Tzu-Chiang Lin

Contemporary intellectual structure of CSCL research (2006–2013): a co-citation network analysis with an education focus

This present study endeavors to discover the scholarly communication structure in the CSCL knowledge domain. To explore the intellectual structure of contemporary literature of CSCL research from 2006 to 2013, over a thousand research papers indexed in the leading journal publications and conference proceedings were retrieved from WOS. Accordingly, this paper adopted a series of methods to analyze these research articles from macro to micro level, including document co-citation analysis (DCA), exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and social network analysis (SNA). As a result, a total of 7,552 and 2,180 co-citation ties were obtained from 403 to 66 source papers, respectively. In addition, six intellectual subfields within the CSCL literature were extracted, namely: (1) representation, discourse & pattern, (2) factors influencing CSCL, (3) intervention and comparison, (4) critical reasoning, (5) process of social construction, and (6) design and modeling of CSCL. Central documents and publications within contemporary CSCL research were identified and presented in the undirected co-citation networks from both macro and micro perspectives. Furthermore, the dissemination of underlying subfields and pivotal documents serving as a boundary-spanning role were discussed. This is the very first attempt to integrate the bibliographical method, statistical analysis, and visualization techniques in relation to contemporary CSCL research. Further discussion and research directions for future CSCL study are provided.

Conceptions of Memorizing and Understanding in Learning, and Self-Efficacy Held by University Biology Majors

This study aims to explore Taiwanese university students’ conceptions of learning biology as memorizing or as understanding, and their self-efficacy. To this end, two questionnaires were utilized to survey 293 Taiwanese university students with biology-related majors. A questionnaire for measuring students’ conceptions of memorizing and understanding was validated through an exploratory factor analysis of participants’ responses. As for the questionnaire regarding the students’ biology learning self-efficacy (BLSE), an exploratory factor analysis revealed a total of four factors including higher-order cognitive skills (BLSE-HC), everyday application (BLSE-EA), science communication (BLSE-SC), and practical works (BLSE-PW). The results of the cluster analysis according to the participants’ conceptions of learning biology indicated that students in the two major clusters either viewed learning biology as understanding or possessed mixed-conceptions of memorizing and understanding. The students in the third cluster mainly focused on memorizing in their learning while the students in the fourth cluster showed less agreement with both conceptions of memorizing and understanding. This study further revealed that the conception of learning as understanding was positively associated with the BLSE of university students with biology-related majors. However, the conception of learning as memorizing may foster students’ BLSE only when such a notion co-exists with the conception of learning with understanding.

Innovative Technology-Assisted Science Learning in Taiwan

The utilization of technology for enhancing science learning has gradually become one of the major trends in science education. This chapter first describes the background of technology-assisted science learning research in Taiwan. Then, it reviews the journal publications of technology-assisted science learning by Taiwan researchers in the last 10 years (2003–2012). The usage of innovative technologies (such as virtual reality, mobile learning, ubiquitous learning, augmented learning, or game-based learning), research methodologies, and research topics is analyzed. With regard to the studies conducted in Taiwan during the period 2003–2012, the researchers placed more emphasis on mobile technologies to strengthen the web-based learning of science. Educational games, augmented reality (AR) technologies, and audience response systems (ARS) have gradually been utilized to support interactive learning environments. The selected studies preferred to adopt a quantitative approach with (quasi-) experimental settings in the design of their research. As for the research topics, the researchers showed major interest in the learning environment and students’ motivation. The derived suggestions and potential implications for future implementations are discussed.

The Current Status of Science Teachers’ TPACK in Taiwan from Interview Data

Teachers’ knowledge about technology-infused instruction has recently attracted much research attention. This chapter focuses on science teachers’ technological pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK) in the practical context of teaching, namely, TPACK-Practical (TPACK-P). The proposed framework of TPACK-P includes three major domains—assessments, planning and designing, and teaching practice—that are theoretically transformed from the perspectives of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). To explore science teachers’ TPACK-P, 40 in-service teachers were interviewed, and a coding scheme was developed to analyze the interview responses. The findings indicated that the science teachers generally know how to adopt technologies in teaching within each domain of TPACK-P. A cluster analysis based on the participants’ level of TPACK-P categorized their patterns of knowledge. Three groups of science teachers emerged from these analysis categories: infusive application, transition, and plan and design emphasis. The infusive application group represents science teachers with sophisticated levels of TPACK-P across the three domains; the transition group includes science teachers whose knowledge achieved average levels across the three dimensions. However, the plan and design emphasis group refers to the science teachers who were more knowledgeable about planning and designing technology-infused teaching than about the assessment and teaching practice domains. The overall results indicate that the knowledge of planning and designing may be a more independent part in TPACK-P that supports science teachers’ implementation of technology-infused teaching. The revealed patterns of this science teachers’ TPACK-P may provide the groundwork for developing instruments to evaluate science teachers’ competence in teaching with technologies.