While technologically Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) systems have been considerably improved, previous studies have shown that the social aspect of CSCL is often neglected or assumed to happen automatically just by creating such virtual learning environments. Several studies on the other hand showed sociability of CSCL environments strongly relate to online learning enjoyment and effectiveness of learning. Social interactions in CSCL can be broadly categorized as pedagogical/on-task and non-pedagogical/non-task interactions. Accordingly, this thesis investigates the non-pedagogical sociability of CSCL environments and primarily demonstrates that non-pedagogical/non-task interactions do occur in these environments. In addition, this thesis operationalizes the notion of non-pedagogical sociability of CSCL environments and determines factors that impact on it. A multi method approach for data collection and analysis is used. Results of a content analysis extend the Transcript Analysis Tool (TAT) instrument, the tool used for the content analysis, and show the presence and pattern of a substantial amount of nonpedagogical social exchanges occur in both virtual task-related as well as non-taskrelated spaces. The findings from the survey data, on the other hand, support the SIP theory and SIDE theory predictions and revealed that the sense of cohesion and awareness of others significantly impact on the non-pedagogical sociability of CSCL. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that the perception of self-representation and perception of compatibility affect the sense of cohesion and awareness of others and indirectly contribute to the perceived non-pedagogical sociability of the environment. The findings of this thesis can be used in future research for investigating the relationship between the non-pedagogical sociability of CSCL and other CSCL factors. It also provides CSCL lecturers and facilitators with a conceptual model by which sociability can be explicitly addressed in their course planning and delivery processes. From a practical point of view, this study develops and validates an instrument that guides required changes in the CSCL for improving the non-pedagogical social functionality of the environment. The findings also stress the importance of virtual spaces in CSCL design exercises in order to provide opportunities for students to have non-task discussions and to reflect on their own and others??? experiences and ideas.

While technologically Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) systems have been considerably improved, previous studies have shown that the social aspect of CSCL is often neglected or assumed to happen automatically just by creating such virtual learning environments. Several studies on the other hand showed sociability of CSCL environments strongly relate to online learning enjoyment and effectiveness of learning. Social interactions in CSCL can be broadly categorized as pedagogical/on-task and non-pedagogical/non-task interactions. Accordingly, this thesis investigates the non-pedagogical sociability of CSCL environments and primarily demonstrates that non-pedagogical/non-task interactions do occur in these environments. In addition, this thesis operationalizes the notion of non-pedagogical sociability of CSCL environments and determines factors that impact on it. A multi method approach for data collection and analysis is used. Results of a content analysis extend the Transcript Analysis Tool (TAT) instrument, the tool used for the content analysis, and show the presence and pattern of a substantial amount of nonpedagogical social exchanges occur in both virtual task-related as well as non-taskrelated spaces. The findings from the survey data, on the other hand, support the SIP theory and SIDE theory predictions and revealed that the sense of cohesion and awareness of others significantly impact on the non-pedagogical sociability of CSCL. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that the perception of self-representation and perception of compatibility affect the sense of cohesion and awareness of others and indirectly contribute to the perceived non-pedagogical sociability of the environment. The findings of this thesis can be used in future research for investigating the relationship between the non-pedagogical sociability of CSCL and other CSCL factors. It also provides CSCL lecturers and facilitators with a conceptual model by which sociability can be explicitly addressed in their course planning and delivery processes. From a practical point of view, this study develops and validates an instrument that guides required changes in the CSCL for improving the non-pedagogical social functionality of the environment. The findings also stress the importance of virtual spaces in CSCL design exercises in order to provide opportunities for students to have non-task discussions and to reflect on their own and others??? experiences and ideas.

While technologically Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) systems have been considerably improved, previous studies have shown that the social aspect of CSCL is often neglected or assumed to happen automatically just by creating such virtual learning environments. Several studies on the other hand showed sociability of CSCL environments strongly relate to online learning enjoyment and effectiveness of learning. Social interactions in CSCL can be broadly categorized as pedagogical/on-task and non-pedagogical/non-task interactions. Accordingly, this thesis investigates the non-pedagogical sociability of CSCL environments and primarily demonstrates that non-pedagogical/non-task interactions do occur in these environments. In addition, this thesis operationalizes the notion of non-pedagogical sociability of CSCL environments and determines factors that impact on it. A multi method approach for data collection and analysis is used. Results of a content analysis extend the Transcript Analysis Tool (TAT) instrument, the tool used for the content analysis, and show the presence and pattern of a substantial amount of nonpedagogical social exchanges occur in both virtual task-related as well as non-taskrelated spaces. The findings from the survey data, on the other hand, support the SIP theory and SIDE theory predictions and revealed that the sense of cohesion and awareness of others significantly impact on the non-pedagogical sociability of CSCL. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that the perception of self-representation and perception of compatibility affect the sense of cohesion and awareness of others and indirectly contribute to the perceived non-pedagogical sociability of the environment. The findings of this thesis can be used in future research for investigating the relationship between the non-pedagogical sociability of CSCL and other CSCL factors. It also provides CSCL lecturers and facilitators with a conceptual model by which sociability can be explicitly addressed in their course planning and delivery processes. From a practical point of view, this study develops and validates an instrument that guides required changes in the CSCL for improving the non-pedagogical social functionality of the environment. The findings also stress the importance of virtual spaces in CSCL design exercises in order to provide opportunities for students to have non-task discussions and to reflect on their own and others??? experiences and ideas.

