Showing papers on "Cooperative learning published in 2004"

Does Active Learning Work? A Review of the Research

Abstract: This study examines the evidence for the effectiveness of active learning. It defines the common forms of active learning most relevant for engineering faculty and critically examines the core element of each method. It is found that there is broad but uneven support for the core elements of active, collaborative, cooperative and problem-based learning.

Problem-Based Learning: What and How Do Students Learn?.

Abstract: Problem-based approaches to learning have a long history of advocating experience-based education. Psychological research and theory suggests that by having students learn through the experience of solving problems, they can learn both content and thinking strategies. Problem-based learning (PBL) is an instructional method in which students learn through facilitated problem solving. In PBL, student learning centers on a complex problem that does not have a single correct answer. Students work in collaborative groups to identify what they need to learn in order to solve a problem. They engage in self-directed learning (SDL) and then apply their new knowledge to the problem and reflect on what they learned and the effectiveness of the strategies employed. The teacher acts to facilitate the learning process rather than to provide knowledge. The goals of PBL include helping students develop 1) flexible knowledge, 2) effective problem-solving skills, 3) SDL skills, 4) effective collaboration skills, and 5) intrinsic motivation. This article discusses the nature of learning in PBL and examines the empirical evidence supporting it. There is considerable research on the first 3 goals of PBL but little on the last 2. Moreover, minimal research has been conducted outside medical and gifted education. Understanding how these goals are achieved with less skilled learners is an important part of a research agenda for PBL. The evidence suggests that PBL is an instructional approach that offers the potential to help students develop flexible understanding and lifelong learning skills.

Informal learning in the workplace

Abstract: This paper focuses mainly on theoretical frameworks for understanding and investigating informal learning in the workplace, which have been developed through a series of large‐ and small‐scale projects. The main conclusions are included but readers are referred to other publications for more detailed accounts of individual projects. Two types of framework are discussed. The first group seeks to deconstruct the ‘key concepts’ of informal learning, learning from experience, tacit knowledge, transfer of learning and> intuitive practice to disclose the range of different phenomena that are embraced by these popular terms. The second group comprises frameworks for addressing the three central questions that pervaded the research programme: what is being learned, how is it being learned and what are the factors that influence the level and directions of the learning effort?

Learning as Transformation: Critical Perspectives on a Theory in Progress

Abstract: Learning as Transformation: Critical Perspectives on a Theory in Progress. Jack Mezirow & Associates. San Francisco, CA, Jossey-Bass Inc Publishers, 2000, hardback, 358 pp, $42. Some of the greatest challenges in preparing physical therapist students for autonomous practice are in the area of professionalism. How do we help students recognize and develop the necessary values and behaviors that uphold our commitment to serve diverse groups of patients with genuine compassion and respect? A text on teaching and learning in adult education provides some intriguing possibilities. Learning as Transformation is a collaborative text, coming out of the first National Conference on Transformative Learning in April 1998. This conference marked 20 years in developing the theory of transformative learning, initiated by Jack Mezirow in 1978, with the publication of his study of women returning to college. The primary theoretical foundation of Mezirow's work is perspective transformation. Through a process of critical self-reflection on their biographical, historical, and cultural beliefs about themselves and their role in society, the women developed new beliefs and perspectives about themselves and how they viewed the world. Fifteen scholars and practitioners join Mezirow in this text, presenting the core principles of transformative learning, analyzing the process of learning, describing different types of learners and learning strategies, and discussing findings from recent research. While Learning as Transformation is directed at a diverse group of educators, the concepts and practices are relevant for faculty in professional health care programs. The book is divided into three parts: Part One, "Developing the Concepts of Transformative Learning"; Part Two, "Fostering Transformative Learning in Practice"; and Part Three, "Moving from Practice to Theory-Analyzing the Research." The preface is an interesting presentation of the theoretical development of this approach to learning and early influences of other disciplines. Mezirow begins Part One presenting a conceptual and theoretical framework for transformative learning. The focus of transformative learning is the process of individuals learning to act on their own values and beliefs, rather than on those assimilated from others, thus gaining greater control over their lives as "socially responsible, clear thinking decision-makers." Transformative learning theorists use "frames of reference" to describe complex webs of assumptions, expectations, and values that act as filters through which we view the world and ourselves. Whereas instrumental learning is confined to adding only those ideas that are compatible to already existing frames of reference, transformative learning is described as a reformulation of these frames through a process of critical reflection. Transformations may be sudden and dramatic with reorienting insight, or they may be incremental, with a progressive series of transformations over time. These theorists suggest the result is not only a significant change in life perspective, but it is an actualization of that perspective. …

