Technology Tools for Scripted Collaborative Learning: The Case of t...

C omputer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) is an interdisciplinary branch of the t echnology-enhanced learning (TEL) field that p romotes the use of information and communications technologies for organizing, scaffolding, supporting, and evaluating such collaborative ways of learning. CSCL systems reflect the importance of social interactions as an essential element of learning as well as the role of participatory design of the potential actors that are involved in collaborative learning situations . Nevertheless, research a ffirm that unfocused activities and free collaboration does not systematically lead to learning outcomes. Therefore , it has been proposed that structured designs aim to create favorable conditions for learning. Th e use of collaborative scripts in the field of CSCL has been researched as an effective mechanism t o structure collaboration in order to increase the chances of effective collaborative learning.

A collaboration script is a set of instructions describing a collaborative learning scenario in terms of the activities to be performed by participants, the interactions between learners while performing such activities as well as the characteristics of tools that should be employed to support each activity. Specifically, a Collaborative Script is a sequence of phases and each phase is defined by five attributes: the task that students have to perform at this phase, the composition of the group: (for example: number of subjects, group formation rules, …) the way that the task is distributed within and among groups (e.g. subtasks, roles, …) the mode of interaction (e.g. face-to-face, a/synchronous, text-based or voice-based, …) the timing of the phase Thus, we can say that Collaborative Scripts are tools for enhancing the probability that productive interactions occur in the group. This approach turns collaborative learning into a method: Scripted Collaborative Learning

So, here arise an important issue: How can teachers develop effective collaborative learning designs or collaboration scripts according to the necessities of a particular learning situation, that can be interpreted and reused by computer applications? In order to enhance collaborative learning designs in CSCL, is proposed to formalize the representative and broadly accepted structuring techniques in collaborative learning in such a way that CSCL systems could reuse, particularize and customize these best practices according to the requirements of a concrete learning situation. The approach that has been adopted, consists in formulating these best practices as patterns: CLFPs or Collaborative Learning Flow Patterns define effective sequences of collaborative learning activities that can be easily reused and communicated to others. Moreover, the standard formalization of the CLFPs using IMS Learning Design (IMS-LD) specification provides a promising way of introducing effective design techniques in CSCL systems and easies integration and reuse.

CLFPs A CLFP can be understood as a way of describing a collaborative learning technique, which dictate common ways of structuring interactions among participants in different activities, as well as the information they interchange. Thus, CLFPs actually derive from practice (didacticism used in the practice) rather than from general learning theories, i.e. they represent methods (or “recipes”) that have been extensively tested and applied in a broad range of different settings and on which there are many publications on research or practical results. IMS Learning Design In order to be interpret by computer applications, it has been proposed to formalize the aforementioned CLFPs, using the IMS Learning Design specification. IMS-LD is an educational modeling language that allows the formal description of a wide range of pedagogical models, including collaborative learning. The language reflects the way learners perform collaborative activities using resources (content or/and services) and how all these components are coordinated into a learning flow.

Creation & enactment of effective collaboration scripts formalized in IMS-LD may be a difficult task for teachers and students, even if they have previous experience in collaborative learning. For instance: IMS-LD defines a structured XML-based language that may be hard to use The CL process is by itself a very complex process The selection of the patterns/templates is difficult Therefore, authoring and enactment tools are needed to facilitate the elaboration of collaboration scripts without the need of technical knowledge, employing representations and abstractions that are easy to understand and use.

The final objective is the implementation and adoption of a complete technological system for supporting the collaborative learning processes, as it can be seen in this Figure.

Authoring Tools (Editors) Reload LD Editor, ReCourse Editor, COSMOS: general purpose editors close to the specification (for LD experts) Collage, ASK-LDT, Prolix GLM, LAMS: graphical representations facilitates the authoring (however some require LD knowledge…) Enactment Tools (Players) CopperCore LD Reference Engine Reload LD Player, SLeD, Gridcole, GRAIL (.LRN)

The Reload LD Player guides and coordinates the groups of learners throughout the flow of learning activities defined in a collaboration script, formalized using IMS-LD. This tool, is a free and open-source software tool designed to run IMS Learning Designs and provide a user-friendly graphical user interface for the CopperCore LD runtime engine, which is the only available reference runtime engine for IMS Learning Designs. When the UoL is imported into the Player, dummy users are automatically set up for each role defined in the LD. Any role can be “played” by selecting that user from the list and clicking the play icon. All roles are loaded up as tabs in the browser panel. In this way, the user can view the behavior of the UoL for each role simultaneously.

