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Mozelius, P., Håkansson Lindqvist, M., Cleveland-Innes, M., Jaldemark, J. & Sundgren, M. (2024). Educating the educators on generative artificial intelligence in higher education. In: Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on AI Research, ICAIR 2024: . Paper presented at 4th International Conference on AI Research, ICAIR 2024 (pp. 296-302). Reading, UK: ACI Academic Conferences International, 4
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Educating the educators on generative artificial intelligence in higher education
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2024 (English)In: Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on AI Research, ICAIR 2024, Reading, UK: ACI Academic Conferences International, 2024, Vol. 4, p. 296-302Conference paper, Published paper (Refereed)
Abstract [en]

In the current spring of Artificial Intelligence, the rapid development of Generative AI (GenAI) has initiated vivid discussions in higher education. Opportunities as well as challenges have been identified and to cope with this new situation there is a need for a large-scale teacher professional development. With basic skills about GenAI teachers could use the new technology as an extension of the existing technology enhanced teaching and learning. The aim of this paper is to present and discuss the project FAITH (Frontline Application of AI and Technology-enhanced Learning for Transforming Higher Education). FAITH is a higher education pedagogical development initiative for institutional development for teachers with good fundamental skills in traditional pedagogy. A project with the overall objective of increasing the staff understanding of AI and to develop new competencies in the field of GenAI and technology enhanced learning. The research question that guided this study was: "What are the perceived opportunities, challenges and expectations of involving GenAI in higher education?" The overall research strategy for the FAITH project is design-based research, which involves iterative and cumulative development processes. In the early iteration that this study was a part of has been carried out inspired by Collective Autoethnography where members of the steering group behind the FAITH project, and members of the project team have constituted the main focus group. Data were collected by structured interviews where two GenAI tools also have been interviewed. Findings show that the expectations are high, but that the FAITH ambition of institutional development is depending on teachers’ motivation for taking an active part in the project. Another challenge could be that many teachers see GenAI as something that threatens the current course design, and that a general ban of GenAI is the appropriate solution. One of, several identified opportunities, is that a general revision of syllabi and assessment in an adaptation for GenAI enhanced learning would improve the current course design.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Reading, UK: ACI Academic Conferences International, 2024
Keywords
Teacher professional development, Artificial intelligence in education, AIED, GenAI, Higher education, Transformation of higher education
National Category
Pedagogy
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:miun:diva-53259 (URN)10.34190/icair.4.1.3026 (DOI)2-s2.0-85215687503 (Scopus ID)
Conference
4th International Conference on AI Research, ICAIR 2024
Projects
FAITH
Available from: 2024-12-06 Created: 2024-12-06 Last updated: 2025-01-28Bibliographically approved
Stenberg, I. & Sundgren, M. (2024). Examining the relationship between gender, school year, and perceptions of the learning environment. In: : . Paper presented at QRM Conference 2024, Göteborg, 10-11 juni, 2024. Göteborg: University of Gothenburg
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Examining the relationship between gender, school year, and perceptions of the learning environment
2024 (English)Conference paper, Oral presentation only (Refereed)
Abstract [en]

This study aims to investigate the impact of age and gender on self-perception and views of the learning environment in light of the consistent gender disparities in academic performance between boys and girls. The study adopts a pragmatic approach to motivation, given that perceived motivation and schoolwork engagement are closely related to students’ academic outcomes. An adapted PALS questionnaire was used to investigate the relationship between a learning environment and students' self-perception and motivation. 831 compulsory school students participated in school year 3, 6, and 8 (n=831). Data was analyzed with Principal Component Analysis (PCA), t-tests, and multi-regression analysis. Findings indicate that as students advance in age, their overall perception of the school, goal orientation, and confidence in their teacher's classroom management skills decline. This decline is most pronounced prior to adolescence, indicating that factors beyond pubertal onset may contribute to this trend. Gender differences were also evident in the students' perceptions, with boys exhibiting a more positive outlook across all aspects considered in this study, particularly towards their teachers. more positive throughout the school years in all the aspects mentioned above, especially towards the teacher.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Göteborg: University of Gothenburg, 2024
Keywords
Gender differences, goal orientation, increasing school year, motivation
National Category
Pedagogy
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:miun:diva-51520 (URN)
Conference
QRM Conference 2024, Göteborg, 10-11 juni, 2024
Available from: 2024-06-15 Created: 2024-06-15 Last updated: 2024-06-20Bibliographically approved
Jaldemark, J., Cleveland-Innes, M., Mozelius, P., Håkansson Lindqvist, M. & Sundgren, M. (2024). FAITH: Educating the educators on artificial intelligence in higher education. In: Jimmy Jaldemark, Peter Mozelius, Niklas Humble, Paul Griffiths (Ed.), Symposium on AI Opportunities and Challenges: An Avalanche of AI to Radically Change Society. Paper presented at 2nd Symposium on AI Opportunities and Challenges (SAIOC), [DIGITAL], 18th of June, 2024 (pp. 15-16). ACI Academic Conferences International
Open this publication in new window or tab >>FAITH: Educating the educators on artificial intelligence in higher education
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2024 (English)In: Symposium on AI Opportunities and Challenges: An Avalanche of AI to Radically Change Society / [ed] Jimmy Jaldemark, Peter Mozelius, Niklas Humble, Paul Griffiths, ACI Academic Conferences International, 2024, p. 15-16Conference paper, Oral presentation with published abstract (Refereed)
Abstract [en]

