Dissertation+Reviews

Tiffany Hoefer EDET 780 May 22, 2011 Dissertation Reviews

As the demand for online and computer-based studies continues to increase, the role of educational technology becomes more and more prevalent in curriculum. All levels of education from preschool to post-graduate work rely more and more heavily on shared workspaces, synchronous and asynchronous activities. The following dissertations studied what effects success in various collaborative learning applications. Lárusson looks at the how Wikis and expanded WikiDesignPlatforms can enhance student learning and improve the collaborative part of collaborative learning. Suter looks at the importance of student perceived or ‘felt’ presence of others in the applications, such as Second Life. Ioannou Nicolaou compared the differences in Wiki and threaded discussions in collaborative learning environments.

**Dissertation 1: **

Citation: Lárusson, J.. Supporting the "collaborative" part of wiki-mediated collaborative learning activities. Ph.D. dissertation, Brandeis University, United States -- Massachusetts. Retrieved May 19, 2011, from Dissertations & Theses: Full Text.(Publication No. AAT 3403337).

URL to Dissertation Record in ProQuest __ [] __

Embedded file in pdf:

**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Summary ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This study reviewed the suitability of Wiki and expanded Wiki platforms, such as WikiDesigns Platforms, in providing adequate framework for fostering quality collaborative learning. Additionally, Lárusson sought to show that expanded platforms can support metagcognitive task, such as reflection and self-examination. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Lárusson reported evidence from two case studies. While the studies varied in the tightness or the collaboration among the students, both studies addressed the collaborative needs of each. The studies revealed that regardless of the tightness of student collaboration, that the students found the technology worth their time in use and that despite working asynchronously, student collaboration was high. The case study involving loose student collaboration required students to perform in co-blogging activities. Participants consisted of 9 graduate and undergraduate students who participated in the co-blogging activity for 4 and one-half weeks. Participation quantity was measured as high and having depth (multiple comments my multiple users). Students indicated that they felt that others paid attention to their contributions and they felt the experience was valuable. The study that reviewed tighter student collaboration required that students jointly solve a problem, perform an analysis and produce a specific product. Students were allowed to meet outside of class to collaborate and were able to choose to collaborate on line or face to face. Students were very active and produced a large volume of work. When surveyed at the end of the 4 week series, using 18 undergraduates. Students were surveyed at the end of the activity to determine perceived usefulness. 1 student did not complete the survey. Of the remaining 17 only 2 indicated that they did not find the design useful. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Review ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Lárusson offers a look into what makes Computer Supported Collaborative Learning environments successful, and specifically what make them collaborative. The differences in the tightness and looseness of the groups and the type of work they were collaborating on provides a nice range of metrics and helps link collaborative success to metacognition. While not specifically addressed by the author, I think this research can be further developed across wider populations (younger students and adult learners) to determine greater efficacy in collaborative learning.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Dissertation 2: **

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Citation: <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Suter, V.. I am here---are you there? Sense of presence and implications for virtual world design. Ed.D. dissertation, Pepperdine University, United States -- California. Retrieved May 19, 2011, from Dissertations & Theses: Full Text.(Publication No. AAT 3449167).

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">URL to Dissertation Record in ProQuest: <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">__ [] __ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Embedded file in pdf:

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Summary ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This study attempted to study the importance and relevance of student perceived presence in online learning environments. The author used Second Life as the platform from which to measure student involvement and subsequent sense of presence. Suter draws on the Socratic perspective that learning environments are based on face-to-face interactions between students and instructors, communed in one place to learn in each other’s presence. This presence is the shared space in which people are learning together. Suter hopes to parlay that sense of presence to a non-face-to-face environment where successful learning takes place. The participants were 20 graduate students who were asked to carry out assigned collaborative activities using Second Life. Analysis was measured using a variety of surveys pre, during and post activity. Suter’s review of the data reveals gaps in the sense of presence in online learning environments. Suter suggests that we need to design virtual worlds that create a greater sense of presence for participants in collaborative learning environments. Suter posits that new platforms will increase efficacy in collaborative workspaces and bridge the current gap between theory and practice. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Review ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Suter does a good job of investigating the lack of engagement that exists in online and collaborate work platforms. By following the trends, successes and failures of a longer-term collaborative project, Suter was able to measure the changing roles and attitudes that emerge over longer periods of time. In a shorter project, time may not be sufficient to review role changes and the ups and downs in excitement, commitment and engagement. I believe that this research can be further extended to workplace collaborative space, and hopefully improving attitude and efficiency in the workplace. If collaborative workspaces become more commonplace in the business world, we can actualize fewer meetings and improve cross-departmental, regional unit collaboration. This research has a huge potential to bridge not only gaps in theory and practice in education, but providing the opportunity for other disciplines to profit from the information.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Dissertation 3: **

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Citation: <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ioannou Nicolaou, A.. Supporting collaborative learning in online environments: The promise of wiki technology. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Connecticut, United States -- Connecticut. Retrieved May 19, 2011, from Dissertations & Theses: Full Text.(Publication No. AAT 3401994).

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">URL to Dissertation Record in ProQuest <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">__ [] __ <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Embedded file in pdf:

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Summary ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This study researched the differences in collaboration levels and kinds of collaborative learning interactions found in wiki and threaded discussions. Students were required to perform a case study and produce an artifact. The study followed 34 graduate students in two different sections of an online learning theories course. The researchers employed hybrid methods, utilizing qualitative, quantitative, and illustrative techniques to analyze the data. The study is grounded in sociocultural learning perspectives and studied the wiki and threaded discussions based on Activity Theory, which works from the ideas that individual cognition relies on sociocultural features and is improved by physical tools, symbols, words, images and tools. All student groups completed the course requirements regardless of they types of technologies their groups engaged in. Students completed a number of surveys throughout the course. The surveys, using Likert-type questions, evaluated student levels of satisfaction. Contributions for wiki and threaded discussions were measured and coded to obtain quantifiable data. As all students completed the course requirements, no discernable change in output can be attributed to platform. However, the overall study some statistical significance that wiki use better facilitates online collaborative case analysis than threaded discussions. The author does recommend that the results be interpreted with caution and states that it is inappropriate to argue that wikis are always better suited to online collaboration than threaded discussions. However, the author does note that this study may help with acquiring a better understanding of how online learners use various types of collaborative platforms in an educational technology environment. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Review ** <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ioannou Nicolaou puts forth a very interesting study, which compares the efficacy of threaded discussions and wikis in collaborative, online educational environments. This study provided a good foundation for understanding how online users collaborate through the use of wikis and threaded discussion trails. Ioannou Nicolaou did a good job of measuring output, student activity and student perception. I believe that this research should lead to other research into how online collaboration works and does not work for students. I think that Ioannou Nicolaou’s use of two different classes for the same course, helps provide validity to his findings. The requirements are the same, time is the same (no unmeasured technology advances, and students should be at approximately the same point in their academic studies.