Employing Collaborative Learning Strategies and Tools for Engaging University Students in Collaborative Study and Writing

2011 ◽  
pp. 183-205
Author(s):  
Thanasis Daradoumis ◽  
Maria Kordaki
Keyword(s):  
Collaborative Learning ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Information Exchange ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Collaborative Study ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Educational Systems ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Blended Course

This chapter addresses several issues and challenges that one faces when carrying out a real collaborative learning experience following a blended learning design that includes a mixture of face-to-face and online collaborative learning processes. The chapter presents an experience based on a blended course on “Collaborative Educational Systems”. This scenario employed a variety of collaborative strategies, methods and tools to support and enhance debate and information exchange among peers in order to complete a specific task: writing an essay collaboratively. Carrying out this task entails a preliminary study and analysis of the subject matter, which are also performed in a collaborative manner. The authors describe the educational scenario in detail, including the structure of the activities, the rules the groups were asked to apply and the procedures the students had to follow to accomplish the task. They finally analyze and evaluate this learning experience with a critical point of view as regards the collaboration strategies adopted, the way students built their own strategies combining the ones presented in the course, and the collaborative learning process and product.

Technology Support for Collaborative Learning

2011 ◽  
pp. 888-893
Author(s):  
David A. Banks
Keyword(s):  
Collaborative Learning ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Audience Response ◽  
Technology Support ◽  
Electronic Meeting Systems ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
The Face ◽  
Response Systems ◽  
Computer Based

Collaborative learning is an activity that takes place between a teacher and a learner, between learner and learner, and sometimes, one would hope, between learner and teacher. The free flow of ideas between the various parties can be inhibited by a variety of factors, including perceived or actual power barriers, language skills, previous learning experience, and personal factors such as shyness or dominance. Technology can be used as a way of overcoming, or reducing, some of these inhibitory factors, and this chapter outlines some of the computer-based technologies that can be used. The use of technology to support distant learners is well documented, and this chapter concentrates instead on the less well-reported use of technology in the face-to-face classroom. The chapter opens with a brief consideration of collaborative learning and then focuses on the technologies that can be used to support collaborative learning process in a variety of time and place settings. These technologies include audience response systems, electronic meeting systems, and more recently, and rapidly developing, blended versions of these technologies.

Fostering Collaboration in CSCL

2009 ◽  
pp. 335-340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donatella Persico ◽  
Francesca Pozzi ◽  
Luigi Sarti
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Collaborative Learning ◽  
Learning Communities ◽  
Learning Community ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Computer Supported Collaborative Learning ◽  
Online Learning Communities ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Social

Some collaborative learning strategies widely used in face-to-face settings can also be adapted to online contexts. They allow us to master the complex relations between members of large, heterogeneous online learning communities. The authors build on their experience in the application of some of the most well-known strategies and techniques used in online courses, such as jigsaw, peer review, role-play, case study, and brainstorming. The use of these strategies in computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environments and the related models describing the social structure of the learning community is discussed in the attempt to highlight their strengths and weaknesses and investigate the conditions for their applicability. The aim is to inform the design and the management of online learning communities.

scholarly journals Reassessing Disparities in Online Learner Student Engagement in Higher Education

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin Paulsen ◽  
Alexander C. McCormick
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Student Engagement ◽  
Collaborative Learning ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Large Population ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
For Profit ◽  
The Impact

Online learning is the fastest growing segment in U.S. higher education and is increasingly adopted in public and private not-for-profit institutions. While the impact of online learning on educational outcomes is becoming more clear, the literature on its connection with student engagement is sparse. Student engagement measures identify key aspects of the learning process that can improve learning and outcomes like retention and achievement. The few studies investigating the link between online learning and student engagement found positive benefits for online learners compared to face-to-face learners in terms of perceived academic challenge, learning gains, satisfaction, and better study habits. On the other hand, face-to-face learners reported higher levels of environment support, collaborative learning, and faculty interaction. However, these studies did not effectively account for the differences in background characteristics like age, time spent working or caring for dependents, and enrollment status. Further, they did not consider the increasingly large population of students who enroll in both online and face-to-face courses. In our study, we used propensity score matching on the 2015 National Survey of Student Engagement data to account for the disparities in these groups’ demographics variables. After matching, we found that some of the previous literature’s differences diminish or disappear entirely. This suggests differences in supportive environments and learning strategies have more to do with online student characteristics than learning mode. However, online learning still falls well below other modes in terms of collaborative learning and interaction with faculty.

scholarly journals Examining the Efficacy of E-Service-Learning

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Figuccio
Keyword(s):  
Distance Learning ◽  
Developmental Disabilities ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Subject Matter ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Pedagogical Practice ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Atypical Development

