|
Title:
|
IS IT JUST TALK? ANALYZING ELECTRONIC EXCHANGE STRUCTURE IN E-LEARNING GROUPS |
|
Author(s):
|
Hwee Ling Lim |
|
ISBN:
|
978-972-8939-17-5 |
|
Editors:
|
Miguel Baptista Nunes and Maggie McPherson |
|
Year:
|
2010 |
|
Edition:
|
Vol. I |
|
Keywords:
|
Collaborative learning; computer-mediated communication, discourse analysis. |
|
Type:
|
Full Paper |
|
First Page:
|
291 |
|
Last Page:
|
298 |
|
Language:
|
English |
|
Cover:
|
|
|
Full Contents:
|
click to dowload 
|
|
Paper Abstract:
|
From the constructivist perspective, dialog supports knowledge creation and exchanges between learners constitute empirical manifestations of collaborative knowledge building processes. Currently, online courses have increasingly adopted synchronous computer-mediated communication (chat) technologies to enhance interaction between distant learners but there is concern that the real-time, text-based and conversational characteristics of chat discourse contribute to interactional incoherence that disrupts collaborative learning. This paper presents the Exchange Structure Analysis framework developed for analyzing educational chat discourse. The results from analyzing electronic exchanges during tutorial discussions of two online undergraduate groups showed that chat facilitates collaborative learning as indicated by discussion depth and the cooperative rather than competitive efforts by participants in information sharing. The findings from discourse analysis were consistent with web survey results that showed student perceptions that tutorial discussions were relevant to the course topics. The conclusion discusses the implications of the findings for improving the design of online courses. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
