Andrew Lumpe - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Andrew Lumpe

Research paper thumbnail of Semantic Text Theme and Facet Generation in Collaborative Online Learning Environments

Online students' ability to collaborate with peers may lead to increased learning and positive at... more Online students' ability to collaborate with peers may lead to increased learning and positive attitude toward their learning. Given a need for more theoretical and practical work in this area, we sought to compare differences between high and low-collaboration groups in an assignment to determine if higher levels of collaboration lead to higher levels of semantic writing. We explored how the use of collaboration strategies in group work through the use of online tools impacted the ideas generated while participating in a group project as compared to an individual project. We sought to compare the degree of document sentiment between the two groups. For total generated themes, the low collaboration group developed significantly more themes than the high collaboration group. The high collaboration group yielded 349 more facets than the low collaboration group with 50% of the facets being unique between the two groups. We found neutral document sentiment in both groups overall.

Research paper thumbnail of The Use of Online Collaborative Tools and Student Perception of Social Presence

The researchers explored the Community of Inquiry framework and how collaborative technologies, s... more The researchers explored the Community of Inquiry framework and how collaborative technologies, specifically wikis, can be used to impact student perception of social presence in online learning. The subjects were 78 graduate education students in three differently contrived sections of the same online course. Participants completed the Community of Inquiry (CoI) Survey at the end of the term measuring their perceived level of teaching, social, and cognitive presence during the course. The experimental setting utilized a single instructor teaching one course, and randomly assigned students. Each section had students collaborate using a different tool (synchronous wiki, asynchronous wiki, and discussion board). All subjects perceived high levels of the three presences when compared with previous studies. Students collaborating using an asynchronous wiki perceived significantly more social presence than those using only a discussion board. Specifically, students perceived greater levels of trust and group cohesion when the course design incorporated a wiki for small group collaboration.

Research paper thumbnail of Teacher beliefs and intentions regarding the implementation of science education reform strands

Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 1996

... Other Resources. Teacher beliefs and intentions regarding the implementation of scienceeducat... more ... Other Resources. Teacher beliefs and intentions regarding the implementation of scienceeducation reform strands. ... How to Cite. Haney, JJ, Czerniak, CM and Lumpe, AT (1996), Teacher beliefs and intentions regarding the implementation of science education reform strands. ...

Research paper thumbnail of Science Teacher Beliefs and Intentions to Implement Science-Technology-Society (STS) in the Classroom

Journal of Science Teacher Education, 1998

... Ultimately, the TPB links a persons' behavior to attitudes, perceptions of s... more ... Ultimately, the TPB links a persons' behavior to attitudes, perceptions of social support, and beliefs about control of engaging in ... teachers represented a variety of experience levels ranging from zero to 25 years and included seven elementary school teachers, two middle ...

Research paper thumbnail of Science teachers' beliefs and intentions to implement thematic units

Journal of Science Teacher …, 1999

Research paper thumbnail of Semantic Text Theme Generation in Collaborative Online Learning Environments

Online students' ability to self-regulate led to focused attention and time on-task. Given a need... more Online students' ability to self-regulate led to focused attention and time on-task. Given a need for more theoretical work in this area, as well as the potential practical benefits, we sought to compare differences between high versus low-collaboration teams in an online assignment to determine if higher levels of student-to-student collaboration lead to higher levels of semantic writing. Specifically, we explored how the use of collaboration technologies such as Google Docs and Google Hangouts impacted the level of ideas generated while participating in a group project. It was found that in terms of total generated semantic themes, low collaboration groups developed significantly more than their high collaboration counterparts in both online discussions and post course meta-reflective blog writings. The high collaboration students did, however, generate a wider variety of unique semantic themes in both the online discussions and blog posts.

Research paper thumbnail of Teacher Professional Development and Self-Efficacy Beliefs

The Role of Science Teachers’ Beliefs in International Classrooms, 2014

Research paper thumbnail of Measuring characteristics of teacher professional development

Teacher Development, 2014

The primary purpose of the study was to create and psychometrically test an instrument which meas... more The primary purpose of the study was to create and psychometrically test an instrument which measured teachers' perceptions of characteristics of professional development. The sample consisted of elementary teachers from five school districts in Washington State participating in a district improvement initiative. Results of exploratory factor analysis resulted in a five-component solution which provided evidence of construct validity. All components/subscales had moderate to strong internal consistency as measured by Cronbach's alpha. The secondary purpose was to determine if characteristics of professional development predicted teachers' use of new knowledge and skills, and student learning outcomes, thus contributing to the predictive validity of the instrument. There was a slight, but significant, correlation between Active Learning in Classroom and teachers' use of new knowledge and skills, as measured by classroom observation scores. A small negative correlation emerged between Collective Participation and student learning, as measured by student scores on the state's mathematics assessment. Potential uses of the instrument, called Characteristics of Teacher Professional Development (CTPD), are discussed.