Students often struggle with collaboration. Successful collaboration requires planning which is often neglected by individuals and groups. Research about whether technological interventions impact online collaborative processes and how these interventions take effect is limited. During the COVID-19 pandemic research about how to support effective online collaborative learning has never been as important for guiding best practices in post-secondary learning contexts. The aim of this qualitative case study was to explore how the quality of planning discussions contribute to group performance and planning challenge perceptions, under the three different planning support conditions. Specifically, the study compared the planning interactions among groups who (a) reported different planning challenge experiences, (b) received different kinds of planning support, and (c) achieved different learning outcomes (group performance). Participants were drawn from 180 undergraduate students enrolled in a first-year course in a university in Canada. Students used an online chat tool to complete a collaborative task and reflect on the process. Extreme case sampling was used to identify groups who perceived planning as problematic (6 groups) and groups who did not (6 groups). Chat transcripts were analyzed for quality and characteristics of groups’ planning discussions. Findings indicate (a) planning was largely neglected by groups, (b) the overall quality of groups’ planning discussions were not calibrated with groups’ perceptions of planning challenges encountered by the group, (c) groups who received the planning support in the form of nominal visualizations engaged in more powerful planning processes during collaboration, and (d) group performance on the task differed between groups who perceived planning problematic and groups who did not. This study contributes to the field by recognizing the deficiency of groups’ planning process in collaboration and providing evidence of the effectiveness of a planning support tool. Recommendations for incorporating collaboration into online learning and instruction during COVID-19 are presented in the conclusion. / Graduate

The study examined students’ perceptions of Facebook, Twitter and blogs as tools for learning in a classroom environment. The population of the research was of 109 students from a 4-year college located in the southern region of the US. The results showed that most of the students were undecided in their perception of Facebook, Twitter and blogs as learning tools. The findings also showed that most of the participants were undecided in perception that Facebook, Twitter and blogs were viewed as sources of learning distraction. The findings equally indicated that significant number (about half of the population) of the participants disagreed that they felt intimidated using blogs to enhance learning while a third of the population was undecided. The results of the study did reveal that statistically significant differences existed among students in their perception of Twitter based on ethnicity. Hispanic and African American students perceived that using Twitter in the learning environment helped them to engage in collaborative learning. In addition, the findings showed African American respondents perceived that tweeting was also perceived as a distraction unlike other ethnic groups. The findings equally indicated that African American students perceived that Twitter was used as a tool to share life experiences unlike other ethnic groups represented in this study. The results equally revealed that female students actively participated in discussion forums more than their male counterparts did. The findings showed that Hispanic and African American students believed that using tweeting in the learning environment helped them to learn from one another. Whites and Native Americans did not share similar opinions. The results also revealed that African Americans and Hispanic Americans perceived that using Facebook during instruction enhanced collaboration among learners. In addition, the findings revealed that African American respondents perceived that tweets were helpful to them in sharing ideas as they complete assignments. However, White Americans, Hispanic Americans and Asian Americans did not have a similar view. The conclusion drawn from this study was that students enjoyed using social media tools for personal and entertainment purposes however; they did not enjoy using the tools for educational purposes. The general conclusion was that students were undecided in their perception of Facebook, Twitter and blogs as learning tools as well as perceived sources of distraction and intimidation.

Collaborative learning skills are one of the essential learning outcomes for a college education in 21st century. College students are expected to possess the ability to collaborate with others in order to succeed in their career after graduating from college. However, the effects of collegiate experiences on collaborative learning for different gender and academic areas are almost unexplored. In addition, researchers highlight the need for more research on interaction effects to explore whether different types of students respond differently to various collegiate experiences. The researcher examined the relationship of student-student interactions and student-faculty interactions with graduating seniors' perceived collaborative learning skills. Furthermore, the researcher explored whether this relationship was moderated by students' gender, academic area, and retrospective perception of their collaborative learning skills. Social-cognitive learning theory and Astin's involvement theory were used as conceptual frameworks to guide this study. Astin's input-environment-output college impact model served as a theoretical guide. Using an institutional cross-sectional data set, multiple regression analysis was utilized to examine these relationships. According to the results, the relationship between student-student interactions and graduating seniors' perceived collaborative learning skills was positive after controlling for the other independent variables in the study. Further results revealed that the relationship of student-student interactions and student-faculty interactions with the outcome variable was moderated by students' gender, academic area, and retrospective perception of their collaborative learning skill. The relationship between student-faculty interactions and the outcome variable was significantly weaker for male students, whereas the relationship between student-student interactions and the outcome variable was weaker for female student. The relationship between student-faculty interactions and the outcome variable was weaker for students in hard pure academic areas when compared to students in soft applied academic areas, while the opposite was observed for the relationship between student-student interactions and the outcome variable. The findings of the present study can be used to shape students' interactions with faculty and their peers with the awareness that these impact different types of students in different ways. / Ph. D.

