2) Individual Assignment- Wan Syakira Bt Meor Hissan- 0328422 (Supporting the Collaborative Learning of Practical Skills with Computer-Mediated Communication Technology)
The Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) offers various opportunities for learning. It provides enormous information and asynchronous modes including e-mail and bulletin board as a means of enhancing students’ collaborative efforts on a web authoring exercise. In support of its educational purpose, CMC also assists teaching and learning in a way that it focuses on active learning, responsibility and peer teamwork. Edwards and Clear (2001) states that CMC adopts a more flexible approach to teaching and learning in which students would work together on an assignment.. Thus, CMC provides a supportive and flexible learning environment with rich and positive feedback as a possible means of improving the quality of students’ work.
Although CMC helps providing flexible learning, CMC and its contribution to collaboration were restricted in an activity that was skill-oriented, requiring practical experience (Edwards & Clear, 2001). Thus, the research aims to find out more closely whether collaboration aided the learning of web authoring skills and also to determine whether CMC militated against the difficulty students were having in their collaborative efforts. By use of ethnographic techniques (questionnaires and interviews), evidence and reasons for this are discussed and identified. Also, text based asynchronous technology (e-mail and bulletin board) was chosen for students’ collaborative learning because of its potential to enable large groups of people to interact, to have permanent discussion and to require low Internet bandwidth.
As the impact of CMC on collaborative learning is complex, the methodology that is used to design the flexible learning environment is by action research. Action research is a qualitative approach that has been used to study educational practice and it is in a form of self-reflective enquiry where ideas and solutions evolve over time (Edward & Clear, 2001). With regard to action research, the problems were speculated within the existing learning environment and action was determined to generate improvements. Finally, data was collected to evaluate the effects of actions while initial understanding of the problem was revised as a result. Two iterations of the study were conducted whereby the first iteration is based on collaborative learning only while the Internet and Web were explored as a means of mediating collaborative learning in the second iteration.
In the findings, the first iteration group felt that collaboration had helped improved the quality of their work (Edwards & Clear, 2001). In the exit questionnaires, 73% respondents claimed that they will approach their fellow group member when encountering problems because collaborative learning helped them sharing ideas and solving problems. Besides, the groups who attested to successful collaboration reported that they had met or communicated regularly (Edwards & Clear, 2001). However, the groups that had failed to work together on the other hand, claimed that problems arise due to communication breakdown. Students might have missed meetings and some part-time students might not be able to attend lectures and consequently ended up studying alone at home.
In the second iteration, a computer-supported collaborative learning scheme using Internet and Web technologies was introduced to assist group coursework and classroom teaching. Thus, students were expected to use email, and a Web-based bulletin board that allow fellow students and lecturers to post advice and solutions as answers to the questions. In the findings, students intended to use CMC as a means of helping them collaborate outside scheduled sessions (Edward & Clear, 2001). Besides, the focus groups were quite favourable towards e-mail and bulletin board because CMC helped them develop communication and feedback especially if students were to miss a scheduled session.
Nevertheless, in the findings, Edward and Clear (2001) stated that 62% respondents who had indeed used e-mail especially for organizing their collaboration indicated a less favourable view of its utility. Despite the fact that e-mail was quite easy to use, two major obstacles such as the possible delay in getting a response and also the fact that some people do not read their e-mail regularly give less interest to students in using CMC. Besides, some students were generally less keen on the use of CMC due to lack of internet access and lack of experience. Thus, e-mail and bulletin board were not seen as having great utility as meetings among the students can be set up in advance when groups were face-to-face. Other than that, students felt that knowledge they need was most easily learnt by observing others and through spontaneous discussion.
In conclusion, it is obvious that collaborative learning was a successful means of assuring the quality of assignment work and developing the learning of web authoring skills. As can be seen in the first finding, majority of students found that collaborative environment provides a better-off educative experience than doing so on individual basis. In contrast to the second finding, the value of the contribution of CMC to the success of collaborative learning remained unproven (Edwards & Clear, 2001) as many students had no access to a computer at home and many prefer face-to-face communication as e-mail and bulletin delay the response. Thus, CMC did not militate against the problems students had in collaborating because its contribution was limited in an activity that was skill-oriented.
Reflection
After reading the journal, I discovered that collaborative learning is an effective approach to enhance the quality of students’ work as well as to expand the learning of web authoring skills. By working as a team, students are able to maintain group dialogue, organize ideas together and also promote problem solving. Besides, collaborative learning can free up lecturer’s time because students tend to turn first to their group mates for assistance before approaching a lecturer.
Furthermore, I noticed that although Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) offers various opportunities in learning, its contribution to collaborative learning is ineffective as not many students have access to a computer at home and some even lacked confidence and skills in using the technology. Besides, the use of text based asynchronous technology (e-mail and bulletin board) is unsuccessful due to the possible delay and the fact that people do not check their e-mail regularly. Other that that, e-mail and bulletin board lack spontaneous discussion, listening skill and brainstorming among group members.
Nevertheless, I think the use of synchronous technology (on-line chat, audio and video conference) should be in the research as well because collaborative learning using on-line chat can give students the opportunity to respond to each other spontaneously. With that, students can do group work easily outside the classroom and those who are reluctant to speak in class may find it convenient to speak up in a written format.
Reference
Edwards, M.A., Clear, F. (2001). Supporting the Collaborative Learning of Practical Skills with Computer-Mediated Communication Technology. Educational Technology & Society, 4(1), 80-92.
The Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) offers various opportunities for learning. It provides enormous information and asynchronous modes including e-mail and bulletin board as a means of enhancing students’ collaborative efforts on a web authoring exercise. In support of its educational purpose, CMC also assists teaching and learning in a way that it focuses on active learning, responsibility and peer teamwork. Edwards and Clear (2001) states that CMC adopts a more flexible approach to teaching and learning in which students would work together on an assignment.. Thus, CMC provides a supportive and flexible learning environment with rich and positive feedback as a possible means of improving the quality of students’ work.
Although CMC helps providing flexible learning, CMC and its contribution to collaboration were restricted in an activity that was skill-oriented, requiring practical experience (Edwards & Clear, 2001). Thus, the research aims to find out more closely whether collaboration aided the learning of web authoring skills and also to determine whether CMC militated against the difficulty students were having in their collaborative efforts. By use of ethnographic techniques (questionnaires and interviews), evidence and reasons for this are discussed and identified. Also, text based asynchronous technology (e-mail and bulletin board) was chosen for students’ collaborative learning because of its potential to enable large groups of people to interact, to have permanent discussion and to require low Internet bandwidth.
As the impact of CMC on collaborative learning is complex, the methodology that is used to design the flexible learning environment is by action research. Action research is a qualitative approach that has been used to study educational practice and it is in a form of self-reflective enquiry where ideas and solutions evolve over time (Edward & Clear, 2001). With regard to action research, the problems were speculated within the existing learning environment and action was determined to generate improvements. Finally, data was collected to evaluate the effects of actions while initial understanding of the problem was revised as a result. Two iterations of the study were conducted whereby the first iteration is based on collaborative learning only while the Internet and Web were explored as a means of mediating collaborative learning in the second iteration.
In the findings, the first iteration group felt that collaboration had helped improved the quality of their work (Edwards & Clear, 2001). In the exit questionnaires, 73% respondents claimed that they will approach their fellow group member when encountering problems because collaborative learning helped them sharing ideas and solving problems. Besides, the groups who attested to successful collaboration reported that they had met or communicated regularly (Edwards & Clear, 2001). However, the groups that had failed to work together on the other hand, claimed that problems arise due to communication breakdown. Students might have missed meetings and some part-time students might not be able to attend lectures and consequently ended up studying alone at home.
In the second iteration, a computer-supported collaborative learning scheme using Internet and Web technologies was introduced to assist group coursework and classroom teaching. Thus, students were expected to use email, and a Web-based bulletin board that allow fellow students and lecturers to post advice and solutions as answers to the questions. In the findings, students intended to use CMC as a means of helping them collaborate outside scheduled sessions (Edward & Clear, 2001). Besides, the focus groups were quite favourable towards e-mail and bulletin board because CMC helped them develop communication and feedback especially if students were to miss a scheduled session.
Nevertheless, in the findings, Edward and Clear (2001) stated that 62% respondents who had indeed used e-mail especially for organizing their collaboration indicated a less favourable view of its utility. Despite the fact that e-mail was quite easy to use, two major obstacles such as the possible delay in getting a response and also the fact that some people do not read their e-mail regularly give less interest to students in using CMC. Besides, some students were generally less keen on the use of CMC due to lack of internet access and lack of experience. Thus, e-mail and bulletin board were not seen as having great utility as meetings among the students can be set up in advance when groups were face-to-face. Other than that, students felt that knowledge they need was most easily learnt by observing others and through spontaneous discussion.
In conclusion, it is obvious that collaborative learning was a successful means of assuring the quality of assignment work and developing the learning of web authoring skills. As can be seen in the first finding, majority of students found that collaborative environment provides a better-off educative experience than doing so on individual basis. In contrast to the second finding, the value of the contribution of CMC to the success of collaborative learning remained unproven (Edwards & Clear, 2001) as many students had no access to a computer at home and many prefer face-to-face communication as e-mail and bulletin delay the response. Thus, CMC did not militate against the problems students had in collaborating because its contribution was limited in an activity that was skill-oriented.
Reflection
After reading the journal, I discovered that collaborative learning is an effective approach to enhance the quality of students’ work as well as to expand the learning of web authoring skills. By working as a team, students are able to maintain group dialogue, organize ideas together and also promote problem solving. Besides, collaborative learning can free up lecturer’s time because students tend to turn first to their group mates for assistance before approaching a lecturer.
Furthermore, I noticed that although Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) offers various opportunities in learning, its contribution to collaborative learning is ineffective as not many students have access to a computer at home and some even lacked confidence and skills in using the technology. Besides, the use of text based asynchronous technology (e-mail and bulletin board) is unsuccessful due to the possible delay and the fact that people do not check their e-mail regularly. Other that that, e-mail and bulletin board lack spontaneous discussion, listening skill and brainstorming among group members.
Nevertheless, I think the use of synchronous technology (on-line chat, audio and video conference) should be in the research as well because collaborative learning using on-line chat can give students the opportunity to respond to each other spontaneously. With that, students can do group work easily outside the classroom and those who are reluctant to speak in class may find it convenient to speak up in a written format.
Reference
Edwards, M.A., Clear, F. (2001). Supporting the Collaborative Learning of Practical Skills with Computer-Mediated Communication Technology. Educational Technology & Society, 4(1), 80-92.
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