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Developing online collaboration skills in general chemistry. Scott Sinex and Ted Chambers Prince George’s Community College Largo, Maryland. Presented at 2012 Biennial Conference on Chemical Education held at Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA. Why online collaboration?.
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Developing online collaboration skills in general chemistry Scott Sinex and Ted Chambers Prince George’s Community College Largo, Maryland Presented at 2012 Biennial Conference on Chemical Education held at Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
Why online collaboration? • 2. Communication and Collaboration - Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others. (ISTE NETS Students, 2011) • Recommendation - Use technology in more transformative ways, such as participatory and collaborative interactions and for higher level teaching and learning that is engaging and relevant to students’ lives and future plans. (ECAR National Study of Students & Information Technology in Higher Education, 2011) • Engaging in argument from evidence(NRC The Framework for K–12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas, 2012) Only lab dimensions!
Drive The collaboration tool - Google Docs • Use online form to collect data • Examine class data in spreadsheet LCD projector and computers at lab stations for each group • Use chat function to discuss class results Scenario for mock collaboration • Collect student feedback too via a form Provide links on course webpage
Nuts & Bolts of Extrapolation See linear regression and goodness of fit in action! No prior knowledge required Mass from y-intercept http://academic.pgcc.edu/~ssinex/excelets/Nuts_&_Bolts_activity.pdf
Drive The form in Google Docs Drive Very easy to create! Draft questions in order More data to add plus button submit
Drive The spreadsheet in Google Docs The spreadsheet sets up from the form being developed! Can hide previous data! http://academic.pgcc.edu/~ssinex/excelets/nuts_&_bolts.xls
Using the chat function… • Students not signed into Google Docs Drive • Open chat (can bomb completely) Might improve with experience • Questions posed in activity (ignore questions) • “Moderated on the fly” by instructor (peer?) keeps chat productive
Drive The chat function in Google Docs Groups must identify themselves Type here The chat function appears as soon as two or more people have opened the spreadsheet.
Chat excerpt - open http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wonky To capture chat: Must copy & paste into Word Spring 2012
Chat excerpt – “moderated on the fly” Summer 2012
Student feedback… Summer 2012 24 students 1. Using Google chat is straight forward and easy. Strongly Agree Agree No Opinion Disagree Strongly Disagree Results: 11 13000 4.46 100% aggreement 2. Google chat enhanced the groups’ ability to analyze the data. Strongly Agree Agree No Opinion Disagree Strongly Disagree Results:12 110 1 0 4.42 96% agreement 3. Using Google chat was more efficient than using hard copy and the telephone or email to discuss ideas and exchange results. Strongly Agree Agree No Opinion Disagree Strongly Disagree Results:14 9 1 0 0 4.54 96% agreement 4. What is your overall rating of using Google chat during collaboration? Very Good Good Average Poor Very Poor Results:10 9 4 1 0 4.17 79% above average
Student comments… Positive • Exchange of real-time data & rapid communication regardless of location. Awesome! • It was fun & a real hands-on experiment • Quick & straight forward and don’t have to carry on a long conversation, quick & to the point Constructive • Typing in chat is time consuming & people may fall behind in the conversation ( video chat) • Some information in chat can be missed when many responds Summer 2012
Some final thoughts • Easy way to collect class data for comparison and obtaining class statistics • Moderated chat can produce some great discussion/debate (prompt for evidence) • Increases student engagement & thinking • Great use of 21st century technology!!!
More info… • Scott Sinex ssinex@pgcc.edu http://academic.pgcc.edu/~ssinex • Ted Chambers tchambers@pgcc.edu • Papers – Mass, Measurement, Materials, and Mathematical Modeling: The Nuts and Bolts of Extrapolation, Spreadsheets in Education http://epublications.bond.edu.au/ejsie/vol5/iss1/3/ Mass, Measurement, Materials, and More Mathematical Modeling: The Nuts and Bolts of Let’s Make an Error, Spreadsheets in Education to be submitted …and thanks for attending today!