Didactic Approaches for a Quality Digital Learning

The research whose result is illustrated in this paper investigates the ways in which teachers overcome the temptation to limit the lesson only to content delivery and assessment. This paper identifies and explains the types of interactions facilitated by teachers during online classes. An important part of the paper is intended to clasify the most successful techniques that stimulate synchronous and asynchronous interactions in teacher-student relationship in primary school. The professional experience of the teachers included in this research is explored and capitalized on, in order to decide on the right ways for connection, as well as productive interaction in the online environment. Keywords: Interactions Facilitated, Online Classes, Connection And Productive Interaction In The Online Environment

Which Type of Interpersonal Interaction Better Facilitates College Student Learning and Development in China: Face-to-Face or Online?

Purpose: This study attempts to explore how Chinese college students engage in face-to-face synchronous and online asynchronous interactions and examine how the two different interaction types are associated with their academic learning (learning achievement and the development of research skills), satisfaction, and their perceptions of learning environments. Design/Approach/Methods: A sample of 3,999 undergraduate students from a research university in Northern China participated in the survey. A series of cluster analysis, one-way analysis of variance, and hierarchical multiple regression were conducted. Findings: The cluster analysis results revealed that there were four types of learners among these students and that a large percentage of Chinese undergraduates were classified into either digital communicators (36.16%) or passive interactors (32.71%). In general, the face-to-face synchronous interaction generated more desirable academic learning, perceptions of the learning environment, and higher satisfaction than the online asynchronous interaction in most aspects. However, the asynchronous online interaction fostered student autonomy and contributed to students’ completion of an in-depth thesis. Originality/Value: By distinguishing face-to-face synchronous versus online asynchronous interactions, this study led to an enhanced knowledge of the interactive patterns of Chinese college students and uncovered the specific effects of the two types of interpersonal interactions in Chinese research universities.

Using WhatsApp for focus group discussions: ecological validity, inclusion and deliberation

WhatsApp’s ubiquity in many people’s everyday lives points at new possibilities for conducting online and mobile focus groups. Yet, research on the benefits and potential pitfalls of this is negligible. This paper offers new empirical insights from using the method as part of a digital ethnography with young activists in Western Kenya. The presence of WhatsApp in participants’ everyday lives offers a context with high ecological validity. The paper suggests that this opens up new options for designing online focus groups, transcending the traditional categorisation between synchronous and asynchronous interactions and some limitations of both approaches. WhatsApp also offers opportunities for creating more inclusive group discussions. Using discourse analysis of the WhatsApp focus group, the paper also finds that this familiarity and inclusivity affords the potential for group deliberation, which can be particularly valuable in participatory research.

Infant-adult synchrony in spontaneous and nonspontaneous interactions

Infant-adult synchrony has been reported through observational and experimental studies. Nevertheless, synchrony is addressed differently in both cases. While observational studies measure synchrony in spontaneous infant-adult interactions, experimental studies manipulate it, inducing nonspontaneous synchronous and asynchronous interactions. A still unsolved question is to what extent differ spontaneous synchrony from the nonspontaneous one, experimentally elicited. To address this question, we conducted a study to compare synchrony in both interactional contexts. Forty-three 14-month-old infants were randomly assigned to one of two independent groups: (1) the spontaneous interaction context, consisting of a storytime session; and (2) the nonspontaneous interaction context, where an assistant bounced the infant in synchrony with a stranger. We employed an optical motion capture system to accurately track the time and form of synchrony in both contexts. Our findings indicate that synchrony arising in spontaneous exchanges has different traits than synchrony produced in a nonspontaneous interplay. The evidence presented here offers new insights for rethinking the study of infant-adult synchrony and its consequences on child development.

From Synchronous Face-to-Face Group Work to Asynchronous Individual Work: Pivoting an Enterprise Modelling Course for Teaching during a COVID-19 Lockdown

This paper outlines the challenges faced in a particular instance of an enterprise modelling (EM) course that lost the ability to have face-to-face interactions and describes a solution that proved to be at least equally effective and appreciated when moved online. The revised course design is primarily driven by exercise and assignment work, provides course content in a ‘piecemeal’ fashion, and relies almost exclusively on asynchronous interactions. This paper distils the solution into specific design features of the revised course as well as more general design principles that can be applied to other EM courses (and potentially beyond).