In the current spring of Artificial Intelligence (AI), generative AI is purported to affect many areas, including higher education. To cope with this new situation there is a large-scale need for teacher professional development. The project FAITH (Frontline Application of AI and Technology-enhanced Learning for Transforming Higher Education) is a higher education pedagogical development project that aims to develop institutional teaching development and education programs further. Using AI and technology-enhanced learning, teachers in higher education will work and develop programmes which are adapted to work and study in a highly communicative, cloud-based, mobile and smart AI-based society.

The project has the following objectives: To take advantage of ongoing higher education pedagogical development initiatives within the university; To harness the power and benefits of already established models and teams, and to develop professional knowledge through new higher education pedagogy; and To increase staff understanding and competence in AI and technology-enhanced learning.

FAITH is based on design-based research, which involves iterative and cumulative development processes. The project will be implemented during 2024-2026. FAITH consists of three phases: preparation, implementation and evaluation. In the preparation phase, the project is planned in detail. A steering group is formed and a project team is created. In this phase, these groups are responsible for the staffing and scheduling of FAITH, including the development of a plan for the competence development action. Program managers have a primary responsibility for the pedagogical development of their respective programs. Therefore, they have a prominent role in the FAITH project group. The implementation phase includes training of teams, pedagogical development work and seminar activities. The focus is on the impact of technological development on higher education studies and its content and form. In the final evaluation phase, the experiences are compiled and, based on the conclusions drawn, proposals for further development are drawn up.

This paper presents an update of the FAITH project, including ongoing and planned processes within the project. This includes insights in the FAITH project as a model for pedagogical applications of AI and technology-enhanced learning in the context of higher education.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
ACI Academic Conferences International, 2024
Keywords
AIED, Artificial intelligence in education, Teacher professional development, Higher education, Transformation of higher education
National Category
Pedagogy Pedagogy
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:miun:diva-51562 (URN)
Conference
2nd Symposium on AI Opportunities and Challenges (SAIOC), [DIGITAL], 18th of June, 2024
Projects
FAITH: Frontline Application of AI and Technology-enhanced Learning for Transforming Higher Education
Available from: 2024-06-19 Created: 2024-06-19 Last updated: 2024-06-28Bibliographically approved
Sahlin, S. & Sundgren, M. (2024). Networked Educational Design for Novice Principals’ Professional Development: Insights from Sweden. In: Cutajar, M., Borg, C.,De Laat, M., Dohn, N.B., Ryberg, T. (Ed.), Proceedings of the Fourteenth International Conference on Networked Learning 2024: . Paper presented at Networked Learning Conference 2014. Aalborg Universitetsforlag, 14, Article ID 8079.
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Networked Educational Design for Novice Principals’ Professional Development: Insights from Sweden
2024 (English)In: Proceedings of the Fourteenth International Conference on Networked Learning 2024 / [ed] Cutajar, M., Borg, C.,De Laat, M., Dohn, N.B., Ryberg, T., Aalborg Universitetsforlag, 2024, Vol. 14, article id 8079Conference paper, Published paper (Refereed)
Abstract [en]

