Model for Analyzing Collaborative Knowledge Construction in a Quasi-Synchronous Chat Environment

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Model for Analyzing Collaborative Knowledge
Construction in a Quasi-Synchronous Chat
Environment
Juan Dee WEE Chee-Kit LOOI
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What might be new?

• A graphical representation of chat flow
• Example(s) where triangulation (through
  participants reflections) agreed and disagreed
  with model drawn by researchers

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Quasi-Synchronous Chat Environment

• Participants work as a group to solve maths
  problem
• VMT-Chat consists of a shared whiteboard and chat
  tool
• Math Forum (www.mathforum.org) and
• the College of Information Science and Technology
  at Drexel University (Stahl, Shumar Weimar,
  2004).

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Data collection in Singapore

• Junior college students from Singapore (age 17)
• Groups of 3 worked together to solve math
  problems on VMT-Chat
• Several chat transcripts in 2006 2007
• Advantage we have access to the students
• Some new data since this papers online
  discussion in early June

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Singapore ContextBriefing before VMT Session
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VMT Orientation Session in the Computer
Laboratory
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Opened Ended Mathematics Question placed on the
shared whiteboard
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VMT Chat Interface
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Build on

• Grounded Theory (Glaser Strauss, 1967)
• Interactional Analysis (Jordan Henderson, 1995)
• Meaning-making in a small group (Stahl, 2006)
• Uptake analysis (Suthers, 2005 Suthers et al,
  2007)

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Collaboration Interaction Model

• We develop a method of analysis called
  Collaboration Interaction Model to study
  meaning-making paths
• Adapted from the methodology of Grounded Theory

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Collaboration Interaction Model

• Seeks to trace the development of knowledge
  construction.
• A analytical and representational tool.

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Constructing the CIM

• Chat posting and whiteboard representations
  coded.
• VMTplayer
• Individual Uptake Descriptor Table

Individual Uptake Descriptor Table
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VMT Chat Transcript
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(No Transcript)
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Stage 3 Agreeing on the injective function
Question
Pivotal Contribution
Pivotal Contribution
Stage1 Making sense of part (e)
Pivotal Contribution
C102
CIM before Triangulation with Uptake Descriptor
Table
Stage 2 Finding the range or domain
Student reading off from the question
This session was conducted during the June
holidays. Students were accessing the VMT from
home (geographically apart). The above CIM shows
a 10 mins 11 seconds chat between 3 JC 1
students. The mathematics topic is function.
weekheng
song sue
queklinser
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Individual Uptake Descriptor Table
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Linsers Uptake Descriptor Table
Each chat line you typed. Whose and what chat lines did you see that made you type the chat line? What were your other thoughts?
61 No the domain of F Wee Kheng I think range is -2 to infinity Wrong answer given by Wee Kheng.
62 That the domain of GF Wee Kheng I think range is -2 to infinity
63 Sorry if I write the word equal just now when I suppose to write subset. (C98) For qn E, the range of F is the domain of G (C86) Songsue I thought domain of GF equals to the domain of F. (C90) I make a typing error.
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Stage 3 Agreeing on the injective function
Question
Pivotal Contribution
Pivotal Contribution
Stage1 Making sense of part (e)
Pivotal Contribution
C102
CIM after Triangulation with Uptake Descriptor
Table
Stage 2 Finding the range or domain
Student reading off from the question
This session was conducted during the June
holidays. Students were accessing the VMT from
home (geographically apart). The above CIM shows
a 10 mins 11 seconds chat between 3 JC 1
students. The mathematics topic is function.
weekheng
song sue
queklinser
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Another VMT Maths Problem
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VMT Chat Transcript
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Pivotal Contribution
Stage 1 How to f(x) is a 1-1 function
Pivotal Contribution
Stage 2 Using the knowledge of Composite
Functions to find range/domain.
CIM constructed based on Researchers
interpretation of the chat transcript
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Kentees Uptake Descriptor Table
Each chat line you typed. Whose and what chat lines did you see that made you type the chat line? What were your other thoughts?
1. kentnee, 736 (8.07) draw the graph yf(x), then use horizontal line to prove is 1-1? (stating answer after consideration of question) starting on the first question, explaining how to prove that the graph if 1-1.
2 kentnee, 736 (8.07) okay Ma_China_Tor, 736 (8.07) u dun have to solve the problem..just say how u gonna solve it showing understanding that we need not work out the actual question
3 kentnee, 737 (8.07) yar kentnee, 737 (8.07) then (i) done chenchen, 737 (8.07) Df inverserange f showing agreement with what was stated
4 kentnee, 738 (8.07) domain of g domain of f inverse g chenchen, 738 (8.07) for finverseg(x) answering the question
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Each chat line you typed. Whose and what chat lines did you see that made you type the chat line? What were your other thoughts?
5 kentnee, 739 (8.07) ops chenchen, 738 (8.07) its the subset slight misunderstanding about the formula
6 kentnee, 740 (8.07) formula of composite functions lol Ma_China_Tor, 739 (8.07) dun draw such conclusion Ma_China_Tor, 739 (8.07) like domain of gdomain of f inverse g Ma_China_Tor, 740 (8.07) how u know? explaining where I had gotten the conclusion from
7 kentnee, 741 (8.07) coz domain of f inverse g cannot exceed domain of g (stating answer after consideration of question) further explanations about the conclusion
8 kentnee, 742 (8.07) no need to actually work out? so we state method le (stating a query about our tasks) attempting to move on to the next question
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Ma_China_Tors Uptake Descriptor Table
Each chat line you typed. Whose and what chat lines did you see that made you type the chat line? What were your other thoughts?
1 then take a horizontal line test Chen chen so we need to draw the f KenDraw the graph yf(x), then use horizontal line to prove is 1-1? I want to suggest how to do the question
2 u dun have to solve the problem..just say how u gonna solve it chenchen, 736 (8.07) hw to draw here Telling the criteria
3 i thk you have to test on the range of g and see if it fits the domain of f-1 chenchen, 737 (8.07) then rf inverse domain of f chenchen, 737 (8.07) Df inverserange f kentnee, 737 (8.07) yar kentnee, 737 (8.07) then (i) done chenchen, 738 (8.07) for finverseg(x) kentnee, 738 (8.07) domain of g domain of f inverse g chenchen, 738 (8.07) its the subset Suggesting some rule of function before solving
4 Ken dun draw such conclusion kentnee, 739 (8.07) ops kentnee, 739 (8.07) ? kentnee, 739 (8.07) must test I think ken was wrong. Just telling him.
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Each chat line you typed. Whose and what chat lines did you see that made you type the chat line? What were your other thoughts?
5 Oh Then I am wrong sorry chenchen, 740 (8.07) Df inverse g(x)Dg correct? chenchen, 740 (8.07) then we can solve kentnee, 740 (8.07) formula of composite functions lol kentnee, 741 (8.07) coz domain of f inverse g cannot exceed domain of g I thought about the question wrongly.
6 en kentnee, 742 (8.07) no need to actually work out? so we state method le Agree with ken
7 1st one settle Move on kentnee, 742 (8.07) ? we solved question 1. I suggest them to move on.
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Chenchens Uptake Descriptor Table
Each chat line you typed. Whose and what chat lines did you see that made you type the chat line? What were your other thoughts?
1 chenchen, 735 (8.07) so we need to draw the f Ma_China_Tor, 735 (8.07) lets start Solving the qn
2 chenchen, 736 (8.07) hw to draw here Don't know where to draw don't know where to draw
3 chenchen, 737 (8.07) then rf inverse domain of f Ma_China_Tor, 736 (8.07) u dun have to solve the problem..just say how u gonna solve it Since don't need to solve, I just state the method
4 chenchen, 737 (8.07) Df inverserange f Answering the qn Answering the qn
5 chenchen, 738 (8.07) for finverseg(x) kentnee, 737 (8.07) then (i) done Answering the next part
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Each chat line you typed. Whose and what chat lines did you see that made you type the chat line? What were your other thoughts?
6 chenchen, 738 (8.07) its the subset kentnee, 738 (8.07) domain of g domain of f inverse g I thought ken was wrong
7 chenchen, 740 (8.07) Df inverse g(x)Dg correct? Asking whether Im correct To solve the qn
8 chenchen, 740 (8.07) then we can solve The qn can be solved if it is correct So we can move on
9 chenchen, 743 (8.07) it shd be the subset? kentnee, 740 (8.07) formula of composite functions lol I thought he was wrong
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Pivotal Contribution
Stage 1 How to f(x) is a 1-1 function
Pivotal Contribution
Stage 2 Using the knowledge of Composite
Functions to find range/domain.
CIM constructed based on researchers
interpretation of the chat transcript and the
participants individual descriptor table
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Uptakes of Contribution

