Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 2 of 2
Full-Text Articles in Education
Online But Off-Topic: Establishing Common Ground In Small Learning Groups, Trena M. Paulus
Online But Off-Topic: Establishing Common Ground In Small Learning Groups, Trena M. Paulus
Educational Psychology & Counseling Publications and Other Works
There is not yet a great deal of research in formal online learning environments focusing on the seemingly “off-topic” conversations that small groups engage in as they complete learning tasks together. This study uses the theory of common ground as a framework to explore what participants are talking about when not discussing the concepts to be learned and how participants negotiate common ground in distance learning environments, including their use of computer-mediated communication (CMC) tools. The email, discussion forum, and chat transcripts of ten small groups comprised of experienced distance learners were investigated using computer-mediated discourse analysis, particularly attending to …
“Am I Making Sense Here?”: What Blogging Reveals About Undergraduate Student Understanding., Trena M. Paulus, Rebecca Payne, Lisa Jahns
“Am I Making Sense Here?”: What Blogging Reveals About Undergraduate Student Understanding., Trena M. Paulus, Rebecca Payne, Lisa Jahns
Educational Psychology & Counseling Publications and Other Works
Educational researchers are interested in whether what is learned in the classroom is transferred to new situations. This qualitative case study explores how computer-mediated communication, specifically web logs (blogs), can extend learning and facilitate transfer of learned concepts. Participants blogged for seven weeks about concepts related to nutrition. Data included blog posts and comments and interviews. These data were analyzed inductively for emergent themes addressing our research questions. Four themes were identified: (a) concepts contextualized to participants' daily lives; (b) barriers to applying learned concepts; (c) sources of "expert" knowledge; and (d) unanswered questions revealing gaps in understanding. Implications for …