Learning through synchronous electronic discussion

doi:10.1016/S0360-1315(99)00050-0

Learning through synchronous electronic discussion

2000-04-01

64

PRE

AI

DOI：10.1016/S0360-1315(99)00050-0

Original

Original request for help

Save

Abstract

En 中文

This article reports a study examining university student pairs carrying out an electronic discussion task in a synchronous computer mediated communication (CMC) system (NetMeeting). The purpose of the assignment was to raise students' awareness concerning conceptions that characterise effective pedagogical interactions, by collaboratively comparing and discussing their analyses of a dialogue between a tutor and a student. To examine whether the use of synchronous CMC could meet this end, students' dialogues are characterised in terms of their constructive and argumentative contributions, and by their focus on the meaning of concepts. In addition, a comparison was made with a control group in which no peer coach was available with two forms of peer coaching. Peer coaches were focussed either on structuring arguments or on reflectively checking arguments in terms of strength and relevance. First, the results indicate that the study of students' learning fi-om electronic discussions requires an analysis of focus in relation to argumentation. Second, the coaching instruction did not fulfil our expectations. In this study, students seem to need support to focus on meaning rather than on argumentation in general, but they may also need support to hold overview, to keep track of their discussion and to organise their interface. Text-based electronic communication seems to be sensitive to such issues that may cause meaningful interaction to be disturbed. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords:

computer-mediated communication

co-operative/collaborative learning

distance education

telelearning

pedagogical issues

teaching-learning strategies

Learning through synchronous electronic discussion

Abstract

AI Summary

Journal

Organization

Cited Papers