presented a workshop on co-operative learning, to these educators. Thereafter, they practised this type of pedagogy in their classrooms for three weeks, after which they were interviewed. This sought to provide an insight into intermediate phase educators’ perceptions and knowledge of cooperative learning, as well as to see the extent to which co-operative learning enhances learning. This dissertation encapsulates the findings of the study conducted with educators, with regards to co-operative learning. Findings of the study, indicated that intermediate phase educators, perceived co-operative learning as a significant pedagogy that will enhance the culture of learning and teaching in the intermediate phase class. Furthermore, they indicated that cooperative learning assists intermediate phase learners to achieve a range of academic, as well as social outcomes. Conclusions and recommendations, emanating from the study, list the significance of the use of co-operative learning in intermediate phase classrooms. According to Johnson and Johnson (1994) “ The ability of all students to learn to work co-operatively with others is the keystone to building and maintaining stable marriages, families, careers and friendships ”. Education is the forefront of any nation. It is therefore incumbent on educationists to ensure that schools promote the culture of teaching and learning, in pedagogical styles, that develops the learner holistically and prepares him for society at large. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2008.