E-service-learning is a pedagogical technique in which instruction and/or service occur online. Students in a distance learning section of Atypical Development created a Google Site with resources for individuals with developmental disabilities. Additionally, students met with youths with developmental disabilities biweekly via Blackboard Collaborate Ultra sessions. At the end of the semester, students completed a questionnaire assessing their e-service-learning experience and wrote reflection papers. Students reported that the e-service-learning experience was related to course content, increased their understanding of individuals with disabilities, increased student engagement, helped them relate the subject matter to everyday life, positively impacted their future academic and career choices, and overall had a positive experience. Students in a traditional face-to-face section of Atypical Development who completed an in-person service-learning project did not significantly differ on any of the aforementioned questionnaire measures. Interestingly, students in the distance learning section reported in their reflection papers that the e-service-learning experience reduced their levels of anxiety. Course evaluations were also examined for both sections. Students in the e-service-learning section reported greater satisfaction than the in-person service-learning course. Specifically, e-service-learning students reported: the instructor attempted to make the course relevant to students; the assignments helped me learn the subject matter; I enjoyed the class greater than students in the in-person service-learning course. These results indicate that e-service-learning is an efficacious pedagogical practice in distance learning courses.

scholarly journals Enhancing Students’ Blended Learning Experience through Embedding Metaliteracy

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jieming Ma ◽  
Chili Li ◽  
Hai-Ning Liang
Keyword(s):  
Blended Learning ◽  
Information Technologies ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Pedagogical Issues ◽  
Comprehensive Model ◽  
Interactive Communication ◽  
Continuous Growth ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Blended Course

As the push for a diversified use of information technologies in higher education teaching continues, a growing number of colleges and universities have come to adopt blended learning which combines traditional face-to-face lectures with online instruction to create flexible approaches of delivering content that are consistent with the requirements of new digital economy. At the same time, university students are required to have continuous growth in literacy skills. Metaliteracy is a comprehensive model for information literacy that can enhance blended learning experience. Embedding metaliteracy learning in a blended course is considered as a feasible approach to empower students in blended learning. Combining an analysis of data gathered through a survey administered at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, a Sino-UK institution located in China, this paper reports the results of an investigation into the pedagogical issues including the metaliteracy learning experience of using an interactive communication environment and the benefits and challenges of integrating practices of metaliteracy with blended learning.

The Acrobatics of Flipping

2017 ◽  
pp. 48-72
Author(s):  
David Starr-Glass
Keyword(s):  
Collaborative Learning ◽  
Subject Matter ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Learning Activities ◽  
Flipped Learning ◽  
Flipped Instruction ◽  
Structure And Dynamics ◽  
Learner Centered ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Active Learner

The flipped learning experience provides learners with pre-class activities that allow them to understand subject matter. This understanding is subsequently use during the class to develop higher-level appreciations of the subject through problem-based and collaborative learning activities. The reoriented roles and dynamics of learning afforded by flipping provide opportunities for active learner-centered learning; however, these opportunities are sometimes not considered or underappreciated. This chapter rethinks the structure and dynamics of flipped courses and explores the instructional possibilities offered. In particular, it considers the opportunities and challenges of flipped instruction and examines the author's experience in flipping an Introduction to Accounting course. The chapter provides suggestions on how instructors and learners can best take advantage of the opportunities created when the learning experience is flipped.

scholarly journals Student perceptions and learning outcomes of blended learning in a massive first-year core physiology for allied health subjects

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janelle Page ◽  
Terri Meehan-Andrews ◽  
Nivan Weerakkody ◽  
Diane L. Hughes ◽  
Joseph A. Rathner
Keyword(s):  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Allied Health ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
School Achievement ◽  
Mode Of Delivery ◽  
Self Directed Learning ◽  
Didactic Teaching ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Directed Learning ◽  
The Subject

Evidence shows that factors contributing to success in physiology education for allied health students at universities include not only their high school achievement and background but also factors such as confidence with their teachers and quality of their learning experience, justifying intensive and continued survey of students’ perceptions of their learning experience. Here we report data covering a 3-yr period in a physiology subject that has been redesigned for blended and online presentation. Consistent with previous reports, we show that when we undertook a blended mode of delivery, students demonstrated better grades than traditional modes of teaching; however the absence of didactic teaching in this subject resulted in lower grades overall. Students have very strong positive attitudes to weekly quizzes (80% positive approval) but report ambivalent attitudes to online self-directed learning (61% negative perception), even though they had 2-h weekly facilitated workshops. Overwhelmingly, students who undertook the subject in a self-directed online learning mode requested more face-to-face-teaching (70% of comments). From these data, we suggest that there is a quantifiable benefit to didactic teaching in the blended teaching mode that is not reproduced in online self-directed learning, even when face-to-face guided inquiry-based learning is embedded in the subject.

