Using wikis & chats to promote knowledge building communities

Elizabeth S. Charles(representing research team including Chris Whittaker, Joel Trudeau & Nathaniel Lasry (John Abbott College)

Presentation prepared for the Office of Instructional Development’s Education Technology Fair, December 12, 2008

Disclaimer

All data presented was produced for the research All data presented was produced for the research project Technology Supported Collaborative project Technology Supported Collaborative Learning (TSCL) project, funded by PAREA 2007-Learning (TSCL) project, funded by PAREA 2007-2009. 2009.

These data are the sole property of the research These data are the sole property of the research team and confidential. team and confidential.

Please do not copy or site these data without Please do not copy or site these data without permission from the researchers: Elizabeth (Liz) permission from the researchers: Elizabeth (Liz) Charles, Chris Whittaker, Joel Trudeau (Dawson Charles, Chris Whittaker, Joel Trudeau (Dawson College) & Nathaniel Lasry (John Abbott College)College) & Nathaniel Lasry (John Abbott College)

Overview of the presentation

Brief description of theoretical Brief description of theoretical foundationfoundation

Description of the research Description of the research project project

What we learned from the pilot What we learned from the pilot studystudy

current paradigms in teaching view learning as social

Technology supported learning

Knowledge building Knowledge building communities (KBC) communities (KBC) produce produce opportunities for:opportunities for:

• personal sense-making of personal sense-making of concepts & practicesconcepts & practices

• restructuring of restructuring of knowledge and resolution knowledge and resolution of misunderstood of misunderstood concepts & practicesconcepts & practices

• negotiation and co-negotiation and co-construction of meaning construction of meaning (e.g., Chan, Burtis & (e.g., Chan, Burtis & Bereiter, 1997)Bereiter, 1997)

Research objectives

Develop online Knowledge Building Develop online Knowledge Building Communities (KBC) using First Class (FC) Communities (KBC) using First Class (FC) software suite software suite

Develop community-based KB learning Develop community-based KB learning activities (at the level of groups & class)activities (at the level of groups & class)

Investigate what kinds of learning is Investigate what kinds of learning is afforded by the KBC & who benefitsafforded by the KBC & who benefits

Researchable benefits of KBC

Promotion of a sense of agency (Charles & Promotion of a sense of agency (Charles & Shumar, 2007) Shumar, 2007)

Promotion of sense of community among Promotion of sense of community among learners (i.e., a sense of belonging and learners (i.e., a sense of belonging and contribution) contribution)

Promotion of willingness to take Promotion of willingness to take responsibility for learning (responsibility for learning (collective collective agencyagency) (Charles & Kolodner, submitted)) (Charles & Kolodner, submitted)

Building our KBC environment

Designing KBC activities

KBC activitiesKBC activities

• Asynchronous – wiki/blogAsynchronous – wiki/blog

• Asynchronous – lab questionAsynchronous – lab question

• Synchronous – online chatSynchronous – online chat

Opportunistic KBC activitiesOpportunistic KBC activities

• Folder for asking questionsFolder for asking questions

• Folder for continuing classroom discussionsFolder for continuing classroom discussions

KBC group wiki activity_ pilot.w08

KBC group wiki_ pilot.w08Group C: One sunny day in New York City, our friendly neighborhood Spiderman was taking his routine swing through the town. On his way to the Daily Bugle he spotted the ever so famous Britney Spears crossing a street in the middle of the NYC rush hour! Spidey's spider-senses went off and he instinctively swung down to save her...but he missed! It was quite an accident, he really wanted to save her, but maybe, subconsciously?...nah, it couldn't be. Thinking that it was not really a big deal he continued on his swing to the Daily Bugle leaving poor Britney in the middle of Times Square. Spidey arrived on top of the Bugle a short time later hoping to hand ol' J.J.J. (John Jonah Jameson - owner of the Daily Bugle) some new shots of the acclaimed "menace", Spiderman. Before our wall-crawler had the time to take off his mask, his spider senses went off again!

"Now where could that possibly be coming from now?" he said to himself. He quickly looked down just in time to see a bank robbery in action. But this was not a normal bank robbery, it was the Vulture up to his old ways again! How did he manage to get out of jail? That would be a question our hero would have to answer later because the Vulture had just spotted him and had taken off into the air.

KBC class wiki activity_ F08

Individual blog entry_ feedback?

KBC synchronous group chat_ F08

Question to group:Physicists estimate the total mass of luminous matter in a galaxy by measuring the galaxy's brightness. They observe that stars within many galaxies orbit around their galactic centers at speeds higher than expected. Using ideas from the lab on circular motion, give an explanation for these observations

KBC asynchronous class chat_F08

Opportunistic KBC activities

Opportunistic KBC_ students chat

Guidelines for designing KBCs

Limit individual online activitiesLimit individual online activities

Design mix of group & class activitiesDesign mix of group & class activities

Take advantage of in-class group activities to Take advantage of in-class group activities to build whole class online chats – synchronous build whole class online chats – synchronous or asynchronousor asynchronous

Give students authority to learn – both in-class Give students authority to learn – both in-class and on-lineand on-line

Acknowledgements

This research is made possible by This research is made possible by PAREA fundingPAREA funding

We wish to thank:We wish to thank:• The office of Professional Development and The office of Professional Development and

ResearchResearch• The Finance departmentThe Finance department• All the students who participated in this project All the students who participated in this project

F07, W08, F08F07, W08, F08

Thank you