Role taking has been often studied as an established technique used for educational activities. Educational researcher highlight that the possibility to play a specific role within the group in online forums leads students to greater responsibility to its own knowledge building activity other than towards the group itself. The present study focuses on participation in online activities, questioning if taking a role in a group leads to a higher level of participation and which role fosters more participation. 152 students, divided into 14 discussion groups, participated in a knowledge building activity in 3 modules lasting 5 weeks each. In each module students in turn took specific roles. We analyzed students participation in terms of both posted and read notes in knowledge building forums. We compared participation in the three different periods of two groups of students: students who took a role in the second period and students who didn't take a role at all. We used Module 1 as a pre-test and Module 3 as post test and we analyzed differences using T-Student test. Results evidence no differences in participation in Module 1 between the two groups, an higher participation of the group of students taking a role in Module 2, and this difference between the two groups persists in Module 3. Students who had a role in Module 2 write and read more notes than students who didn't take a role also when none of them had particular roles. Introduction A relevant problem for the students in their first approach with the University is perceiving him/herself as an anonymous number in a large system, without a personal relationship with the teacher and sometimes also with other students. Many students feel then disoriented, without any guide about the strategies for an effective study activity. In this scenario it could be useful for the students to assume roles within work groups. In fact taking roleshas been often studied as an established technique used for educational activities, mainly in terms of role playing activity. Resnick and Wilensky (1997), e.g., integrated role-playing activities into science and math classes and argue that role-playing can help students understand complex systems and relationships. Educational researchers have also investigated how role-playing in a digital environment fosters intrinsic motivation (Dickey, 2006). Despite this large interest, only few studies analyze the effect of students role taking in online and F2F activities in academic context (Spadaro, Sansone & Ligorio, 2009; Schellens, Van Keer & Valcke, 2006). These studies highlight that the assumption of a role leads the activity of individual students, providing them with a script in which to act, and regulates the interaction within the group. In addition the possibility to play a specific role within the group leads students to greater responsibility to its own knowledge building activity other than towards the group itself. To go in depth in this area of inquiry the present study focused on the following questions: 1) Does taking a role in a group in an on line course lead to a higher level of participation, in terms of writing and reading activity? And does the participation decrease, when the student end to take a role? 2) Which kind of role does foster a higher level of participation? Method Participants 152 students (14 M, 138 F), attending the first year of the faculty of Psychology, University Sapienza of Rome, took part of this research. Procedure Students participated in a knowledge building activity in a blended course of Pedagogy, discussing online topics of the curriculum. Participants were distributed into discussion groups of 10-12 students. Online activities lasted the same period of the lectures and were divided into 3 modules, lasting 5 weeks each. In each module students were asked to analyze, discuss and reflect on different themes, connected to the course curriculum, and to build a conceptual map at the end of the activity. Groups were the same during the three module, and students in turn took specific roles: social "tutor", synthesizer, accountable for the conceptual map, "sceptical". Roles were assigned by the teacher at the beginning of each module. Measures and data analyses We analyzed students participation in the 3 different modules (subsequent in time) in terms of both posted and read notes in knowledge building forums.For the first question of inquiry, we compared participation in the three different periods of two groups of students: students who took a role in the second period ("with role in the second period") and students who didn't take a role at all ("without role"). So, in module 1, none of the students in the two conditions took a role in the group, in the second period students "with role" had particular responsibility in their group, and in the third period again none of the students had particular roles. We used Module 1 as a pre-test and Module 3 as post test and we analyzed differences using T-Student test. It was not possible to apply ANOVA for the lacking of the statistical conditions. Finally, for the third question of inquiry, we compared in a descriptive way, the writing and reading activity among the different roles. Results 1st question of inquiry The results evidence an higher participation (both in writing and reading notes) in each module among students who took a role in that period.Comparing students "without role" with students "with role in the second period", we can see that taking a role has an effect on writing activity also in module 3, when students do not have a specific role in the group. The two groups, in fact, do not differ in the Module 1 (t (70)= 0,28, p>.05) before the introduction of the design variable. Significant differences emerged in the Module 3 (t(70)=-3,64, p=.001): the students "with roles in the second period" wrote a higher number of notes in the web-forum. We have a similar situation with reference to the reading activity. Also in this case we have not differences in Module 1 (t(70)=-1,11, p>.05) between the two groups. In the Module 3 the students "with role in the second period" read a higher number of notes compared their counterparts (t(69,5)= -3,41, p=.001). 2nd question of inquiry Concerning the second question of inquiry, the analysis of the participation considering the particular kind of role assumed by the students shows some differences. In each module the students more active in writing had the role of synthesizer of the group discussion, followed by the social tutor. Discussion These results show that students assuming a role in an on line course are more active in terms of writing and reading activity in the on line environment, and this activity remain high also when they end to take a role. Probably this is due to the cognitive responsibility they take in order to build knowledge in the group. Scardamalia (2002) express this in terms of a "collective cognitive" responsibility activated in the students participating in a Knowledge Building Community, also if the author does not mention the role assumption. It is also interesting to notice that the synthesizers of the group discussion are the students more active within the students assuming a role. This can confirm the previous idea, because, who works on the synthesis have the responsibility to define the advancements of knowledge of the community. Probably, then, he tends to stimulate the knowledge building process in the community through a more frequent writing activity .
Effects of role taking in on-line writing and reading activities in a blended University course.