This paper focuses on professional development for school principals, drawing on literature on the education of leaders and school leaders' development. The Swedish National Principal Training Programme (NPTP) is a state-regulated executive education for professional principals in preschools, schools, and school-age Educare centres. It has been mandatory for all newly appointed principals in Sweden since 2010. The NPTP is a mandatory in-service programme and consists of three courses: school law and governance, governing with objectives and results, and school leadership. The programme runs over three years, parallel to working full-time as a principal. The participants are expected to spend 20% of their working time on their studies. The NPTP uses a networked educational design, which is a valuable research topic from a networked professional learning perspective. This pilot study aims to explore the role of networked educational design for novice principals' professional development and strengthened professional confidence and identity. The research question that frames the study is: In what ways do novice principals' experiences of professional development contribute to the development of their professional confidence and identity with a networked educational design? The study employed a qualitative case-study design with a purposive sampling method to include novice principals undertaking Sweden's national school training programme. Data were collected during 2018-2022 from post-programme evaluations, including individual digital questionnaires with close-ended and open-ended responses and small group oral evaluations documented in a log book. The participants were novice principals studying in the NPTP at one university in Sweden. In all, 321 school leaders from 10 cohort groups in the programme consisting of principals and deputy principals from preschool, primary, secondary, and adult education participated voluntarily. The programme evaluations were carried out during the participants' last residential stay in the programme. Results indicate the importance of residential stays and networking opportunities in the educational journey of principals. These opportunities help connect with peers, establish contacts, and acquire valuable strategies. Completing the training increased principals' professional confidence, particularly in their roles as school leaders. The study shows that the networked educational design supports the development of a professional network among principals, which enhances their professional identity and confidence. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of this networked educational design, which helps shape principals' professional identity and confidence. The findings emphasise the value of networked professional learning

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Aalborg Universitetsforlag, 2024
Keywords
networked educational design, networked professional learning, principals’ perceptions, principal professional development
National Category
Pedagogy
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:miun:diva-51519 (URN)
Conference
Networked Learning Conference 2014
Available from: 2024-06-15 Created: 2024-06-15 Last updated: 2024-06-20Bibliographically approved
Sundgren, M., Jaldemark, J. & Cleveland-Innes, M. (2023). Disciplinary differences and emotional presence in communities of inquiry: Teachers’ expressions of digital technology-enabled teaching. Computers and Education Open, 4, Article ID 100134.
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Disciplinary differences and emotional presence in communities of inquiry: Teachers’ expressions of digital technology-enabled teaching
2023 (English)In: Computers and Education Open, ISSN 2666-5573, Vol. 4, article id 100134Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

This work was built on two strands of earlier research on the community of inquiry framework (CoI). The first strand was Biglan’s seminal work on disciplinary epistemological structures and how these structures impact digital technology-enabled higher education teaching. In the other strand, some rare studies suggested that emotional issues are important to understanding higher education teaching. Nevertheless, research that links these two strands is even rarer. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the relationship between digital technology- enabled teaching in higher educational settings, the presences of the community of inquiry framework (CoI), and disciplinary epistemological structures. Survey responses from 143 teachers were analyzed through confirmatory factor analysis (SEM) and reflexive thematic analysis. Emotional presence was found to be a possible fourth element in the CoI. Disciplinary differences (coded as pure vs. applied sciences) were found to have an effect on the CoI, and that effect was particularly evident through the mediation of emotional presence. The differentiating factor was teachers’ views on the role of teaching. When guiding digital design, the recommendation is to consider such disciplinary differences specifically.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Elsevier, 2023
Keywords
Distance education and online learning, Learning communities, Pedagogical issues, Post-secondary education, Teacher professional development
National Category
Pedagogy
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:miun:diva-47906 (URN)10.1016/j.caeo.2023.100134 (DOI)000959384700001 ()
Available from: 2023-03-20 Created: 2023-03-20 Last updated: 2023-08-29Bibliographically approved
Sundgren, M. (2023). Exploring digital technologies in higher educational settings: Enabling a community of inquiry. (Doctoral dissertation). Sundsvall: Mid Sweden University
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Exploring digital technologies in higher educational settings: Enabling a community of inquiry
2023 (English)Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

