Multi-touch technology has the potential to support collaboration, although there is little evide... more Multi-touch technology has the potential to support collaboration, although there is little evidence about how collaborating using this technology differs from collaboration with traditional materials. In this paper, we examine the interaction behaviors of four groups working with a multi-touch table, and four groups working on a paper-based version of the same task. Results indicate that more ideas are introduced and developed by students in the multi-touch condition.
This article reviews the research and evidence about multi-touch tables to provide an analysis of... more This article reviews the research and evidence about multi-touch tables to provide an analysis of their key design features and capabilities and how these might relate to their use in educational settings to support collaborative learning. A typology of design features is proposed as a synthesis of the hardware and physical characteristics of the tables so that the longevity of these factors and the associated analysis can be better preserved, particularly in relation to the range of ways in which they may be used collaboratively in classrooms. The variability of features relating to software is also analysed and key pedagogic issues identified. The aim that underpins this review is to relate the design of the technical features of the technology with key pedagogic issues concerning the use of digital technologies in classrooms, so as to provide a more robust basis for their integration in classrooms in terms of their potential to support or to improve learning.
While small group discussion during undergraduate classes is an
important pedagogic strategy, the... more While small group discussion during undergraduate classes is an important pedagogic strategy, there are two primary concerns for instructors – how to monitor the conversation that goes on within groups and how to ensure that ideas that emerge within the groups become part of the classroom discourse. In this paper, we describe a design-experiment conducted in two sections of the same undergraduate education class, exploring the use of Twitter and a shared display of the Twitter-chat, to address these issues. We describe three iterations of the use of Twitter in the classes and our reflections on how it influenced the teaching experience. Data from student surveys indicates that students had minimal experience using Twitter for academic activities prior to participation in this class and that they felt Twitter was a valuable tool to support their in-class learning activities. The teaching team found that the use of Twitter kept students on task and focused on the activity, but expressed some concern about the depth of engagement with ideas during the task.
This paper presents two studies that examine emergent leadership in children's collaborative lear... more This paper presents two studies that examine emergent leadership in children's collaborative learning groups. Building on research that finds that leadership moves are distributed among group members during learning activities, we examined whether there were patterns in the distribution of moves, resulting in different types of emergent leaders in groups. Study one examines individual groups working with a teacher, on the same task either with paper or multi-touch tables. Study two examines groups of students in a multi-touch classroom. Results from study one indicated that the leadership was distributed among the students; the distributions aligned with classifications of intellectual leadership moves and organizational leadership moves for about half of the groups. There were no differences in emergent leadership between the multi-touch and paper conditions. These results were explored in more detail in a multi-touch classroom study, exploring emergent leadership in 22 groups of students across six classes. Again, leadership was distributed among group members, and specific roles of intellectual and organizational leader, taken on by two different students, could be identified in half of the groups. These results suggest that attention should be paid to how students are engaging in collaborative learning tasks to ensure all students participate in the intellectual as well as organizational demands of the task. Additionally, the pattern of the distribution of roles suggests that care should be taken to specify behaviors if the role of leader is assigned to collaborative groups.
Multi-touch surfaces have the potential to change the nature of computer-supported collaborative ... more Multi-touch surfaces have the potential to change the nature of computer-supported collaborative learning, allowing more equitable access to shared digital content. In this paper, we explore how large multi-touch tables can be used by groups of students as an external
representation of their group interaction processes. Video data from 24 groups of students working on a logic reasoning problem was examined to identify their levels of reasoning about the task, and how they used the table to support their reasoning. Results indicate that of the 13 groups who solved or nearly solved the problem, 12 used the table to represent their reasoning process, while only four groups who used the table to support their reasoning process did not
solve the problem. Examples from three groups are used to explore the different ways the table was used as an external representation of the groups’ processes. The findings indicate that the group problem-solving process can be enhanced with the use of multi-touch tables, although students may need support in using the technology effectively to support their collaborative reasoning.