scholarly journals ‘Unfreezing’ traditional teaching

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-18
Author(s):  
Philippa Smith ◽  
Helen Sissons
Keyword(s):  
Learning Experience ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
The United States ◽  
Virtual Classroom ◽  
Educational Systems ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Government ◽  
Sudden Transition ◽  
University Lecturers ◽  
The Impact

Teaching online is not an unfamiliar phenomenon for university lecturers evidenced by the rapid rise in the number of those who “want to teach online”, “have been told to teach online” and “are training and encouraging others to teach online” (Ko & Rossen, 2017:xx). Never-the-less, the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020 caught many teachers from elementary to tertiary level unprepared and in some cases led to the collapse of educational systems in countries around the world (Mishra, Gupta & Shree, 2020).   Moving lessons online, creating virtual classrooms, accessing appropriate software and online tools, as well as being competent in the use of them within a very short time period not only required “adjustment” but also had a “mental health impact” on both the educators and the students (Etchells et al, 2020). Attempts have been made to assess the success with which lecturers have been able to transition their classes to online. A survey of students in the United States (USC Center for the Digital Future, 2020), for example, asked about their remote learning experience during the pandemic and found that only around one-third enjoyed it better than in-class instruction. In addition, almost one half of them felt they learned less online than in person, and only around half of the students believed that their teachers were good at adapting their courses for online construction. This raises the question of whether educational institutions and their staff were up to speed enough with online learning to make this sudden transition.   For those running practical teaching programmes that require face-to-face contact, the thrust into the isolation of Covid-19 lock-down was most challenging. This presentation documents our learning experiences as two Auckland University of Technology lecturers whose respective programmes involving journalism practice and student collaborative movie-making were caught midway by lockdown when the government commanded us to “Stay Home, Save Lives”. Viewing our teaching experiences through the lens of change management theory (Lewin, 1958) that divides the process of change into the three stages of unfreezing – changing– refreezing, we discuss how the unfreezing of our standard methods of instruction forced us into change where we had no other choice but to learn to adapt our courses and teach online. We provide insights in this presentation as to how well the new methods of the virtual classroom worked for us based on the resources we were given, and whether they are now refrozen and maintained in our classes for the future, or will we simply change back to our original methods. We also offer feedback from the students and their experiences of our lessons in lockdown.    

scholarly journals How to impart tacit knowledge: “Blending Chess and Chemistry”

2016 ◽  
pp. 59-63
Author(s):  
Simon Bedford ◽  
Jon Mason
Keyword(s):  
Tacit Knowledge ◽  
Student Performance ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Deep Understanding ◽  
Worked Examples ◽  
Learning Resources ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Online Learning Resources ◽  
And Training

Retrosynthesis has been likened to the game of chess. There are relatively simple rules to learn, but only through experience and practice can a learner acquire the tacit knowledge required for mastery of the subject. This makes it a challenging topic to teach effectively to a large and diverse cohort of learners. Lectures are a good way of transmitting knowledge, but do not provide the engagement and training that is essential in developing a deep understanding of retrosynthesis. Therefore, students tend to struggle to achieve success in this topic. This project aimed to alleviate this problem by producing online learning resources to be combined with traditional face-to-face teaching methods to develop a blended learning approach. These resources included animated videos, quizzes, worked examples and other interactive learning materials. Analysis of examination results and learner feedback showed that the supplementary resources not only improved student performance and understanding, but also provided a more satisfactory learning experience. External evaluation suggested that the learning package has significant potential and development should be continued. The package of learning resources can be viewed online at: people.bath.ac.uk/ch3jhm

scholarly journals Quadrant of Blended Learning: a Proposed Conceptual Model for Designing Effective Blended Learning

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Uwes Anis Chaeruman ◽  
Santi Maudiarti
Keyword(s):  
Blended Learning ◽  
Conceptual Model ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Asynchronous Learning ◽  
Instructional Designers ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Synchronous Learning ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Face To Face Learning

Blended learning is not just simply combining online learning with face-to-face learning. It is dynamic and context dependent. It can be viewed from different contexts and perspectives. Different context has different needs and characteristics. It needs different blend of blended learning. But, blended learning has one same ultimate goal, i.e. to determine the most appropriate blend to make optimum learning experience occur. Recent literatures and studies showed that e-learning and blended learning are synonymous with synchronous and asynchronous learning. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to propose a conceptual model of blended learning design and its definition viewed from the perspective of those learning setting. This conceptual model, called quadrant of blended learning. It consists of four quadrants, i.e.: 1) quadrant 1: live synchronous learning; 2) quadrant 2: virtual synchronous learning; 3) quadrant 3: collaborative asynchronous learning; and 4) quadrant 4: self-directed asynchronous learning. As a conceptual model, it is expected that it can provide framework and idea for instructional designers in designing effective blended learning strategies.

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