Designing an educational experience that fosters higher-order thinking and learning is a significant challenge in a campus setting, and more so in an online setting. The constantly changing nature of educational technology adds even more complexity to the situation and educational research struggles to provide relevant recommendations and best practices. Therefore, this thesis provides theoretical, methodological, and practical contributions to the research community in five areas : (1) The addition of emotional presence to the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework holds the potential to enrich social presence. A teacher seeking to enhance their educational design can benefit from a deliberate focus on emotional aspects. This extension offers researchers fresh perspectives and advances understanding in this area. However, there are valid arguments against expanding the framework, as it may introduce unnecessary complexity. (2) Digital technologies play a crucial role in designing effective online educational settings to accommodate the various presences within the CoI. A review of bring-your-own-device (BYOD) applications in higher education identified several tools that can support individual CoI presences. However, while technological advancements have addressed numerous issues, challenges persist. (3) The CoI framework is rooted in principles of active learning, which are vital for fostering social presence and cognitive presence in online settings. Evaluating the implementation of active learning classrooms (ALC) revealed intriguing connections between campus- based and online teaching. However, assessing student activity in online environments can be challenging. Visualizations of Google Docs revision history prove valuable for diagnosing collaborative patterns and identifying low collaboration and interaction between group participants, which otherwise could hinder higher-order thinking and critical discourse. (4) The rapid growth of online educational settings in higher education has generated an abundance of student data for learning analytics. Unfortunately, ethical considerations have not received adequate attention. Key ethical areas in learning analytics are discussed. (5) The methodological contribution lies in the design that utilizes a pragmatist worldview as the guiding philosophy of science for a mixed methods approach, coupled with a pragmatism philosophy of education, that in turn, guides the theoretical and educational stances.

These results have implications for higher education teachers striving to develop their educational practice.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Sundsvall: Mid Sweden University, 2023. p. 138
Series
Mid Sweden University doctoral thesis, ISSN 1652-893X ; 393
Keywords
Community of Inquiry, Digital Technology, Educational Design, Emotional Presence, Higher Education, Learning Analytics, Pragmatism
National Category
Pedagogy
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:miun:diva-49193 (URN)978-91-89786-25-7 (ISBN)
Public defence
2023-10-16, Fälldinsalen (N109), Holmgatan 10, 85170, Sundsvall, 13:15 (Swedish)
Opponent
Supervisors
Note

Vid tidpunkten för framläggandet av avhandlingen var följande delarbeten opublicerade: delarbete III manuskript.

At the time of the PhD defence the following papers were unpublished: paper III manuscript.

Available from: 2023-09-13 Created: 2023-08-29 Last updated: 2023-09-13Bibliographically approved
Sundgren, M. (2023). Närvaro eller frånvaro: Sociala medier för lärande. In: David Rapp (Ed.), Konferens i pedagogiskt arbete, 2023: Book of abstracts. Paper presented at Nationell Konferens i Pedagogiskt Arbete 2023, Norrköping (pp. 27-28). Linköping: Linköping University Electronic Press
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Närvaro eller frånvaro: Sociala medier för lärande
2023 (Swedish)In: Konferens i pedagogiskt arbete, 2023: Book of abstracts / [ed] David Rapp, Linköping: Linköping University Electronic Press, 2023, p. 27-28Conference paper, Oral presentation with published abstract (Refereed)
Abstract [sv]

De senaste årens pandemi har satt ljuset på fjärrundervisning. Det har tillämpats i en tidigare aldrig skådad omfattning, dessutom i lägre åldersgrupper än vanligt. Fenomenet har beskrivits som Emergency Remote Teaching (Bozkurt & Sharma, 2020; Hodges m.fl., 2020; Mohmmed m.fl., 2020) för att urskilja undervisning orsakad av kriser och katastrofer från välplanerad distansundervisning (Online Education). Men denna framtvingade ”fjärrundervisning i kris” har även lyft behovet av ökad kunskap kring elevers digitala lärmiljö, vilket inkluderar system och plattformar utanför utbildningsanordnarens kontroll.

Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur tillgången till fritt tillgängliga digitala plattformar kan inverka på lärandemiljön för studiegrupper i samband med fjärrundervisning. Detta undersöks utifrån frågeställningarna: hur resonerar de lärande kring val av kommunikationsplattformar? samt vilka möjligheter och utmaningar kan identifieras?

Studien har en parallell mixad design och datainsamlingen genomfördes genom semistrukturerade gruppintervjuer (n=2, en intakt studiegrupp och en tvärgrupp med representanter från 6 studiegrupper) och en mindre enkät (n≈80). Med Community of Inquiry som lins (e.g., Garrison, 2017; Garrison m.fl., 1999; Vaughan m.fl., 2013) visar preliminära resultat att studenter snabbt och spontant organiserar sig för att hitta smidiga kommunikationslösningar. Fördelar som stärkt social och kognitiv närvaro kan identifieras. Det kan också uppstå nackdelar då kommunikationen flyttar utanför lärares insyn. Möjligheten att identifiera behov av gruppstödjande insatser eller tillrättaläggande av missuppfattningar försvåras. Förekomst av kränkande beteende hamnar utanför utbildningsanordnarens kontroll, och elever/studenter som valt att stå utanför plattformar som Facebook riskerar att uteslutas från studiegruppsarbeten. Viss lärarinsyn kan dock återfås genom digitala lösningar (e.g., Sundgren & Jaldemark, 2020).