If your Learning Design was successfully imported, you should see a tree structure similar to the screenshot . As part of the import process, several things have generated by default, so you dont have to do it manully. This includes setting up runs, users and roles. To play one of the roles, you will need to expand the tree until you find an actual role to play. These are denoted by the green lantern icon. Another panel will open displaying the role content. Use this as you would a web browser. As you can see the browser section of the player is divided up into various parts. At the top (the tab) is the title of this ROLE and who is assigned to it. U nder this are the browser controls. The actual user interface. As you can see this is divided up onto 4 distinct sections; The Activities Panel . T his panel is used for primary navigation. Once loaded you should expand the tree to see the structure of the course. The Environment Panel . T his displays any environment resources for a given activity. This can include Learning Objects, but also Mail and other communication activities. (iv) The Content Panel . This shows the actual course material & resources

Against this background, this paper describes a CSCL pilot case study for evaluating the script enactment tool named Reload LD Player. The main goal of the case study is twofold: To get evidence on whether collaboration scripts formalized with standard computer-interpretable notations (such as IMS-LD) can be successfully implemented in everyday educational settings, To provide evaluation evidence regarding the strong and weak points in suitability and applicability of the Reload LD Player in a real educational settings

The study reported in this paper was conducted during the winter semester 2009 with 14 postgraduate students participating. The case study implements a collaborative learning scenario during which students worked collectively to rehearse two topics on e-learning design. The study pursues clear learning objectives: on the content side, it is expected that students understand the two basic design principles covered in these two topics, in order to design and implement a mock-up of an e-learning interactive practice application. Moreover, on the skills side, the study promotes the ability of interpreting and selecting information, boosts the feeling that team members need each other to succeed and fosters discussion in order to help students construct knowledge.

The collaborative activity of the study lasted 2 weeks, during which students had to complete the three phases of the collaboration script. The script was based on the Jigsaw collaborative learning technique. The selection of this technique was motivated by the fact that the Jigsaw technique reduces students’ work load and it also promotes a fare sharing of it .

The Collage Editor was used to author the collaborative learning scenario as a Learning Design. Collage enables the easy editing of potential effective IMS-LD UoL by reusing and customizing best practices (i.e. Collaborative Learning Flow Patterns-CLFP’s) according to the requirements and conditions of a particular learning scenario. The IMS-LD UoL created in Collage consists of the Jigsaw CLFP and a set of particular resources (the two book chapters in pdf format) and services (the chat and forum tools). Students can then run the Reload LD Player and start performing the learning activities specified in the script with the support provided by the Player. In this sense, during the realization of the script, the system determines the collaborative or non-collaborative activities to be performed by participants while offering them the tools and documents they can use in each activity.

screenshots

This case study involves an original learning situation and, thus, a mixed evaluation method was applied comprising both quantitative and qualitative data gathering techniques. Q uantitative data are considered useful for showing trends, whereas qualitative results are used to confirm or discard those trends and to identify emergent features in the particular representative situation. Towards th e objective s of the case study , an evaluation process including three evaluation data categories was implemented. The first category is related to pedagogical issues regarding the collaborative learning technique and the motivation, if any, that Reload Player provided to students during the implementation of the collaboration script. The second category focuses on the technical characteristics of the Reload Player (i.e. information on usability issues regarding the use of the Player in everyday educational settings). Finally, the third data category regards the evaluation of the students’ communication tools (chat & forum) integrated in Reload Player. Students’ quantitative ratings and answers to open questions were collected in a hard-copy questionnaire, administered after the completion of the collaboration script. That information was complemented by the use of student outcomes and a focus group in which students were interviewed after the experience.

The collaborative script guides the teaching/learning process coordinating the students at the activity-level (according to the CLFPs). The experience proceeds as it is designed in Collage. Students find to be effective the activity-level guidance provided by the script. They do not find it too coercive because they can collaborate freely within the activities. The selected tools integrated in Reload Player support the realization of activities, although the use of the chat tool did not perceived as effective as the use of the forum. Needs of further flexibility emerge, especially for the selection of tools to support the collaborative activities. The script fosters the desired objectives related to collaborative learning as well as the educational content. The total experience was successful in promoting collaboration The experience fosters positive interdependence (students need each other to succeed) and individual accountability (each participant should be responsible for his/her contribution to the group work). All the groups discuss and reach agreement. The final deliverables of the collaboration script confirm the fulfilment of the learning objectives.

Students highly appreciate the collaborative learning scenario and the utilization of the Reload Player as compared to their previous university experience in terms of structuring collaboration and use of supporting technology. The scenario introduces many differences and innovations with respect to previous student’s experiences. The script provides a scripted collaboration strategy and does not encourage totally free collaboration and provides a degree of structuring the collaboration activities. Reload Players’ motivation for the collaborative activities needs further improvements Students appreciate the use of Reload Player. Finally, they have used an integrated tool for the support of scripted collaboration learning.

New case studies are needed to further evaluate the suitability of the presented approach in different educational, organizational, and technological contexts. For instance, the authors intend to use such technology tools for the support of scripted collaborative learning in undergraduate courses in the Computer Science Department of AUTH. Future research may explore the usability of other similar and/or complementary tools (e.g. authoring tools, like Collage and Players like SLeD) providing essential information to interested teachers on how to integrate the tools in CSCL activities. Of course, the main aim is the implementation of the above case studies with a bigger statistical sample.