ADDING VALUE: Learning Communities and Student Engagement

Abstract: This study examines the relationships between participating in learning communities and student engagement in a range of educationally purposeful activities of first-year and senior students from 365 4-year institutions. The findings indicate that participating in a learning community is positively linked to engagement as well as student self-reported outcomes and overall satisfaction with college.

Team-Based Learning: A Transformative use of Small Groups in College Teaching

Abstract: Preface Part I: The Key Ideas of Team-Based Learning 1, Beyond Small Groups - Harnessing the Extraordinary Power of Learning Teams 2, Getting Started with Team-Based Learning 3, Creating Effective Assignments - A Key Component of Team-Based Learning 4, Group Process Research - Implications for Learning Groups Part II: The Voices of Experience 5, An Alternative to Lecturing in the Sciences 6, Using Case Studies in Science - and Still "Covering the Content" 7, Working with Nontraditional and Underprepared Students in Health Education 8, A Dramatic Turnaround in a Classroom of Deaf Students 9, Overcoming Initial Mistakes When Using Small Groups 10, Creating Group Assignments that Teach Multiple Concepts in Interdisciplinary Course Content 11, Team-Based Learning in Large Classes 12, Using Team-Based Learning in a Very Traditional Cultural, and Institutional Context 13, Team-Based Learning in International Situations 14, Team-Based Learning in a Course Combining In-Class and Online Interaction Part III: Major Lessons about Team-Based Learning 15, Team-Based Learning - A Strategy for Transforming the Quality of Teaching and Learning Appendices A, Frequently Asked Questions about Team-Based Learning B, Calculating Peer Evaluation Scores C, Setting Grade Weights - A Team-Building Exercise D, Miscellaneous Materials Related to Team-Based Learning E, Speeding up Team Development with Immediate Feedback Bibliography Index About the Editors and Contributors.

Leadership capacity in teams

Abstract: The present article examines the state of the field regarding leadership in teams. A perspective is advanced that considers leadership as an outcome of team processes (e.g., teamwork and team learning) that provides resources for better team adaptation and performance in subsequent performance cycles. This perspective complements but does not replace the perspective of leadership as an input to team processes and performance. Specific facets of the teaming cycle are reviewed, including the nature of teamwork and interventions designed to facilitate its development, the role of team learning as different from individual learning, and relatively recent advances in understanding shared and distributed leadership (DL). These components of team leadership are cast within an emerging IMOI (inputs, mediators, outcomes, inputs) framework proposed for understanding the cyclical and ongoing nature of teams in organizations.

Affect and Learning: An Exploratory Look into the Role of Affect in Learning with AutoTutor

Abstract: The role that affective states play in learning was investigated from the perspective of a constructivist learning framework. We observed six different affect states (frustration, boredom, flow, confusion, eureka and neutral) that potentially occur during the process of learning introductory computer literacy with AutoTutor, an intelligent tutoring system with tutorial dialogue in natural language. Observational analyses revealed significant relationships between learning and the affective states of boredom, flow and confusion. The positive correlation between confusion and learning is consistent with a model that assumes that cognitive disequilibrium is one precursor to deep learning. The findings that learning correlates negatively with boredom and positively with flow are consistent with predictions from Csikszentmihalyi’s analysis of flow experiences.