Research paper thumbnail of The Influence of an Extensive Inquiry-Based Field Experience on Pre-Service Elementary Student Teachers’ Science Teaching Beliefs

Journal of Science Teacher Education, 2009

This study examined the effects of an extensive inquiry-based field experience on pre service ele... more This study examined the effects of an extensive inquiry-based field experience on pre service elementary teachers' personal agency beliefs, a composite measure of context beliefs and capability beliefs related to teaching science. The research combined quantitative and qualitative approaches and included an experimental group that utilized the inquiry method and a control group that used traditional teaching methods. Pre-and post-test scores for the experimental and control groups were compared. The context beliefs of both groups showed no significant change as a result of the experience. However, the control group's capability belief scores, lower than those of the experimental group to start with, declined significantly; the experimental group's scores remained unchanged. Thus, the inquiry-based field experience led to an increase in personal agency beliefs. The qualitative data suggested a new hypothesis that there is a spiral relationship among teachers' ability to establish communicative relationships with students, desire for personal growth and improvement, ability to implement multiple instructional strategies, and possession of substantive content knowledge. The study concludes that inquiry-based student teaching should be encouraged in the training of elementary school science teachers. However, the meaning and practice of the inquiry method should be clearly delineated to ensure its correct implementation in the classroom.

Research paper thumbnail of Student Use of Scaffolding Software: Relationships with Motivation and Conceptual Understanding

Journal of Science Education and Technology, 2008

This study was designed to theoretically articulate and empirically assess the role of computer s... more This study was designed to theoretically articulate and empirically assess the role of computer scaffolds. In this project, several examples of educational software were developed to scaffold the learning of students performing high level cognitive activities. The software used in this study, Artemis, focused on scaffolding the learning of students as they performed information seeking activities. As 5th grade students traveled through a project-based science unit on photosynthesis, researchers used a pre-post design to test for both student motivation and student conceptual understanding of photosynthesis. To measure both variables, a motivation survey and three methods of concept map analysis were used. The student use of the scaffolding features was determined using a database that tracked students' movement between scaffolding tools. The gain scores of each dependent variable was then correlated to the students' feature use (time and hits) embedded in the Artemis Interface. This provided the researchers with significant relationships between the scaffolding features represented in the software and student motivation and conceptual understanding of photosynthesis. There were a total of three significant correlations in comparing the scaffolding use by hits (clicked on) with the dependent variables and only one significant correlation when comparing the scaffold use in time. The first significant correlation (r = .499, p \ .05) was between the saving/viewing features hits and the students' task value. This correlation supports the assumption that there is a positive relationship between the student use of the saving/viewing features and the students' perception of how interesting, how important, and how useful the task is. The second significant correlation (r = 0.553, p \ 0.01) was between the searching features hits and the students' self-efficacy for learning and performance. This correlation supports the assumption that there is a positive relationship between the student use of the searching features and the students' perception of their ability to accomplish a task as well as their confidence in their skills to perform that task. The third significant correlation (r = 0.519, p \ 0.05) was between the collaborative features hits and the students' essay performance scores. This correlation supports the assumption that there is a positive relationship between the student use of the collaborative features and the students' ability to perform high cognitive tasks. Finally, the last significant correlation (r = 0.576, p \ 0.01) was between the maintenance features time and the qualitative analysis of the concept maps. This correlation supports the assumption that there is a positive relationship between the student use of the maintenance features and student conceptual understanding of photosynthesis.

Research paper thumbnail of A content analysis of the presentation of the mole concept in chemistry textbooks

Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 1993

The goal of this study was to examine the means used by textbook authors to introduce, define, an... more The goal of this study was to examine the means used by textbook authors to introduce, define, and explain the mole concept in high school and introductory college chemistry textbooks. The analysis was framed by four questions:

Research paper thumbnail of Two investigations of students' understanding of the mole concept and its use in problem solving

Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 1995

... According to Atwater and Alick (1990), formal operational thinkers are more successful in sol... more ... According to Atwater and Alick (1990), formal operational thinkers are more successful in solvingmole-related chemistry problems ... The student, named Sue, is described by the re-searchers as a “rule learner.” She is successful when the task requires nothing more than applying ...

