Electronic-Conferencing: Promoting a Community with Learning Opportunities for Developing

Electronic-conferencing: promoting a collaborative community with learning opportunities for developing teachers.

Maria Kyriakidou

Centre for Research in Teacher Education

School of Education

The Open University

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Tel: (01908) 654927

Paper presented at the British Educational Research Association Annual Conference, University of Sussex at Brighton, September 2-5 1999

Research Student Symposium

Introduction

New technologies open a new avenue of learning by providing access to people and to resources around the globe at any time. In the Information Age, academic debate takes place in the electronic pathways. In teacher education, in particular, computer-mediated-communication (CMC) has tremendous potential to facilitate teachers’ learning and professional development (Ellsworth, 1995; Davis, 1997; Leach,1997; Maier et al,1998). Computer-mediated-communication (CMC) describes the ways that computers and networks are used as mediators of human communication (Berge, 1995). Recent research supports that CMC promotes automy and develops reflective skills as well as reducing feelings of isolation often experienced by distant learners (Lewis, Gould et al., 1997; Mason, 1998).

Electronic-conferencing is one form of CMC, which allows messages to be sent from one individual to another or a group, and vice versa. Additionally the electronic-conferencing environment provides users with access to common shared databases of previously sent messages. Therefore, electronic-conferencing enables students to interact with each other and share information and ideas without the constraints of time and location. Leach (1997) argues that electronic-conferences enable shared ways of thinking and allow a record of the mental effort involved in the process. In the same vein, Maier et al., support that computer-conferencing is an ideal tool for collaborative or co-operative learning. They describe it as an electronic environment with various “areas” set aside for small group work, large group work, socialising and resources (Maier et al, 1998).

This paper explores how student-teachers make use of electronic-conferencing and provides an overview of the processes and the criteria for success of the medium. The aim of this paper is to give an account of how the use of electronic-conferencing promotes collaborative learning among developing teachers. In addition, the paper joins the debate on the role of CMC by comparing the findings of a pilot study conducted on the a group of students with current research on the field.

The first part of the paper expands on the methods used in the case study, and the second part reports on the results obtained from the study in comparison with previous research in the field.

Methods

The case selected to be investigated is the Open University Post Graduate Course in Education (PGCE) students’ use of an electronic-conferencing system such as First Class. The Open University teacher-training course involves students who are based in a remote position from the university and from each other, a fact that makes their use of the medium meaningful and necessary. The programme encourages the use of electronic-conferencing as a medium of communication and provides students with a computer and a modem in order to be able to talk electronically to their tutor, to each other and to central academic staff.

Data have been gathered from observation of the Science and Primary teacher electronic-conferences, audio logs/self recorded interviews and telephone interviews. Twenty-five people were invited to participate in this research and eventually fourteen contributed. This constitutes approximately twenty per cent of the conference participants. The criteria for selecting informants were the quality of their contribution, and the nature of their messages. Triangulating this information, a case study of CMC learning at the OU teacher-training course has been constructed.

A predesigned procedure has been followed in order to meet the objectives of the present study. Initially, conference observation was used and this method enabled to find out the salient features of students’ interaction in terms of frequency, nature, content and quality. Electronic-conference messages were collected according to their exactitude, logic, coherence, relevance and clarity. Then, specific levels of categorisation were developed and an analytical framework was formed, which has been used as a device for collecting and classifying data from the conferences. Beyond this, this framework has illuminated the issues under study and provided a guideline in approaching informants.

Analytical framework

The devised analytical framework consists of three different levels of analysis, which are called settings. These settings have been developed during the analysis of the electronic messages. The initial setting is very broad and mainly emerged from the observation of the conferences. The second one is derived from a theoretical model proposed by Banks, Leach and Moon (1999). The last setting was formulated after an elaborated examination and categorisation of the collected messages. These three suggested settings, which set the scene for the investigation are presented in Diagram 1 and explained in the following paragraphs.

Diagram 1

The first setting groups messages into three basic themes, which provide the first level of classification:

1.Theory: this area involves all the messages having to do with issues belonging to the broader field of education and teaching practice and the various disciplines involved.

2.Technical problems concerning the use of technology by the students for the needs of the course.

3.Course assignment issues related to students’ queries about their evaluation.