With the improvement of computer technology and the prevalence of the Internet, learning activities taking place in cyberspace by means of computer-mediated communication have become more common and accessible than even a decade ago. Being interested in how politeness phenomena as universal principles in human interaction played a role in the process of online collaborative learning in a graduate-level course, I conducted a naturalistic inquiry to explore students’ interaction through the lens of Brown and Levinson’s politeness theory (1987). I analyzed the exchanges of 18 students divided into four teams with a consideration for such contextual factors as concerns about netiquette, time, modes of online communication, discourse functions, and sense of community. Influenced by the tradition of interpretivist/constructivist research paradigm, I adopted diverse data collection methods and discourse analytical techniques. Data are reported as a case study of a purposefully selected focal team of five students with supporting evidence interweaving multiple data sources (online discussion, self-reflective blog entries, self-report portfolios, peer/self assessments, field notes, videotapes of voice chat sessions, audiotapes of interviews, and online survey responses). Given the context of students being required to work collaboratively as a team throughout the semester, the findings of this study suggested that the focal team used a variety of politeness strategies to establish cohesion among members and to moderate the force imposed by presupposing too much underlying solidarity. Five contextual factors also emerged as influencing the focal team’s use of politeness strategies: norms/convention, online communication medium, topics and content of discussion, social distance, and personal differences. Instructional technology is subject to innovation and is meant to facilitate learning. Incorporating new technology (e.g., Second Life) into instructional settings can create new opportunities for learning on which learners’ use of politeness strategies depends. Thus, this study about politeness in an online collaborative learning context not only contributes to enriching views of politeness theory, but also in being able to help prepare learners to collaborate effectively in new immersive learning environments with comfort in the ways of fostering awareness of face-saving concerns to avoid or redress face threat situations that may damage team collaboration and lead to a negative learning experience. / text

Educational technology research studies have found computer and software technologies to be underutilized in U.S. classrooms. In general, many teachers have had difficulty integrating computer and software technologies into learning activities and classroom curricula because specific technologies are ill-suited to their needs, or they lack the ability to make effective use of these technologies. In the development of commercial and business applications, participatory design approaches have been applied to facilitate the direct participation of users in system analysis and design. Among the benefits of participatory design include mutual learning between users and developers, envisionment of software products and their use contexts, empowerment of users in analysis and design, grounding of design in the practices of users, and growth of users as designers and champions of technology. In the context of educational technology development, these similar consequences of participatory design may lead to more appropriate and effective education systems as well as greater capacities by teachers to apply and integrate educational systems into their teaching and classroom practices. We present a case study of a participatory design project that took place over a period of two and one half years, and in which teachers and developers engaged in the participatory analysis and design of a collaborative science learning environment. A significant aspect of the project was the development methodology we followed - Progressive Design. Progressive Design evolved as an integration of methods for participatory design, ethnography, and scenario-based design. In this dissertation, we describe the Progressive Design approach, how it was used, and its specific impacts and effects on the development of educational systems and the social and cognitive growth of teachers. / Ph. D.

Detta arbete syftar till att undersöka hur musikteorilärare på gymnasiet arbetar med ämnet musikteori genom observationer av lektioner och intervjuer med lärare. Fokus ligger på att granska utrymmet som ges till elevsamarbete, användandet av digitala verktyg samt hur lärarna relaterar ämnet till elevernas praktiska användande. Detta har undersökts genom att först observera musikteorilärare under lektionstillfällen för att hitta intressanta aspekter av deras undervisning, inspirerat av metoden grounded theory. Sedan intervjuades dessa musikteorilärare närmre om just de aspekter som ansågs intressanta. I arbetets analysdel relateras sedan lärarnas svar till en teori om lärande som kallas Collaborative learning. Inom denna teori är grupparbete, ofta assisterat med digitala verktyg mycket viktigt, vilket är relevant för detta arbete. Under intervjuerna berättade en av de två intervjuade lärarna att grupparbeten var väldigt vanliga och att digitala verktyg användes ofta i undervisningen. Den andre läraren berättade motsatsen: grupparbeten skedde sällan och digitala verktyg hade provats under lektionstillfällen, men med otillfredsställande resultat. Båda lärarna relaterade musikteoriämnet till elevernas praktiska användande.

The overall aim of the study is to investigate how 12 Years a Slave can help raise awareness among upper secondary students about racism and to inspire sympathy with the characters presented in passages regarding the cruelty and injustice of slavery. The study is based on literary didactics methods, applied to the textual analysis of the passages, to create a hypothetical scheme for teachers that can be used to work with slave narratives in the classroom. The analysis of the passages, in conjunction with the literary didactics methods used, provides methods through which students may increase their awareness of racism and sympathize with the characters in the book by creating their own plays, reenacting the cruelty committed against slaves. Also, when dealing with the injustice of slavery, students can imagine themselves being present even though they will not be able to experience it physically. This may help students sympathize with the main character and help them understand racism from the victim’s point of view.