Stefan Hrastinski

A theory of online learning as online participation

In this paper, an initial theory of online learning as online participation is suggested. It is argued that online learner participation (1) is a complex process of taking part and maintaining relations with others, (2) is supported by physical and psychological tools, (3) is not synonymous with talking or writing, and (4) is supported by all kinds of engaging activities. Participation and learning are argued to be inseparable and jointly constituting. The implication of the theory is straightforward: If we want to enhance online learning, we need to enhance online learner participation.

What is online learner participation? A literature review

It is commonly argued that a key challenge for e-learning is to encourage learner participation. Even though this challenge has received increased attention by researchers, little effort has been put into developing a sound theoretical understanding of what online participation actually is and how it may be studied empirically. This paper examines the conceptions and research approaches that underlie research on online participation in e-learning settings. A classification scheme was iteratively developed and used when publications on the topic were reviewed. It was found that research is dominated by low-level conceptions of online participation, which relies on frequency counts as measures of participation. However, some researchers aim to study more complex dimensions of participation, such as whether participants feel they are taking part and are engaged in dialogues, reflected by using a combination of perceived and actual measures of participation. In conclusion, a definition of online learner participation that acknowledges its more complex dimensions, such as doing, communicating, thinking, feeling, and belonging, is proposed.

The potential of synchronous communication to enhance participation in online discussions: A case study of two e-learning courses

Computer-mediated communication (CMC) has commonly been adopted in educational settings. However, few researchers have studied the effects of different CMC in such settings. This study examines how the use of synchronous chat, as a complement to asynchronous discussion board, affects student participation in online discussions. Two online classes of different sizes (n=8, 19) that participated in two asynchronous and two synchronous online discussions were examined. Both actual and perceived measures of participation indicated that the use of synchronous chat affected participation positively, which was especially evident in the smaller class. In the synchronous discussions, the students felt that they worked together, because they were confident that someone would respond to their ideas, and they did not feel restricted to discussing course content, which seem to be key factors in what is labeled personal participation.

How are campus students using social media to support their studies? An explorative interview study

Social media hype has created a lot of speculation among educators on how these media can be used to support learning, but there have been rather few studies so far. Our explorative interview study contributes by critically exploring how campus students perceive using social media to support their studies and the perceived benefits and limitations compared with other means. Although the vast majority of the respondents use social media frequently, a “digital dissonance” can be noted, because few of them feel that they use such media to support their studies. The interviewees mainly put forth e-mail and instant messaging, which are used among students to ask questions, coordinate group work and share files. Some of them mention using Wikipedia and YouTube for retrieving content and Facebook to initiate contact with course peers. Students regard social media as one of three key means of the educational experience, alongside face-to-face meetings and using the learning management systems, and are mainly used for brief questions and answers, and to coordinate group work. In conclusion, we argue that teaching strategy plays a key role in supporting students in moving from using social media to support coordination and information retrieval to also using such media for collaborative learning, when appropriate.

Socio-technical IS design science research: developing design theory for IS integration management

Design science research is an essential part of IS research since the field should not only try to understand how the world is, but also how to change it. We argue that the aim of IS design science research should be to develop practical knowledge not only for the design of novel information technology (IT), but also for IS governance and management. Whereas at least some methodological support exists for researchers engaged in IT-centric design science research, limited support is available for researchers who want to develop design knowledge and theory for IS governance and management. To overcome this shortcoming, we suggest a socio-technical IS design science research approach. The approach has four main activities: (1) identifying problem situations and desired outcomes, (2) reviewing extant theories, knowledge and data, (3) proposing/refining design theory and knowledge, and (4) testing design theory and knowledge. The applicability and usefulness of the proposed approach is shown by means of a design science research project concerning IS integration management in the context of mergers and acquisitions.

Design exemplars for synchronous e-learning: A design theory approach

Synchronous e-learning has received much less research attention, as compared with asynchronous e-learning. Practitioners that consider using and designing synchronous e-learning are in urgent need of guidance. In order to address this need, we propose design exemplars for synchronous e-learning. They are directed towards a primary constituent community of teachers, administrators, managers and developers of e-learning. The exemplars have been theoretically as well as empirically grounded through cross-case analyses of studies conducted between 2003 and 2006. Moreover, the exemplars have been evaluated by conducting focus group sessions with experienced practitioners having experience of using and developing e-learning. Strong support was identified for each design exemplar. The exemplars can be used as research hypotheses and be tested in future design research.

The Relationship between Adopting a Synchronous Medium and Participation in Online Group Work: An Explorative Study

Achieving student participation it has been argued is one of the most important challenges in distance education. This explorative study examines whether a synchronous communication medium, instant messaging (IM), may enable students to participate more actively in online group work. When comparing two groups that adopted IM with two groups that did not it was found that the adopters had a higher sense of participation and spent more time working with the content and communicating with their peers. Moreover, the social networks of the adopters were slightly denser. Thus, the study indicates that the groups that adopted IM operated with a higher level of participation, although it should be noted that these results are based on a small group of students. All groups used e-mail for group interactions but the adopters also used IM as a complement to e-mail. The paper concludes by calling for more research to test the results of this study in other contexts.

