Author(s): Du Honglu, Hao Jiang, Mary Beth Rosson, John M. Carroll
Published: July, 2010 in 10th IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies
URL to article
Research Focus Area: Strategies for using questioning and discussion techniques to deepen student understanding
Abstract:
Student engagement is a pervasive and persistent goal for educators. In previous work we have reported that activities like public real-time commenting on videos can en- hance student participation and engagement [4]. However, these events occur over a limited period of time. Thus a more challenging question is how to increase and sustain student engagement. In this paper we describe the iterative develop- ment of ClassCommons, a public commenting system with which students can post questions/comments that are shared through a public display in the classroom. The system was used in a senior undergraduate class in the spring semester of 2009. Our findings suggest that students were interested in this sys- tem. Students with different self-construal (independent vs. interdependent) appropriate this system for slightly different purposes. In the long run, we speculate that by having the teacher involved more in using this system (responding more quickly, helping structuring the discussions), it has potential for promoting sustained student engagement.
Research Question(s):
Is ClassCommons, a public commenting system, efficient in increasing and sustaining student participation and engagement in the classroom?
Methods:
Intervention
Setting:
The most recent trial took place in a project-based usability engineering course (UEC) in Pennsylvania State University during the Spring quarter. 45 students were enrolled in the course, 40 of which were males, and 5 of which were females. The students included in the trial were primarily seniors in an information sciences and technology program, but there were a few junior-level students in the class. The class met in a large classroom for 75 minutes and the instructions were delivered in work-shop style, with active participation by both the teacher and the students. The focus group interviews included 8 students - 7 males and 1 female - and were conducted in the 10th week of the Spring quarter.
Key Findings:
There were fluctuations in the students’ use of the public commenting system during the course of the intervention based on the calculated percentages of the frequency, intensity, and average length of students’ messages.
- Students participation in the ClassCommons system was gradually reducing with time. - Participation increased after the system’s prototype was improved.
- Students preferred to use pseudonyms or create anonymous posts to preserve their confidentiality.
- The differences in the use of the system was found to be associated with the personal characteristics of students.
- Students’ interest and participation in the public commenting system was higher when they felt more independent. Along with statistical calculations, the researchers analyzed the content of the messages posted by students to distinguish between the following categories: problems/suggestions polling/voting, information sharing, greetings and fun, reflections and thoughts, requests for assistance or details, and countering spam.
Implications:
Students were interested in ClassCommon’s distinct form of connection and interaction with the public. Systems for public commenting in classrooms could boost students’ discussions and help stimulate the development of good public-speaking skills. However, the system requires greater impact from teachers.
Limitations:
The cross-sectional nature of the study was found to be the major limitation as it did not allow for observing the effects of the system in the long run.