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ERIC Number: EJ855298
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2009-Aug
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
Reference Count: 0
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1059-0145
Initial Structuring of Online Discussions to Improve Learning and Argumentation: Incorporating Students' Own Explanations as Seed Comments versus an Augmented-Preset Approach to Seeding Discussions
Clark, Douglas B.; D'Angelo, Cynthia M.; Menekse, Muhsin
Journal of Science Education and Technology, v18 n4 p321-333 Aug 2009
Collaboration scripts can facilitate argumentation in online settings by grouping students with other students who have expressed differing perspectives on a discussion topic. This general scripting approach is referred to as a "conflict schema." Prior studies suggest that a specific conflict schema script known as "personally-seeded" discussion is more productive for students than a standard discussion format in terms of the structural quality of the resulting argumentation and participation within the discussions. The purpose of the current study involves comparing the personally-seeded script with a variant augmented-preset script to determine the relative contributions of components of the scripts in terms of (1) increasing personal engagement of the students versus optimizing of the starting seed-comments and (2) grouping students using the conflict schema approach versus random assignment of students to groups. The results suggest that engaging students in the exploration of a diverse set of preset discussion seed-comments coupled with a conflict schema approach leads to the highest gains in learning.
Springer. 233 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-348-4505; e-mail: service-ny@springer.com; Web site: http://www.springerlink.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers: N/A