Collaborative teaching and learning: overcoming the digital divide? (original) (raw)
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The Classroom Community: Digital Technology in Support of Collaborative Learning in Higher Education
This paper reports on selected findings from a study conducted on collaborative-learning in undergraduate and postgraduate management education. Course redesign called for the inclusion of synchronous and asynchronous learning tasks in the course syllabus. The findings reported here are for the first, second, third and fourth iterations of the course carried out over a two-year period as part of a larger action research project currently underway on the use on Web 2.0 in pedagogical innovation. Student collaboration the first instance was limited, with subsequent iterations showing increased success. This paper examines the elements which have most impacted this change and seem to have allowed the use of collaborative tasks to lead to the development of a real collaborative learning community.
The Role of Social Media and Online Communities in Learning and Collaboration in the Age of Digital Transformation, 2024
This study explored the utilisation of Web2.0 social networks by Ukrainian students, a pertinent aspect of contemporary pedagogical practice. The objective was to analyse and assess how social networks influence the learning process and student collaboration within the university setting. The study included a survey among 140 students randomly selected from different higher education institutions in Ukraine. The collected data were analysed using statistical analysis methods, which allowed us to formulate a hypothesis about the active use of social media for educational and collaborative purposes by Ukrainian students. The findings of the study suggest that respondents utilize social media for a range of activities and types of communities. These tools, originally introduced to ensure communication with friends and family, are now actively used by students for independent learning and collaboration. The substantial spread of social media in higher education has contributed to the transformation of learning and teaching by enabling participants to actively engage in enriched knowledge sharing and collaborative activities. Thus, the study emphasises the importance of social media in shaping modern pedagogical practices, contributing to the development of active, interactive and collaborative learning in the university environment. The integration of social media into the education system is a current issue that requires further enhancement, considering the identified challenges. The integration of these networks into educational processes is realised through the creation of an open environment for collective learning between students, which reinforces their importance in informal teaching practices. The study's scientific novelty lies in highlighting the hypothesis that digital transformation transforms social networks from simple communication tools into integral elements of the educational process, where students are actively involved in their own learning and knowledge exchange.
Collaborative Platforms in Technological Contexts in Higher Education: The Students' View
The paradigm of different teaching and learning methodologies or the strong attention given to active learning contexts and communication skills are impacting higher education systems the world over. If, on the one hand, the central basics of active learning are student's engagement and activity in the learning process, on the other hand the central element of collaborative learning stresses student's interactions rather than learning as a private activity. But the pressing issues associated with research in education would not make any sense without talking about technology. The fact remains that we live in an increasingly digital world and information technology allows learning to take place everywhere at any time. As it is believed that actual and future learning environments should motivate and engage learners in reflective thinking and active knowledge construction, the potential of technological issues in education is in knowing how to help students and teachers in doing so. The paradigm of what has been the impact of technology in this context is an ongoing debate about whether it is the design of the instruction that improves learning or if it is the mere use of technology that enhances learning. So, in order to understand learning in active and collaborative environments, researchers should pay attention to cognitions and, also, to communication technologies. Particularly, to those that are gaining in attractiveness in educational settings. This work offers a contribute to the discussion on the way how the implementation of active learning methodologies associated with technologies applied to education produce implications in enhancing learning in higher education institutions. From the prior scenario the study presented here discusses how collaborative platforms in technological contexts (online discussion forums, social media networks and specific software) can actively involve students in the learning process. The sample consists of students of the under graduation in Marketing at a Portuguese university, along three consecutive years. Data was gathering using a questionnaire. The results show that as more empirical tasks are proposed to the students the more students participate and are present in the class. Furthermore, findings suggest that the use of similar elements to those which are perceived by students as part of their future professional activity, leads to more proactive postures of learning. Finally, the authors found that students seem to identify the need to regulate their own learning, reinforcing the issue of planning and regulation of the collaborative activities and the role of synchronous and asynchronous opportunities, supported by collaborative platforms.
This paper examines an experiment in which digital technologies were incorporated into the curriculum, by means of collaborative learning, and supported by a virtual learning environment - VLE - in a course called Digital Technologies and the Curriculum, that formed part of a Post-graduate Program. The course, which was classroom-based, was followed by a range of on-line activities, and supported by LabSpace (http://labspace.open.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=3310). The research involved a group of Master´s and Doctorate students, who were attending the course. There is a description of the context, together with an account of the educational approach adopted, the students’ role, and the technologies used. The evidence obtained suggested that the outcome of the experiment was successful insofar, as collaborative learning occurred and the new technology was both appropriated by the group and exerted an influence on the curriculum and course activities.