From Synchronous Face-to-Face Group Work to Asynchronous Individual Work: Pivoting an Enterprise Modelling Course for Teaching during a COVID-19 Lockdown

This paper outlines the challenges faced in a particular instance of an enterprise modelling (EM) course that lost the ability to have face-to-face interactions and describes a solution that proved to be at least equally effective and appreciated when moved online. The revised course design is primarily driven by exercise and assignment work, provides course content in a ‘piecemeal’ fashion, and relies almost exclusively on asynchronous interactions. This paper distils the solution into specific design features of the revised course as well as more general design principles that can be applied to other EM courses (and potentially beyond).

Automatic Analysis of Complex Interactions in Microservice Systems

Interactions in microservice systems are complex due to three dimensions: numerous asynchronous interactions, the diversity of asynchronous communication, and unbounded buffers. Analyzing such complex interactions is challenging. In this paper, we propose an approach for interaction analysis using model checking techniques, which is supported by the Process Analysis Toolkit (PAT) tool. First, we use Labeled Transition Systems (LTSs) to model interaction behaviors in microservice systems as sequences of send actions under synchronous and asynchronous communications. Second, we introduce a notion of correctness called “interaction soundness” which is considered as a minimal requirement for microservice systems. Third, we propose an encoding of LTSs into the CSP# process algebra for automatic verification of the property interaction soundness. The experimental results show that our approach can automatically and effectively identify interaction faults in microservice systems.

Inclusivity through Asynchronous Interactions that Extend Past Barriers to Education

This paper explores a case study of how educators reach out to and edify individuals behind barriers to educational opportunities. The scope of this paper does not address all barriers to education, but researches three: distance as a barrier that keeps a student physically distanced from the classroom, time as a barrier that forces communication to be asynchronous, and extendibility as a barrier that begs the question, “Can a teacher’s influence be satisfactorily extended through the barriers of distance and time?” Edifying, within this interpretive frame, is defined as inviting the alma mater presence, guiding the learning experience, and revealing the previously out of reach or concealed context to the learner. Through an examination of artifacts and conducting of interviews, five themes describe how one organization successfully reaches out to and edifies learners behind the barriers of distance, time, and extendibility. These themes are the significance of feedback, overcoming the burden of asynchronicity, genuine concern for the student, true to brand, and cost consciousness.

As concepções de professores de um curso a distância sobre o papel do fórum on-line

Focaliza o papel do fórum on-line na concepção dos professores que atuaram em um curso de pós-graduação lato sensu a distância, realizado em uma instituição pública de ensino superior. Os fóruns on-line associados a cursos são meios de interações assíncronas entre professores e alunos. Os fóruns das disciplinas do curso investigado foram observados e os sujeitos (professores e alunos), entrevistados no período de agosto de 2004 a junho de 2005. As análises desses dados se basearam na noção de situação didática e contrato didático de Brousseau (1996, apud Silva, B., 2002), nos conceitos de interação social e aprendizagem de Vigotsky (2000) e nas idéias sobre a formação do professor de educação a distância (EaD), discutidas por Belloni (2001). Essas análises foram complementadas com discussões sobre a formação de comunidades de aprendizagem on-line e o papel do professor e do aluno virtual, segundo Palloff e Pratt (2004), e sobre os conceitos de ambientes digitais de aprendizagem de Almeida (2003). Conclui que as concepções de fórum dos professores do curso mencionado são oriundas de formação e práticas presenciais e que há poucos incentivos para atualização permanente desses profissionais. Constatou-se a necessidade de investimentos do poder público na formação continuada dos professores de EaD, que contribuam para mudanças de suas concepções e resultem em transformações de suas ações no ambiente virtual, necessárias para a sociedade da informação. Palavras-chave: fórum on-line; interação; educação a distância. Abstract This article reports a case study, which focused the role of the on-line forum in the conception of the teachers who worked in a post-graduation lato sensu distance course held by a public university. The on-line forums associated with courses are means of asynchronous interactions between teachers and students. The forums of the subjects of the course at issue were observed and the subjects (teachers and students) were interviewed in the period between August 2004 and July 2005. The analyses of these data were based on Brousseau´s notion of didactical situation and didactical contract (1996), on Vigotsky’s concepts of social interaction and learning (2000), and on the ideas about the formation of distance education teachers (EaD), discussed by Belloni (2001). These analyses were complemented with discussions about the formation of on-line learning communities and the roles of virtual teacher and students according to Palloff and Pratt (2004), and about Almeida’s concepts of digital learning environment (2003). It may be concluded that the conceptions of forum that the teachers of the aforementioned course have are originated from presence formation and practice and that there is little incentive for bringing these professionals up to date. It was concluded that there is a need for State investments in the continuous formation of EaD teachers, so as to contribute to changes in their conceptions and to bring about transformations of their actions in the virtual environment, aspects necessary for the information society. Keywords: on-line forum; interaction; distance education.