• Situations where participants are manipulating
  previous contributions (Suthers 2005,2006) by the
  group.
• Adaptation of the notation of Uptakes
• Two types of uptakes Intersubjective and
  Intrasubjective.
• Interpretation of Contribution motivates the
  manipulation

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Our Constructs

• Contributions consist of chat postings (Chat),
  artifact construction and manipulation (Shared
  Whiteboard).
• Stages consist of several contributions which are
  anchored by pivotal contributions.

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Our Constructs

• Pivotal Contributions serve as a boundary of any
  stage, commencing the shaping or changing of
  direction of the discourse.
• Uptakes Arrows represent individuals
  interpretations on prior contribution constructed
  group members including self.

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Contributions

• Coding of Chat posting and whiteboard artifact
  construction/manipulation
• Sequential Order
• A logical unit from participants perspective
• Interrater reliability Cohens Kappa gt0.8)

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Stages in the CIM

• Events in temporal and spatial orientation can be
  segmented in some way (Kendon, 1985 Jordan
  Henderson, 1995)
• Negotiation across segment boundaries.
• This is known as stages in the CIM
• ABRUPT verses SEAMLESS stage transition

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Pivotal Contribution

• Contribution pivoting the discourse a particular
  direction.
• Motivated by observation of contributions that
  are fundamentally critical.

End of Chat
Start of Chat
Pivotal Contributions
Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 4
Stage 5
Stage 3
CIM Vector Diagram
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Pivotal Contribution

• Selection Criteria
• (1) Researchers perspective to map out
  boundaries in the CIM.
• (2) Identify one Contributions that sit on the
  boundaries. (Chat line or Shared whiteboard)
• (3) Interrater reliability Cohens
  Kappagt0.8.

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Discussion

• Generality of the CIM
• Data Session
• Unit of Analysis

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Discussion

• Stages in the CIM
• Problem Design
• Level of Analysis

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Conclusion

• A structural view of interaction across the chat
  transcript (shared whiteboard and chat line).

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Conclusion

• CIM is constructed based on the triangulation
  three data sources
• 1. VMTplayer
• 2. Individual Uptake Descriptor Table
• 3. Focus Group

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Future Work

• Theoretical grounding of the concepts and
  methodology
• Operationalizing these concepts
• Apply CIM to many transcripts to test out the
  generality of the model.
• Using the CIM to aid educators in understanding
  the students problem-solving and collaboration.