Gaëlle Molinari

Facilitating peer knowledge modeling: Effects of a knowledge awareness tool on collaborative learning outcomes and processes

We report an empirical study where we investigated the effects, on the collaborative outcomes and processes, of a cognition-related awareness tool providing learners with cues about their peers level of prior knowledge. Sixty-four university students participated in a remote computer-mediated dyadic learning scenario. Co-learners were provided (or not) with a visual representation of their peers level of prior knowledge through what we refer to as a knowledge awareness tool (KAT). The results show that, providing co-learners with objective cues about the level of their peers prior knowledge positively impacts learning outcomes. In addition, this effect seems to be mediated by the fact that co-learners provided with these objective cues become more accurate in estimating their partners knowledge - accuracy that predicts higher outcomes. Analyses on the process level of the verbal interactions indicate that the KAT seems to sensitize co-learners to the fragile nature of their partners as well as their own prior knowledge. The beneficial effect of the KAT seems to mainly rely on this induction of epistemic uncertainty that implicitly triggers compensation socio-cognitive strategies; strategies that appear to be beneficial to the learning process.

How do argumentation diagrams compare when student pairs use them as a means for debate or as a tool for representing debate

The objective of the research presented here was to study the influence of two types of instruction for using an argumentation diagram during pedagogical debates over the Internet. In particular, we studied how using an argumentation diagram as a medium of debate compared to using an argumentation diagram as a way of representing a debate. Two groups of students produced an individual argument diagram, then debated in pairs in one of the two conditions, and finally revised their individual diagrams in light of their debate. We developed an original analysis method (ADAM) to evaluate the differences between the argumentation diagrams constructed collaboratively during the interactions that constituted the experimental conditions, as well as those constructed individually before and after debate. The results suggest a complementary relationship between the usage of argumentation diagrams in the framework of conceptual learning. First, students who were instructed to use the argumentation diagram to represent their debate were less inclined to take a position in relation to the same graphical element while collaborating. On the other hand, students who were instructed to use the argumentation diagram alongside a chat expressed more personal opinions while collaborating. Second, the instructions given to the participants regarding the use of the argumentation diagram during the collaborative phase (either for debate or for representing a chat debate) have a significant impact on the post-individual graphs. In the individual graphs revised after the collaborative phase, participants who used the graph to represent their debate added more examples, consequences and causes. It follows that a specific usage for an argumentation diagram can be chosen and instructions given based on pedagogical objectives for a given learning situation.

How spatial abilities and dynamic visualizations interplay when learning functional anatomy with 3D anatomical models

The emergence of dynamic visualizations of three‐dimensional (3D) models in anatomy curricula may be an adequate solution for spatial difficulties encountered with traditional static learning, as they provide direct visualization of change throughout the viewpoints. However, little research has explored the interplay between learning material presentation formats, spatial abilities, and anatomical tasks. First, to understand the cognitive challenges a novice learner would be faced with when first exposed to 3D anatomical content, a six‐step cognitive task analysis was developed. Following this, an experimental study was conducted to explore how presentation formats (dynamic vs. static visualizations) support learning of functional anatomy, and affect subsequent anatomical tasks derived from the cognitive task analysis. A second aim was to investigate the interplay between spatial abilities (spatial visualization and spatial relation) and presentation formats when the functional anatomy of a 3D scapula and the associated shoulder flexion movement are learned. Findings showed no main effect of the presentation formats on performances, but revealed the predictive influence of spatial visualization and spatial relation abilities on performance. However, an interesting interaction between presentation formats and spatial relation ability for a specific anatomical task was found. This result highlighted the influence of presentation formats when spatial abilities are involved as well as the differentiated influence of spatial abilities on anatomical tasks. Anat Sci Educ 8: 452–462.

Knowledge interdependence with the partner, accuracy of mutual knowledge model and computer-supported collaborative learning

The present study is part of a project aiming at empirically investigating the process of modeling the partner’s knowledge (Mutual Knowledge Modeling or MKM) in Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) settings. In this study, a macro-collaborative script was used to produce knowledge interdependence (KI) among colearners by providing them with different but complementary information. Prior to collaboration, two students read the same text in the “Same Information” (SI) condition while each of them read one of two complementary texts in the “Complementary Information” (CI) condition. After the collaboration phase, a knowledge modeling questionnaire asked participants to estimate both their own — and their partner’s outcome knowledge thanks to Likert-type scales. The relation between the accuracy with which co-learners assess their partner’s knowledge and learning has been examined. In addition, we investigated the KI effect on (a) learning performance and (b) the MKM accuracy. Finally, we wondered to what extent the MKM accuracy could mediate the KI effect on learning. Results showed no difference in learning performance between participants who worked on same information and participants who worked on complementary information. We also found that participants were more accurate at assessing their partner’s knowledge in the SI condition than in the CI condition. The discussion focuses on methodological limitations and provides new directions for investigating the KI effect on MKM accuracy.RésuméCette étude s’inscrit dans un projet qui étudie le processus de modélisation des connaissances du partenaire (Modèle Mutuel ou MM) dans des situations d’apprentissage collaboratif médiatisé par ordinateur. Dans cette expérience, un script collaboratif a été utilisé qui consistait à introduire une interdépendance des ressources (IR) entre deux étudiants. Avant de collaborer, soit les étudiants lisaient le même texte (‘Informations Identiques’), soit chacun lisait un des deux textes complémentaires (‘Informations Complémentaires’). Après la collaboration, les étudiants estimaient leur propre niveau de connaissances ainsi que celui de leur partenaire. Nous nous intéressons à la relation entre l’apprentissage et la précision du MM. Nous étudions également l’effet de l’IR sur (a) les performances individuelles d’apprentissage, et (b) la précision du MM. Nous nous demandons enfin dans quelle mesure la précision du MM peut constituer une variable médiatrice de l’effet de l’IR sur l’apprentissage. Aucune différence de performance n’a été observée entre les deux conditions. Les résultats montrent par ailleurs que le MM est plus précis dans la condition ‘Informations identiques’ que dans la condition ‘Informations Complémentaires’. La discussion se centre sur les limites méthodologiques de l’expérience et apporte de nouvelles perspectives quant à l’étude de l’effet de l’IR sur la précision du MM.