Referenser

Bozkurt, A., & Sharma, R. C. (2020). Emergency remote teaching in a time of global crisis due to CoronaVirus pandemic. Asian Journal of Distance Education, 15(1), 6.

Garrison, D. R. (2017). E-learning in the 21st century: A community of inquiry framework for research and practice (Third edition). Routledge.

Garrison, D. R., Anderson, T., & Archer, W. (1999). Critical inquiry in a text-based environment: Computer conferencing in higher education. The Internet and Higher Education, 2(2–3), 87–105. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1096-7516(00)00016-6

Hodges, C., Moore, S., Lockee, B., Trust, T., & Bond, A. (2020). The Difference Between Emergency Remote Teaching and Online Learning. Educause Review. https://er.educause.edu/articles/2020/3/the-difference-between-emergency-remote-teaching- and-online-learning

Mohmmed, A. O., Khidhir, B. A., Nazeer, A., & Vijayan, V. J. (2020). Emergency remote teaching during Coronavirus pandemic: The current trend and future directive at Middle East College Oman. Innovative Infrastructure Solutions, 5(3), 72. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41062-020-00326-7

Sundgren, M., & Jaldemark, J. (2020). Visualizing online collaborative writing strategies in higher education group assignments. International Journal of Information and Learning Technology, 37(5), 351–373. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJILT-02-2020-0018

Vaughan, N. D., Cleveland-Innes, M., & Garrison, D. R. (2013). Teaching in blended learning environments: Creating and sustaining communities of inquiry. AU Press.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Linköping: Linköping University Electronic Press, 2023
Series
Linköping University Electronic Press Workshop and Conference Collection, E-ISSN 2003-6523 ; 32
Keywords
Community of Inquiry, Fjärrundervisning, Sociala medier
National Category
Pedagogical Work
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:miun:diva-49243 (URN)10.3384/wcc32 (DOI)978-91-8075-283-1 (ISBN)978-91-8075-284-8 (ISBN)
Conference
Nationell Konferens i Pedagogiskt Arbete 2023, Norrköping
Available from: 2023-09-06 Created: 2023-09-06 Last updated: 2023-09-06Bibliographically approved
Gunnars, F., Palmquist, A. & Sundgren, M. (2021). Adult education teacher’s perception of gamification implemented in distance education. In: Proceedings of ICERI2021 Conference: . Paper presented at International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation (ICERI), [DIGITAL], November 8-9, 2021. (pp. 3049-3056). Barceló Sevilla Renacimiento, Sevilla, Spanien: IATED
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Adult education teacher’s perception of gamification implemented in distance education
2021 (English)In: Proceedings of ICERI2021 Conference, Barceló Sevilla Renacimiento, Sevilla, Spanien: IATED , 2021, p. 3049-3056Conference paper, Published paper (Refereed)
Abstract [en]

This paper discusses perceptions of educational gamification and its potential opportunities for reducing student dropout and teacher workload. Interviews of nine teachers and their technology acceptance were studied in conjunction with the implementation of a gamified online system during2019, fully designed for distance education. Results indicate perceptions of reduced workload, prevention of students from handing in late, and facilitating activity in courses. However, perceptions of clear suspicion towards Educational Gamification also related acceptance as insufficient for behavioral intent until very conclusive result demonstrations of behavioral performance are available to the teachers. Implications for lifelong learning and ethical concerns are briefly discussed.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Barceló Sevilla Renacimiento, Sevilla, Spanien: IATED, 2021
Keywords
Adult Education, Distance Education, Gamification, Teacher adoption
National Category
Pedagogy Computer and Information Sciences
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:miun:diva-43701 (URN)978-84-09-34549-6 (ISBN)
Conference
International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation (ICERI), [DIGITAL], November 8-9, 2021.
Available from: 2021-11-15 Created: 2021-11-15 Last updated: 2021-11-18Bibliographically approved
Mozelius, P., Jaldemark, J., Eriksson Bergström, S. & Sundgren, M. (2020). The Concept of ‘Bringing Your Own Device’ in Scaffolded and Augmented Education (1ed.). In: Vladimir Geroimenko (Ed.), Augmented Reality in Education: A New Technology for Teaching and Learning (pp. 59-70). Springer
Open this publication in new window or tab >>The Concept of ‘Bringing Your Own Device’ in Scaffolded and Augmented Education
2020 (English)In: Augmented Reality in Education: A New Technology for Teaching and Learning / [ed] Vladimir Geroimenko, Springer, 2020, 1, p. 59-70Chapter in book (Refereed)
Abstract [en]

