Online knowledge construction mediated by mobile instant messaging

Widespread use of mobile instant messaging (MIM) both formally by educators and voluntarily by students to support coursework has resulted in increased interest in the academic utility of the technology. However, due to the relative newness of the technology there is a call for more studies on how MIM impacts teaching and learning. To address this need, this case study investigates how MIM mediates online knowledge construction within the context of an economics course project. Online interactions over the course of a 16-week semester were coded and analysed using the Interaction Analysis Model. Analysis of 4,685 online messages revealed evidence of all five phases of knowledge construction: the sharing of information, identification of dissonance, negotiation of meaning, testing, and collective understanding. Both the structure of the course project and the affordances of connectivity, context-free access, and quasi-synchronous communication were found to be key factors in facilitating the knowledge construction process. Findings indicate that MIM may be effective supporting online collaborative learning. Furthermore, specific examples of student interactions offer insights into the complexity of online discussion possible via MIM and the interrelationships between the various phases of online knowledge construction.

The prediction of wear on a scraper conveyor chute affected by different factors based on the discrete element method

During long-term operation, the scraper conveyor chute is seriously attrited by the friction of coal, gangue, and scraper chain. In this study, the discrete element method was applied to establish the bulk coal–scraper conveyor interaction analysis model to predict the wear of a scraper conveyor chute during the transporting process. The wear of the chute was investigated under various working conditions and bulk coal characteristics. Results indicated that the chute wear has a negative correlation with the laying angle of the scraper conveyor and increased with the chain speed. The wear was more severe as the increasing of gangue content, hardness, and size of the coal particles. In addition, the wear degree in different sections on the chute was predicted. Results showed that the section near the coal falling point underwent more intense collisions and impact and, thus, the wear was more serious at this location. The wear loss decreased with the increasing distance away from this point. This research can be used for predicting the wear of a scraper conveyor working under different mines. What’s more, the wear-resistant treatment can be applied on the particular areas according to the mine conditions based on this study.

A Multi-Perspective Investigation into Learners’ Interaction in Asynchronous Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC)

<p>This article focusses on graduate level students’ interactions during asynchronous CMC activities of an online course about the teaching profession in Turkey. The instructor of the course designed and facilitated a semester-long asynchronous CMC on forum discussions, and investigated the interaction of learners in multiple perspectives: learners’ views, participation in terms of quantity, participation in terms of discussed issues and collaborative construction of new knowledge. 14 graduate students were participated in the study and 12 of them were interviewed. Meanwhile, 345 messages sent by the learners and the instructor were analyzed in order to identify discussed issues and social construction of knowledge. The results of the study showed that according to the message numbers and views of the learners, learner-instructor interaction was ahead of learner-learner interaction. Meanwhile, learner-content interaction was sustained by various discussion topics. Though learners’ views related to learner-learner, learner-instructor and learner-content interactions were positive in general, analyzing the contents of the messages didn’t reveal higher levels of co-construction of knowledge according to the Interaction Analysis Model.</p>

An Analysis of Faculty Promotion of Critical Thinking and Peer Interaction within Threaded Discussions

The purposes of the research were to (1) examine the relationships between faculty behaviors that promote critical thinking and the resulting critical thinking within peer interaction and (2) identify specific faculty behaviors that result in the highest levels of critical thinking within peer interactions. Using a concurrent embedded mixed methods approach, 19,595 peer-to-peer responses were coded along the 5-point scale of the Interaction Analysis Model (IAM) and faculty behaviors within 91 courses were reviewed for 19 different behaviors. Comparing each individual faculty behavior to the IAM scores yielded interesting results. There were six significant correlations between faculty behaviors and scores on the IAM. Two of the correlations involved “negative” faculty behaviors, perhaps suggesting that peers make up for the lack of instructor presence within discussions. Multiple considerations for discussion design and facilitation are suggested along with recommendations for future research.

The Effect of Structured Divergent Prompts on Knowledge Construction

Discussion forums are a widely used activity in online courses. However, knowledge construction within online discussion rarely reaches higher levels. Therefore, it is important to understand which aspects of online discussion encourage learning and increase knowledge construction. This paper investigates the effect three Structured Divergent prompts (playground prompts, brainstorm prompts, and focal prompts) have on knowledge construction as compared to Convergent prompts. Participants (N=58) were required to post in an online discussion thread during a graduate education course at a private university. The Interaction Analysis Model was used to determine the levels of knowledge construction demonstrated within students’ posts. The posts were given a score using the following codes: 0-no post/no understandable post; 1-sharing information, 2-disagreeing; 3-negotiation of meaning; 4-testing co-construction; 5-agreement of the constructed meaning. The analysis revealed that two of the three Structured Divergent prompts (focal and brainstorm) yielded significantly higher levels of knowledge construction as compared to Convergent prompts.

Η αποτελεσματικότητα των νέων τεχνολογιών στην επιμόρφωση καθηγητών φυσικής αγωγής

The present study aimed to examine blogs’ effectiveness on physical educators’ (TPE)further education, on the basis of three different cooperative teachingmethods/approaches (STAND, COOL, and ICL), in order to determine the mostbeneficiary ways to pedagogically exploit blogs on distance education (DE). Trainingcourses’ effectiveness was evaluated through the quantitative and qualitative approachof cognitive and metacognitive functions (knowledge, ability in evaluating TPEs’teaching performance), and emotional skills (perceived learning), as well as parametersdirectly related to (interaction) or influence learning (attitudes). The participants of thestudy were 54 TPE (29 men and 25 women) currently working in school units in ninedifferent geographical regions of Greece, who took an eight weeks’ distance trainingcourse, on effective teaching of physical education (PE). The training course utilizedthree different cooperative methods (STAND, COOL, and ICL) in three correspondencegroups of TPE, who were users of three technically identical, but separated blogs. At theprocess of designing the learning environment, an emphasis was placed upon thedevelopment of interaction, exploiting certain special technological characteristicsoffered by blogs, to support a) the growth of asynchronous, threaded discussion amongblogs’ members and b) the possibilities for availability and management of multiplemultimedia contents’ forms. The statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, nonparametric compare means test (Mann-Whitney U test), one-way Anova, two-wayAnova, Αnova repeated measures, MANOVA, correlation and social networks’ analysistechniques. Interaction was qualitatively evaluated through written discourses’ contendanalysis based on “interaction analysis model” (Gunawardena, Lowe & Anderson,1997). According to the results, TPE trained on the STAND and COOP methodsexcelled in the total of the evaluated variables (cognitive and metacognitive functions,perceived learning, and interaction) in comparison with ICL participants. Participants’attitudes towards the Information and Communication Technologies’ (ICT) use for educational purposes were positive. Therefore, they did not impact the results. Inconclusion, it is suggested that the exploitation of a pedagogically created framework ofblogs could efficiently support different cooperative teaching patterns, as well asreinforce the support of DE programmes targeted towards PETs’ life-long furthereducation.