Charles K. Kinzer

Designing technology to support reflection

Technology can play a powerful role in supporting student reflection. Sociocognitive theories provide a conceptual framework that we use to consider systems that afford reflective thinking. Reflective thinking involves actively monitoring, evaluating, and modifying ones thinking and comparing it to both expert models and peers. This requires a combination of both individual and collaborative reflection. These theoretical frameworks suggest four ways that technology can provide powerful scaffolding for reflection: (a) process displays, (b) process prompts, (c) process models, and (d) a forum for reflective social discourse. Each approach is presented with specific examples illustrating its design features. We argue that a systems approach that combines these different scaffolding techniques may be even more powerful. Modern technologies can provide students with rich resources for reflection and help students develop adaptive learning expertise through reflective practice. We conclude with a discussion of design issues that should be considered in the future.

Productive failure in CSCL groups

This study was designed as a confirmatory study of work on productive failure (Kapur, Cognition and Instruction, 26(3), 379–424, 2008). N = 177, 11th-grade science students were randomly assigned to solve either well- or ill-structured problems in a computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environment without the provision of any external support structures or scaffolds. After group problem solving, all students individually solved well-structured problems followed by ill-structured problems. Compared to groups who solved well-structured problems, groups who solved ill-structured problems expectedly struggled with defining, analyzing, and solving the problems. However, despite failing in their collaborative problem-solving efforts, these students outperformed their counterparts from the well-structured condition on the individual near and far transfer measures subsequently, thereby confirming the productive failure hypothesis. Building on the previous study, additional analyses revealed that neither preexisting differences in prior knowledge nor the variation in group outcomes (quality of solutions produced) seemed to have had any significant effect on individual near and far transfer measures, lending support to the idea that it was the nature of the collaborative process that explained productive failure.

Sensitivities to early exchange in synchronous computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) groups

This study reports the impact of high sensitivity to early exchange in 11th-grade, CSCL triads solving well- and ill-structured problems in Newtonian Kinematics. A mixed-method analysis of the evolution of participation inequity (PI) in group discussions suggested that participation levels tended to get locked-in relatively early on in the discussion. Similarly, high (low) quality member contributions made earlier in a discussion did more good (harm) than those made later on. Both PI and differential impact of member contributions suggest a high sensitivity to early exchange; both significantly predicting the eventual group performance, as measured by solution quality. Consequently, eventual group performance could be predicted based on what happened in the first 30-40% of a discussion. In addition to drawing theoretical and methodological implications, implications for scaffolding CSCL groups are also discussed.

Dynamic visual support for story comprehension and mental model building by young, at-risk children

Multimedia technology allows precise coordination of linguistic and visual information and may provide teachers with tools for enhancing literacy foundations in children–especially those who might otherwise be at-risk for school failure. This research explores the hypothesis that a multimedia environment with dynamic visual support facilitates language comprehension when children listen to short stories. Kindergarten children heard stories in three conditions: Helpful video, in which dynamic, silent video accompanied the beginning of stories; No video, in which children only heard the stories; and Minimal video, in which static images of characters and places accompanied the beginning of stories. In all conditions, the ending of the story was presented without visual support. Overall, the pattern of results suggests that dynamic visual support can provide a framework for understanding and remembering linguistic information.

A Description of the Impact of Multimedia Anchored Instruction on Classroom Interactions.

This preliminary study explores and describes the effects of a multimedia based anchored instruction intervention on student/teacher interactions in an eighth grade social studies classroom. Nineteen students enrolled in a general education 8th grade social studies class participated in the year long study, including ten general education students and nine students with mild disabilities. Overall, instruction became more interactive as observational and interview data indicated a twofold increase in the number of daily student/teacher interactions after the intervention was implemented. Concurrently, the quality of the interactions, as indicated by the number of interpretive questions asked by teachers, was found to be substantially higher than those occurring during the baseline phase of this study. Results show that, during the intervention period, less class time was spent in addressing management problems and task/direction issues.