While research indicates that technology can be useful for supporting learning and collaboration,... more While research indicates that technology can be useful for supporting learning and collaboration, there is still relatively little uptake or widespread implementation of these technologies in classrooms. In this paper, we explore one aspect of the development of a multi-touch classroom, looking at two different designs of the classroom environment to explore how classroom layout may influence group interaction and learning. Three classes of students working in groups of four were taught in the traditional forward-facing room condition, while three classes worked in a centered room condition. Our results indicate that while the outcomes on tasks were similar across conditions, groups engaged in more talk (but not more off-task talk) in a centered room layout, than in a traditional forward-facing room. These results suggest that the use of technology in the classroom may be influenced by the location of the technology, both in terms of the learning outcomes and the interaction behaviors of students. The findings highlight the importance of considering the learning environment when designing technology to support learning, and ensuring that integration of technology into formal learning environments is done with attention to how the technology may disrupt, or contribute to, the classroom interaction practices.
Developing fluency and flexibility in mathematics is a key goal of upper primary schooling, howev... more Developing fluency and flexibility in mathematics is a key goal of upper primary schooling, however, while fluency can be developed with practice, designing activities that support the development of flexibility is more difficult. Drawing on concepts of adaptive expertise, we developed a task for a multi-touch classroom, NumberNet, that aimed to support both fluency and flexibility. Results from a quasi-experimental study of 86 students (44 using NumberNet, 42 using a paper-based comparison activity) indicated that all students increased in fluency after completing these activities, while students who used NumberNet also increased in flexibility. Video analysis of the NumberNet groups indicate that the opportunity to collaborate, and learn from other groups' expressions, may have supported this increase in flexibility. The final phase of the task suggests future possibilities for engaging students in mathematical discourse to further support the development of mathematical adaptive expertise.► Created a group and whole class multi-touch activity to develop mathematical adaptive expertise. ► Compared the NumberNet multi-touch task with a traditional classroom activity. ► Both conditions increased in number of calculations created (fluency). ► The NumberNet condition increased the range of calculations (flexibility).
Parents of children with autism are increasingly being considered as primary agents of interventi... more Parents of children with autism are increasingly being considered as primary agents of intervention for their children.The goal of this study was to evaluate whether participating in a pivotal response training (PRT) group therapy program for parents of children with autism influenced related aspects of parents’ lives, namely, their levels of stress and empowerment. Seventeen families participated in a 10-week therapy group designed to train parents to use PRT, with a specific focus on their children’s language deficits. Measures of empowerment and stress were obtained at baseline and at the end of the trial. Ratings on the Parenting Stress Index/Short Form and the Family Empowerment Scale showed significant changes from pre- to posttreatment, indicating that parents felt higher levels of empowerment and lower levels of stress after the 10-week group program. Notably, stress related to parent–child interactions was most reduced. Possible causal factors and implications are discussed.
Description
The SynergyNet classroom was designed to integrate multi-touch tables into a typical ... more Description The SynergyNet classroom was designed to integrate multi-touch tables into a typical classroom environment. The data to be presented in this symposium are concerned with how students working on a collaborative mathematics task, collaborated within and between groups to find solutions to problems, and how the orientation of the room influenced the teacher’s apparent or actual control and the collaboration between students.
In this paper we present a new tool, NumberNet, designed to promote within and between group coll... more In this paper we present a new tool, NumberNet, designed to promote within and between group collaboration in a mathematics classroom. The activity builds on a standard individual mathematics activity (Explode-A-Number; Atkinson, 1992), to create a three-stage collaborative activity that promotes flexibility with numbers, operators and calculations. This tool uses a network of multi-touch tabletop computers in a classroom environment, taking students through a small group production activity, rotation of the activity between groups, and finally a sorting and structuring activity. Pilot results from 32 students indicate significant gains in the number of calculations that students produce from pre to post test. Further work and implications are described.
The development of multi-touch tables, an emerging technology for classroom learning, offers valu... more The development of multi-touch tables, an emerging technology for classroom learning, offers valuable opportunities to explore how its features can be designed to support effective collaboration in schools. In this study, small groups of 10- to 11-year-old children undertook a history task where they had to connect various pieces of information about a mining accident to reach a consensus about who had been responsible. Their interaction using traditional resources was compared with their interaction when using a multi-touch table. Analysis suggests that the design and capabilities of the multi-touch technology offers some key features that supported the collaboration and interaction of the participants, particularly in the early stages of the task. Some of these features appear to provide new opportunities for collaboration and interaction, which were different from the interactions observed in the paper-based groups. These features of the multi-touch surface therefore appear to support effective interaction between the pupils.
