Janet Kolodner - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Janet Kolodner

Research paper thumbnail of Introspective Multistrategy Learning: Constructing a Learnung Strategy under Reasoning Failure

Research paper thumbnail of Two Problems in Case-Based Reasoning

Research paper thumbnail of J.L.: Evaluating Classroom Practices Using Qualitative Research Methods: Defining and Refining the Process

Research paper thumbnail of Messy learning environments: busy hands and less engaged minds

Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Learning Sciences, 2006

In an environment where learners are engrossed in highly interactive and fun hands-on activities,... more In an environment where learners are engrossed in highly interactive and fun hands-on activities, how do we get their minds as engaged as their hands? We have found that busy hands help sustain learners' motivation and interest but can distract their minds from doing the necessary reflection on their actions. This paper and the accompanying poster describe conditions and affordances of media and prompts that focus and encourage distracted learners reflection.

Research paper thumbnail of Integrating and guiding collaboration: lessons learned in computer-supported collaborative learning research at Georgia Tech

Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Computer Support For Collaborative Learning, 1997

Research paper thumbnail of Investigating Peer Scaffolding in Learning and Transfer of Learning Using Teaching Interviews

AIP Conference Proceedings, 2007

We conducted teaching interviews with nine groups of students enrolled in an introductory level a... more We conducted teaching interviews with nine groups of students enrolled in an introductory level algebra-based physics course and consisted of two sessions-a learning session and a transfer session. The students were engaged in hands-on activities to learn various physics ideas in the learning session. We expected the students apply the physics learning to understand positron emission tomography (PET) in a transfer session. After providing worksheets, we asked the students to write their responses before and after the group discussion. To present the dynamics of group learning and the influence of peer scaffolding we compared the results of this study with our prior study [3] where students were individually engaged with a similar set of activities. Results suggest that peers were effective in activating and challenging each other's conceptual resources as well as facilitating transfer of learning. The results of this study also showed that students' performance was better when they were provided the direct hint instead of graduated hints. However, we found that the students gave the right answer with the wrong reasoning when a direct hint was provided, and they gave wrong answer with relatively better reasoning when the hints were graduated.

Research paper thumbnail of McBAGEL: a shared and structured electronic workspace for problem-based learning

Our approach to learning is based on the premises that learning is facilitated by generative prob... more Our approach to learning is based on the premises that learning is facilitated by generative problem solving, collaborative work on problems, and use of multiple cases; that knowledge construction and skill acquisition can be scaffolded through software; and that a computer environment which integrates a shared and structured electronic workspace can effectively support all of the above.

Research paper thumbnail of Promoting learning in informal learning environments

Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Learning Sciences, 2006

... Tamara Clegg, Christina Gardner, Oriana Williams, Janet Kolodner Georgia Institute of Technol... more ... Tamara Clegg, Christina Gardner, Oriana Williams, Janet Kolodner Georgia Institute of Technology 85 5th Street, Atlanta, GA 30332 {tlclegg, cmgardne, oriana, jlk}@cc ... to toss the balls around, intermittently joining the big group discussion while still talking about the ...

Research paper thumbnail of Intra-group and intergroup: an exploration of learning with complementary collaboration tools

In this paper, we explore the learning that occurred in two types of collaborative learning envir... more In this paper, we explore the learning that occurred in two types of collaborative learning environments in a seventh grade life sciences classroom: an intra-group environment and an intergroup environment. Students used both types of collaboration tools, each tuned to the needs of the task they were doing within or across groups. We found that the learning outcomes in the two collaborative settings were different. During the intragroup collaboration, students focused more on the structure and behavior of the designs. The inter-group environment on the other hand, led them to discuss the function/s of their models, ask for and provide justifications for the functions. We discuss the results and suggest integration of the inter and intra group tools.

