Research Annotations

Records: 322

Student use of Facebook for Organizing Collaborative Classroom Activities

Cliff Lampe     Donghee Wohn     Jessica Vitak     Nicole Ellison     Nick Walsh

APA Citation

Lampe, C., Wohn, D. Y., Vitak, J., Ellison, N. B., & Wash, R. (2011). Student use of Facebook for organizing collaborative classroom activities. Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, 6, 329-347. doi: 10.1007/s11412-011-9115-y

Annotation

This article examines how undergraduates use Facebook as “an informal communication platform through which they conduct various organizing activities such as sharing information about their classroom activities and collaborating with peers on assignments” (p. 330). The authors note the ubiquitous nature of information and communication technologies (ICTs) and suggest that often “ICTs are formally designed for education, but in some cases students are repurposing tools initially designed for . . . non-educational purposes. Besides their role in supporting pedagogy, ICTs may also support the ‘process’ of being in a course for students, including issues like organizing study groups, or finding out more about the other people in class” (p. 330). These students are involved in a “collaborative sense making process, using the technology to take advantage of each other’s knowledge and to search for additional information” (p. 331, emphasis in original). To that end, two studies were reported in this article. The first study reports that the more students use Facebook in general, the more likely they are to use it for collaborative purposes. The authors’ hypotheses that students with high self-esteem and high satisfaction with university life would be more likely to use Facebook for collaboration were not supported. However, students who were “more likely to view their instructors’ Facebook profiles were more likely to report engaging in collaboration using Facebook” (p. 336). This did not have to include “friending” the instructor as “friending an instructor was not statistically significant” (p. 336). The second study further explores that finding from the first study that students who use collaboration in ways the instructor might not like (negative collaboration) are more likely to use Facebook for collaboration. Findings suggest that students with low self-esteem and students with high satisfaction of university life are more likely to collaborate negatively. Students who sought help from TAs through Facebook were “more likely to collaborate both positively and negatively” (p. 343) whereas “perceived propensity to ask professors questions using Facebook was not significantly related to either positive or negative collaboration” (p. 343). Overall, findings suggest that students might differ in their beliefs about how to use Facebook for collaborative purposes.

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The Effect of Twitter on College Student Engagement and Grades

R. Junco     G. Heibergert     E. Loken

APA Citation

Junco, R., Heibergert G., & Loken, E. (2011). The effect of Twitter on college student engagement and grades. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 27, 119-132. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2729.2010.00387.x

Annotation

The authors conducted the first experimental study to determine the relationship between social media (specifically Twitter) and student engagement and grades. Students in seven sections of a pre-health professions course were randomly assigned to control and experimental groups, with the experimental group receiving instruction on the use of Twitter.

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The High Cost of Low Graduation Rates

M. Schneider     L. Yin

APA Citation

Schneider, M., & Yin, L. (2011). The high cost of low graduation rates: How much does dropping out of college really cost? American Institutes for Research.

Annotation

The Obama administration, seeking to improve American global economic competitiveness, set a goal to increase the number of college graduates. By 2020, Obama challenged Americans and universities to have the highest global proportion of higher education graduates. On the state level, governors see more localized economic benefits to a more highly educated populous, noting state-to-state and global workforce competition.
However, despite the encouragement of state and federal officials, colleges . . . and universities are graduating roughly half of the students to begin their studies. This study looks to the economic losses that result in students not completing their college education. Losses include billions in individual income, resulting in millions in lost yearly federal and state income taxes. Further, students who begin college but do not complete it, are often saddled with thousands of dollars in loans. Paying off these loans without the economic boost that a college degree affords causes further economic stagnation.

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Transforming Online Teaching Practice: Critical analysis of the literature on the roles and competencies of online teachers.

Evrim Baran     Ana-Paula Correia     Ann Thompson

APA Citation

Baran, E., Correia, A., & Thompson, A. (2011). Transforming online teaching practice: Critical analysis of the literature on the roles and competencies of online teachers. Distance Education, 32, 421-439.

Annotation

This critical analysis examined 11 scholarly articles since the 1990s through use of the transformative learning theory as a framework. The three primary constructs of transformative learning theory are centrality of experience, critical reflection and rational discourse. Transformative learning theory in online teaching has three premises: “(a) viewing online teachers as active adult learners, (b) recognizing that transformative learning occurs through critical reflections, and (c) considering . . . that transformation happens as teachers conduct pedagogical inquiry with technology” (p. 425). The authors suggest further research is need into “empowering online teachers,” “promoting critical reflection,” and “integrating technology into pedagogical inquiry” (p. 430). Through the analysis and recommendations for future research, the authors recommend that online teachers be considered as adult learners who continuously seek out and create new pedagogical approaches to online teaching. They caution against attempting to transpose traditional teaching approaches to online spaces and encourage self-reflection and creativity on the teacher’s part.