Computer-Mediated Communication in Education: A Review of Recent Research

The field of research on computer‐mediated communication (CMC) in education is a relatively new research area. A summary of the latest research is useful to show what methodologies and research topics have been emphasized in order to be better prepared for the future by uncovering areas where there is a lack of research. The study examines articles published in Computers & Education, Educational Media International, Journal of Educational Computing Research and Journal of Educational Media between 2000 and 2004. It reveals that the field is dominated by empirical articles that adopt a pluralistic approach and investigate the use of asynchronous text‐based CMC systems by learners and instructors engaged in blended education. The article is concluded by suggesting how these findings may guide future research. La Recherche sur la communication informatisée en éducation : un résumé des travaux récents Le domaine de la recherche sur la communication informatisée (CMC) en éducation est un secteur relativement nouveau. Il est utile de disposer d’un résumé des derniers travaux pour faire apparaître quelles sont les méthodologies et les thèmes de recherche qui ont été privilégiés dans le but de mieux préparer l’avenir en mettant à jour les domaines où il y a carence de recherche. La présente étude examine des articles publiés dans Computers & Education, Educational Media International, Journal of Educational Computing Research et le Journal of Educational Media entre 2000 et 2004. Elle révèle que le terrain est majoritairement occupé par des articles empiriques qui adoptent un point de vue pluraliste et qui étudient l’usage que les apprenants et les enseignants font des systèmes de communication informatisée asynchrones et fondés sur les textes lorsqu’ils participent à un apprentissage multimodal. Cet article se termine par des exemples montrant comment ces découvertes sont susceptibles de guider les recherches futures. Untersuchung von Computer‐gestützter Kommunikation in der Erziehung: Eine Zusammenfassung neuester Forschungsergebnisse Das Gebiet der Computer‐gestützten Kommunikation in der Pädagogik ist ein relativ neuer Forschungsbereich. Eine Zusammenfassung der letzten Forschungsergebnisse scheint nützlich, um herauszufinden, welche methodologischen und forschungsmäßigen Themen herausgehoben werden müssen, um auf die zukünftige Bearbeitung bisher vernachlässigter Bereiche besser vorbereitet zu sein. In der Studie wurden Artikel, die in “Computers & Education”, “Educational Media International”, “Journal of Educational Computing Research” und “Journal of Educational Media” zwischen 2000 und 2004 erschienen sind, untersucht. Es zeigte sich, dass das Feld von empirischen Artikeln dominiert wird, die einen pluralistischen Ansatz bevorzugen, und den Gebrauch von asynchronen textbasierten CMC Systemen durch Lerner und Ausbilder, die in “blended education” (Mischung zwischen face‐to‐face und Online‐Lernen; d.Ü) engagiert sind, untersuchen. Das Papier schließt mit Beispielen, wie diese Ergebnisse zukünftige Forschung leiten könnten. La investigación sobre la comunicación informatizada en educación. Un resumen de los últimos estudios El campo de la investigación sobre la comunicación informatizada en educación es relativamente nuevo. Un resumen de los últimos trabajos es una cosa útil para evidenciar las metodologías y temas que han sido privilegiados, con el fín de ayudarnos a preparar el futuro conociendo los sectores donde hay una carencia de investigación. El presente estudio examina artículos publicados en Computers & Education, Educational Media International, el Journal of Educational Computing Research y el Journal of Educational Media entre 2000 y 2004. Nos revela que en su mayoría, el campo está ocupado por artículos empíricos que adoptan un abordaje pluralista y que estudian el uso por parte de los alumnos y profesores de los sistemas de comunicación informatizada asíncrona basada en textos cuando están involucrados en un aprendizaje multimodal (blended learning). El artículo concluye con ejemplos que muestran como esas observaciones son capaces de orientar futuras investigaciones.

A Review of Technologies for Open Innovation: Characteristics and Future Trends

Fuelled by increased interest among organizations to team up with their customers, technologies for supporting open innovation are emerging. In this paper, we explore how current technologies are designed to support open innovation, in order to envision future developments and research challenges. A sample of 51 systems has been classified. Surprisingly, we found that most technologies for open innovation are not very innovative because they provide similar features. Typically, users are asked to suggest ideas or solve predefined problems in collaboration with others. By drawing on our review, we identified four types of open innovation systems: idea management system, problem solving system, marketplace system and innovation analysis system. In conclusion, we noted that a key challenge for research and practice is to gain a deeper understanding of how collaboration technologies can be connected with more sophisticated opportunities for reflection and analysis.

An examination of research approaches that underlie research on educational technology : A review from 2000 to 2004

This study examines the research approaches that underlie research on educational technology. A classification framework was developed and used when examining all articles published in four well-known journals between 2000 and 2004 (n = 660). The aim of the study was to contribute toward an understanding of the research approaches that characterize research on educational technology. It was found that research is increasingly dominated by empirical articles that adopt a pluralistic approach, both regarding research methods but also regarding different types of non-empirical research. The focus has been to apply rather than develop frameworks, concepts, and theory. Published articles in the four journals were more different from each other than what the aims and scopes of the journals led us to believe. Finally, researchers are challenged to reflect on the state of the field and how it may be further developed.