ERIC Number: EJ880050
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2009
Pages: 30
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1499-6677
EISSN: N/A
Participation in Knowledge-Building Discourse: An Analysis of Online Discussions in Mainstream and Honours Social Studies Courses
Niu, Hui; van Aalst, Jan
Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology, v35 n1 Win 2009
Questions about the suitability of cognitively-oriented instructional approaches for students of different academic levels are frequently raised by teachers and researchers. This study examined student participation in knowledge-building discourse in two implementations of a short inquiry unit focusing on environmental problems. Participants in each implementation consisted of students taking a mainstream or an honours version of a tenth grade social studies course. We retrieved data about students' actions in Knowledge Forum[R] (e.g., the number of notes created and the percentage of notes with links), and conducted a content analysis of the discourse by each collaborative group. We suggest the findings provide cause for optimism about the use of knowledge-building discourse across academic levels: there was moderate to strong evidence of knowledge building in both classes by Implementation 2. We end with suggestions for focusing online work more directly on knowledge building. (Contains 4 tables.)
Descriptors: Student Participation, Grade 10, Social Studies, Teaching Methods, Academic Ability, Curriculum Implementation, Units of Study, Learning Strategies, Metacognition, Honors Curriculum, Inquiry, Foreign Countries, Questionnaires, Comparative Analysis, Educational Technology, Internet, Electronic Learning, Computer Assisted Instruction, Computer Mediated Communication, Discussion Groups, Asynchronous Communication, Discourse Analysis, Content Analysis
Canadian Network for Innovation in Education. 260 Dalhousie Street Suite 204, Ottawa, ON K1N 7E4, Canada. Tel: 613-241-0018; Fax: 613-241-0019; e-mail: cnie-rcie@cnie-rcie.ca; Web site: http://www.cjlt.ca
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education; Grade 10; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Canada
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Writing Apprehension Test
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A