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Reinventing mathematics problem design and analysis of chat interactions in quasi-synchronous chat environments
Author
Wee, Juan Dee
Supervisor
Looi, Chee-Kit
Abstract
The central concern of this dissertation is with reinventing mathematics problem design for practical use in the classroom. The mathematics problem is designed using the GCC Framework. It is structured to engage small groups of students in math discourse more than they are engaged by traditional textbook based problems that have clearly defined answers. The problem also guides the students to discuss topics that are part of a defined school curriculum, rather than having each group go off in different direction of mathematical exploration of a completely open-ended topic.
There are three parts to the research design of this dissertation. The first part involves the utility of student's errors and misconceptions embedded in a worked solution for the construction problem. A pilot study was conducted using face-to-face (FTF) interaction in a traditional classroom. It was impossible to capture the discourse of student groups meeting face-to-face in the classroom in the pilot study. This made it difficult to assess the success of the GCC problem design, hence prompting the implementation of the GCC problem in VMT, a quasi-synchronous environment. The second part of the research design consists of implementing the problem design and administering the VMT. The GCC problem is placed on the shared whiteboard by the teacher. Students used the text chat to converse synchronously and accessed the toolbar to construct artifacts on the shared whiteboard. The chat transcripts (including the interactions produced on the shared whiteboard) were downloaded after the sessions from the VMT website. The interactions were then complied into the interaction transcripts, transcripts which include conversations from the text chat and interaction on the shared whiteboard. The third part of the research design presents a process-oriented tool known as the Collaborative Interaction Model (CIM) Framework to analyze chat interaction in the VMT. It addresses three methodological issues that may possibly affect the analysis of the chat interactions. The first issue deals with the reliability of identifying relationships between chat postings. The second issue takes into account the reliability of identifying logical units given the high probability that postings may appear in an order that obscures their response structure. The third issue involves triangulating researchers’ interpretations of participants’ contributions with participants’ interpretations of their own contributions.
Two types of analysis: (1) macro-analysis of the group's interactions (2) microanalysisof short episodes of group's interactions are used to examine interaction patterns. Macro-analysis explores the overall functionality of the group during the knowledge construction process through the use of group information table and reflection table. Micro-analysis of short episodes of interaction investigates error discussions, in particular the three errors formulated in the GCC problem design. The findings of this dissertation point to several groups processes enacted by the students as they co-construct and negotiate shared ideas during problem solving. The analysis of short episodes of interactions leads to the identification of the group processes and the evaluation of the GCC problem design. This dissertation also proposes several recommendations for improving the existing GCC problem design.
There are three parts to the research design of this dissertation. The first part involves the utility of student's errors and misconceptions embedded in a worked solution for the construction problem. A pilot study was conducted using face-to-face (FTF) interaction in a traditional classroom. It was impossible to capture the discourse of student groups meeting face-to-face in the classroom in the pilot study. This made it difficult to assess the success of the GCC problem design, hence prompting the implementation of the GCC problem in VMT, a quasi-synchronous environment. The second part of the research design consists of implementing the problem design and administering the VMT. The GCC problem is placed on the shared whiteboard by the teacher. Students used the text chat to converse synchronously and accessed the toolbar to construct artifacts on the shared whiteboard. The chat transcripts (including the interactions produced on the shared whiteboard) were downloaded after the sessions from the VMT website. The interactions were then complied into the interaction transcripts, transcripts which include conversations from the text chat and interaction on the shared whiteboard. The third part of the research design presents a process-oriented tool known as the Collaborative Interaction Model (CIM) Framework to analyze chat interaction in the VMT. It addresses three methodological issues that may possibly affect the analysis of the chat interactions. The first issue deals with the reliability of identifying relationships between chat postings. The second issue takes into account the reliability of identifying logical units given the high probability that postings may appear in an order that obscures their response structure. The third issue involves triangulating researchers’ interpretations of participants’ contributions with participants’ interpretations of their own contributions.
Two types of analysis: (1) macro-analysis of the group's interactions (2) microanalysisof short episodes of group's interactions are used to examine interaction patterns. Macro-analysis explores the overall functionality of the group during the knowledge construction process through the use of group information table and reflection table. Micro-analysis of short episodes of interaction investigates error discussions, in particular the three errors formulated in the GCC problem design. The findings of this dissertation point to several groups processes enacted by the students as they co-construct and negotiate shared ideas during problem solving. The analysis of short episodes of interactions leads to the identification of the group processes and the evaluation of the GCC problem design. This dissertation also proposes several recommendations for improving the existing GCC problem design.
Date Issued
2010
Call Number
QA14.S55 Wee
Date Submitted
2010