computer-mediated communications

Critically Reflective Critically Reflective Teacher Dialogue In Teacher Dialogue In Asynchronous Asynchronous Computer-Mediated Computer-Mediated CommunicationCommunication Mark Hawkes, Ph.D.Mark Hawkes, Ph.D.Dakota State UniversityDakota State UniversityInternational Conference on International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies, Advanced Learning Technologies, August 2001August 2001

Computer-Mediated Communications

The use of computers and computer The use of computers and computer networks as communication tools by networks as communication tools by people who are collaborating with people who are collaborating with each other to achieve a shared goal, each other to achieve a shared goal, which do not require the physical which do not require the physical presence or co-location of presence or co-location of participants, and which can provide participants, and which can provide a forum for continuous a forum for continuous communication free of time communication free of time constraints. (Kaye, 1991, p. 5)constraints. (Kaye, 1991, p. 5)

Synchronous Communication Takes place in real time, just as if

two people were talking on the telephone

Examples: group decision support systems, virtual hallways, network video conferencing, Internet relay chat, and MUDs (Multiple User Dimensions)

Asynchronous Asynchronous CommunicationsCommunications These communications are sent to

an intended receiver but are not delivered until the receiver physically accesses them.

Examples: Internet, e-mail, newsgroups, listservs, electronic bulletin boards

Characteristics of Characteristics of Asynchronous Asynchronous CommunicationsCommunications Interactivity Time Independence Place Independence Multi-participant Capacity Communication Storage and

Retrievability Text Orientation

Explore teachers’ use ofasynchronous computer-mediated communications and,in particular, if and how CMCencourages them to reflect moreon their practice as teachers.

Study PurposeStudy Purpose

Key QuestionsKey Questions

1. How do reflective processes in face-to-facedialogue differ from reflection that takesplace in dialogue through computer-mediated systems?

2. What features of the network collaborationdo participants indicate hinder or facilitatereflective dialogue?

Characteristics of Study ParticipantsCharacteristics of Study ParticipantsElectronic PBL Electronic PBL Districtwide Districtwide

Statewide Statewide NN %% NN %% NN %%

Number of TeachersNumber of Teachers 2828 100100 975975 100100 116,574116,574100100

GenderGenderFemaleFemale 25 25 8989 845845 8787 87,66487,664 75 75MaleMale 3 3 1111 130130 1313 28,91028,910

2525Teaching Tenure Teaching Tenure 18 18 15 15 14 14

Average School SizeAverage School Size 623623 657657 424 424

Teacher EthnicityTeacher EthnicityAsianAsian 0 0 0 0 10 10 1 1 816816 1 1BlackBlack 0 0 0 0 7 7 1 1 13,17213,172

1111HispanicHispanic 0 0 0 0 10 10 1 1 3,6133,613 3 3WhiteWhite 2828 100100 948948 9797 96,649 8596,649 85

District CharacteristicsDistrict Characteristics 27 Schools27 Schools

– 4 Junior High Schools4 Junior High Schools– 23 Elementary Schools23 Elementary Schools

15,765 Students (K-8)15,765 Students (K-8) Ethnicity:Ethnicity:

– Asian: 11 %Asian: 11 %– Black: 5 %Black: 5 %– Hispanic: 5%Hispanic: 5%– White: 78 %White: 78 %

Technology CharacteristicsTechnology Characteristics Each of the 1,051 classrooms is connected to

the district network 64 kilobyte line connectivity One networked computer for every 12 students Of computers available for student use,

approximately 38 percent are laptops and 62 percent are desktops

District annual technology budget: $4.75 million per year

Project GoalsProject Goals

Developing integrated and authentic learningunits that focus on “real-life” problem solving

Increasing skills and usage of value-addedtechnology tools those that strengthenengaged teaching and learning

Developing and sharing strategies for usingnetworks to improve teaching and learning

Project Goals Project Goals (cont.)(cont.)

Creating “communities of practice” (students,teachers, and experts in the field) that will usenetwork technologies as a means of sharinginformation, questions, and ideas and inconstructing knowledge

Equipping students with the skills they need tobe productive members of the workforce.

Data SourcesData Sources Electronic communications archivesElectronic communications archives Teacher team meetingsTeacher team meetings Teacher InterviewsTeacher Interviews Classroom artifactsClassroom artifacts

– Teacher curriculum plansTeacher curriculum plans– Student productsStudent products– Assessment toolsAssessment tools

MethodsMethods Discourse analysisDiscourse analysis Server log file analysisServer log file analysis Inferential statistical analysisInferential statistical analysis Qualitative thematic analysisQualitative thematic analysis SurveySurvey

Face-to-face and CMC Face-to-face and CMC dialogue content dialogue content comparisoncomparison

Numberof Words

Utterances/Messages

Chunks/Messages

Words PerChunk/Post

FTF 19,000 846 222 86CMC 19,303 179 179 108

* indicates significance at the .05 level on Z-tests for percentages.

