Use of Synchronous Collaborative Wikis in an Online Learning Environment

David Wicks, Arthur Ellis, & Andrew Lumpe

Seattle Pacific University

Let’s collaborate - http://tinyurl.com/typewithdavid

Abstract

In this study, synchronous collaborative (super) wikis were used in a graduate level course for K-12 educators. Collaborative teams using synchronous wikis developed high levels of expertise and perceptions of mutual shared cognition.

Goal of Education:Develop Expertise

Develop expertise (Bransford,1999).

Experts have more access to content

Easily retrieve content

Can adapt and change, and

recognize when to apply knowledge

Collaborative learning

environments are designed to develop

expertise by:

Helping users discern patterns

Create meaning in non-static,

collaborative settings

Within such environments:

Deep factual knowledge bases can

be developed

Knowledge easily retrieved and shared

Conceptual frameworks built.

Shared cognition

Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) “Field of study centrally concerned with meaning and practices of meaning-making in the context of joint activity, and the ways in which these practices are mediated through designed artifacts.” (Koschmann.2002, p. 18)

Successful collaborative learning requires:• group members must

communicate in a way where the team can discern agreements from disagreements

• Conflicts from misunderstandings, and insights from confusion

(Stahl, 2002, p. 177)

Emphasis on collaborative rather than individual knowledge construction, which may be challenging when students are primarily working for individual course grades. This collaboration is also known as:• Intersubjective

learning (Suthers, 2005)

• Group cognition (Stahl, 2006)

• Mutually shared cognition (Van den Bossche, 2006).

Challenges with Asynchronous-only Collaboration

Momentum

Accountability

Cooperation rather than collaboration

What could synchronous add?

Focused communication

Quicker conflict resolution

Joint concept development

Higher level of trust

hypothesis

The primary hypothesis for this study was that online graduate students who use synchronous collaborative (super) wikis for small group work would perceive a higher level of mutually shared cognition and demonstrate higher levels of expertise than students in a comparison group who did not collaborate synchronously.

Research goals

The research goals included the following:

1. Describe the application of synchronous wikis in a collaborative learning environment.

2. Report the results on student perceptions of mutual shared cognition and the development of content expertise.

3. Provide recommendations for future research and applications of synchronous collaborative wikis in online environments.

Why this study?

Use of wikis for group projects becoming ubiquitous

Students ask for synchronous tools

Number of tasks needing immediate input

Description

56 students:

Randomly assigned

Two sections (28 per section)

Same course

Same instructor

Within section:

Randomly assigned

Teams of three or

four students

Nine teams per

section

Private preformatted wikis

Collaborative script and screencast

Collaborative script explains project and team organizationhttp://tinyurl.com/collab-script

Screencast explains how to use the wiki (Learning Objects Teams LX) to collaborate on this project.

This scaffolding strategy, (Larusson & Altermann, 2009) was used to help students feel comfortable with the project’s technology and procedures so they could give their attention to the contents and deliverables of the project.

Phases

Phase 1: Team charter

Phase 2: Collaborative essay on- Why teach? What are qualities of a good teacher?

Phase 3: Collaborative essay on- What do students really need? What does a good classroom look and feel like?

Phase 4: Collaborative essay on- What is truly meaningful in student learning? How does a classroom become a place of reflective practice?

Phase 5: Final Product and team reflection

“Super wiki” = EtherPad

• http://etherpad.org

• http://typewith.me

Private Journal

Workflow – Individual (Weekly)

Listen to Podcast

Read articles

Participate in Text

discussion

Write reflection in WordPress

blog (Clear & Unclear)

Self-assess discussion

contributions

Workflow – Group (Bi-Weekly)

Write individual

thoughts on Phase

Read other individual thoughts

Collaborate on group

deliverable

Write private journal post

What are we seeing so far with students?

• Collaborative construction of knowledge. • Positive experiences with collaborative learning.

• In the past, students report having a negative experience with collaborative learning because of issues such as social loafers.

• The use of wikis creates a egalitarian learning environment where all learners have an equal voice.

• History statistics may be encouraging positive interdependence as students see that others are working to help them and they should work to help others.

• Double loop learning – Students report that they are not only learning the content, but also how technology can be used as a tool for teaching and learning. They often say they will be using wikis with their students.

Example of Group Cognition In our opinion our products all turned out very well! The

process for all of them went well too. We did a good job getting organized and all putting our fair share of work and effort into each product. The process of this project was dependent on both our individual thoughts and our ability to collaborate to create a product. The essays contained individual thoughts from each of us. They and the final presentation would not have been as thorough if only one of us had contributed to the project. In addition, the group had exceptional ideas and were able to articulate them. There was also mutual respect for each others’ opinions which resulted in a comprehensive product.

Example of Expertise & GC

PowerPoint showing chat students had while working on their final presentation in EtherPad. (Names have been changed.)

Student-recommendations

Better understanding of what "deliverables" are

How to use the Time Slider on our Typewith.Me chats

Better understanding of some of the APA guidelines

[Final Presentation] SO many ideas and so much information we wanted to share for each slide … extremely difficult to pick and choose what information to include.

Lots of work left to do

Comments or Questions?

David Wicks

Director, Instructional Technology

Seattle Pacific University

dwicks@spu.edu

twitter: dwicksspu

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