1,720,972 research outputs found
Developing Primary Students' Group Metacognitive Processes in a Computer Supported Collaborative Learning Environment
No full textThis study investigated the development of group metacognition by three smallgroups of middle-grade primary school students engaged in the collaborativeconstruction of computer-based mathematical models. The three groups of students were part of a cohort of 30 Grade 4-5 students engaged in the construction of mathematical models within the context of a computer-supported collaborativelearning (CSCL) environment. These three groups were chosen for the group metacognition study because they were seriously malfunctioning, little co-operation was evident between them and most of their time was spent on non-productive conflict. During the six week period of the study, the three groups were provided with sets of metacognitive scaffolds and strategies to facilitate group metacognition. The design of the metacognitive scaffolds and strategies was informed by aconceptual framework that was derived from the literature in the fields ofmetacognition, cooperative learning, cooperative group metacognition, andcomputer-supported collaborative learning. The study found that providing thestudents with metacognitive scaffolds and strategies resulted in positive changes in the students’ cooperative work and increased levels of knowledge-building activity. The students formed a ‘collective cognitive responsibility’ for their group work and developed an understanding of how to contribute effectively to the knowledge-building progress of the grou
VRMath: A 3D Microworld for Learning 3D Geometry
No full textThis paper reports on the design of a prototype VRLE (Virtual Reality Learning Environment) named VRMath. VRMath is an online application that utilises VR (Virtual Reality)technology combined with the power of a Logo-like programming language and hypermedia and the Internet to facilitate the learning of 3-Dimensional (3D) geometry concepts and processes. VRMath is being designed within the framework of a design-experiment (The Design-Based Research Collective, 2003) during which VRMath will evolve through a series of iteration cycles of design à enactment à reflection à redesign into an educational tool that will provide mathematics educators with new and more powerful ways of facilitating the construction of 3D geometry knowledge. During these iteration cycles, in addition to many new ways about thinking and doing mathematics being identified, implications to inform the future design of this and other VRLEs also will emerge
The recruitment of STEM - Talented students into teacher education programs
No full textThis paper begins by identifying three main reasons why many of the more STEM-Talented students at our universities do not consider enrolling in STEM teacher education programs. Then based on a review of the literature, a framework for addressing this dilemma is presented and discussed. This framework consists of a set of three principles together with eleven strategies for the operationalization of these principles. During the presentation of the framework, the roles of governments and of universities at the institutional, faculty/division and departmental levels in the operationalization of the frameworks are examined
The Team Balancing Act - Enhancing Knowledge-building \ud Activity in On-Line Learning Communities
No full textOnline learning in the university sector is a given. Constructivist views of learning (often team based) and the notion of knowledge-building, mediated through the use of ICTs seemingly address many of the imperatives to equip individuals for emergent knowledge-age work practice. While teamwork has many perceived advantages, teams also inexplicably fail despite the apparent quality of the participants. Teams are successful when members address what is a relatively narrow range of actions. However, even within this limited range of actions individuals demonstrate definite preferences towards certain activities and roles. This paper reports on the findings from a study that investigated if knowledge-building activity can be enhanced in tertiary education CSCL environments through the use of groups balanced by Team Role Preference (Margerison & McCann, 1995, 1998). The study found that higher quality knowledge-building activity was more likely to occur in balanced groups than in random groups. The analysis of data revealed that a diversity of ideas was more likely to emerge from within balanced groups than from within random groups particularly when the random groups were heavily skewed towards one team role preference. This provided a compelling reason for explaining why balanced groups may lead to better knowledge-building activity
Reforming the preparation of future STEM teachers
No full textThis paper begins by identifying the key attributes for future STEM teachers. Then based on a review of the literature, a framework for informing reforms to pre-service teacher education programs to facilitate the development of these attributes in future STEM teachers is presented and discussed. This framework consists of a set of three principles together with eight strategies for the operationalization of these principles. During the discussion, the implications for the structure and implementation of future pre-service STEM teacher education programs are explored
Student Teachers' Subject Matter Knowledge within the Domain of Area Measurement
No full textThis paper describes a research project whose major aim was to evaluate first-year teacher education students' understanding of subject matter knowledge in the domain of area measurement. In contrast to many previous approaches to evaluating teacher education students' subject matter knowledge, the approach adopted in this study not only focused on the student teachers' substantive knowledge but also on their knowledge about the nature and discourse of mathematics, their knowledge about mathematics in society and their dispositions towards mathematics. To this end, each student was clinically interviewed whilst engaged on a set of eight tasks that were developed for the study. The development of the tasks was a major component of the study and this is described in detail. The results of the tasks are given and the paper concludes with a discussion of the findings. This discussion focuses primarily on the implications that these results have for preservice mathematics education courses
Nobody says no : student self-censorship in a collaborative knowledge building activity
Full text linkThis paper explores student self-censorship within an online learning environment. Self-censorship in group activity can be seen as a two-edged sword. While it can be advantageous that a student censor personal frustration and angst when working with others, if the self-censorship impacts on the cognitive contribution a student makes then this may significantly impact upon the overall quality of the group’s collective knowledge artefact. This paper reports on a study where it was found that students had self censored both their feelings and ideas as they collaboratively worked together
Facilitating growth in prospective teachers’ knowledge : teaching geometry in primary schools
No full textThis paper reports on a study that focused on growth of understanding about teaching geometry by a group of prospective teachers engaged in lesson plan study within a computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environment. Participation in the activity was found to facilitate considerable growth in the participants’ pedagogical-content knowledge (PCK). Factors that influenced growth in PCK included the nature of the lesson planning task, the cognitive scaffolds inserted into the CSCL virtual space, the meta-language scaffolds provided to the participants, and the provision of both private and public discourse spaces. The paper concludes with recommendations for enhancing effective knowledge-building discourse about mathematics PCK within prospective teacher education CSCL environments
Developing maths-confidence in sixteen maths-anxious preservice student teachers
No full textLarge numbers of primary preservice student teachers' in Australia lack confidence in their own mathematical abilities and skills when entering teacher education courses. This study investigated the development of maths-confidence in sixteen self-identified maths-anxious preservice student teachers. These students were engaged in the development of their mathematical repertoires within the context of a supportive computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environment. The design of the Intervention Program used in the study was informed by a theoretical framework derived from the literature in the fields of learning environments, novel open-ended mathematical activities, computer supported collaborative learning, community of learners and negative beliefs about learning. The findings from this study indicate that the continuous support from their group members via the computer-mediated Knowledge Forum community, and the support they received from the researcher and facilitator within the non-intimidating workshop environments was crucial in the development of maths-confidence in these preservice student teachers
Group metacognition in a computer-supported collaborative learning environment
No full textThis study investigated within-group metacognition during group problem solving conducted within the context of a Knowledge Forum© CSCL learning environment. Three malfunctioning groups of students from a middle-grade primary school in an inner-city school in eastern Australia participated in this study. Prior to the study, the majority of the groups' time at the computer was spent on non-productive conflict. During the study, the three groups were provided with group strategies and metacognitive scaffolds to facilitate group metacognition. The scaffolds and strategies used were derived from the literature on metacognition, co-operative learning, problem solving, and computer-supported collaborative learning. The study found that providing students with metacognitive scaffolds and group strategies resulted in positive changes in the students' group work at the computer. The students developed an understanding of how to contribute effectively to their group which enhanced the groups' problem solving and knowledge-building
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