Research paper thumbnail of Peer collaboration and concept development: Learning about photosynthesis

Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 1995

Research paper thumbnail of Assessing Teachers' Beliefs about Their Science Teaching Context

Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 2000

The primary purpose of this study was to develop and apply a method for assessing teachers' conte... more The primary purpose of this study was to develop and apply a method for assessing teachers' context beliefs about their science teaching environment. Interviews with 130 purposefully selected teachers resulted in 28 categories of environmental factors and/or people who were perceived to influence science teaching. These categories were used to develop items for the Context Beliefs about Teaching Science instrument and provided evidence for content validity. Construct validity was partially confirmed through factor analysis that resulted in 26 items and two subscales on the final instrument. Using Ford's Motivation Systems Theory and Bandura's Theory of Collective Efficacy, additional evidence for construct validity was found in the modest correlation of context beliefs with outcome expectancy beliefs and the low correlation with science teaching self-efficacy beliefs. The instrument was tested using 262 teachers participating in long-term science professional development programs. These teachers possessed fairly positive context beliefs and, according to Ford's theory, should be capable of effective functioning in the classroom. It was concluded that the assessment of context beliefs would complement current science teacher self-efficacy measures, thereby allowing researchers to develop profiles of science teachers' personal agency belief patterns. It could also be used to determine the factors which predict particular personal agency belief patterns, and assess teachers' perceptions of the strengths and weaknesses of school science programs, and could be used in planning and monitoring professional development experiences for science teachers.

Research paper thumbnail of Letter From the Editor

Journal of Science Teacher Education, 2004

Research paper thumbnail of Beliefs about Teaching Science: The relationship between elementary teachers’ participation in professional development and student achievement

International Journal of Science Education, 2012

Research paper thumbnail of The information seeking strategies of high school science students

Research in Science Education, 2002

This study focused on the use of the Artemis web-based interface (http://artemis.goknow.com/ arte... more This study focused on the use of the Artemis web-based interface (http://artemis.goknow.com/ artemis/index.adp). This program provides a digital library for students to search, organise, and evaluation science information related to project-based investigations. The primary feature of the Artemis interface is a focused search tool. Key scaffolding features in Artemis include the collections of web sites, driving question folders, a persistent workspace for notes, cataloging of past search results, and the viewing of sites shared by other students. The primary goal of this study was to describe high school science students' use of the scaffolding features embedded in the Artemis interface. The researchers were interested in identifying the scaffolding features students use and describing how they use them in the context of finding science information related to investigations. In addition, to look at scaffolding interaction, relationships between feature use and student learning were examined. The context of this study was a four-week science investigation conducted by 43 high school biology students. Students worked in dyads to answer driving questions related to their topics of study (e.g., What do the conditions need to be in order for green algae to survive?). It was found that students relied heavily upon Organisational Feature scaffolds (persistent workspace) to help them organise information that was ultimately used by the students to produce domain specific artifacts. In addition, students spent much of their time conducting searches and saving results. However, classroom performance success was only significantly correlated with the use of Organizational Feature scaffolds -scaffolding features that students use to create driving questions, write notes about the information they found as a result of their searches, and keep track of their investigations. No other search tool used by the students possessed this important scaffolding feature. The students did not automatically use Collaborative Features -scaffolding features hypothesised to be powerful cognitive tools.

Research paper thumbnail of An Evaluation Of Low Versus High-Collaboration In Online Learning

Researchers in a recent study found that online students’ ability to self-regulate led to more fo... more Researchers in a recent study found that online students’ ability to self-regulate led to more focused attention and time on task, and in turn, these skills could lead to better learning. Given the need for more theoretical work in this area, as well as the potential practical benefits from the use of these pedagogical strategies, we sought to compare differences between high- versus low-collaboration teams in an online assignment to determine if higher levels of student-to-student collaboration led to higher levels of self-regulation or learning presence (forethought and planning, monitoring, strategy use, and reflection). Specifically, we explored how the use of high-collaboration technologies, such as Google Docs and Google Hangouts, impacted the level of learning presence students demonstrated while participating in a small group project. The low-collaboration group made minimal use of an asynchronous discussion forum for collaboration. Differences in collaboration were measured using student grades, peer evaluations, pre- and posttests, and community of inquiry surveys. In addition, quantitative content analysis and social network analysis were used to assess collaboration by examining learning presence in the two groups.

