effectiveness of technology in different teaching/learning environments cooperative learning with...

Effectiveness of Technology in Different Teaching/Learning

Environments

Cooperative learning with the use of technology

Jay BrownRosemont College

Focus: Literature from six different educational journals on the effectiveness of cooperative learning with the use of technology.

Aspects of education emphasized:

I. Varying developmental levels (intellectual, social, physical)

II. Individual differences and students with special needs

III. Different learning environments

1.

School Science and Mathematics

2.

Journal of Economic Education

3.

Journal of Engineering Education

4.

Technology and Learning

5.

Edutopia

6.

Educational Leadership

Use of technology for

science and mathematics collaborative learning

School Science and Mathematics

Varying developmental Levels: Intellectual, Social, Physical

Individual differences and students with special needs

Different learning environments

Used in the early 1990s by engineering and medical schools, the Virtual Notebook System™ (VNS) was a “shared space” that had hypertext capabilities allowing information to be cross-referenced among pages in the same notebook, or other student notebooks. The VNS was shown to help students who were overwhelmed by the skills possessed by other classmates.

The VNS allowed students at different levels to follow the paths of those students already engaged in higher-order scientific reasoning and investigation.

VNS information was be organized into multiple sensory objects such as text, drawings, animations, and video.

VNS groupware enabled multiple users to communicate and solve problems without being physically in the same classroom.

Shared pages in VNS were set up to be modified (read/write) and seen simultaneously by all students.

Note: Classroom teachers can create “shared space” on school networks and on the Web.

Active and cooperative learning

using web-based simulations

Journal of Economic Education




Web-based simulations increase student interest for the material and lead to active discussion which results in more complicated decisions by the students.

Multi-player teams require students to negotiate with each other to solve problems. Students learn to share ideas and test alternatives.

Computer simulation and cooperative learning assignments provide an alternative to class lecture and increases student understanding of economics.

Clear visual organization of information enables all team members to engage in higher order thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making activities.

Active learning requires students to participate. The computer simulations require input from users, and are not passive.

Students reported that the simulations helped them to better understand relationships between politics and economic development that have influenced American economic growth.

Associate professor of Economics at Union College, Stephen J. Schmidt made the following observations:

A collaborative learning methodology

for enhanced comprehension using TeamThink®

Journal of Engineering Education




TeamThink® is a Web-based distance learning tool for exploring engineering scenarios and questions.

The instructor is capable accessing student work in progress and giving asynchronous feedback.

Students at different developmental levels benefit from timely feedback, resulting in a stronger understanding of concepts.

It was noted that students who were not vocal in class wrote some of the best questions. The author speculated that this may be attributable to students being more comfortable conversing with peers online, as well as having more time to think about scenarios and questions.

The instructor noted that the online software environment requires students to be more concise, resulting in improved written communication skills, and a deeper understanding of the material.

TeamThink® has been used at Duke, Stanford, Parsons, and Tufts, as well as Cisco Systems, and the US Army Research Institute.

Collaborative learning with technology

Technology and Learning




Decisions Decisions –

Tom Snyder, Inc.

Students in small groups of 2-3 assume specific roles based on a computer simulation and work together to solve social problems.

The computer simulation provides visual cues based on specific decisions made by individual students.

Group discussion provides further clarification of problem scenarios for students who struggle with text-based learning.

Team members use computer simulation software to work on problem-solving scenarios.

Students review alternatives, make decisions, select choices from the simulation that usually requires further problem solving due to the consequences of their decisions.

Note: For more information about Decision Decisions, go to Tom Snyder’s Web site at: http://www.tomsnyder.com and click the social studies tab to get a 45 day free trial.

http://www.tomsnyder.com/

New skills for a new century

Edutopia




New Technology H.S. – Napa, California

Project-based learning (PBL) engages students with complex problems requiring teamwork to produce unique solutions.

Content standards:

Include collaboration; critical thinking; oral communication; career prep; citizenship & ethics; and technology literacy.

PBL is stronger when units fully integrate two or more subjects such as language arts and social studies, or math and science. This provides multiple opportunities for team members with different learning backgrounds and interests.

Password protected online grade book keeps students, parents and teachers aware of progress.

Students become self-directed learners when they utilize web-based material for projects.

Units may require student teams to work outside of the classroom.

It takes dedicated teachers to design effective PBL with the proper scaffolding, activities, benchmarks, rubrics, products and events.

Technology and achievement: The bottom line

Educational Leadership




Results from a National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) study of 4th and 8th graders in math, science, and reading indicated that the quality of computer work produced was more important that the quantity of computer work often attained through individual “drill and kill” programs.

Using computers to help small groups of students work through complex problems allowed individual students to engage in higher-order thinking skills.

Reality check: Teachers do not typically use computers in the most effective ways. For example, fewer than 30% of students reported that their teachers used computers to teach higher-order thinking skills.

The challenge for teachers is to use computers to help students work together to solve problems in the areas of math, science and language arts.

NOTE:

National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers – Performance Profile #7 – Technology & grouping strategies.

http://cnets.iste.org/teachers/t_profile-first.html

References

Castellanos, J. & Miller, L. M. (1996). Use of technology for science and mathematics collaborative learning. School Science and Mathematics, 96, 2; 58-63. (ProQuest document ID: 9291359).

Dornbush, C, Loomis, C. & Panetta, K. (2002). A collaborative learning methodology for enhanced comprehension using TeamThink®. Journal of Engineering Education. 91, 2; 223-300. (ProQuest document ID: 906533881).

International Society for Technology in Education (2005). National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers. http://cnets.iste.org/teachers/t_profile-first.html. Available: August 2006.

Pearlman, B. (2006). New skills for a new century. The George Lucas Foundation: Edutopia, 2, 4; 51-53.

Schmidt, S. J. (2003). Active and cooperative learning using web-based simulations. Journal of Economic Education, 34, 2; 151. (ProQuest document ID: 342750041).

Solomon, G. (1999). Collaborative learning with technology. Technology & Learning,19, 5; 51. (ProQuest document ID: 38143436).

Wenglinsky, H. (2005). Technology and achievement: The bottom line. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development: Educational Leadership, 63, 4; 29-32.

http://cnets.iste.org/teachers/t_profile-first.html

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