Patterns in Student Learning: Relationships Between Learning Strategies, Conceptions of Learning, and Learning Orientations

Abstract: This paper reviews the research conducted in the last decade on patterns in student learning, mostly in higher education. More specifically, the review focuses on a series of studies that have in common (a) the use of the Inventory of Learning Styles (ILS), an instrument aimed at measuring several components of student learning, namely, cognitive processing strategies, metacognitive regulation strategies, conceptions of learning, and learning orientations; and/or (b) an integrative learning theory focussing on the interplay between self-regulation and external regulation of learning processes as a theoretical framework. Aspects a and b are closely connected, because the development of the instrument was based on the theory. The review covers the following themes: The theoretical framework and conceptualization of student learning; a description of the instrument; the internal structure of learning strategies, conceptions, and orientations in different educational contexts; developments in learning patterns during the school career; consistency and variability in students' use of learning strategies; dissonance in students' regulation of learning processes; relations between learning patterns and personal and contextual factors; relations between learning patterns and learning outcomes; and process-oriented instruction.

Computer supported collaborative learning using wirelessly interconnected handheld computers

Abstract: Collaborative learning is widely used in elementary classrooms. However, when working without technological support, some problems can be detected. We describe how weaknesses in coordination, communication, organization of materials, negotiation, interactivity and lack of mobility can be solved with a mobile computer supported collaborative learning environment with Handhelds interconnected by a wireless network. The collaborative activities, analyzed with and without technological support, are math and language activities for 6- and 7-year old children. The results of our work identify an effective way of using handheld computers to support collaborative learning activities that address the above mentioned weaknesses.

Creative Teaching: Collaborative Discussion as Disciplined Improvisation

Abstract: Teaching has often been thought of as a creative performance. Although comparisons with performance were originally intended to emphasize teacher creativity, they have become associated instead with contemporary reform efforts toward scripted instruction that deny the creativity of teachers. Scripted instruction is opposed to constructivist, inquiry-based, and dialogic teaching methods that emphasize classroom collaboration. To provide insight into these methods, the “teaching as performance” metaphor must be modified: Teaching is improvisational performance. Conceiving of teaching as improvisation highlights the collaborative and emergent nature of effective classroom practice, helps us to understand how curriculum materials relate to classroom practice, and shows why teaching is a creative art.

Foundations of Problem Based Learning

Abstract: Acknowledgements Prologue Part 1 Conceptual frames 1. Delineating core concepts of problem-based learning 2. A brief history of problem-based learning 3. Problem-based learning and theories of learning 4. Curricula models 5. Cultural contexts of academe Part 2 Recurring themes 6. What is a problem? 7. Learning teams 8. The role of students 9. The role of tutor 10. Staff support and development 11. Assessing problem-based learning Part 3 Broadening horizons 12. Embracing culture and diversity 13. Programme evaluation 14. Sustaining problem-based learning curricula Epilogue: Future imperative? Glossary Bibliography Index

Designing electronic collaborative learning environments

Abstract: Electronic collaborative learning environments for learning and working are in vogue. Designers design them according to their own constructivist interpretations of what collaborative learning is and what it should achieve. Educators employ them with different educational approaches and in diverse situations to achieve different ends. Students use them, sometimes very enthusiastically, but often in a perfunctory way. Finally, researchers study them and—as is usually the case when apples and oranges are compared—find no conclusive evidence as to whether or not they work, where they do or do not work, when they do or do not work and, most importantly, why, they do or do not work. This contribution presents an affordance framework for such collaborative learning environments; an interaction design procedure for designing, developing, and implementing them; and an educational affordance approach to the use of tasks in those environments. It also presents the results of three projects dealing with these three issues.