Research paper thumbnail of Semantic Text Theme and Facet Generation in Collaborative Online Learning Environments

Online students' ability to collaborate with peers may lead to increased learning and positive at... more Online students' ability to collaborate with peers may lead to increased learning and positive attitude toward their learning. Given a need for more theoretical and practical work in this area, we sought to compare differences between high and low-collaboration groups in an assignment to determine if higher levels of collaboration lead to higher levels of semantic writing. We explored how the use of collaboration strategies in group work through the use of online tools impacted the ideas generated while participating in a group project as compared to an individual project. We sought to compare the degree of document sentiment between the two groups. For total generated themes, the low collaboration group developed significantly more themes than the high collaboration group. The high collaboration group yielded 349 more facets than the low collaboration group with 50% of the facets being unique between the two groups. We found neutral document sentiment in both groups overall.

Research paper thumbnail of The Use of Online Collaborative Tools and Student Perception of Social Presence

The researchers explored the Community of Inquiry framework and how collaborative technologies, s... more The researchers explored the Community of Inquiry framework and how collaborative technologies, specifically wikis, can be used to impact student perception of social presence in online learning. The subjects were 78 graduate education students in three differently contrived sections of the same online course. Participants completed the Community of Inquiry (CoI) Survey at the end of the term measuring their perceived level of teaching, social, and cognitive presence during the course. The experimental setting utilized a single instructor teaching one course, and randomly assigned students. Each section had students collaborate using a different tool (synchronous wiki, asynchronous wiki, and discussion board). All subjects perceived high levels of the three presences when compared with previous studies. Students collaborating using an asynchronous wiki perceived significantly more social presence than those using only a discussion board. Specifically, students perceived greater levels of trust and group cohesion when the course design incorporated a wiki for small group collaboration.

Research paper thumbnail of Teacher beliefs and intentions regarding the implementation of science education reform strands

Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 1996

... Other Resources. Teacher beliefs and intentions regarding the implementation of scienceeducat... more ... Other Resources. Teacher beliefs and intentions regarding the implementation of scienceeducation reform strands. ... How to Cite. Haney, JJ, Czerniak, CM and Lumpe, AT (1996), Teacher beliefs and intentions regarding the implementation of science education reform strands. ...

Research paper thumbnail of Science Teacher Beliefs and Intentions to Implement Science-Technology-Society (STS) in the Classroom

Journal of Science Teacher Education, 1998

... Ultimately, the TPB links a persons' behavior to attitudes, perceptions of s... more ... Ultimately, the TPB links a persons' behavior to attitudes, perceptions of social support, and beliefs about control of engaging in ... teachers represented a variety of experience levels ranging from zero to 25 years and included seven elementary school teachers, two middle ...

Research paper thumbnail of Science teachers' beliefs and intentions to implement thematic units

Journal of Science Teacher …, 1999

Research paper thumbnail of Semantic Text Theme Generation in Collaborative Online Learning Environments

Online students' ability to self-regulate led to focused attention and time on-task. Given a need... more Online students' ability to self-regulate led to focused attention and time on-task. Given a need for more theoretical work in this area, as well as the potential practical benefits, we sought to compare differences between high versus low-collaboration teams in an online assignment to determine if higher levels of student-to-student collaboration lead to higher levels of semantic writing. Specifically, we explored how the use of collaboration technologies such as Google Docs and Google Hangouts impacted the level of ideas generated while participating in a group project. It was found that in terms of total generated semantic themes, low collaboration groups developed significantly more than their high collaboration counterparts in both online discussions and post course meta-reflective blog writings. The high collaboration students did, however, generate a wider variety of unique semantic themes in both the online discussions and blog posts.

Research paper thumbnail of Teacher Professional Development and Self-Efficacy Beliefs

The Role of Science Teachers’ Beliefs in International Classrooms, 2014

Research paper thumbnail of Measuring characteristics of teacher professional development

Teacher Development, 2014

The primary purpose of the study was to create and psychometrically test an instrument which meas... more The primary purpose of the study was to create and psychometrically test an instrument which measured teachers' perceptions of characteristics of professional development. The sample consisted of elementary teachers from five school districts in Washington State participating in a district improvement initiative. Results of exploratory factor analysis resulted in a five-component solution which provided evidence of construct validity. All components/subscales had moderate to strong internal consistency as measured by Cronbach's alpha. The secondary purpose was to determine if characteristics of professional development predicted teachers' use of new knowledge and skills, and student learning outcomes, thus contributing to the predictive validity of the instrument. There was a slight, but significant, correlation between Active Learning in Classroom and teachers' use of new knowledge and skills, as measured by classroom observation scores. A small negative correlation emerged between Collective Participation and student learning, as measured by student scores on the state's mathematics assessment. Potential uses of the instrument, called Characteristics of Teacher Professional Development (CTPD), are discussed.