The first theme, which is called “theory”, includes the area under investigation. The messages falling into this specific area were carefully scrutinised. Subsequently, this area is devided into sub-categories according to the content of each message. Using as a framework a theoretical model proposed by Banks et al. (1999) enables the evolution of a lower level of categorisation within the theme called “theory”.

The proposed theoretical model considers the synthesis of three ideas as a starting point for conceptualising professional knowledge. The three ideas comprise the concepts of “subject knowledge”, “school knowledge” and “pedagogical knowledge” (Banks et al., 1999). Subject knowledge refers to the content knowledge within any subject domain. School knowledge is related to the way subject knowledge is transformed for schools. This transformation, however, is seen as a didactic rather than a pedagogic process. Pedagogical knowledge is then seen as the way of formulating the subject in order to make it comprehensible to students by using illustrations, demonstrations and examples. The three categories of knowledge are dynamically related to each other in a way such that they are insufficient unless integrated to a coherent whole. The authors stress that the active intersection of subject knowledge, school knowledge and pedagogical knowledge brings teacher professional knowledge into being (Banks et al., 1999).

This model essentially shapes the collection and the analysis of the electronic messages which fall into “theory”. Following this idea three mental groups are formed in order to categorise the messages. Therefore we have messages related with a)subject knowledge issues, b)school knowledge issues and c) pedagogical knowledge issues.

a)Subject knowledge: This analytical category includes messages which are oriented in order to discuss and understand specific areas of interest within the subject domain of the disciplines involved (eg Science, English).

b)School knowledge: This particular category includes those messages which are related to the way subject knowledge is specific to schools.

c)Pedagogical knowledge: This involves knowledge of the National Curriculum, teaching methods, techniques and demonstrations.

The third setting has been formulated after continuous and careful scrutiny of the collected messages. The analysis shows that students send messages in order to achieve the following:

1)to ask for support and help

2)to check understanding

3)to give feedback to previous questions or comments

4)to share new information about publications, multimedia products, conferences, exhibitions and material relevant to educational issues

5)to reflect on important issues that occupy them and provide an analysis of the processes they are involved as PGCE students.

This finding points to a crucial level of categorisation which forms the third setting.

The three settings overlap with each other. The first and the second settings are concerned with the content of the electronic messages whereas the third setting is related to the function that each message serves, i.e. the intention of the person who sent the message to the conference. The relationship between the three settings is such that certain categories of each framework are directly linked with specific categories of another framework:

a)The three areas of subject knowledge, school knowledge and pedagogical knowledge which constitute the second framework are sub-divisions of the category called “theory” of the first framework.

b)Messages falling into the categories of sharing new information, and reflection were found to be concerned with all three categories of the second framework; subject knowledge, pedagogical knowledge and school knowledge.

c)Messages falling into the categories of asking for support and help and checking understanding are related mostly with technical issues and course assignments and less with theory.

d) Messages under the label “giving feedback” are directed equally towards theory, technical issues and course assignments.

This means that students share new information about theory (subject knowledge, school knowledge and pedagogical knowledge). Additionally, they reflect on theory but they certainly do not reflect on technical issues and course assignments, rather they tend to check their understanding and ask for support and help. Feedback is given on topics concerning theory, as well as technical issues and course assignments. A vast amount of messages giving feedback, however, concern theory because usually more than three participants give feedback on a question or a comment about theory. Conversely, fewer people give answers to questions on technical issues.

The use of electronic-conferencing as a virtual learning environment

From the analysis of the electronic-conferences messages and the transcriptions of the interviews a clear picture emerges of how student teachers make use of the conferencing system as a tool for learning and personal growth. This section analyses the results of the study and explains how electronic-conferencing is being currently used at the Open University and how it supports students’ learning. Additionally it identifies the extent to which these findings reinforce or contradict the literature and previous research that has emerged.

Factual

Observation of conferences and evidence from students’ interviews show that students use the system in a daily basis and they exchange messages with each other quite often with a range of daily to every two weeks. The issues covered include such topics as teaching practice, lesson planning, school policy and subject knowledge matters. Students also discuss several course issues such as mentoring and they comment on assignments and lesson plans they have to submit for their assessment. Messages sent may ask for advice, support and help from other students or may be a reply to previous requests giving feedback.