Multi-touch technology has the potential to support collaboration, although there is little evide... more Multi-touch technology has the potential to support collaboration, although there is little evidence about how collaborating using this technology differs from collaboration with traditional materials. In this paper, we examine the interaction behaviors of four groups working with a multi-touch table, and four groups working on a paper-based version of the same task. Results indicate that more ideas are introduced and developed by students in the multi-touch condition.
This article reviews the research and evidence about multi-touch tables to provide an analysis of... more This article reviews the research and evidence about multi-touch tables to provide an analysis of their key design features and capabilities and how these might relate to their use in educational settings to support collaborative learning. A typology of design features is proposed as a synthesis of the hardware and physical characteristics of the tables so that the longevity of these factors and the associated analysis can be better preserved, particularly in relation to the range of ways in which they may be used collaboratively in classrooms. The variability of features relating to software is also analysed and key pedagogic issues identified. The aim that underpins this review is to relate the design of the technical features of the technology with key pedagogic issues concerning the use of digital technologies in classrooms, so as to provide a more robust basis for their integration in classrooms in terms of their potential to support or to improve learning.
While small group discussion during undergraduate classes is an
important pedagogic strategy, the... more While small group discussion during undergraduate classes is an important pedagogic strategy, there are two primary concerns for instructors – how to monitor the conversation that goes on within groups and how to ensure that ideas that emerge within the groups become part of the classroom discourse. In this paper, we describe a design-experiment conducted in two sections of the same undergraduate education class, exploring the use of Twitter and a shared display of the Twitter-chat, to address these issues. We describe three iterations of the use of Twitter in the classes and our reflections on how it influenced the teaching experience. Data from student surveys indicates that students had minimal experience using Twitter for academic activities prior to participation in this class and that they felt Twitter was a valuable tool to support their in-class learning activities. The teaching team found that the use of Twitter kept students on task and focused on the activity, but expressed some concern about the depth of engagement with ideas during the task.
This paper presents two studies that examine emergent leadership in children's collaborative lear... more This paper presents two studies that examine emergent leadership in children's collaborative learning groups. Building on research that finds that leadership moves are distributed among group members during learning activities, we examined whether there were patterns in the distribution of moves, resulting in different types of emergent leaders in groups. Study one examines individual groups working with a teacher, on the same task either with paper or multi-touch tables. Study two examines groups of students in a multi-touch classroom. Results from study one indicated that the leadership was distributed among the students; the distributions aligned with classifications of intellectual leadership moves and organizational leadership moves for about half of the groups. There were no differences in emergent leadership between the multi-touch and paper conditions. These results were explored in more detail in a multi-touch classroom study, exploring emergent leadership in 22 groups of students across six classes. Again, leadership was distributed among group members, and specific roles of intellectual and organizational leader, taken on by two different students, could be identified in half of the groups. These results suggest that attention should be paid to how students are engaging in collaborative learning tasks to ensure all students participate in the intellectual as well as organizational demands of the task. Additionally, the pattern of the distribution of roles suggests that care should be taken to specify behaviors if the role of leader is assigned to collaborative groups.
Multi-touch surfaces have the potential to change the nature of computer-supported collaborative ... more Multi-touch surfaces have the potential to change the nature of computer-supported collaborative learning, allowing more equitable access to shared digital content. In this paper, we explore how large multi-touch tables can be used by groups of students as an external
representation of their group interaction processes. Video data from 24 groups of students working on a logic reasoning problem was examined to identify their levels of reasoning about the task, and how they used the table to support their reasoning. Results indicate that of the 13 groups who solved or nearly solved the problem, 12 used the table to represent their reasoning process, while only four groups who used the table to support their reasoning process did not
solve the problem. Examples from three groups are used to explore the different ways the table was used as an external representation of the groups’ processes. The findings indicate that the group problem-solving process can be enhanced with the use of multi-touch tables, although students may need support in using the technology effectively to support their collaborative reasoning.
