Feedback on my prototype

Yesterday's online session was a lot more comfortable.  I had a much better feel for adobe connect and what to check if something wasn't working.

In terms of my prototype.  The questions/feedback around the theoretical aspects was really important.  I need to firm that up and make it a more inclusive component.  I think this question is also getting me to look more critically at some of my ideas and search the literature more deeply.  Feels like I'm move from a sledgehammer solution to something closer to a scalpel approach.  I also need to explicitly address:

• How will it work?
• How does it address the learning problem?

What also came out was that I was not 100% sold on the wiki. When doing this I realised I need to know more about the affordances of some of the other possible tools.  I stuck very closely with the descriptions from Bower but after yesterday I feel I need to refine some of the affordance descriptions he used in example.  So this area needs some rework.  I also need to explore wiki options for mathematics!

What was interesting as well was that when listening to others present and the questions asked, I started relating those questions to my own prototype. I guess since we are all working on a prototype that is to be expected!

I've decide on who to ask for formative feedback.  Looks like I'm looking at 3 colleagues as I no longer have any students.  Need to update my prototype tonight and get it to them for the weekend! :-)

Also my replies to comments.

Initial Prototype

This required much careful thought.  Very different to the analysis of a detector's output.  Still not entirely sure if I am at the wrong end of the universe!

Learning Problem

Students employ a memorised recipe approach when solving mathematics tutorial problems and see these problems as being disconnected from their desired fields of study.  Especially relevant at 1st year level.

Educational Goals

• Facilitate conceptual understanding and applicability of content
• Use relevance to motivate
• Use the idea of the student as a producer to motivate
• Developing a reflective practitioner approach

Task.

Collaborative learning is a powerful knowledge building tool in mathematics.  This can be leveraged via an online system to develop a deeper understanding of the content and employing real world tutorial problems can address the issues of relevance and hence motivation.  The students (in groups) develop the solution over time by editing and expanding the current work.  They will be required to clearly explain the underlying concepts and explore a computational solution.   

Table 1: Affordances required by the task

Affordances	Required
Read-ability	√
View-ability	√
Listen-ability
Watch-ability	√
Write-ability	√
Edit-ability	√
MathW-ability	√
Draw-ability	√
Speak-ability
Video-produce-ability
Resize-ability	√
Move-ability	√
Playback-ability	√
Accessibility	√
Record ability	√
Synchronous-ability
Browse-ability	√
Search-ability	√
Data-manipulation-ability
Link-ability	√
Highlight-ability
Focus ability
Permission-ability	√
Share-ability	√

Note: Had to add MathW due to unique nature of maths language.
Have also added edit-ability as we require a current version but with the ability to change or view previous versions (not in sequential form)

Table 2: Affordances of Tools vs Task

Affordances	Blog	Chat	Forum	Wiki	Task
Read-ability	√	√	√	√	√
View-ability	√		√	√	√
Listen-ability
Watch-ability	√		√	√	√
Write-ability	√	√	√	√	√
Edit-ability				√	√
MathW-ability				√	√
Draw-ability	√		√	√	√
Speak-ability
Video-produce-ability
Resize-ability	√			√	√
Move-ability	√			√	√
Playback-ability	√	√	√	√	√
Accessibility	√	√	√	√	√
Record ability	√	√	√	√	√
Synchronous-ability		√
Browse-ability	√	√	√	√	√
Search-ability
Data-manipulation-ability
Link-ability	√		√	√	√
Highlight-ability
Focus ability
Permission-ability	√	√	√	√	√
Share-ability			√	√	√

Note: Not all wikis are the same. In terms of this prototype ability to handle maths is crucial.  Need to explore more.
Need to explore affordances of other tools in more detail

Theoretical Basis

• Problems in maths at 1st year level - Engelbrecht et al  
• Idea of collaborative learning for constructing knowledge –  Johnson and Johnson 1996 (collab)
• Increase depth of understanding using collaborative learning - Cohen et al (1989)
• Online Collaborative learning - Curtis and Lawson 2001
• Increased motivation - Pfaff and Huddleston 2003
• Using wikis - Augar, Ruth, Zhou (conf proc), Ben-Zvi (2007), Martin and Premadasa (2010)
• Digital fluency - Bologa, Lupu, Sabau (2007), 21st Century Information Fluency Project, Kaminski, Switzer, Gloeckner (2009) 

General Contexts

• Applied in no tech tutorial session in science and engineering
• Applied in computer rich tutorial environment (SCALE-UP)
• Applied in asynchronous digital environment in maths
• Not useful when simple drill work is required. 
• Have personally used low tech collaborative learning in 1st year physics in ECP programme, 4th year conceptual modern physics and  HP Tablet project with ECP students.

