Curtis J. Bonk

Content analysis of online discussion in an applied educational psychology course

This study analyzed discussion in an online conferencethat supplemented class discussion using aninstructional method called the starter-wrappertechnique within a traditional graduate leveleducational psychology course. Various quantitativemeasures were recorded to compare instructor andstudent participation rates. In addition, Henris(1992) model for content analysis of computer-mediatedcommunication was employed to qualitatively analyzethe electronic discourse. Using this model, five keyvariables were examined: (1) student participationrates; (2) electronic interaction patterns; (3) socialcues within student messages; (4) cognitive andmetacognitive components of student messages; and (5)depth of processing -- surface or deep -- within messageposting. Transcript content analyses showed that,while students tended to post just the one requiredcomment per week in the conference, their messageswere lengthy, cognitively deep, embedded with peerreferences, and indicative of a student orientedenvironment. Moreover, students were using high levelcognitive skills such as inferencing and judgment aswell as metacognitive strategies related to reflectingon experience and self-awareness. Weekly conferenceactivity graphs revealed that student electroniccomments became more interactive over time, but werehighly dependent on the directions of discussionstarter. To better understand the impact ofelectronic conferencing discourse, modifications toHenris model as well as qualitative researchsuggestions were offered.

Electronic collaborators : learner-centered technologies for literacy, apprenticeship, and discourse

tions because elite scientists invariably remind one another that there is always something more to accomplish, thus fueling ambition to achieve in science. Along these lines, it is easier among scientists in communitarian (and, to a lesser extent, pluralist) institutions to reduce ambition for scientific achievement, or let go of it altogether, because others working around them have done the same (p. 153). Simply put, Hermanowicz finds in his study that, despite having comparable graduate school beginnings and socialization experiences, many cultural and social forces are at play within the academic worlds scientists work that serve to differentiate how they speak about their ambitions, and how their careers look in latter years.

Alternative instructional strategies for creative and critical thinking in the accounting curriculum

Abstract In the midst of numerous accounting reform reports declaring that the memorization of accounting facts will no longer suffice, global economies have increased the pressure on universities to develop higher-order thinking skill curricula. This paper suggests that a consultative model of teaching can meet these challenges. From this framework, learning environments can be reshaped to support both the creative and critical thinking skills demanded by workplaces of the 21st century. In contrast to the passive reception of knowledge of teacher-centered classrooms, this style of teaching promotes active, student-centered learning. Importantly, a myriad of critical and creative thinking techniques, activities, and examples are detailed for developing accounting curricula in accordance with these views. Peripheral issues related to assessing higher-order thinking as well as cooperative grouping also are considered.

A Dozen Recommendations for Placing the Student at the Center of Web-Based Learning

Abstract During the past year, 14 learner‐centred principles from the American Psychological Association (1993, 1997) were used to design, implement, and refine Web‐based educational psychology courses and laboratory experiences offered to pre‐service teachers at Indiana University. In this article, we reflect on our various experiences as well as the perspectives our students shared with us in their formative and summative evaluations of our Web courses. These impressions form the basis for a dozen learner‐centred recommendations for Web‐based instruction. The topics addressed in our recommendations relate to: (1) establishing a safe learning community; (2) fostering student engagement; (3) giving students choice; (4) facilitating learning; (5) offering public and private feedback; (6) apprenticing student learning; (7) employing recursive assignments; (8) utilizing electronic writing and reflection activities; (9) building on student Web link suggestions; (10) providing clear expectations and prompt tas...

Introducing the R2D2 Model: Online learning for the diverse learners of this world

The R2D2 method—read, reflect, display, and do—is a new model for designing and delivering distance education, and in particular, online learning. Such a model is especially important to address the diverse preferences of online learners of varied generations and varied Internet familiarity. Four quadrants can be utilized separately or as part of a problem‐solving process: the first component primarily relates to methods to help learners acquire knowledge through online readings, virtual explorations, and listening to online lectures and podcasts. As such, it addresses verbal and auditory learners. The second component of the model focuses on reflective activities such as online blogs, reflective writing tasks, self‐check examinations, and electronic portfolios. In the third quadrant, visual representations of the content are highlighted with techniques such as virtual tours, timelines, animations, and concept maps. Fourth, the model emphasizes what learners can do with the content in hands‐on activities including simulations, scenarios, and real‐time cases. In effect, the R2D2 model is one means to organize and make sense of the diverse array of instructional possibilities currently available in distance education. It provides new ways of learning for diverse online students, and demonstrates easy‐to‐apply learning activities for instructors to integrate various technologies in online learning. When thoughtfully designed, content delivered from this perspective should be more enriching for learners. The R2D2 model provides a framework for more engaging, dynamic, and responsive teaching and learning in online environments.

