Education Commons^™

Passive Participation In Collaborative Online Learning Activities: A Scoping Review Of Research In Formal School Learning Settings, Hajeen Choi, Jaesung Hur

Visual Communications and Technology Education Faculty Publications

This scoping review summarizes studies on passive participation in collaborative online learning activities that used computer-mediated communication tools in school settings. A total of 42 articles spanning about 20 years were explored. ERIC and three main journal indexes from Web of Science were used to locate articles. For each year searched, there were only one to five studies that investigated passive participation, indicating that not many researchers have examined this topic in general. Most studies used mixed methods and were conducted in higher education settings in asynchronous online discussions. Three terms have been used to discuss the notion of passive …

Exploring The Relationship Between Online Discourse And Commitment In Twitter Professional Learning Communities, Wanli Xing, Fei Gao

Visual Communications and Technology Education Faculty Publications

Educators show great interest in participating in social-media communities, such as Twitter, to support their professional development and learning. The majority of the research into Twitter-based professional learning communities has investigated why educators choose to use Twitter for professional development and learning and what they actually do in these communities. However, few studies have examined why certain community members remain committed and others gradually drop out. To fill this gap in the research, this study investigated how some key features of online discourse influenced the continued participation of the members of a Twitter-based professional learning community. More than 600,000 tweets …

The (Re) Adaptability Of Research Methodologies In The Instructional Design & Technology Field, Enilda Romero-Hall, E-Ling Hsiao, Fei Gao

Visual Communications and Technology Education Faculty Publications

In its revolutionary piece, On The Origin of Species, Darwin (1859) provided compelling evidence for the existence of the natural selection process. He described how species interact with their environments to cause variations in traits. Just like the species that Darwin explored in his research, the methodologies used in investigations related to the instructional design and technology (IDT) field have (re)adapted. This (re)adaptability serves to help us better inquire and explore the landscape of formal and informal educational learning environments available today.

Enriching Classroom Learning Through A Microblogging-Supported Activity, K. Li, Kent Darr, Fei Gao

Visual Communications and Technology Education Faculty Publications

Researchers have recognized the role that microblogging tools play in enhancing the effectiveness of communication and interaction in the classroom. However, few studies have specifically examined how to use microblogging tools to bring educational resources into the classroom to enrich the student learning experience. The exploratory case study examined an instructional activity designed to expand and deepen student learning experience by having undergraduate students subscribe to, read and share tweets from high-quality Twitter accounts in the field. The findings suggested that students believed that the activity broadened their knowledge on the topics to be learned, helped them see the connections …

Examining Efl Student Learning And Perceptions In Social Annotation-Based Translation Activities, Na Zhao, Fei Gao, Dazhi Yang

Visual Communications and Technology Education Faculty Publications

Limited research has been conducted on how to incorporate computer-supported collaborative learning into translation instruction despite the potential benefits. A study was conducted with a group of college English majors in China to examine the effects of using a social annotation tool to encourage student interaction during translation activities. The results showed that students made greater improvement when they completed the translation assignments with the support of a social annotation tool than when they completed the assignments in the traditional way. In addition, students had a positive attitude toward the use of the social annotation tool.

Learning Outside Of Classroom: Exploring The Active Part Of An Informal Online English Learning Community In China, Yanyan Sun, Teresa Franklin, Fei Gao

Visual Communications and Technology Education Faculty Publications

This study explored how the GRE Analytical Writing Section Discussion Forum, an informal online language learning community in China, functioned to support its members to improve their English writing proficiency. The Community of Inquiry (CoI) model was used as the theoretical framework to explore the existence of teaching presence, cognitive presence, and social presence in the GRE Analytical Writing Section Discussion Forum. The transcript analysis of postings in the GRE Analytical Writing Section Discussion Forum was used to find the existence of teaching, cognitive presence, and social presence, and an adapted CoI survey was sent to members to measure their …

Effect Of Peer Assessment On Project Performance Of Students At Different Learning Levels, Lan Li, Fei Gao

Visual Communications and Technology Education Faculty Publications

Peer assessment has been increasingly integrated in educational settings as a strategy to foster student learning. Yet little has been studied about how students at different learning levels may benefit from peer assessment. This study examined how peer assessment and students’ learning levels influenced students’ project performance by using a two-way factorial design. One hundred and thirty teacher education students participated in this quasi-experimental study. When working on a technology-integrated lesson plan project, the experimental group completed an online peer assessment process while the control group followed the traditional discussion method. Students’ learning levels were measured and divided into low-, …

Gamification Techniques For Academic Assessment, Jerry C. Schnepp, Christian Rogers

Visual Communications and Technology Education Faculty Publications

Students from the millennial generation have come to expect highly developed and engaging academic tools - including those used to assess their performance. Keeping up with these expectations can be a daunting task for educators. However, the creative use of gamification, customization and on-demand supplemental material can potentially lead to a more engaging assessment experience. This presentation will focus on the topic of gamification and the millennial generation. The audience will participate in an open dialogue about how gaming and other engaging approaches can play a role in the summative assessment process.

Students Perceptions Of An Alternative Testing Method: Hints As An Option For Exam Questions, Christian Rogers, Jerry Schnepp

Visual Communications and Technology Education Faculty Publications

In the Proceedings of the 2014 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition. Indianapolis, Indiana, June 15 – 18, 2014.

Automated Hints On Quizzes: An Approach To Combined Learning And Evaluation, Jerry Schnepp, Christian Rogers

Visual Communications and Technology Education Faculty Publications

This paper describes and evaluates an approach to student assessment using Point Barter, an online quiz system that allows students to sacrifice partial credit in exchange for hints about the correct answer.

