Knowledge convergence in collaborative learning: Concepts and assessment
In collaborative learning the question has been raised as to how learners in small groups influence one another and converge or diverge with respect to knowledge. This article conceptualizes knowledge convergence and further provides measures for its assessment prior to, during, and subsequent to collaborative learning. In an exemplary study in the field of computer-supported collaborative learning with forty-eight (48) locally distant participants in 16 groups of three, we apply these measures
A Framework to Analyze Argumentative Knowledge Construction in Computer-Supported Collaborative Lear
Computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) is often based on written argumentative discourse of learners, who discuss their perspectives on a problem with the goal to acquire knowledge. Lately, CSCL research focuses on the facilitation of specific processes of argumentative knowledge construction, e.g., with computer-supported collaboration scripts. In order to refine process-oriented instructional support, such as scripts, we need to measure the influence of scripts on specific processes
Natural Editing of Algebraic Expressions
We call “natural editing of algebraic expressions” the editing of algebraic expressions in
their natural representation, the one that is used on paper and blackboard. This is an issue
we have investigated in the Aplusix project, a project which develops a system aiming at
helping students to learn algebra. The paper summarises first the Aplusix project. Second
it presents a notion of algebraic expressions, of representations of algebraic expressions.
The last section develops ideas about natur
A Logo-based Task for Arithmetical Activity
Young children attend to answer-getting readings of arithmetical notation. This is evidenced by many childrenÂ’s exclusive acceptance of a + b = c syntaxes that lend themselves to computational readings (e.g. Behr et al., 1976; Carpenter & Levi, 2000; Knuth, Stephens, McNeil & Alibali 2006). Even those children who do accept a wider variety of syntaxes, such as a + b = b + a and c = a + b , adhere to a computational view involving getting answers to both sides of the equals sign and checking the
Mobile Usability in Educational Contexts: What have we learnt?
The successful development of mobile learning is dependent on human factors in the use of new mobile and wireless technologies. The majority of mobile learning activity continues to take place on devices that were not designed with educational applications in mind, and usability issues are often reported. The paper reflects on progress in approaches to usability and on recent developments, with particular reference to usability findings reported in studies of mobile learning. The requirements of
Functioning in the Wireless Classroom
Code It! fosters mathematics learning environments where pre-algebra students use handheld technologies to explore and learn about functions. The resources developed - server-based and handheld software and paper-based student and teacher texts - were packaged as a 20-session unit on code making and breaking and designed to boost students' understanding of functions and their facility with the multiple representations of tables, graphs and symbols. We field tested the wireless system with two te
The Social and Technological Dimensions of Scaffolding and Related Theoretical Concepts for Learning
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Addressing the Challenges of Inquiry-Based Learning Through Technology and Curriculum Design
Inquiry experiences can provide valuable opportunities for students to improve their understanding of both science content and scientific practices. However, the implementation of inquiry learning in classrooms presents a number of significant challenges. We have been exploring these challenges through a program of research on the use of scientific visualization technologies to support inquiry-based learning in the geosciences. In this article, we describe 5 significant challenges to implementin
Computational GRIDs and online laboratories
Many projects addressing the creation of online laboratories have been developed recently. They have a common goal: to enable students and professional learners to get hands-on experience without moving from the places where they are.
Nevertheless, the found solutions are often very different among them, and interoperability between different online laboratories systems does not exist. In this paper we present our work around the exploitation of Grid technologies for sharing instrumentation and
The Climate Visualizer: Sense-Making Through Scientific Visualization
This paper describes the design of a learning environment, called the Climate Visualizer, intended to facilitate scientific sense-making in high school classrooms by providing students the ability to craft, inspect, and annotate scientific visualizations. The theoretical background for our design presents a view of learning as acquiring and critiquing cultural practices and stresses the need for students to appropriate the social and material aspects of practice when learning an area. This is fo
Gathering Requirements for a Grid-based Automatic Marking System
This paper reports on our experiences using a Creative Requirements [1] workshop approach to elicit requirements for a Grid-based automatic marking system. The research was conducted for ELeGI, an EU funded project whose goal is to provide a European Learning Grid infrastructure to promote a learning paradigm shift from a teacher-centred approach to a learner-centred approach.
The automatic marking system uses Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA) to assess the meaning of essays written by computer sc
On the Cognitive Prerequisites of Learning Computer Programming
Training in computer literacy of some form, much of which will consist of training in computer programming, is likely to involve $3 billion of the $14 billion to be spent on personal computers by 1986 (Harmon, 1983). Who will do the training? "hardware and software manufacturers, management consultants, -retailers, independent computer instruction centers, corporations' in-house training programs, public and private schools and universities, and a variety of consultants1' (-ibid. , p. 27). To da
Networked ComputersÂ’ Incorporated Role in Collaborative Learning
Networked computers are increasingly being used in collaborative learning. To understand what roles networked computers have in collaborative learning over distances, systems developers need conceptual frameworks that address the triadic complexity of knowledge construction, social interaction and technical issues. Some theoretical accounts of this relationship exits, but in terms of usefulness for systems design and how the role of networked is regarded, they have shortcomings. Based on activit
Advanced Principles of Effective e-Learning
With the global academic community currently focused on student learning outcomes achievement, assessment, and continuous improvement, e-learning strategies provide effective measures than can assist educators and educational administrators in the satisfaction of key objectives. Whether it is creating and incorporating simulations, building courses and curriculum, engaging in virtual team building, managing online programs, concept mapping, developing an electronic portfolio program, creating ac
The Grid Shared Desktop: a bootstrapping environment for collaboration
The paradigm shift from an information sharing infrastructure (i.e., the Web) to a resource sharing infrastructure (i.e., the Grid) has boosted the development of a new generation of online services. In particular, Grid services are stateful, dynamic and operate in a secure environment. Therefore they offer capabilities that are essential to remote collaboration. In this paper, we tackle the problem of bootstrapping and supporting a collaborative environment over a Grid infrastructure. As we tar
Elup Editor Conceptual Guide and User Manual
The eLup editor: elearning Quality Process Editor is based on the conceptual model adopted by the E-Quality project (www.e-quality-eu.org). The purpose of the eLup software is to enable the e-learning professional to structure and document the quality approach used in his/her organisation by making use of the approach and findings of the equality project. The eLup software was developed within Montpellier 2 University. The software is a model editor coupled with a database using Java, MySQL and
A Method for Creating Collaborative Mobile Learning Trails
In this paper I report results from recent trials in which students used mobile devices to collaboratively create, edit and share trails. These included 9- to 10-year-olds as well as adult diploma students, in the subject of horticulture in botanic gardens. Findings indicate that a narrow subject focus and a manageable amount of data capture are appropriate in most cases; trails are most effective when framed with structured tasks and a narrow focus. Structure can be introduced through the use o
Uso di manipolatori simbolici nell'introduzione all'algebra: realizzazione e sperimentazione di un p
The thesis presents the theoretical background and the main ideas underlying the design, development and experimentation of L'Algebrista, a prototype of symbolic manipulator to introduce pupils to algebra as a theory. The main theoretical framework refers to the theories of Anna Sfard concerning objectification in mathematics.,Unpublished graduation thesis
Distance learning meets Open Source
Most of the current German concepts for distance learning are still based on written study material with complementary face-to-face sessions. Modern e-learning tools are not as frequently in use as one might think or as it is often demanded.
This article focuses on the obstacles that occur in the daily work with e-learning tools and which hinder the further spreading of e-learning on college level. One of the main problems is that study material as well as concepts have to be transformed in a w