Designing for interaction: six steps to designing computer-supported group-based learning

Abstract: At present, the design of computer-supported group-based learning (CSGBL) is often based on subjective decisions regarding tasks, pedagogy and technology, or concepts such as 'cooperative learning' and 'collaborative learning'. Critical review reveals these concepts as insufficiently substantial to serve as a basis for CSGBL design. Furthermore, the relationship between outcome and group interaction is rarely specified a priori. Thus, there is a need for a more systematic approach to designing CSGBL that focuses on the elicitation of expected interaction processes. A framework for such a process-oriented methodology is proposed. Critical elements that affect interaction are identified: learning objectives, task-type, level of pre-structuring, group size and computer support. The proposed process-oriented method aims to stimulate designers to adopt a more systematic approach to CSGBL design according to the interaction expected, while paying attention to critical elements that affect interaction. This approach may bridge the gap between observed quality of interaction and learning outcomes and foster CSGBL design that focuses on the heart of the matter: interaction.

Intrinsically Motivated Learning of Hierarchical Collections of Skills

Abstract: Humans and other animals often engage in activities for their own sakes rather than as steps toward solving practical problems. Psychologists call these intrinsically motivated behaviors. What we learn during intrinsically motivated behavior is essential for our development as competent autonomous entities able to efficiently solve a wide range of practical problems as they arise. In this paper we present initial results from a computational study of intrinsically motivated learning aimed at allowing artificial agents to construct and extend hierarchies of reusable skills that are needed for competent autonomy. At the core of the model are recent theoretical and algorithmic advances in computational reinforcement learning, specifically, new concepts related to skills and new learning algorithms for learning with skill hierarchies.

New Forms of Learning in Co-Configuration Work.

Abstract: Focuses on the theories and study of organizational and workplace learning Outlines the landscape of learning in co‐configuration settings, a new type of work that includes interdependency between multiple producers forming a strategic alliance, supplier network, or other such pattern of partnership which collaboratively puts together and maintains a complex package, integrating material products and services Notes that learning in co‐configuration settings is typically distributed over long, discontinuous periods of time It is accomplished in and between multiple loosely interconnected activity systems and organizations operating in divided local and global terrains and representing different traditions, domains of expertise, and social languages Learning is crucially dependent on the contribution of the clients or users Asserts that co‐configuration presents a twofold learning challenge to work organizations and outlines interventionist and longitudinal approaches taken

An Experiential Approach to Cross-Cultural Learning: A Review and Integration of Competencies for Successful Expatriate Adaptation

Abstract: This article outlines a taxonomy of skills necessary for cross-cultural learning based on Kolb's experiential learning theory. Review of the empirical literature on expatriate adaptation identifies...

A constructivist approach to online college learning

Abstract: The key elements of online course design and pedagogy suggested by research as promoting effective learning are discussed through the lens of constructivist epistemology. Presentation of content, instructor–student and student–student interactions, individual and group activities, and student assessment are each addressed, in turn. The focus is on learning and recognition that, from time-to-time, all students are teachers as they bring diverse expertise, experiences, and worldviews to the task of learning. Reflection on past experiences, interaction with other members of the learning community, immediate instructor behavior, authentic group activities, and diverse assessment tasks with timely and detailed feedback are underscored.

The Grammar of History: Enhancing Content-Based Instruction Through a Functional Focus on Language

Abstract: In K-12 contexts, the teaching of English language learners (ELLs) has been greatly influenced by the theory and practice of content-based instruction (CBI). A focus on content can help students achieve grade-level standards in school subjects while they develop English proficiency, but CBI practices have focused primarily on vocabulary and the use of graphic organizers along with cooperative learning activities. This article reports the results of a project intended to enhance CBI through activities that focus on the role of language in constructing knowledge. The strategies we present are based on identification and analysis of the challenges presented by grade-level textbooks in middle school history classrooms. By engaging in functional linguistic analysis, ELLs and their teachers can deconstruct the language of their textbooks, enabling students to develop academic language by focusing on the meaning-making potential of the historian's language choices.