Research paper thumbnail of Visualizing discussion by the use of the conversation chain model

Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Learning Sciences, Jun 27, 2006

Page 1. Visualizing Discussion by the Use of the Conversation Chain Model Sabina Karkin, Elizabet... more Page 1. Visualizing Discussion by the Use of the Conversation Chain Model Sabina Karkin, Elizabeth S. Charles, Janet L. Kolodner Interactive & Intelligent Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology, 801 Atlantic Drive, Atlanta ...

Research paper thumbnail of Jacket’s Garage: Software for a Physical Science Learning Environment

Research paper thumbnail of Towards a case-based tool for aiding conceptual design problem solving

Research paper thumbnail of Basic Artificial Intelligence Research at the Georgia Institute of Technology

Research paper thumbnail of Case-Based Decision Support: A Case Study in Architectural Design

Research paper thumbnail of Reasoning Failure

Research paper thumbnail of Problem Solving and Learning in a Natural Task Domain

Research paper thumbnail of Case libraries for middle school science instruction

Abstract Case Libraries: A case library is a computer-based multimedia database containing cases ... more Abstract Case Libraries: A case library is a computer-based multimedia database containing cases that describe real-world problems and how they have been solved (successfully or unsuccessfully). In an educational setting, students navigate a case library to find cases and stories that can help them solve problems. Cases suggest issues needing exploration, methods for solving problems, past solutions that may be applicable, and potential pitfalls. Cases are structured as graphic and textual overviews, lists of significant issues, and their ...

Research paper thumbnail of Problem-based learning meets case-based reasoning

The modern education community agrees that deep and effective learning is best promoted by situat... more The modern education community agrees that deep and effective learning is best promoted by situating learning in authentic activity. Many in the education community have put in place constructivist classroom practices that put students into situations where they must make hypotheses, collect data, and determine which data to use in the process of solving a problem or participating in some kind of realistic analysis or investigation. Research in case-based reasoning (CBR), which provides a plausible model of learning from problem solving situations, makes suggestions about education that are consistent with these educational theories and methodologies and which can provide added concreteness and detail. In this paper, we show how CBR's suggestions can enhance problem-based learning (PBL), which is already a well-worked-out and successful approach to education. The computational accounts CBR provides of reasoning activities, especially of knowledge access, access to old experiences (cases), and use of old experiences in reasoning, suggest guidelines about materials that should be made available as resources, the kinds of reflection that will promote transfer, qualities of good problems, qualities of the environment in which problems are solved (e.g., affordances for feedback), and sequencing a curriculum. The two approaches complement each other well, and together, we believe they provide a powerful foundation for educational practice in the constructivist tradition, one that at once combines lessons learned from classroom practice with sound cognitive theory.

Research paper thumbnail of Invention as an Opportunistic Enterprise

This paper identifies goal handling processes that begin to ac- count for the kind of processes i... more This paper identifies goal handling processes that begin to ac- count for the kind of processes involved in invention. We identify new kinds of goals with special properties and mecha- nisms for processing such goals, as well as means of integrating opportunism, deliberation, and social interaction into goal/plan processes. We focus on invention goals, which address signif- icant enterprises associated with an inventor. Invention goals represent "seed" goals of an expert, around which the whole knowledge of an expert gets reorganized and grows more or less opportunistically. Invention goals reflect the idiosyncrasy of thematic goals among experts. They constantly increase the sensitivity of individuals for particular events that might contribute to their satisfaction. Our exploration is based on a well-documented example: the invention of the telephone by Alexander Graham Bell. We propose mechanisms to explain: (1) how Bell's early thematic goals gave rise to the new goals to invent the multiple telegraph and the telephone, and (2) how the new goals interacted opportunistically. Finally, we describe our computational model, ALEC, that accounts for the role of goals in invention.

Research paper thumbnail of A Model of Invention

One quality that makes biological systems appear intelligent is their robustness to difficult cir... more One quality that makes biological systems appear intelligent is their robustness to difficult circumstances. Robustness is crucial to intelligent behavior and important to AI research. We distinguish between ante-failure and post-failure robustness for ...

