The Collaboration Principle in Multimedia Learning
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The Collaboration Principle in Multimedia Learning By: Daivd Jonassen, Chwee Beng Lee, Chia-Chi Yang, James Laffey
Overview
The emphasis of this chapter is on collaborative learning activities in online multimedia environment. There is a shift in education from instructional communication to transmit knowledge through practice-based collaborative learning systems. These systems are aimed at being more authentic, engaging, focus on problem-solving and are collaborative.
Computer Support for Collaborative Learning (CSCL)
• Collaborating: Participation in a joint activity
-- It may not be a perfect situation
• Online Collaboration:
-- Many forms
-- Students knowingly seek common goal
For Educators
• Educators have many choices
-- Simple tools: email, discussion form, chat
-- Integrated System: Blackboard, WebCT, etc.
• Key Questions
-- How is it different from face-to-face learning?
-- How does it enhance traditional classroom?
• Pros and Cons of both
-- Pro
--- Communication increase
--- More time to work on answers or analyze information
-- Con
--- Difficulty with communication/technology
--- Not face-to-face. Meaning and understanding of dialogue can be incorrect.
--- Sometimes dialogues occur between 2 people (or student and teacher) and not the entire group
--- Work feels forced and unnatural
--- Difficulty making connections with prior posts
--- Ultimately - can be successful is used creatively, matches pedagogy, and up to date
-- Technology is constantly evolving (phones, wiki, weblogs, etc.)
Group Composition
- Create appropriate educational experience for each student
- Factors that can impact education
-- Group size - optimal size diff -
--- Depends on task and technology being used – some software have limitations on how many can use it at the same time..
-- Gender - men/women work differently
--- One study showed that women worked more collaboratively while men tended to worked more independently
-- Learner characteristics - language, culture, experience, etc.
Nature of Task
- Learning impacted by nature of task that engages learners
- Study focus on higher-order kinds of tasks
-- Case Studies
-- Debates
-- Problem Solving
- Meaningful task = meaningful collaboration
-- Acceptance of the learning tasks creates thinking process
-- Collaborative groups created longer reports and better solutions
Role of Tutor (online moderator)
- Educational communication/collaboration needs to be supported by a tutor (teacher/professor)
-- Needs the technical, writing skills
-- Content expertise
-- Know role in collaboration
-- Sensitive to needs of students
-- Able to stimulate student participation
Community Building
- Support of Social Interaction
- Influence Learning and Community
- Education is a social endeavor - online environment does not change importance of social context
-- Participation is fosters: creating groups, providing roles
Assessments
- Constructive assessments of meaningful learning which is missing in formal education
-- No time to develop
-- Assume that if they teach it one way students will become skilled also
-- Assessment methods do not agree with teacher goals
- Possible assessments (Essay, Concept mapping, Exams)
-- Essay - no difference between online and face to face
-- No single form is adequate
-- More forms are required
Scaffolding Collaboration and Knowledge Construction
- Meaningful tasks presume students are competent communicators and collaborators
-- Online collaboration - needs different communication
- Task - find format that best supports the activity and impose constraints
If anything, know this:
- Collaborative work can enhance education
- Know technology
- Know your audience and goal of lesson
- Know your role as facilitator
- Authentic/meaningful activities and assessments
- There is no perfect way - be flexible and experiment