Sport Education, Tactical Games, and Cooperative Learning: Theoretical and Pedagogical Considerations

Abstract: The purpose of this article is to present Sport Education, Tactical Games, and Cooperative Learning as valuable instructional models in physical education. Situated learning is used as a theoretical framework and connection between Sport Education, Tactical Games, and Cooperative Learning. The structures of Sport Education, Tactical Games, and Cooperative Learning allow for participation to occur in a student-centered learning curriculum as opposed to a teacher-centered teaching curriculum. The teacher facilitates learning activities that have the potential to provide students with a holistic education that promotes social, physical, and cognitive learning outcomes. The emphasis is on active learning that involves the processes of decision making, social interaction, and cognitive understanding for students.

A constructivist mobile learning environment supported by a wireless handheld network

Abstract: There is a need to incorporate constructivist environments in the pedagogical practice. A constructivist learning environment allows students to build up their own knowledge (based on previous one) while working jointly among them in a reflexive process directed by the teacher. Wireless interconnected handhelds can introduce a space that favours constructivism and collaboration in order to achieve creation of new knowledge. We have developed a constructivist learning environment supported by handhelds, for the teaching of reading for first graders. This environment was compared to an equivalent constructivist environment without technological support, obtaining significant different learning results.

Retaining the Online Learner: Profile of Students in an Online MBA Program and Implications for Teaching Them

Abstract: Research regarding student cohorts entering the Georgia WebMBA$$ program (an online MBA program in the University System of Georgia) shows consistent demographic characteristics as well as students' reasons for joining the program, experience with online learning, and perceptions of teamwork. The program has a high retention rate, and in this article the authors focus on retaining online learners. They discuss the profile of program students and the teaching approaches that have been successful in addressing potential attrition issues with these learners. To retain virtual learners, the program provides a cohort- and team-based learning experience with extensive faculty feedback and interaction to address isolation concerns, provide application-based content and activities, and help students meet expectations for personal and professional growth. The authors also stress the need to offer a well-managed program and faculty members who are both interested and competent in teaching in the online learning env...

Beyond active learning: a constructivist approach to learning

Abstract: Guided by four principles – learners construct their own meaning; new learning builds on prior knowledge; learning is enhanced by social interaction; and learning develops through “authentic” tasks – constructivist learning moves from experience to knowledge and not the other way around. In a constructivist classroom, the activities lead to the concepts; the students construct the meanings. Learning happens! Abstract concepts become meaningful, transferable, and retained because they are attached to the performance of a concrete activity. This article discusses the elements of constructive learning and describes ways to apply those elements to library instruction to create truly “active” learning. An appendix contains sample exercises.

Learning Mathematics in a Classroom Community of Inquiry

Abstract: This article considers the question of what specific actions a teacher might take to create a culture of inquiry in a secondary school mathematics classroom. Sociocultural theories of learning provide the framework for examining teaching and learning practices in a single classroom over a two-year period. The notion of the zone of proximal development (ZPD) is invoked as a fundamental framework for explaining learning as increasing participation in a community of practice characterized by mathematical inquiry. The analysis draws on classroom observation and interviews with students and the teacher to show how the teacher established norms and practices that emphasized mathematical sense-making and justification of ideas and arguments and to illustrate the learning practices that students developed in response to these expectations.

The learning organization : towards an integrated model

Abstract: This article presents an integrated model of the learning organization. It is based on empirical research of the learning organization literature, as well as on practitioners’ understandings of the concept where learning organizations were often described in terms of four distinct individual aspects – no more and no less. This article argues these aspects cannot be treated as separate, and that the four aspects have to be combined in order to create a true learning organization. The four aspects are: learning at work; organizational learning; developing a learning climate; and creating learning structures. The article suggests that only those organizations that have implemented all of the aspects should be called “learning organizations”, and those organizations that have implemented only one aspect should be called “partial learning organizations”.