Social ExchangesLogistics

Technology UseGeneral PBL Development

PBL Technology IntegrationReview Curriculum Implementation Events

Student AssessmentClassroom Roles

Compare/ContrastResource Sharing

Motivation/Encouragement

General0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Percent (%)

Face-to-Face CMC

*

**

*

*

Categories of Teacher Messages

Chi-square values on discourse interaction variables

CMC (n) FTF (n) 12

PInvolvement Strategies

“Wh” clauses 220 326 22.99 .001

Indefinite pronouns 435 474 2.404 .065

Amplifiers 220 28810.348 .001 Conversational Cooperation 25 95 10.007 .002 Sequential Accountability 15 43 3.009 .064

Comparison of communication Comparison of communication mediums on levels of mediums on levels of reflectivenessreflectiveness

N Mean SD t Sig.Face-to-FaceDiscourse

222 2.34 .962 4.14 .001

Computer-MediatedDiscourse

179 2.73 1.049

Percentage of Rater Observations at Each Reflective Level

1 2 3 4 5 6 7Reflective Level

0

10

20

30

40

50

Per

cen t

(%)

Face-to-Face CMC

core

Self-Report Technology Comfortability Score

4.03.53.02.52.01.51.0

ObservedTeacherReflectionScore

4.0

3.5

3.0

2.5

2.0

1.5

Technology Comfortability and Reflection

Correlation

Mean Reflective Scores Over Time

Beginning Middle End

Time of Observation

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

Mea

n R

efle

ctiv

e R

atin

g

Face-to-face CMC

2.751

2.152

3.289

2.5292.243

2.183

Influences on Critical Influences on Critical ReflectionReflection Discourse ModeratorDiscourse Moderator OnLine Rules of EtiquetteOnLine Rules of Etiquette Conversational FloorConversational Floor Discourse FocusDiscourse Focus Asynchronous DialogueAsynchronous Dialogue Text OrientationText Orientation TimeTime

Message Postings By Time of Day

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11am pm

0

5

10

15

20

Num

ber o

f Me s

sage

s

Week Day Weekend Reflective Messages

Self Report Reflection Scores4.03.83.63.43.23.02.82.62.4

SelfReportEfficacyScores

4.0

3.8

3.6

3.4

3.2

3.0

2.8

2.6

2.4

Self-Efficacy and Reflection Correlation

Observed Reflective Scores4.54.03.53.02.52.01.5

4.0

3.8

3.6

3.4

3.2

3.0

2.8

SelfReportEfficacyScores

Self-Efficacy and Observed Reflection Correlation

Computer-Mediated Computer-Mediated CommunicationCommunicationFacilitates teacher reflectionFacilitates teacher reflectionSatisfies knowledge-based Satisfies knowledge-based

professional development professional development needsneeds

promotes teacher promotes teacher collaborationcollaboration

Suggestions for Suggestions for Implementing CMC Implementing CMC Professional Development Professional Development Moderator with limited facilitation role.Moderator with limited facilitation role.

– Assists participants in gaining access to Assists participants in gaining access to conversational floorconversational floor

– Ensures technical topics do not dominate Ensures technical topics do not dominate discoursediscourse

– Helps maintain discourse focusHelps maintain discourse focus– Synthesizes contributions and points out how Synthesizes contributions and points out how

reflective ideas were processes and how reflective ideas were processes and how individual messages contributed to the individual messages contributed to the reflective discoursereflective discourse

Suggestions Suggestions (cont.)(cont.)

Discourse FocusDiscourse Focus– Immediately applicable to the classroomImmediately applicable to the classroom– For K-6 teachers: age-level focusFor K-6 teachers: age-level focus– For 7-12 teachers: content area focusFor 7-12 teachers: content area focus– Anchored in pedagogy, not technologyAnchored in pedagogy, not technology


Participant CompositionParticipant Composition• Narrow participation--Homogeneous Narrow participation--Homogeneous

groupinggrouping– Convergent tasking activities--curriculum Convergent tasking activities--curriculum

development, study group, study task forcedevelopment, study group, study task force

• Broad participation--Heterogeneous Broad participation--Heterogeneous groupinggrouping– Divergent tasking activities--brain storming, Divergent tasking activities--brain storming,

anecdotal/experience sharing . . . anecdotal/experience sharing . . .


Access at homeAccess at home• Better/faster access at homeBetter/faster access at home• More time at homeMore time at home• Teachers do a good deal of their Teachers do a good deal of their

professional work at homeprofessional work at home


Teacher Skills TrainingTeacher Skills Training• Screen for presence of appropriate Screen for presence of appropriate

prerequisite skillsprerequisite skills• Provide training concurrent with reasonable Provide training concurrent with reasonable

technology accesstechnology access• Provide technical assistance away from the Provide technical assistance away from the

discourse forum either through e-mail or as a discourse forum either through e-mail or as a separate conference threadseparate conference thread

• Provide pointers to helpful online documents Provide pointers to helpful online documents (FAQs)(FAQs)

Research NeedsResearch Needs A study of threads of discourse rather than A study of threads of discourse rather than

chucks/single messages, including the chucks/single messages, including the sustainability of reflection, the diversity of sustainability of reflection, the diversity of contributions, and the utility of CMC contributions, and the utility of CMC participation in improving teacher practiceparticipation in improving teacher practice

The effects of conversational pace, The effects of conversational pace, purpose, and range of participants on purpose, and range of participants on reflectionreflection

Task/role analysisTask/role analysis

computer-mediated communications

Documents