Research paper thumbnail of Introspective Multistrategy Learning: Constructing a Learnung Strategy under Reasoning Failure

Research paper thumbnail of Two Problems in Case-Based Reasoning

Research paper thumbnail of J.L.: Evaluating Classroom Practices Using Qualitative Research Methods: Defining and Refining the Process

Research paper thumbnail of Messy learning environments: busy hands and less engaged minds

Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Learning Sciences, 2006

In an environment where learners are engrossed in highly interactive and fun hands-on activities,... more In an environment where learners are engrossed in highly interactive and fun hands-on activities, how do we get their minds as engaged as their hands? We have found that busy hands help sustain learners' motivation and interest but can distract their minds from doing the necessary reflection on their actions. This paper and the accompanying poster describe conditions and affordances of media and prompts that focus and encourage distracted learners reflection.

Research paper thumbnail of Integrating and guiding collaboration: lessons learned in computer-supported collaborative learning research at Georgia Tech

Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Computer Support For Collaborative Learning, 1997

Research paper thumbnail of Investigating Peer Scaffolding in Learning and Transfer of Learning Using Teaching Interviews

AIP Conference Proceedings, 2007

We conducted teaching interviews with nine groups of students enrolled in an introductory level a... more We conducted teaching interviews with nine groups of students enrolled in an introductory level algebra-based physics course and consisted of two sessions-a learning session and a transfer session. The students were engaged in hands-on activities to learn various physics ideas in the learning session. We expected the students apply the physics learning to understand positron emission tomography (PET) in a transfer session. After providing worksheets, we asked the students to write their responses before and after the group discussion. To present the dynamics of group learning and the influence of peer scaffolding we compared the results of this study with our prior study [3] where students were individually engaged with a similar set of activities. Results suggest that peers were effective in activating and challenging each other's conceptual resources as well as facilitating transfer of learning. The results of this study also showed that students' performance was better when they were provided the direct hint instead of graduated hints. However, we found that the students gave the right answer with the wrong reasoning when a direct hint was provided, and they gave wrong answer with relatively better reasoning when the hints were graduated.

Research paper thumbnail of McBAGEL: a shared and structured electronic workspace for problem-based learning

Our approach to learning is based on the premises that learning is facilitated by generative prob... more Our approach to learning is based on the premises that learning is facilitated by generative problem solving, collaborative work on problems, and use of multiple cases; that knowledge construction and skill acquisition can be scaffolded through software; and that a computer environment which integrates a shared and structured electronic workspace can effectively support all of the above.

Research paper thumbnail of Promoting learning in informal learning environments

Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Learning Sciences, 2006

... Tamara Clegg, Christina Gardner, Oriana Williams, Janet Kolodner Georgia Institute of Technol... more ... Tamara Clegg, Christina Gardner, Oriana Williams, Janet Kolodner Georgia Institute of Technology 85 5th Street, Atlanta, GA 30332 {tlclegg, cmgardne, oriana, jlk}@cc ... to toss the balls around, intermittently joining the big group discussion while still talking about the ...

Research paper thumbnail of Intra-group and intergroup: an exploration of learning with complementary collaboration tools

In this paper, we explore the learning that occurred in two types of collaborative learning envir... more In this paper, we explore the learning that occurred in two types of collaborative learning environments in a seventh grade life sciences classroom: an intra-group environment and an intergroup environment. Students used both types of collaboration tools, each tuned to the needs of the task they were doing within or across groups. We found that the learning outcomes in the two collaborative settings were different. During the intragroup collaboration, students focused more on the structure and behavior of the designs. The inter-group environment on the other hand, led them to discuss the function/s of their models, ask for and provide justifications for the functions. We discuss the results and suggest integration of the inter and intra group tools.