While research indicates that technology can be useful for supporting learning and collaboration,... more While research indicates that technology can be useful for supporting learning and collaboration, there is still relatively little uptake or widespread implementation of these technologies in classrooms. In this paper, we explore one aspect of the development of a multi-touch classroom, looking at two different designs of the classroom environment to explore how classroom layout may influence group interaction and learning. Three classes of students working in groups of four were taught in the traditional forward-facing room condition, while three classes worked in a centered room condition. Our results indicate that while the outcomes on tasks were similar across conditions, groups engaged in more talk (but not more off-task talk) in a centered room layout, than in a traditional forward-facing room. These results suggest that the use of technology in the classroom may be influenced by the location of the technology, both in terms of the learning outcomes and the interaction behaviors of students. The findings highlight the importance of considering the learning environment when designing technology to support learning, and ensuring that integration of technology into formal learning environments is done with attention to how the technology may disrupt, or contribute to, the classroom interaction practices.
Developing fluency and flexibility in mathematics is a key goal of upper primary schooling, howev... more Developing fluency and flexibility in mathematics is a key goal of upper primary schooling, however, while fluency can be developed with practice, designing activities that support the development of flexibility is more difficult. Drawing on concepts of adaptive expertise, we developed a task for a multi-touch classroom, NumberNet, that aimed to support both fluency and flexibility. Results from a quasi-experimental study of 86 students (44 using NumberNet, 42 using a paper-based comparison activity) indicated that all students increased in fluency after completing these activities, while students who used NumberNet also increased in flexibility. Video analysis of the NumberNet groups indicate that the opportunity to collaborate, and learn from other groups' expressions, may have supported this increase in flexibility. The final phase of the task suggests future possibilities for engaging students in mathematical discourse to further support the development of mathematical adaptive expertise.► Created a group and whole class multi-touch activity to develop mathematical adaptive expertise. ► Compared the NumberNet multi-touch task with a traditional classroom activity. ► Both conditions increased in number of calculations created (fluency). ► The NumberNet condition increased the range of calculations (flexibility).
Parents of children with autism are increasingly being considered as primary agents of interventi... more Parents of children with autism are increasingly being considered as primary agents of intervention for their children.The goal of this study was to evaluate whether participating in a pivotal response training (PRT) group therapy program for parents of children with autism influenced related aspects of parents’ lives, namely, their levels of stress and empowerment. Seventeen families participated in a 10-week therapy group designed to train parents to use PRT, with a specific focus on their children’s language deficits. Measures of empowerment and stress were obtained at baseline and at the end of the trial. Ratings on the Parenting Stress Index/Short Form and the Family Empowerment Scale showed significant changes from pre- to posttreatment, indicating that parents felt higher levels of empowerment and lower levels of stress after the 10-week group program. Notably, stress related to parent–child interactions was most reduced. Possible causal factors and implications are discussed.
Description
The SynergyNet classroom was designed to integrate multi-touch tables into a typical ... more Description The SynergyNet classroom was designed to integrate multi-touch tables into a typical classroom environment. The data to be presented in this symposium are concerned with how students working on a collaborative mathematics task, collaborated within and between groups to find solutions to problems, and how the orientation of the room influenced the teacher’s apparent or actual control and the collaboration between students.
In this paper we present a new tool, NumberNet, designed to promote within and between group coll... more In this paper we present a new tool, NumberNet, designed to promote within and between group collaboration in a mathematics classroom. The activity builds on a standard individual mathematics activity (Explode-A-Number; Atkinson, 1992), to create a three-stage collaborative activity that promotes flexibility with numbers, operators and calculations. This tool uses a network of multi-touch tabletop computers in a classroom environment, taking students through a small group production activity, rotation of the activity between groups, and finally a sorting and structuring activity. Pilot results from 32 students indicate significant gains in the number of calculations that students produce from pre to post test. Further work and implications are described.
The development of multi-touch tables, an emerging technology for classroom learning, offers valu... more The development of multi-touch tables, an emerging technology for classroom learning, offers valuable opportunities to explore how its features can be designed to support effective collaboration in schools. In this study, small groups of 10- to 11-year-old children undertook a history task where they had to connect various pieces of information about a mining accident to reach a consensus about who had been responsible. Their interaction using traditional resources was compared with their interaction when using a multi-touch table. Analysis suggests that the design and capabilities of the multi-touch technology offers some key features that supported the collaboration and interaction of the participants, particularly in the early stages of the task. Some of these features appear to provide new opportunities for collaboration and interaction, which were different from the interactions observed in the paper-based groups. These features of the multi-touch surface therefore appear to support effective interaction between the pupils.