Research paper thumbnail of The Influence of an Extensive Inquiry-Based Field Experience on Pre-Service Elementary Student Teachers’ Science Teaching Beliefs

Journal of Science Teacher Education, 2009

This study examined the effects of an extensive inquiry-based field experience on pre service ele... more This study examined the effects of an extensive inquiry-based field experience on pre service elementary teachers' personal agency beliefs, a composite measure of context beliefs and capability beliefs related to teaching science. The research combined quantitative and qualitative approaches and included an experimental group that utilized the inquiry method and a control group that used traditional teaching methods. Pre-and post-test scores for the experimental and control groups were compared. The context beliefs of both groups showed no significant change as a result of the experience. However, the control group's capability belief scores, lower than those of the experimental group to start with, declined significantly; the experimental group's scores remained unchanged. Thus, the inquiry-based field experience led to an increase in personal agency beliefs. The qualitative data suggested a new hypothesis that there is a spiral relationship among teachers' ability to establish communicative relationships with students, desire for personal growth and improvement, ability to implement multiple instructional strategies, and possession of substantive content knowledge. The study concludes that inquiry-based student teaching should be encouraged in the training of elementary school science teachers. However, the meaning and practice of the inquiry method should be clearly delineated to ensure its correct implementation in the classroom.

Research paper thumbnail of Student Use of Scaffolding Software: Relationships with Motivation and Conceptual Understanding

Journal of Science Education and Technology, 2008

This study was designed to theoretically articulate and empirically assess the role of computer s... more This study was designed to theoretically articulate and empirically assess the role of computer scaffolds. In this project, several examples of educational software were developed to scaffold the learning of students performing high level cognitive activities. The software used in this study, Artemis, focused on scaffolding the learning of students as they performed information seeking activities. As 5th grade students traveled through a project-based science unit on photosynthesis, researchers used a pre-post design to test for both student motivation and student conceptual understanding of photosynthesis. To measure both variables, a motivation survey and three methods of concept map analysis were used. The student use of the scaffolding features was determined using a database that tracked students' movement between scaffolding tools. The gain scores of each dependent variable was then correlated to the students' feature use (time and hits) embedded in the Artemis Interface. This provided the researchers with significant relationships between the scaffolding features represented in the software and student motivation and conceptual understanding of photosynthesis. There were a total of three significant correlations in comparing the scaffolding use by hits (clicked on) with the dependent variables and only one significant correlation when comparing the scaffold use in time. The first significant correlation (r = .499, p \ .05) was between the saving/viewing features hits and the students' task value. This correlation supports the assumption that there is a positive relationship between the student use of the saving/viewing features and the students' perception of how interesting, how important, and how useful the task is. The second significant correlation (r = 0.553, p \ 0.01) was between the searching features hits and the students' self-efficacy for learning and performance. This correlation supports the assumption that there is a positive relationship between the student use of the searching features and the students' perception of their ability to accomplish a task as well as their confidence in their skills to perform that task. The third significant correlation (r = 0.519, p \ 0.05) was between the collaborative features hits and the students' essay performance scores. This correlation supports the assumption that there is a positive relationship between the student use of the collaborative features and the students' ability to perform high cognitive tasks. Finally, the last significant correlation (r = 0.576, p \ 0.01) was between the maintenance features time and the qualitative analysis of the concept maps. This correlation supports the assumption that there is a positive relationship between the student use of the maintenance features and student conceptual understanding of photosynthesis.

Research paper thumbnail of A content analysis of the presentation of the mole concept in chemistry textbooks

Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 1993

The goal of this study was to examine the means used by textbook authors to introduce, define, an... more The goal of this study was to examine the means used by textbook authors to introduce, define, and explain the mole concept in high school and introductory college chemistry textbooks. The analysis was framed by four questions:

Research paper thumbnail of Two investigations of students' understanding of the mole concept and its use in problem solving

Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 1995

... According to Atwater and Alick (1990), formal operational thinkers are more successful in sol... more ... According to Atwater and Alick (1990), formal operational thinkers are more successful in solvingmole-related chemistry problems ... The student, named Sue, is described by the re-searchers as a “rule learner.” She is successful when the task requires nothing more than applying ...

