Primary students' and teachers' experiences of collaborative learning online

2005
Patsy-Ann Street, The South Learning Centre.

Project Aim

To identify how involvement in a collaborative on-line environment affects students’ and teachers’ experiences of learning.

Research Questions:

• What is the nature of students’ experience of learning in a collaborative learning on-line environment?
• How does involvement in a collaborative learning on-line environment affect teaching practice and strategies?
• How effective is the LAMS programme in providing an on-line environment for collaborative learning experiences?
• What are the critical success factors for students and teachers in developing and using a collaborative learning on-line unit of work?
• In what ways does the LAMS online environment shape the teaching and learning experience?

Project Plan

The project investigates the development of a community of young learners – across schools, across time and across socio-economic catchment boundaries. Teachers of two Year Six classes in two local schools will develop, implement and evaluate a cross-school, collaborative unit of work in an on-line environment over a fifteen-week period using action research methodology (Baumann and Duffy, 2001; Cohen, Manion and Morrison, 2000; Haggarty & Postlethwaite, 2003). The teachers will be assisted by a Facilitator from the South Learning Centre (SLC) in developing and implementing the unit and will have in-school ICT support at each school (Evans, Lomax and Morgan, 2000). The theme for the unit is Vandalism and the research questions for the project have been determined by the teachers and facilitators in collaboration with research mentors from Ultralab South.

Partnerships involved:

• Christchurch East Primary School
• Waltham Primary School
• Ultralab South and South Leaning Centre
  

Expected Outcomes

• A unit of work with collaborative on-line components around the theme of vandalism
• Dissemination of action research findings to stakeholders
• Evaluation of LAMS as a learning environment for primary teachers and children
    

Selected Publications

Download the summary of the project report [pdf, 54 KB]
Download the full text of the project report [pdf, 1434 KB]

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