International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning
In this paper, we argue that how we use theories may be preventing us from developing a deeper un... more In this paper, we argue that how we use theories may be preventing us from developing a deeper understanding of computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL) contexts. We focus the argument on our understanding of orchestration processes and draw on common theories to show how they prioritize a mono-ecological approach: the examination of collaborative processes at a single level of an ecological system. We argue that doing so prevents us from seeing the full complexity of the types of decisions that teachers and learners make when implementing collaborative learning activities in technologically enhanced, real-world contexts. To address this problem, we propose a micro-ecological framework that recognizes collaborative learning as a complex, cognitively nested, ecological phenomenon and analyzes interactions in a way that aligns with this view. Our approach focuses on the microanalysis of interactions between individuals, learning objects, the small group, and the classroom community. The purpose of this analysis is to identify critical points in the learning process where actions at one level of cognitive activity propagate to influence other levels of individual and joint activity. We call these events transecological disruptions. We argue that these disruptions can provide opportunities to understand how the learning ecology develops over time through teacher orchestration and learner engagement. To illustrate our framework, we pursue the following research question: "How can a micro-ecological framework help us better understand the CSCL ecology?"
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Papers by Emma Mercier
important pedagogic strategy, there are two primary concerns for instructors –
how to monitor the conversation that goes on within groups and how to ensure
that ideas that emerge within the groups become part of the classroom
discourse. In this paper, we describe a design-experiment conducted in two
sections of the same undergraduate education class, exploring the use of
Twitter and a shared display of the Twitter-chat, to address these issues. We
describe three iterations of the use of Twitter in the classes and our reflections
on how it influenced the teaching experience. Data from student surveys
indicates that students had minimal experience using Twitter for academic
activities prior to participation in this class and that they felt Twitter was a
valuable tool to support their in-class learning activities. The teaching team
found that the use of Twitter kept students on task and focused on the activity,
but expressed some concern about the depth of engagement with ideas during
the task.
representation of their group interaction processes. Video data from 24 groups of students working on a logic reasoning problem was examined to identify their levels of reasoning about the task, and how they used the table to support their reasoning. Results indicate that of the 13 groups who solved or nearly solved the problem, 12 used the table to represent their reasoning process, while only four groups who used the table to support their reasoning process did not
solve the problem. Examples from three groups are used to explore the different ways the table was used as an external representation of the groups’ processes. The findings indicate that the group problem-solving process can be enhanced with the use of multi-touch tables, although students may need support in using the technology effectively to support their collaborative reasoning.
The SynergyNet classroom was designed to integrate multi-touch tables into a typical classroom environment. The data to be presented in this symposium are concerned with how students working on a collaborative mathematics task, collaborated within and between groups to find solutions to problems, and how the orientation of the room influenced the teacher’s apparent or actual control and the collaboration between students.
important pedagogic strategy, there are two primary concerns for instructors –
how to monitor the conversation that goes on within groups and how to ensure
that ideas that emerge within the groups become part of the classroom
discourse. In this paper, we describe a design-experiment conducted in two
sections of the same undergraduate education class, exploring the use of
Twitter and a shared display of the Twitter-chat, to address these issues. We
describe three iterations of the use of Twitter in the classes and our reflections
on how it influenced the teaching experience. Data from student surveys
indicates that students had minimal experience using Twitter for academic
activities prior to participation in this class and that they felt Twitter was a
valuable tool to support their in-class learning activities. The teaching team
found that the use of Twitter kept students on task and focused on the activity,
but expressed some concern about the depth of engagement with ideas during
the task.
representation of their group interaction processes. Video data from 24 groups of students working on a logic reasoning problem was examined to identify their levels of reasoning about the task, and how they used the table to support their reasoning. Results indicate that of the 13 groups who solved or nearly solved the problem, 12 used the table to represent their reasoning process, while only four groups who used the table to support their reasoning process did not
solve the problem. Examples from three groups are used to explore the different ways the table was used as an external representation of the groups’ processes. The findings indicate that the group problem-solving process can be enhanced with the use of multi-touch tables, although students may need support in using the technology effectively to support their collaborative reasoning.
The SynergyNet classroom was designed to integrate multi-touch tables into a typical classroom environment. The data to be presented in this symposium are concerned with how students working on a collaborative mathematics task, collaborated within and between groups to find solutions to problems, and how the orientation of the room influenced the teacher’s apparent or actual control and the collaboration between students.