Cacciamani S
2011-01-01
Abstract
Role taking has been often studied as an established technique used for educational activities. Educational researcher highlight that the possibility to play a specific role within the group in online forums leads students to greater responsibility to its own knowledge building activity other than towards the group itself. The present study focuses on participation in online activities, questioning if taking a role in a group leads to a higher level of participation and which role fosters more participation. 152 students, divided into 14 discussion groups, participated in a knowledge building activity in 3 modules lasting 5 weeks each. In each module students in turn took specific roles. We analyzed students participation in terms of both posted and read notes in knowledge building forums. We compared participation in the three different periods of two groups of students: students who took a role in the second period and students who didn't take a role at all. We used Module 1 as a pre-test and Module 3 as post test and we analyzed differences using T-Student test. Results evidence no differences in participation in Module 1 between the two groups, an higher participation of the group of students taking a role in Module 2, and this difference between the two groups persists in Module 3. Students who had a role in Module 2 write and read more notes than students who didn't take a role also when none of them had particular roles. Introduction A relevant problem for the students in their first approach with the University is perceiving him/herself as an anonymous number in a large system, without a personal relationship with the teacher and sometimes also with other students. Many students feel then disoriented, without any guide about the strategies for an effective study activity. In this scenario it could be useful for the students to assume roles within work groups. In fact taking roleshas been often studied as an established technique used for educational activities, mainly in terms of role playing activity. Resnick and Wilensky (1997), e.g., integrated role-playing activities into science and math classes and argue that role-playing can help students understand complex systems and relationships. Educational researchers have also investigated how role-playing in a digital environment fosters intrinsic motivation (Dickey, 2006). Despite this large interest, only few studies analyze the effect of students role taking in online and F2F activities in academic context (Spadaro, Sansone & Ligorio, 2009; Schellens, Van Keer & Valcke, 2006). These studies highlight that the assumption of a role leads the activity of individual students, providing them with a script in which to act, and regulates the interaction within the group. In addition the possibility to play a specific role within the group leads students to greater responsibility to its own knowledge building activity other than towards the group itself. To go in depth in this area of inquiry the present study focused on the following questions: 1) Does taking a role in a group in an on line course lead to a higher level of participation, in terms of writing and reading activity? And does the participation decrease, when the student end to take a role? 2) Which kind of role does foster a higher level of participation? Method Participants 152 students (14 M, 138 F), attending the first year of the faculty of Psychology, University Sapienza of Rome, took part of this research. Procedure Students participated in a knowledge building activity in a blended course of Pedagogy, discussing online topics of the curriculum. Participants were distributed into discussion groups of 10-12 students. Online activities lasted the same period of the lectures and were divided into 3 modules, lasting 5 weeks each. In each module students were asked to analyze, discuss and reflect on different themes, connected to the course curriculum, and to build a conceptual map at the end of the activity. Groups were the same during the three module, and students in turn took specific roles: social "tutor", synthesizer, accountable for the conceptual map, "sceptical". Roles were assigned by the teacher at the beginning of each module. Measures and data analyses We analyzed students participation in the 3 different modules (subsequent in time) in terms of both posted and read notes in knowledge building forums.For the first question of inquiry, we compared participation in the three different periods of two groups of students: students who took a role in the second period ("with role in the second period") and students who didn't take a role at all ("without role"). So, in module 1, none of the students in the two conditions took a role in the group, in the second period students "with role" had particular responsibility in their group, and in the third period again none of the students had particular roles. We used Module 1 as a pre-test and Module 3 as post test and we analyzed differences using T-Student test. It was not possible to apply ANOVA for the lacking of the statistical conditions. Finally, for the third question of inquiry, we compared in a descriptive way, the writing and reading activity among the different roles. Results 1st question of inquiry The results evidence an higher participation (both in writing and reading notes) in each module among students who took a role in that period.Comparing students "without role" with students "with role in the second period", we can see that taking a role has an effect on writing activity also in module 3, when students do not have a specific role in the group. The two groups, in fact, do not differ in the Module 1 (t (70)= 0,28, p>.05) before the introduction of the design variable. Significant differences emerged in the Module 3 (t(70)=-3,64, p=.001): the students "with roles in the second period" wrote a higher number of notes in the web-forum. We have a similar situation with reference to the reading activity. Also in this case we have not differences in Module 1 (t(70)=-1,11, p>.05) between the two groups. In the Module 3 the students "with role in the second period" read a higher number of notes compared their counterparts (t(69,5)= -3,41, p=.001). 2nd question of inquiry Concerning the second question of inquiry, the analysis of the participation considering the particular kind of role assumed by the students shows some differences. In each module the students more active in writing had the role of synthesizer of the group discussion, followed by the social tutor. Discussion These results show that students assuming a role in an on line course are more active in terms of writing and reading activity in the on line environment, and this activity remain high also when they end to take a role. Probably this is due to the cognitive responsibility they take in order to build knowledge in the group. Scardamalia (2002) express this in terms of a "collective cognitive" responsibility activated in the students participating in a Knowledge Building Community, also if the author does not mention the role assumption. It is also interesting to notice that the synthesizers of the group discussion are the students more active within the students assuming a role. This can confirm the previous idea, because, who works on the synthesis have the responsibility to define the advancements of knowledge of the community. Probably, then, he tends to stimulate the knowledge building process in the community through a more frequent writing activity .I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