In the Proceedings of the 2014 International Higher Education Teaching and Learning Association Conference. Anchorage, Alaska, May 31 to June 2, 2014.

Social Media For Informal Science Learning In China: A Case Study, Ke Zhang, Fei Gao

Visual Communications and Technology Education Faculty Publications

This article reports a case study on a popular informal science learning community via social media in China, named GuoKr (meaning “nutshell” in English). Data were collected through a variety of Chinese social media and social networking sites, web-based community portals, and discussion boards. Content analyses and data mining were conducted to investigate how GuoKr successfully attracted and engaged public in informal learning on scientific topics in particular. The study found three key characteristics that contributed to the success of such learning communities: (a) utilizing a variety of social media to empower participants with just-in-time, accidental learning opportunities; (b) daily …

Exploring The Use Of Discussion Strategies And Labels In Asynchronous Online Discussion, Fei Gao

Visual Communications and Technology Education Faculty Publications

Drawing on research in both constrained online discussion environments and strategy instruction, this approach combines explicit instruction on discussion strategies with the use of post type labels. In a trial of this approach in an online course, students actively used the discussion strategies and post type labels in their discussion. Analysis of student posts and survey responses suggested that students in the experimental group used discussion strategies more frequently after the intervention as compared to the control group and perceived that this approach positively impacted their discussions. In addition, there is a certain degree of improvement in the quality of …

Leveraging Apple Remote Desktop To Facilitate Classroom Critiques Of Digital Projects, Jerry C. Schnepp

Visual Communications and Technology Education Faculty Publications

Classroom critiquing of visual projects is an essential exercise to help students refine their work. Usually, instructors display student work on a large screen so that the class can offer comments and suggestions. However, problems arise because critiques are often mired by ambiguous or misunderstood language. Sometimes students are better shown than told. This presentation demonstrates how Apple Remote Desktop (ARD) can be used to project the display of any lab computer while the instructor and student share control. The student’s work can be interactively modified during a critique session, resulting in an engaging experience for the entire class.

Designing Asynchronous Online Discussion Environments: Recent Progress And Possible Future Directions, Fei Gao, Tianyi Zhang, Teresa Franklin

Visual Communications and Technology Education Faculty Publications

Asynchronous online discussion environments are important platforms to support learning. Research suggests, however, threaded forums, one of the most popular asynchronous discussion environments, do not often foster productive online discussions naturally. This paper explores how certain properties of threaded forums have affected or constrained the quality of discussions, and argues that developing alternative discussion environments is highly needed to offer better support for asynchronous online communication. Using the Productive Discussion Model developed by Gao, Wang & Sun (2009), we analyzed current work on four types of asynchronous discussion environments that have been developed and researched: constrained environments, visualized environments, anchored …

Case Study Of Using A Social Annotation Tool To Support Collaboratively Learning, Fei Gao

Visual Communications and Technology Education Faculty Publications

The purpose of the study was to understand student interaction and learning supported by a collaboratively social annotation tool — Diigo. The researcher examined through a case study how students participated and interacted when learning an online text with the social annotation tool — Diigo, and how they perceived their experience. The findings suggested that students participated actively in the collaborative learning activity and were engaged in a variety of behaviors including self-reflection, elaboration, internalization, and showing support. Although students generally had a moderately positive attitude toward using the social annotation tool for collaborative learning, a few problems were identified. …

Examining Student Participation In Three Learning Activities Supported By Social Annotation Tools, Tian Luo, Fei Gao, Kathryn S. Hoff

Visual Communications and Technology Education Faculty Publications

Social annotation (SA) allows learners to highlight and comment on Web pages and share annotations with each other online. Despite its potential in promoting collaborative learning, examining how to integrate it into educational settings has not been fully studied. The purpose of the study is to examine student participation in three different SA-based online activities: (1) peer review, (2) annotated discussion, and (3) collaborative reading. Students participated in all three SA-based activities and took a survey at the end reporting the effectiveness of these activities. The analysis of students’ annotations and their survey responses suggested that although participants perceived the …

Tweeting For Learning: A Critical Analysis Of Research On Microblogging In Education Published In 2008-2011, Fei Gao, Tian Luo, Ke Zhang

Visual Communications and Technology Education Faculty Publications

This study critically analyzed the current body of published research on microblogging in education (MIE) to build a deep and comprehensive understanding of this increasingly popular phenomenon. Twenty-one studies on MIE in 2008-2011 were selected based on the selection criteria and analyzed to answer the following questions: (a) What types of research have been published on MIE? (b) How was microblogging used for teaching and learning in these studies? (c) What educational benefits did microblogging have on teaching and learning? and (d) What suggestions and implications did the current research have for future MIE research and practices? The analysis suggested …

Comparing Role-Playing Activities In Second Life And Face-To-Face Environments, Fei Gao, Jeongmin J. Noh, Matthew J. Koehler

Visual Communications and Technology Education Faculty Publications

This study compared student performances in role-playing activities in both a face-to-face (FTF) environment and a virtual 3D environment, Second Life (SL). We found that students produced a similar amount of communication in the two environments, but the communication styles were different. In SL role-playing activities, students took more conversational turns, but have shorter exchanges compared to the FTF environment. Students generated an equal amount of topic-related concepts in the two environments. They also reported role-playing activities in SL as more interesting and less formal. The educational implications for this study are discussed.

New Model Of Productive Online Discussion And Its Implications For Research And Instruction, Fei Gao, Charles Xiaoxue Wang, Yanling Sun

Visual Communications and Technology Education Faculty Publications

We develop a new model of productive online discussion based on a brief review of research literature on online discussion. As compared to previous discussion models, the new model provides a more systematic and comprehensive framework to understand how learning occurs through online discussion. Based on the new model, we propose several directions for research on improving the quality of online discussion and learning.