Moved to learn: The effects of interactivity in a Kinect-based literacy game for beginning readers

Reading to young children has a number of benefits, including supporting the acquisition of vocabulary and literacy skills. Digital reading games, including ones with new modes of interface such as the Kinect for Xbox, may provide similar benefits in part by allowing dynamic in-game activities. However, these activities may also be distracting and detract from learning. Children (ages 5-7 years, N = 39) were randomly assigned to either i) jointly read a story with an adult, ii) have the story read by a character in a Kinect game, or iii) have the story read by a character in a Kinect game plus in-game activities. Both Kinect-Activities and Book Reading groups had significant gains for High Frequency Words, Active Decoding, and Total Reading Score, but only Kinect-Activities group had significant gain for Sight words (p <.05). Overall, these findings are encouraging for the next generation of digital literacy games.

An Analysis of the Impact of Anchored Instruction on Teaching and Learning Activities in Two Ninth-Grade Language Arts Classes

This study employed classroom observations and teacher and student interviews to examine the impact of anchored instruction on student and teacher behaviors in two inclusive ninth-grade language arts classes. Specifically, the investigators examined the effect of anchored instruction on (a) the length (long or short) and level (factual or interpretive) of questions asked by, and responses to student questions by, the classroom teacher; (b) the length and level of questions asked by, and responses made by, ninth-grade students; and (c) student participation in classroom instructional activities. Overall, the results of this study supported the use of anchored instruction as a promising intervention for high school students with high-incidence disabilities. The results indicated that as teachers increased the level and length of their questions, students reciprocated by providing higher level and longer responses to questions and asked longer and higher level questions. Students were observed to be more actively involved in classroom instructional activities, and they increased their school attendance. The data collected in this study support the idea that technology combined with effective instruction can yield positive results for students and teachers. However, although the data are promising, they are preliminary. They underscore the importance of conducting additional research examining the impact of anchored instruction and its component parts on the academic outcomes attained by middle and high school students with high-incidence disabilities.

Learning with technology: Theoretical and empirical perspectives

Our major goal in this paper is to argue that existing, off-the-shelf microcomputer and video technology can help students develop the skills, the knowledge, and the confidence necessary to function effectively in todays complex society. However, we also emphasize that technology by itself cannot solve the problems facing instruction; it has to be used effectively. In order to use technology effectively, information must be gathered from the study of cognition, instruction and culture. Throughout this article our discussions of technology will be related to the research literature in these areas.

Evaluation of a Multicomponent, Behaviorally Oriented, Problem-Based “Summer School” Program for Adolescents with Diabetes

A 2-week summer school program, combining problem-based learning with behavior therapy, was developed to help adolescents with insulin-dependent diabetes improve their ability to cope with obstacles to dietary management. Ten students participated in a first session, and 9 participated in a second session, serving as a waiting list control group. Outcomes were evaluated preand postsession and at a 4-month follow-up using 3-day food diaries, blood glucose data, and paper-and-pencil tests of diabetes-related knowledge, self-efficacy, coping strategies, and general problem solving. Improvements were observed in self-efficacy, problem-solving skills, and self-reported coping strategies. No significant changes were observed in daily intake of fat, cholesterol, calories, mean blood glucose levels or blood glucose variability, and diabetes knowledge. Comparisons between the first group and the waiting list control group do not allow the significant pre-post changes to be clearly attributed to the summer school program.

Traditional vs Anchored Instruction for Diabetes-Related Nutritional Knowledge, Skills, and Behavior

This paper describes a nutrition education experiment in which traditional direct instruction was compared with a problem-solving method called anchored instruction (AI). Participants were 69 children ages 9 to 15 years, with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), who attended a diabetes camp. Following pretesting, campers were assigned to AI or direct instruction control classes. Posttests involved evaluating diabetes knowledge, personal meal plan knowledge, ability to choose an appropriate meal from a buffet line, and ability to pack appropriate meals for an overnight campout. AI and direct instruction both produced significant knowledge gains in this study. However, because the scores for the two groups did not differ, this study was unsuccessful in replicating results of other studies or extending the findings to selected measures of actual behavior.