Social Media Learning and Collaborative in Higher Education: A Conceptual View
Kwararafa Journal of contemporary studies, 2019
Social media has permeated the 21st century generations of cyber space users, making it a very prominent means of communications dissemination in governance, commerce, religion, culture, academic and industrial sectors. However, there is a startling lack of proper utilization of it in learning collaborative to improve performance of students and researchers in higher education across the globe. Relying on the theory of Technology Acceptance Model, this study offers a conceptual evaluation of the value of social media to collaborative learning and engagement. It argues that social media facilitates collaborative, contributes to the relationship development among learners, and provides instantaneous opportunities for curricula dissemination and enhancement that is external to the actual teaching space. The findings show that collaborative learning and engagement using social media positively and significantly acquaint learners with peers and authorities and improve their academic performance at the higher education level.
Using the example of an undergraduate unit of study that is taught both on-campus and externally, but uses Internet-based learning in both cases, we explore how social media might be used effectively in higher education. We place into question the assumption that such technologies necessarily engage students in constructivist learning; we argue that the affordances of social media must be complemented by social affordances, designed into the learning experience, which thereby generate the necessary connection between students' motivations to study and their motivations to exploit social media. We demonstrate, via the example given, how assessment structures and strategies are the most effective focus when attempting to create the pedagogical affordances that might lead to collaborative learning.
Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2014
This study aims to assess the effectiveness of social media to enhance teaching and learning in a team-based learning environment involving large classes. The use of digital technology via Facebook, enhanced team-based learning outside the classroom, complementing face-to-face lessons. Students were also exposed to several student-centered learning mechanisms including poster presentations and expert forums in an effort to provide them with a more holistic learning experience. The theoretical framework of the study is based on the educational theories of constructivism and social learning. The students' learning experience and motivation was assessed through content analysis of their reflective portfolios and their Facebook postings. The results clearly showed the positive impact that team-based strategy had on the students' learning experience and motivation. Facebook was indeed perceived as an innovative and effective tool in a student-centered learning environment that enriched students' educational experiences, increasing the relevance of the subject matter and encouraging students to collaborate effectively with their peers and faculty. From the perspective of the educator, the use of Facebook in a team-based pedagogy setting significantly enhanced the teaching and learning process as it allowed the educator to tap into the digital learning styles of the students and provided innovative ways of involving and motivating students in the learning process.
Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy
In Norway, digital skills are defined as an essential proficiency in the national curricular plans, and learning worldwide is in many ways changed by contemporary Web 2.0 technologies. Even so, teacher training is lagging behind when it comes to developing digital learning cultures and providing digital role models for future teachers. At the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), we used a Massive Online Open Course (MOOC) approach to provide a digital professional development (DPD) program to faculties at the Department of Teacher Training. A main idea was to develop this program at the meso-level (horizontally) with some mutual structures and offerings, avoiding a top-down approach, which, based on experience, is likely to fail. The findings in this study present a four-step model, the collaborative learning approach (CLA), to account for the development and implementation of a blended learning MOOC (bMOOC) for professional digital competency development.
This paper presents the findings from the exploratory phase of a mixed-methods, multi-phase research project that is evaluating the use of Web 2.0 by faculty and students at two schools at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Western Switzerland. Preliminary results from two undergraduate student (n=17) focus groups and a series of semi-structured interviews (n=5) with experienced faculty are presented. In order to provide a pedagogically informed analysis, an adaptation of Dabbagh and Kitsankis’ (2012) three-level framework based on that of Zimmerman’s (1989) model of self-regulation is used The findings suggest that once the barriers to adoption are overcome educators will have an increasingly important role to play in the co-creation of knowledge. Educators will need to re-evaluate their methods of course delivery and institutes of higher education to rise to the challenge of today’s changing society
Web 2.0 and Collaborative Learning in Higher Education
Educational Social Software for Context-Aware Learning
The dissemination of university knowledge has been traditionally based on lectures to students organised in homogenous groups. The advantages of this method are that it can give a unified vision of content, guaranteeing equal access to knowledge for all students. The 21st century university must combine its learning and teaching methods and incorporate different strategies and educative resources, as well as seeking to advance individual learning and promote collaborative work. The relevance of Web 2.0 is clear in this university learning context as it enables collaborative work to be carried out using ICT. In this chapter, we will deal with the different possible uses of social software in university teaching. We will show that the proper use of Web 2.0 tools can favour collaborative learning and promote new ways of teaching and learning.