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User Attitudes Toward Dedicated e-book Readers for Reading: The effects of convenience, compatibility and media richness

J. Y. Lai     C. Y. Chang

APA Citation

Lai, J. Y., & Chang, C. Y. (2011). User attitudes toward dedicated e-book readers for reading: The effects of convenience, compatibility and media richness. Online Information Review, 35(4), 558-580.

Annotation

Based on increased speed of development and improvement in technology, devices that allow people to read on e-readers are becoming increasingly popular. However, there is little knowledge on why people choose to move from standard physical books to the new e-book format. Relying on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Innovation Diffusion Theory, and media richness theory, this study looks to find a how convenience, compatibility, and media richness influences adopters of e-reading . . . technology.

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Using Facebook as an Informal Learning Environment

Jeff Cain     Anne Policastri

APA Citation

Cain, J. & A. Policastri. (2011). Instructional design and assessment: Using Facebook as an informal learning environment. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 75(10), 1-8.

Annotation

100 of 128 students enrolled in an online course joined a supplementary Facebook group as a means of bringing in experts and creating an informal enhancement of their learning experience. Survey results indicate that students enjoyed the activity of using Facebook in the course, thought it helped enhance their learning, and enjoyed having access to experts external to their classroom context. The design was found to be successful in this course context, but researchers were unsure as to whether . . . the model used would be as successful in contexts with different outcomes or objectives.

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Using Technology to Encourage Student Engagement with Feedback: A literature review

Stuart Hepplestone     Graham Holden     Brian Irwin     Helen Parkin     Louise Thorpe

APA Citation

Hepplestone, S., Holden, G., Irwin, B., Parkin, H. J., & Thorpe, L. (2011). Using technology to encourage student engagement with feedback: A literature review. Research in Learning Technology, 19, 117-127.

Annotation

The authors of this review of literature selected articles through a snowball sample utilizing a literature search with key terms “technology,” “feedback” and “engagement.” They found lots of scholarly entries on using technology in increase student learning and effective feedback processes. One of the most published areas in using technology to provide feedback is use of frequent low-stakes online quizzing or testing. Results suggest sending feedback electronically (including use of “track . . . changes” in Word) can increase student engagement with the feedback. The authors suggest “there is evidence that providing feedback without the grade encourages students to focus on actual comments” (p. 123). Conversely, the authors found very little research on best practices for using technology to increase student engagement with feedback.

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2010 Campus Strategic Planning Report.

The University of Colorado at Boulder Office of the Associate Vice Chancellor for IT.

APA Citation

The University of Colorado at Boulder Office of the Associate Vice Chancellor for IT. (2010). 2010 Campus Wide Strategic Planning Report. The University of Colorado-Boulder.

Annotation

“This 2010 IT Strategic Plan from The University of Colorado at Boulder focuses on information technology at the university at the time, and outlines future steps to take. The plan outlines various IT related issues and obstacles (such as reduced funding), and offers potential solutions and courses of action. To develop the plan, a cross campus collaboration took place which included 16 different committees of faculty, staff, and students. Quantitative and qualitative research included examining . . . “peer institutions,” circulating surveys to faculty/staff members, conducting focus groups, and holding interviews. Over 200 individuals contributed to development of the strategic plan. The plan notes that there had existed a centralized IT unit as well as decentralized IT staff located throughout the campus, likely related to specific department and/or discipline needs. The plan suggests a new approach to governing IT that involves more faculty, staff, and student input into the process, and encourages more collaboration between IT units and teaching and learning focused units, along with a more faculty and student focused support approach.
“

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An Analysis of Student Self-Assessment of Online, Blended, and Face-to-Face Learning Environments: Implications for sustainable education delivery

Sidney R. Castle     Chad J. McGuire

APA Citation

Castle, S. R., & McGuire, C. J. (2010). An analysis of student self-assessment of online, blended, and face-to-face learning environments: Implications for sustainable education delivery. International Education Studies, 3, 36-40.

Annotation

This study was conducted on 4,038 student course evaluations from 2009-2010. Assessments considered self-assessment on learning, assessment of teaching, assessment of course and assessment of technology used (p. 37). Results suggest that across disciplines, undergraduate and graduate students both preferred F2F classes over blended or online courses. Undergraduates preferred blended to wholly online whereas graduates preferred online over blended. Blended and online courses were scored the . . . highest when they were specialized courses or independent studies that still had F2F meetings. For graduate students, online courses utilizing synchronous communication resulted in the highest levels of self-reported learning (p. 38). Overall results suggest that student satisfaction with online and blended courses is highest when they replicate aspects of F2F (i.e. synchronous communication). As even in online and blended courses, course content and instructor competence remain the most important aspects of student satisfaction and self-reported learning, the authors suggest that schools need to develop education programs for current faculty to help them adapt to the changing learning environment brought about by the increase in demand for online and blended courses.

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Benchmarks of Effective Educational Practice

Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research

APA Citation

National Survey of Student Engagement. (2012). Benchmarks of effective educational practice.

Annotation

One major component to engagement is communication, including student-faculty interaction and collaborative learning.

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