Web-Based Case Conferencing for Preservice Teacher Education: Electronic Discourse from the Field

The purpose of this study was to foster preservice teacher learning of educational psychology by creating a Web-based learning community using actual case situations these future teachers had experienced during their field observations. In this study, 146 undergraduate educational psychology students were randomly assigned to two different electronic conferencing groups where they generated teaching vignettes related to their early field experiences and reacted to the cases of their peers. As a counterbalanced research design, half of these students received heavy scaffolding (HS) during the first three weeks of electronic case conferencing and weak scaffolding (WS) during the following three weeks; the other half received the opposite. Within these conferences, there were a total of 229 cases generated for discussion with 1,320 replies. While there were 20 percent more postings in the first three weeks, the cases and responses generated in the second three weeks were lengthier. Importantly, HS fostered 18 percent more student cases than WS, though these were of significantly lower quality than the WS cases. A coding of dialogue transcripts from fifty-eight randomly selected cases indicated that peer feedback was extremely conversational and opinionated, whereas instructor mentoring was focused on high level questioning, course related advice, and case specific feedback.

Teaching on the Web: With a Little Help from My Pedagogical Friends

THE PROLIFERATION OF WEB COURSEWARE TOOLS has yet to match the pedagogical needs of higher education. Just how much do Web tools foster the development of student thinking skills, collaboration, and active learning? Before pointing to various ways to embed such pedagogical techniques in on-line instruction, some of the costs and benefits related to the use of these tools are documented. Many of the benefits are made apparent within a ten level Web integration continuum as well as from the clarification of potential on-line interactions between instructors, students, and practitioners. To further illustrate these benefits, ideas related to teaching on the Web from a learner-centered point of view are described. Next, ways to embed critical and creative thinking as well as cooperative learning or teamwork in standard and customized Web course development tools are detailed. Sample Web courses and tools developed at Indiana University are presented along with a review of several types of Web courseware and conferencing systems. Finally, key pedagogical implications and recommendations for the near future are outlined.

Communication patterns during synchronous Web-based military training in problem solving

Abstract The nature of communication among geographically dispersed groups of learners using text messaging in a military training environment was assessed. A total of 6601 acts of chat were coded into one of three interaction content categories (social, task, or technology-related) and analyzed for frequency and relative change over time. Results indicated shifting patterns of interaction over the 6-month course; while technology concerns gradually diminished, on task discussion peaked in the middle months and social interactions were higher at the start and end of the training. Overall, student chats were categorized as on-task 55%, social 30%, or technology-related 15%. Examples of chats and focus group data indicated that there was an emphasis on fostering student problem solving within the online course.

Effects of group reflection variations in project-based learning integrated in a Web 2.0 learning space

A Web 2.0 environment that is coupled with emerging multimodal interaction tools can have considerable influence on team learning outcomes. Today, technologies supporting social networking, collective intelligence, emotional interaction, and virtual communication are introducing new forms of collaboration that are profoundly impacting education. In this study, an empirical analysis was conducted on a Web 2.0 learning space designed to promote and support project-based group learning. Three different group reflection (GR) methods (i.e., self-reflection, GR, and instructor-supported reflection) were implemented for a micro community of undergraduate students completing a team project. Findings from this study suggest that promoting and supporting ‘deep learning’ through GR is essential for team project learning in a Web-based community. In addition, effective instructor intervention is a crucial component leading to better group performance. In terms of group learning evaluation rubrics, structural equation modeling revealed that the level of activeness in online contributions may not be as important as the evidence of collective reflection and critical thinking in team learning scenarios.

Twenty-First Century College Syllabi: Options for Online Communication and Interactivity.

In this study, the World Lecture Hall provided an entry point to examine Web-based syllabi of current college courses offered in schools of education. An initial overview of the course syllabi in the World Lecture Hall, in conjunction with a review of professional literature on the instructional uses of the Internet, led to the creation of a 33 matrix for categorizing the forms of communication and interactivity facilitated by Web-based syllabi. Three participant levels—instructor, students, and practitioners/experts—were crossed with each other to form the matrix. In general, the analysis of the current Web-based syllabi could be characterized by the unidirectional flow of information from instructors to students. A minority of instructors incorporated innovative components that facilitated Web-based learning and interaction outside the conventional classroom. The discussion addresses ways instructors can post more interactive Web syllabi, share course resources, and infuse additional resources into their courses. D 2002 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.