Supporting learning in text-based asynchronous learning networks: teacher presence and teacher functions in knowledge building processes
Main Researcher: César Coll (Universidad de Barcelona) y Elena Barberà (Universitat Oberta de Catalunya)
Research Team:
Grupo GRINTIE, Universidad de Barcelona: Alfonso Bustos, Rosa Colomina, Anna Engel, Marc Lafuente, Teresa Mauri, Rosa Mayordomo, Mila Naranjo, Javier Onrubia, Ana Remesal, María José Rochera.
Grupo EDUS, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya: Magí Almirall, Laia Canet, Antoni Badia, Anna Espasa, Elisabet Galindo, Teresa Guasch, Carles Sigalès.
Financing source: Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología.
Reference: Proyecto coordinado SEJ2004-07658-C02-01
Start date: 2004
End date: 2007
Abstract
Text-based asynchronous learning environments are often claimed to be as ideal settings for self-directed learning and for the development of instructional processes that rely on students' autonomy. Nevertheless, some recent studies have furnished empirical evidence and drawn attention to the fact that the aid of teacher and peers is prominent for the progression of student's learning in this kind of settings. According to this, a new and promising research topic dealing with the teacher presence has arisen. Teacher presence refers to the set of performances directed to foster and promote the participants communicative and cognitive processes.
Within this framework, the major concern of this project is to study teacher presence in four different kinds of frequent activities in text-based asynchronous environments: conversation forums, debate forums, collaborative group activities and individual activities. For this purpose, our design takes into account the register of participants contributions during 12 learning activities —three conversation forums, three debate forums, three collaborative activities and three individual activities— developed in three different...(+)