Critically Reflective Teacher Dialogue In Asynchronous Computer-Mediated Communication Mark Hawkes, Ph.D. Dakota State University International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies, August 2001

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Critically Reflective Teacher Dialogue In
Asynchronous Computer-Mediated Communication
Mark Hawkes, Ph.D.Dakota State
UniversityInternational Conference on Advanced
Learning Technologies, August 2001
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Computer-Mediated Communications

• The use of computers and computer networks as
  communication tools by people who are
  collaborating with each other to achieve a shared
  goal, which do not require the physical presence
  or co-location of participants, and which can
  provide a forum for continuous communication free
  of time constraints. (Kaye, 1991, p. 5)

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Synchronous Communication

• Takes place in real time, just as if two people
  were talking on the telephone
• Examples group decision support systems, virtual
  hallways, network video conferencing, Internet
  relay chat, and MUDs (Multiple User Dimensions)

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Asynchronous Communications

• These communications are sent to an intended
  receiver but are not delivered until the receiver
  physically accesses them.
• Examples Internet, e-mail, newsgroups,
  listservs, electronic bulletin boards

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Characteristics of Asynchronous Communications

• Interactivity
• Time Independence
• Place Independence
• Multi-participant Capacity
• Communication Storage and Retrievability
• Text Orientation

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Study Purpose
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Key Questions
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Characteristics of Study Participants Electron
ic PBL Districtwide Statewide
N N N Number of Teachers 28 100 975 10
0 116,574 100 Gender Female
25 89 845 87 87,664 75 Male
3 11 130 13 28,910 25 Teaching Tenure
18 ? 15 ? 14 ? Average School
Size 623 ? 657 ? 424 ? Teacher
Ethnicity Asian 0 0 10
1 816 1 Black 0 0 7
1 13,172 11 Hispanic 0 0 10
1 3,613 3 White 28 100 948 97 96,649
85
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District Characteristics

• 27 Schools
• 4 Junior High Schools
• 23 Elementary Schools
• 15,765 Students (K-8)
• Ethnicity
• Asian 11
• Black 5
• Hispanic 5
• White 78

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Technology Characteristics

• Each of the 1,051 classrooms is connected to the
  district network
• 64 kilobyte line connectivity
• One networked computer for every 12 students
• Of computers available for student use,
  approximately 38 percent are laptops and 62
  percent are desktops
• District annual technology budget 4.75 million
  per year

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Project Goals
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Project Goals (cont.)
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Data Sources

• Electronic communications archives
• Teacher team meetings
• Teacher Interviews
• Classroom artifacts
• Teacher curriculum plans
• Student products
• Assessment tools

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Methods

• Discourse analysis
• Server log file analysis
• Inferential statistical analysis
• Qualitative thematic analysis
• Survey

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Face-to-face and CMC dialogue content comparison
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Chi-square values on discourse interaction
variables CMC (n) FTF (n) ?12
P Involvement Strategies
Wh clauses 220 326 22.99 .001
Indefinite pronouns 435 474 2.404 .065


Amplifiers 220 288 10.348
.001 Conversational Cooperation 25
95 10.007 .002 Sequential Accountability
15 43 3.009 .064
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Comparison of communication mediums on levels of
reflectiveness
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Influences on Critical Reflection

• Discourse Moderator
• OnLine Rules of Etiquette
• Conversational Floor
• Discourse Focus
• Asynchronous Dialogue
• Text Orientation
• Time

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Computer-Mediated Communication

• Facilitates teacher reflection
• Satisfies knowledge-based professional
  development needs
• promotes teacher collaboration

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Suggestions for Implementing CMC Professional
Development

• Moderator with limited facilitation role.
• Assists participants in gaining access to
  conversational floor
• Ensures technical topics do not dominate
  discourse
• Helps maintain discourse focus
• Synthesizes contributions and points out how
  reflective ideas were processes and how
  individual messages contributed to the reflective
  discourse

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Suggestions (cont.)

• Discourse Focus
• Immediately applicable to the classroom
• For K-6 teachers age-level focus
• For 7-12 teachers content area focus
• Anchored in pedagogy, not technology

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Suggestions (cont.)

• Participant Composition
• Narrow participation--Homogeneous grouping
• Convergent tasking activities--curriculum
  development, study group, study task force
• Broad participation--Heterogeneous grouping
• Divergent tasking activities--brain storming,
  anecdotal/experience sharing . . .

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Suggestions (cont.)

• Access at home
• Better/faster access at home
• More time at home
• Teachers do a good deal of their professional
  work at home

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Suggestions (cont.)

• Teacher Skills Training
• Screen for presence of appropriate prerequisite
  skills
• Provide training concurrent with reasonable
  technology access
• Provide technical assistance away from the
  discourse forum either through e-mail or as a
  separate conference thread
• Provide pointers to helpful online documents
  (FAQs)

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Research Needs

• A study of threads of discourse rather than
  chucks/single messages, including the
  sustainability of reflection, the diversity of
  contributions, and the utility of CMC
  participation in improving teacher practice
• The effects of conversational pace, purpose, and
  range of participants on reflection
• Task/role analysis