Re-thinking iEducation: Considerations from Research in the Learning Sciences

1
Re-thinking iEducation Considerations from
Research in the Learning Sciences

• Gerry Stahl

2
Opportunities

• A faculty retreat on innovation
• Brainstorm suspend reactions
• Technologies to support new modes of learning
• Research on how people learn

3
Dangers

• Technology-driven thinking
• The inertia of culture Thats how we have
  always done it.
• Disincentives in the reward structures for
  students, instructors, the College

4
A pop quiz

• As we learn more about something,
• (a) The questions all get answered.
• (b) The questions get easier and easier.
• (c) The questions get more complex.
• How can we promote deep inquiry by students?

5
Learning sciences research

• Cambridge Handbook on the Learning Sciences
• International Journal of Computer-Supported
  Collaborative Learning
• Research papers at CSCL, ICLS, CHI, CSCW, GROUP,
  etc.

6
Findings of learning sci ed tech

• Students must be engaged, motivated construct
  their own understanding
• Lectures are not generally effective as the sole
  instructional mode
• Asynchronous threaded discussion has serious
  problems (timing, superficial opinions, asocial)

7
Some of my research asynch

• Phidias - threaded discussion for design
  rationale (1990-1992 RA in computer science)
• Hermes - asynchronous design environment
  (1991-1993 dissertation system)
• Other educational software Essence, TCA
  (1993-1997)
• WebGuide (1997-2000 post-doc classroom system)
• BSCL (2001-2002 visiting scientist EU asynch)
• VMT (2003-2009 synchronous learning)

8
My theory of group cognition

• Vygotsky inter-personal learning precedes as the
  basis of individual learning
• Small groups have powerful learning mechanisms
• Technology should be designed to support intense
  group interaction
• Pedagogy should support collaborative knowledge
  building

9
Collaboration is powerful!

• Breaks passivity asocial alienation
• Students work together to understand assignments,
  course goals, material
• Students help each other
• Students make their knowledge visible
• Students can judge themselves vs. peers
• 80 of employees work in teams

10
Synchronicity

• Synchronous (e.g., chat) is more engaging
• It has a stronger sense of social contact
• It is far more efficient in building knowledge
• It can support interaction collaboration
• It allows immediate feedback, deeper discussion,
  sharing, negotiation

11
Blending it

• Blended learning combines the advantages and
  overcomes many problems
• Almost all online programs (outside Drexel) find
  that F2F contact near the beginning is necessary
  for meaningful asynch interaction

12
Conclusion

• A careful mix of individual, small-group and
  class work
• A careful mix of reading, lecture, small-group
  tasks, class discussion
• Use of technology as appropriate to pedagogical
  aims and processes

13
An iSchool culture of innovation collaborative
learning

• How can we change student resistance to
  innovation in instruction learning?
• How can we change student resistance to sharing
  knowledge group work?
• How can we blend our online courses?
• How can we introduce synchronicity?

14
References on the power of collaboration

• Stahl, G. (2008). Chat on collaborative knowledge
  building. QWERTY, 3(1), 67-78.
• Stahl, G., Koschmann, T., Suthers, D. (2006).
  Computer-supported collaborative learning. In R.
  K. Sawyer (Ed.), Cambridge handbook of the
  learning sciences (pp. 409-426). Cambridge, UK
  Cambridge University Press. Available in English,
  in simplified Chinese, in traditional Chinese, in
  Spanish, in Portuguese, in German, in Romanian.