Browsing by Author "Alvarez, Claudio"

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
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    Comparative study of netbooks and tablet PCs for fostering face-to-face collaborative learning
    (PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD, 2011) Alvarez, Claudio; Brown, Christian; Nussbaum, Miguel
    With the recent appearance of netbooks and low-cost tablet PCs, a study was undertaken to explore their potential in the classroom and determine which of the two device types is more suitable in this setting. A collaborative learning activity based on these devices was implemented in 5 sessions of a graduate engineering course of 20 students, most of whom were aged 22-25 and enrolled in undergraduate computer science and information technology engineering programs. Student behavior attributes indicating oral and gesture-based communication were observed and evaluated. Our findings indicate that in the context in which this study was undertaken, tablet PCs strengthen collective discourse capabilities and facilitate a richer and more natural body language. The students preferred tablet PCs to netbooks and also indicated greater self-confidence in expressing their ideas with the tablet's digital ink and paper technology than with the netbooks' traditional vertical screen and keyboard arrangement. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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    Implementing collaborative learning activities in the classroom supported by one-to-one mobile computing: A design-based process
    (ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC, 2011) Alvarez, Claudio; Alarcon, Rosa; Nussbaum, Miguel
    Mobile devices such as PDAs, smartphones and tablet computers are becoming increasingly popular, setting out opportunities for new ways of communicating and collaborating. Research initiatives have ascertained the potential of mobile devices in education, and particularly, the benefits of incorporating them in the classroom for eliciting collaborative learning and active student participation. However, the development of technology-supported learning environments poses challenges to education researchers, practitioners, and software technologists in creating educational tools that respond to real needs of instructors and learners, meet clearly defined didactic purposes, and are practical for the intended audience. This article reports on a technology for facilitating the implementation of collaborative learning environments in the classroom supported by one-to-one mobile computing. The approach encompasses a framework supporting the design and implementation of the mobile software, and a design-based process that guides interdisciplinary efforts utilizing the framework, towards creating effective pedagogical models based on collaborative learning. The proposed design-based process allowed us to develop pedagogical models that respond to real needs of learners and instructors, where development is grounded on rigorous scientific research, allowing to reuse both knowledge and software, and showing an improvement of the mobile software built based on continuous experimentation and evaluation. A case study illustrating the application of the technology is presented and plans for future research are discussed. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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    Teaching Communication, Interpersonal and Decision-Making Skills in Engineering Courses Supported by Technology
    (TEMPUS PUBLICATIONS, 2009) Alvarez, Claudio; Nussbaum, Miguel; Recabarren, Matias; Gomez, Florencia; Radovic, Darinka
    Communication, interpersonal and decision-making skills are essential for engineering work and should be explicitly incorporated in engineering curricula. We have tested a constructivist, technology-supported collaborative strategy in engineering courses that is aimed at supporting the teaching of regular subject matter as well as fostering the development of students' communication and social skills. In this strategy, students communicate face-to-face through a social network while supporting their work with handhelds interconnected through a wireless network. Information transfers from the social network to the handheld network and vice versa, meaning that collaborators maintain face-to-face interaction at all times while also being able to obtain and retrieve information. To implement this strategy, a technology tool named CollPad was created and applied in two computer science courses. The qualitative results of the experience show that students found the tool effective in creating an environment that promotes communication, interpersonal and decision-making skills.
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    Technology as small group face-to-face Collaborative Scaffolding
    (PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD, 2009) Nussbaum, Miguel; Alvarez, Claudio; McFarlane, Angela; Gomez, Florencia; Claro, Susana; Radovic, Darinka
    There is a wealth of evidence that collaboration between learners can enhance the outcomes for all concerned. This supports the theorization of learning as a socio-cultural practice, framed by Vygotsky and developed by other researchers such as Rogoff, Lave and Wenger. However, there is also evidence that working collaboratively may not be a spontaneous response to working in a group, and that teaching learners how to collaborate, and in particular how to work together to negotiate meaning, is a necessary part of the process of learning collaboratively which can enhance outcomes further. A question for the computer supported collaborative learning community then arises as to whether learning to collaborate can be scaffolded through the use of digital tools, and what such tools might look like. This paper reports on the design of a digital system that aims to support the practice of face-to-face collaboration on open-ended tasks. Findings from trials of the system in classrooms in the UK and Chile show that the model is welcomed both by teachers and pupils, and met its objectives of ensuring greater interaction between class members who did not normally work together, and involvement of all individuals in discussion based activities. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.