Location-based games has enabled new opportunities for augmenting the traditional learning space. In a time where most students have their own smartphones, the concept of bringing your own device (BYOD) seems promising in educational settings as well. However, playing by random in augmented reality environments will not automatically bring curriculum-aligned learning outcomes. This chapter analyses and discusses how the combination of BYOD and augmented reality gaming might be scaffolded to support collaborative curriculum-aligned learning. The overall research strategy was a case study approach with Affordance theory, Social Constructivism and BYOD as theoretical assumptions for a deductive analysis. The case units were two outdoor sessions for middle school students with curriculum-aligned assignments in Mathematics and Social Science solved by playing the augmented reality game Pokémon GO. Data have been collected by video recordings of the outdoor sessions with spy glasses and a handheld camera. Results indicate that the augmented reality environment stimulates active learning, but that there like in traditional learning, is a need for scaffolding to achieve the stated learning outcomes.  

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Springer, 2020 Edition: 1
Series
Springer Series on Cultural Computing
Keywords
Augmented reality, Augmented education, Bring your own device, BYOD, Location-based games
National Category
Didactics
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:miun:diva-39073 (URN)10.1007/978-3-030-42156-4_4 (DOI)2-s2.0-85086091861 (Scopus ID)978-3-030-42155-7 (ISBN)
Available from: 2020-05-28 Created: 2020-05-28 Last updated: 2020-06-16Bibliographically approved
Sundgren, M. & Jaldemark, J. (2020). Visualizing online collaborative writing strategies in higher education group assignments. The international journal of information and learning technology, 37(5), 351-373
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Visualizing online collaborative writing strategies in higher education group assignments
2020 (English)In: The international journal of information and learning technology, ISSN 2056-4880, E-ISSN 2056-4899, Vol. 37, no 5, p. 351-373Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Purpose: Working together in groups is a common and emphasized feature in today's society, and higher educational settings often utilize group assignments to enable students to develop collaborative skills. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to describe and analyze applied strategies and the patterns that emerge during students online collaborative writing in higher education group assignments. The research questions that this article aims to answer are (1) which patterns of students online collaborative writing emerge in higher education group assignments and (2) what strategies of online collaborative writing do higher education students apply in group assignments?

Design/methodology/approach: This study's design builds on Conversation Analysis to explore visualizations of Google Docs revision history of online collaborative writing documents. Documents from 25 student groups were the basis of the analysis. The visualizations used in this project are produced with the DocuViz Chrome extension.

Findings: The findings suggest that visualizations can provide a quick and fairly accurate estimate of collaborative strategies used when students write together online. Three patterns of document growth were identified, two of which could be directly linked to strategies for collaboration. Cramming patterns are indicative of low collaboration and concentrating patterns with high levels of collaboration.

Practical implications: The findings provide useful insight for teachers regarding the nature of collaboration taking place during online collaborative writing tasks. By visualizing the revision history, much can be learnt about the nature of the collaboration and of the individual group member's contributions in a student group that otherwise remains largely invisible to the teacher.

Originality/value: Prior studies have combined visualizations with extensive analysis of document content. This investigation shows that an examination of the visualization of the document's revision history can be used to draw conclusions about the nature of collaboration during the online writing process. 

Keywords
Conversation analysis, Group assignments, Higher education, Online collaborative writing strategies, Visualizations
National Category
Educational Sciences
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:miun:diva-39712 (URN)10.1108/IJILT-02-2020-0018 (DOI)000562555500001 ()2-s2.0-85089478192 (Scopus ID)
Available from: 2020-09-01 Created: 2020-09-01 Last updated: 2023-08-29Bibliographically approved
Organisations
Identifiers
ORCID iD: ORCID iD iconorcid.org/0000-0003-0020-4137

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