Research paper thumbnail of Peer collaboration and concept development: Learning about photosynthesis

Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 1995

Research paper thumbnail of Assessing Teachers' Beliefs about Their Science Teaching Context

Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 2000

The primary purpose of this study was to develop and apply a method for assessing teachers' conte... more The primary purpose of this study was to develop and apply a method for assessing teachers' context beliefs about their science teaching environment. Interviews with 130 purposefully selected teachers resulted in 28 categories of environmental factors and/or people who were perceived to influence science teaching. These categories were used to develop items for the Context Beliefs about Teaching Science instrument and provided evidence for content validity. Construct validity was partially confirmed through factor analysis that resulted in 26 items and two subscales on the final instrument. Using Ford's Motivation Systems Theory and Bandura's Theory of Collective Efficacy, additional evidence for construct validity was found in the modest correlation of context beliefs with outcome expectancy beliefs and the low correlation with science teaching self-efficacy beliefs. The instrument was tested using 262 teachers participating in long-term science professional development programs. These teachers possessed fairly positive context beliefs and, according to Ford's theory, should be capable of effective functioning in the classroom. It was concluded that the assessment of context beliefs would complement current science teacher self-efficacy measures, thereby allowing researchers to develop profiles of science teachers' personal agency belief patterns. It could also be used to determine the factors which predict particular personal agency belief patterns, and assess teachers' perceptions of the strengths and weaknesses of school science programs, and could be used in planning and monitoring professional development experiences for science teachers.

Research paper thumbnail of Letter From the Editor

Journal of Science Teacher Education, 2004

Research paper thumbnail of Beliefs about Teaching Science: The relationship between elementary teachers’ participation in professional development and student achievement

International Journal of Science Education, 2012

Research paper thumbnail of The information seeking strategies of high school science students

Research in Science Education, 2002

This study focused on the use of the Artemis web-based interface (http://artemis.goknow.com/ arte... more This study focused on the use of the Artemis web-based interface (http://artemis.goknow.com/ artemis/index.adp). This program provides a digital library for students to search, organise, and evaluation science information related to project-based investigations. The primary feature of the Artemis interface is a focused search tool. Key scaffolding features in Artemis include the collections of web sites, driving question folders, a persistent workspace for notes, cataloging of past search results, and the viewing of sites shared by other students. The primary goal of this study was to describe high school science students' use of the scaffolding features embedded in the Artemis interface. The researchers were interested in identifying the scaffolding features students use and describing how they use them in the context of finding science information related to investigations. In addition, to look at scaffolding interaction, relationships between feature use and student learning were examined. The context of this study was a four-week science investigation conducted by 43 high school biology students. Students worked in dyads to answer driving questions related to their topics of study (e.g., What do the conditions need to be in order for green algae to survive?). It was found that students relied heavily upon Organisational Feature scaffolds (persistent workspace) to help them organise information that was ultimately used by the students to produce domain specific artifacts. In addition, students spent much of their time conducting searches and saving results. However, classroom performance success was only significantly correlated with the use of Organizational Feature scaffolds -scaffolding features that students use to create driving questions, write notes about the information they found as a result of their searches, and keep track of their investigations. No other search tool used by the students possessed this important scaffolding feature. The students did not automatically use Collaborative Features -scaffolding features hypothesised to be powerful cognitive tools.

Research paper thumbnail of An Evaluation Of Low Versus High-Collaboration In Online Learning

Researchers in a recent study found that online students’ ability to self-regulate led to more fo... more Researchers in a recent study found that online students’ ability to self-regulate led to more focused attention and time on task, and in turn, these skills could lead to better learning. Given the need for more theoretical work in this area, as well as the potential practical benefits from the use of these pedagogical strategies, we sought to compare differences between high- versus low-collaboration teams in an online assignment to determine if higher levels of student-to-student collaboration led to higher levels of self-regulation or learning presence (forethought and planning, monitoring, strategy use, and reflection). Specifically, we explored how the use of high-collaboration technologies, such as Google Docs and Google Hangouts, impacted the level of learning presence students demonstrated while participating in a small group project. The low-collaboration group made minimal use of an asynchronous discussion forum for collaboration. Differences in collaboration were measured using student grades, peer evaluations, pre- and posttests, and community of inquiry surveys. In addition, quantitative content analysis and social network analysis were used to assess collaboration by examining learning presence in the two groups.