Observation of regular patterns of behaviour of the people involved in the conference aloows the categorisation the conference participants according to their presence in the conference and according to their quality of contribution. Every person appearing in the conference is an individual with their own characteristics and patterns of behaviour, however, for the purposes of this research people have been grouped in three main categories: the contributors, the information seekers and the readers or listeners.

The contributors tend to appear in almost every thread of messages always expressing their views in long messages, they reflect on the issues under discussion and use a professional vocabulary. Contributors can be counselors, advisors, administrators and instructors, according to the nature of the message they intent to send. It is possible that contributors’ behaviour may have an impact to the role of the moderator, who on some occassions does not need to act at all because students undertake the tasks that he/she ought to perform.

The information seekers are those who seem to depend a lot on electronic-conferencing, especially when it comes to teaching practice and lesson planning. The third group, which includes the readers, plays the role of an audience in a conventional setting and tends to appear quite infrequently for reasons that are being explored. Haughey and Anderson (1998) refer to the people who read contributions of others without adding their own comments as “lurkers” and mention that this kind of behaviour in the conference can be harmful to active learning.

It should be stressed, however, that people usually adopt multiple different roles in the electronic-conferencing setting and find themselves changing roles according to the situation. For this reason it is difficult to estimate the exact porportion of the people who belong to each category. Nevertheless, for the investigated group of students it can be said that contributors constitute the smallest group in terms of quantity.

The theoretical framework of the conference participants’ categorisation to readers, information-seekers and contributors overlaps with the broader analytical framework proposed for this study. The content and the nature of the messages that determine the category in which they fall is closely related to the way senders behave in the conference and their mode of participation. It has been noticed that information seekers tend to ask for support and help equally on technical issues, course assignments and theory. They are not, however, involved either with reflection or sharing of new information. On the contrary contributors appear to be everywhere, giving feedback and sharing new information in particular. It has been recorded that some of them are always present in discussions of a reflecting nature. Additionally it appears that contributors are those who start debates by sending a question, which functions as a stimulus for the conference, and consequently a thread of messages emerges.

Learner autonomy

The students have initiated discussion subjects and interest areas in the conference. Students themselves decide on the topic of the discussion and the nature of the conversation. This means that electronic-conferencing enables a learner-centred approach which allows students to take responsibility for their own learning. (Mason, 1994, Berge and Collins; 1995, Pincas;1995, Bates;1995, Collis, 1996; Lewis, Gould and Ryan, 1997; Moon;1997). In this way, students have the freedom to discuss their needs as learners and they have the opportunity to identify specific issues and areas of knowledge that interest them. Therefore students are the designers of their own instruction and they act as professionals who make reasonable judgements and decisions in a complex environment.

It was found that students tend to discuss their teaching practice and communicate to others what they have learnt as developing teachers. The following extract is a message sent by a PGCE student to the Science conference, who links theory on cognitive development with school practice:

Thursday, April 02, 1998 7:32:01 PM

Science Archive 97 Item

From:Anna Brown

Subject:CASE

To:PGCE97 Science

Hello all,

Well, i had my first CASE lesson. Very interesting. The activities really motivated my Year 7's.

Activities were: Using a Newtonmeter to measure the force required to raise varying weights. Children had to define the input and output variables, take readings and try to establish a relationship between them.

Using various containers of differeing diameters and pouring the same volume of water into each and measuring the height of the water in each container. Children had to identify I/O variables and state if there is a relationship and if so the nature.

A data analysis worksheet where the children had data on several children re their height and weight. They had to establish a relationship by rearranging the data. In most cases the children realised that there was, infact, no relationship.

I was fascinated to learn that there was a wide range in the stage of cognitive development in my class and that cognitive development was at variance with reading age.

The great thing was, was that i was able to refer back to the CASE lesson when helping one of my pupils in a subsequent normal science lesson. He grasped the idea instantly.

Ive got more CASE lessons to do...... i'll let you have feedback then

Anna

The exchange of messages such as this and the discussion that emerges allows students to link theory with practice especially when they are having their teaching experience at schools and they are considering several classroom problems and methodology issues. This brings us to Curry and Wergin’ s proposal that professional education must help students develop un effective system for learning that will facilitate their transition from education into practice (Curry and Wergin, 1993).