Research paper thumbnail of Visualizing discussion by the use of the conversation chain model

Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Learning Sciences, Jun 27, 2006

Page 1. Visualizing Discussion by the Use of the Conversation Chain Model Sabina Karkin, Elizabet... more Page 1. Visualizing Discussion by the Use of the Conversation Chain Model Sabina Karkin, Elizabeth S. Charles, Janet L. Kolodner Interactive & Intelligent Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology, 801 Atlantic Drive, Atlanta ...

Research paper thumbnail of Jacket’s Garage: Software for a Physical Science Learning Environment

Research paper thumbnail of Towards a case-based tool for aiding conceptual design problem solving

Research paper thumbnail of Basic Artificial Intelligence Research at the Georgia Institute of Technology

Research paper thumbnail of Case-Based Decision Support: A Case Study in Architectural Design

Research paper thumbnail of Reasoning Failure

Research paper thumbnail of Problem Solving and Learning in a Natural Task Domain

Research paper thumbnail of Case libraries for middle school science instruction

Abstract Case Libraries: A case library is a computer-based multimedia database containing cases ... more Abstract Case Libraries: A case library is a computer-based multimedia database containing cases that describe real-world problems and how they have been solved (successfully or unsuccessfully). In an educational setting, students navigate a case library to find cases and stories that can help them solve problems. Cases suggest issues needing exploration, methods for solving problems, past solutions that may be applicable, and potential pitfalls. Cases are structured as graphic and textual overviews, lists of significant issues, and their ...

Research paper thumbnail of Problem-based learning meets case-based reasoning

The modern education community agrees that deep and effective learning is best promoted by situat... more The modern education community agrees that deep and effective learning is best promoted by situating learning in authentic activity. Many in the education community have put in place constructivist classroom practices that put students into situations where they must make hypotheses, collect data, and determine which data to use in the process of solving a problem or participating in some kind of realistic analysis or investigation. Research in case-based reasoning (CBR), which provides a plausible model of learning from problem solving situations, makes suggestions about education that are consistent with these educational theories and methodologies and which can provide added concreteness and detail. In this paper, we show how CBR's suggestions can enhance problem-based learning (PBL), which is already a well-worked-out and successful approach to education. The computational accounts CBR provides of reasoning activities, especially of knowledge access, access to old experiences (cases), and use of old experiences in reasoning, suggest guidelines about materials that should be made available as resources, the kinds of reflection that will promote transfer, qualities of good problems, qualities of the environment in which problems are solved (e.g., affordances for feedback), and sequencing a curriculum. The two approaches complement each other well, and together, we believe they provide a powerful foundation for educational practice in the constructivist tradition, one that at once combines lessons learned from classroom practice with sound cognitive theory.

Research paper thumbnail of Invention as an Opportunistic Enterprise

This paper identifies goal handling processes that begin to ac- count for the kind of processes i... more This paper identifies goal handling processes that begin to ac- count for the kind of processes involved in invention. We identify new kinds of goals with special properties and mecha- nisms for processing such goals, as well as means of integrating opportunism, deliberation, and social interaction into goal/plan processes. We focus on invention goals, which address signif- icant enterprises associated with an inventor. Invention goals represent "seed" goals of an expert, around which the whole knowledge of an expert gets reorganized and grows more or less opportunistically. Invention goals reflect the idiosyncrasy of thematic goals among experts. They constantly increase the sensitivity of individuals for particular events that might contribute to their satisfaction. Our exploration is based on a well-documented example: the invention of the telephone by Alexander Graham Bell. We propose mechanisms to explain: (1) how Bell's early thematic goals gave rise to the new goals to invent the multiple telegraph and the telephone, and (2) how the new goals interacted opportunistically. Finally, we describe our computational model, ALEC, that accounts for the role of goals in invention.

Research paper thumbnail of A Model of Invention

One quality that makes biological systems appear intelligent is their robustness to difficult cir... more One quality that makes biological systems appear intelligent is their robustness to difficult circumstances. Robustness is crucial to intelligent behavior and important to AI research. We distinguish between ante-failure and post-failure robustness for ...