UCT Context

1st year maths AD maths with ~150 per class

Mainly non English first language students

Science Careers

Asynchronous collaborative work is ideal as it provides students with the space to think before re-engaging with the content and peers.  Also promotes sharing and informal peer review.

Challenges

• Assessment - how when????
• Scaffolding - enough but not too little
• Digital fluency.  Interventions?
• Digital access
• Tutorial development - Loads of work but MAA publication might make things easier.  NRF funding to visit industries/companies to develop material
• Team issues - loafing, conflict etc.
• Drill work vs authentic problems
• Will most likely need glossary component as well

NB: It is crucial to immerse our science and engineering students in rich digital environments and to develop their digital fluency.  This is a requirement for the modern workplace.

Experiences of the 2nd Face to Face Session

The 2nd face to face session was a flood of information.  Many people seem to feel swamped!! I don't think starting at 8:30 was a good idea.  I would have loved to try the Matie mobile clicker system, played around with concept maps etc.  My next though was, "How would I have organised session 3?"

I would have had everyone introduce themselves again and name some of the people they had gotten to know since session 1 (not participants they new prior to session 1!).  The reason for this is that I feel this course is also about community building.  I would also have had a before and after prototype discussion session with Show & Tell in the centre.

How would I make the participants part of Show and Tell?  I would have looked at 8ish areas.  Divided the class up into 8ish groups.  Get each to work on an overview doc and have 1 (random) person present.  I would then follow this up with an 'expert' presenting on what they are doing in that area.  Would have been nice to know about good sites or people to follow for each area.

I would end off with a session on how to manage all this information!!!!!!!!!

This would be a full day!

Am thinking that cellular phones are dominant technology in South Africa yet we have not touched on it much?!!

My context

I have been thinking hard about this reflection! Previously, at UWC, I've lectured to 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th students.  I used surveys and hands on exercises to establish where these students were in terms of their digital fluency and learning approach. I had the added advantage of spending loads of time with these students during practical activities which allowed me to get to know them as people.  This helps to understand what drives them. Now, I'm primarily involved with lecturers.  This involves organising and presenting workshops and seminars.  There is a research component which could evolve to working with lecturers.  I have had many discussions in that regard.

What I would like to do is work with a first year mathematics lecturer who is involved with academic development students.  So this adds an extra 'needs' aspect to the situation.

Maths is in crises in South Africa (and world wide).  Of those who pass, many struggle to use the maths in other areas and in higher level maths courses. A key aspect of this is the context in which the students view the material and how they engage each other and teaching staff.  For many students language is also an issue. They also need to develop a reflective approach to learning as a life long habit. 

The lecturer concerned has taught at school level and is passionate about teaching. He is prepared to try new things but requires support on the technology side and the pedagogy or teaching with technology.

One way to address this is to extend engaging "material discussions" using a wiki.  This can be used in the context of a collaborative glossary, collaborative problem solving and projects relating to history and applications.

From my side I realise that I need to learn more about using mathematical notation in a wiki environment (options, requirements etc.), I need to know more about the students as well as the assessment aspects of wikis.  Also there is the design component to ensure student involvement. Knowing where to use the wiki tool is also important e.g. inside an LMS or not?

A key here is to understand the digital access levels of these students and their digital fluency skill levels. It will also be useful to capture their attitudes towards maths and details of their learning approaches.  This type of information can be accessed by a combination of surveys and interviews.

Another interesting possibility is having a collaborative text/note book.  Here students can raise questions about the material, add interesting examples linked to their field etc.

A wiki is not the silver bullet but should be used together with relevant tools and good assessment practices to develop the students on multiple fronts.