The Effects of Animations on Verbal Interaction in Computer Supported Collaborative Learning

This paper focuses on the interaction patterns of learners studying in pairs who were provided with multimedia learning material. In a previous article, we reported that learning scores were higher for dyads of an ‘animations’ condition than for dyads of a ‘static pictures’ condition. Results also showed that offering a persistent display of one snapshot of each animated sequence hindered collaborative learning. In the present paper, further analyses of verbal interactions within learning dyads were performed in order to have a better understanding of both the beneficial effect of animations and the detrimental effect of the presence of persistent snapshots of critical steps on collaborative learning. Results did not show any differences in terms of verbal categories between the two versions of the instructional material, that is, static versus animated pictures. Pairs who were provided with persistent snapshots of the multimedia sequences produced fewer utterances compared to participants without the snapshots. In addition, the persistent snapshots were detrimental both in terms of providing information about the learning content and in terms of producing utterances solely for the purpose of managing the interaction. In this study, evidence also showed that these two verbal categories were positively related to learning performances. Finally, mediation analyses revealed that the negative effect of persistent snapshots was mediated by the fact that peers of the snapshots condition produced less information providing and interaction management utterances. Results are interpreted using a psycholinguistic framework applied to computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) literature and general guidelines are derived for the use of dynamic material and persistency tools in the design of CSCL environments.

Partner modeling is mutual

It has been hypothesized that collaborative learning is related to the cognitive effort made by co-learners to build a shared understanding. The process of constructing this shared understanding requires that each team member builds some kind of representation of the behavior, beliefs, knowledge or intentions of other group members. In two empirical studies, we measured the accuracy of the mutual model, i.e. the difference between what A believes B knows, has done or intends to do and what B actually knows, has done or intends to do. In both studies, we found a significant correlation between the accuracy of As model of B and the accuracy of Bs model of A. This leads us to think that the process of modeling ones partners does not simply reflect individual attitudes or skills but emerges as a property of group interactions. We describe on-going studies that explore these preliminary results.

The Symmetry of Partner Modelling.

Collaborative learning has often been associated with the construction of a shared understanding of the situation at hand. The psycholinguistics mechanisms at work while establishing common grounds are the object of scientific controversy. We postulate that collaborative tasks require some level of mutual modelling, i.e. that each partner needs some model of what the other partners know/want/intend at a given time. We use the term “some model” to stress the fact that this model is not necessarily detailed or complete, but that we acquire some representations of the persons we interact with. The question we address is: Does the quality of the partner model depend upon the modeler’s ability to represent his or her partner? Upon the modelee’s ability to make his state clear to the modeler? Or rather, upon the quality of their interactions? We address this question by comparing the respective accuracies of the models built by different team members. We report on 5 experiments on collaborative problem solving or collaborative learning that vary in terms of tasks (how important it is to build an accurate model) and settings (how difficult it is to build an accurate model). In 4 studies, the accuracy of the model that A built about B was correlated with the accuracy of the model that B built about A, which seems to imply that the quality of interactions matters more than individual abilities when building mutual models. However, these findings do not rule out the fact that individual abilities also contribute to the quality of modelling process.

When Co-learners Work on Complementary Texts: Effects on Outcome Convergence

In this paper, we examined the effect of knowledge interdependence among co-learners on knowledge convergence outcomes. Prior to collaboration, two partners read the same text in the independent condition while each of them read one of two complementary texts in the interdependent condition. In the remote collaboration phase, partners were asked to build a collaborative concept map. While interacting, they were provided with visualizations (concept maps) of both their own- and their partners knowledge. No effect of interdependence could be found with respect to both outcome knowledge equivalence and shared outcome knowledge. In the independence condition, convergence was mainly due to the fact that partners received the same text before collaboration. In the interdependence condition, shared knowledge did not occur as a result of social interaction. It seems that participants were able to individually link what they learnt from text to complementary information provided by their partners map.

EMORE-L: an emotion reporting tool for distance learning

Emotions can be used by students for diagnostic purposes, and can help them to regulate their learning process successfully. In the context of distance learning, few computer tools have been developed to promote awareness and use of emotions. In the present study, we designed a tool called EMORE-L (EMOtion Report for E-Learning) which is an emotion reporting tool able to collect emotions experienced by learners as well as different types of information related to emotions such as information about the way learners evaluate the situation, and their motivation to share their emotions with others. EMORE-L was used by 16 undergraduate students involved in a distance learning program. The method used was inspired from the Experience Sampling Method: students reported their emotions using EMORE-L for 15 consecutive days, one time a day. We present the results of this study and their implications for the design of emotion reporting tools.

Grand Challenge Problem 2: Adaptive Awareness for Social Regulation of Emotions in Online Collaborative Learning Environments

Students’ ability to understand and manage emotions in self and others plays an important role in the success of collaborative learning. In online learning environments, the access of socio-emotional cues is reduced, and this may lead to a lack of emotion awareness that could be detrimental to collaboration and learning performances. The project we present here aims at substantially improving learning effects with social media through the use of adaptive emotion awareness technology designed to support students’ emotional regulation in online groups.