Graduate students' sense making process in collaborative learning tasks

LI, Xiaofeng; Todd, Ross J.

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/73761 Copy

Description

Title

Graduate students' sense making process in collaborative learning tasks

Author(s)

• LI, Xiaofeng
• Todd, Ross J.

Issue Date

2015-03-15

Keyword(s)

• human information behavior
• qualitative research methods
• education in library and information sciences

Abstract

This current study explores how graduate students make sense together to accomplish real-life collaborative learning tasks. A class of 15 adult students at a large, public university in Northeast US is recruited. The purpose of their learning task is to work with team members and construct group presentations on their collective understandings on information behaviors within specific contexts. Data sources include pre- and post-questionnaires, classroom observations, and in-depth interviews that are structured within Dervin’s (1992) Sense-Making methodology. Our findings identify several task related situations, gaps, and sense-making strategies that incorporate the social dimensions. These social dimensions and emergent collaborative/cooperative learning processes are highlighted and discussed. Overall this study has implications for educators to design socially constructed learning environment and facilitate learners’ sense-making processes when undertaking collaborative tasks.

Publisher

iSchools

Series/Report Name or Number

iConference 2015 Proceedings

Type of Resource

text

Language

English

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/73761

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Copyright 2015 is held by the authors. Copyright permissions, when appropriate, must be obtained directly from the authors.

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