Teacher retention: why do beginning teachers remain in the profession?

Abstract: As beginning teachers continue to leave the profession within the first several years of entering, educators must identify factors which cause teachers to remain in the profession, as well as factors related to attrition if the current teacher shortage is to be remedied. The purpose of this study was to examine the reported attitudes of beginning teachers in order to identify perceived positive aspects of teaching as factors which may lead to teacher retention. The sample, which comprised part of an ongoing study seeking to survey teachers within various areas within the United States, was composed of teachers from randomly selected schools in Georgia. The Professional Attitude Survey, a 10 item survey instrument designed to gather information regarding 21 characteristics related to teacher career stability, was sent to the teachers of randomly selected schools. Teachers were requested to respond to questions related to demographics, teacher background, reasons for remaining in the profession, and job satisfaction. Retention factors identified by the participants are discussed and recommendations for retention are provided for teacher education programs, administrators, and the community. ********** Continuing concern in the education field, as well as in the United States and society at large, is centered on the high rate at which beginning teachers leave the profession. Over the years studies have revealed that most teachers who leave have fewer than 10 years of teaching experience Many reports indicate 25%-50% of beginning teachers resign during their first three years of teaching (Voke, 2002; Fleener, 2001; NEA, 2001; NCES, 1999; Haselkorn, 1994). Other reports state that nearly ten percent leave in their first year (Recruiting New Teachers, Inc., 2000). While accurate measures of teacher attrition are important if school systems, administrators, and potential teachers are to effectively plan for the coming years, the need to identify factors which cause teachers to remain in the profession is perhaps of greater importance (see end notes). The purpose of this study was to perform a conceptual analysis of reported current attitudes of beginning teachers in order to identify perceived positive aspects of teaching as factors which may lead to teacher retention. Attrition and Retention Previously, educational researchers have primarily examined factors such as demographics, teacher background, professional environment, and lack of support systems which were identified as predictors of teacher attrition. The reasons teachers provided for leaving were less often due to insufficient salaries than to a lack of professionalism, collegiality, and administrative support (Bolton, 2002; Recruitment and Retention Project, 2001; Mills, 2001; Metropolitan Life Survey of Former Teachers, 1986). Additionally, while retirement and reduction of school staff were reported reasons for some attrition, the more frequently cited reasons were family, personal circumstances, and job dissatisfaction (Voke, 2002). More recently, disruptive students, uninvolved parents and invasive bureaucracy were identified as contributing to the demoralization of teachers (McDonough, 2003), and to influencing the inclination of teachers to leave the classroom. Today's teachers face an increasing variety of classroom conditions, including English Speakers of Other Languages and language immersion classrooms, inclusion and state mandated programs, as well as a need for increased knowledge and skills in such diverse areas as portfolio assessment, technology, cooperative learning, and a wide variety of specific instructional strategies (Potter, Swenk, et.al., 2001). The new educational conditions, goals, and reforms are compounding, for the beginning teacher, what is already a complex professional challenge. Teachers just entering the classroom experience "classroom or reality shock" and often mistake the uneasiness they feel as an indication that they have made a mistake in their choice of profession. …

Changing the learning environment to promote deep learning approaches in first year accounting students

Abstract: Developing deep approaches to learning is claimed to enhance students' engagement with their subject material and result in improved analytical and conceptual thinking skills. Numerous calls have been made for accounting educators to adopt strategies that produce such results. This paper reports on changes to the learning environment centring on the introduction of group learning activities that were designed to improve the quality of students' learning outcomes. The impact of changes in the learning environment on students' approaches to learning, as measured by the Study Process Questionnaire (SPQ) (Biggs, 1987b), was then assessed. Results indicate that, across the semester, accounting students exhibited a small but statistically significant increase in their deep learning approach, and a small but statistically significant reduction in their surface learning approach. The results suggest that accounting educators, through changes in the learning environment, may be able to influence the learning approaches adopted by accounting students.