Using Online Asynchronous Discussions for Peer-Feedback
1. Benoît Guilbaud, Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), 2012
Using
Online Asynchronous Discussions
for Peer-Feedback
a Case-Study
Benoît Guilbaud
b.guilbaud@mmu.ac.uk
@benguilbaud
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2. Benoît Guilbaud, Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), 2012
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Benoît Guilbaud, 2012
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3. #diltec12
Benoît Guilbaud, Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), 2012
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4. “More group work”
“I don’t know the
people on my course”
“I feel isolated when I work”
Picture by pennstatelive via flickr.com
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5. Making things better
Benoît Guilbaud, Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), 2012
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6. Benoît Guilbaud, Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), 2012
Public learning Distance
Face-to-face
Peer-feedback
Openness
Sharing
Error correction
Transparency Social
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7. Benoît Guilbaud, Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), 2012
Context
English ⇢ French 25 final year September 2011 -
translation (L1 ⇢ L2) undergraduates (C1) March 2012
1 hour / week 18 texts Weekly contributions
contact time 18 weeks to discussion forums
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8. Benoît Guilbaud, Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), 2012
Weekly task
Sharing part of the Commenting on one
homework on the forums another’s contributions
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9. Benoît Guilbaud, Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), 2012
The study
Collect student feedback on use of OADs for peer-feedback
Measure student engagement with OADs
Evaluate impact on performance (contributions / marks)
Gauge if interactions lead to deep, collaborative learning (Wheeler, 2012)
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10. Benoît Guilbaud, Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), 2012
Methodology
Using$social$media$in$an$undergraduate$translation$class$–$a$case$study
Preliminary$questionnaire$X$Benoît$Guilbaud$X$2011
Section(2(–(Social(networking(sites(7(for!all!purposes!other!than!translation
3 feedback questionnaires assessing
2a.$Are$you$a$member$of$one$or$more$social$networking$sites$(Facebook,$Twitter,$Google+,$etc.)?$Which$one(s)?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2b.$If$you$answered$‘yes’$in$2a,$please$place$one$tick$per$line$in$the$following$table:
When using social
networking sites (not
for translation
purposes)
Never Rarely Sometimes Often
Very
often
Always
Not
applicable /
don’t know
expectations & satisfaction
I log in to my existing
member account.
I read other
members’
contributions and
pre / mid / post-study
existing discussions.
I post contributions
in response to other
members’ activity.
I engage in longer
discussions (more
than 2 posts) with
other members.
quantitative + open questions
When another
member has a
question, I try and
answer it.
Page 4 of 5
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11. Benoît Guilbaud, Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), 2012
Methodology
Collection and analysis of
contributions to OADs using
Murphy’s collaboration model (2004)
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12. Platform
Benoît Guilbaud, Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), 2012
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13. CMS
The problem with Moodle
Benoît Guilbaud, Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), 2012
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14. Benoît Guilbaud, Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), 2012
CMS
No possible communication
between units, programmes, cohorts
Discussion forum Discussion forum
Unit A Unit B
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15. CMS
year after year
not carried over
User-generated content
Benoît Guilbaud, Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), 2012
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17. learner
Personal Learning Network (PLN)
Benoît Guilbaud, Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), 2012
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18. learner
Personal Learning Network (PLN)
Benoît Guilbaud, Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), 2012
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19. Social media
Benoît Guilbaud, Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), 2012
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20. Benoît Guilbaud, Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), 2012
Why social media?
Encourage networked, open learning (Couros, 2011)
Introduce students to the concept of PLN
Develop learners’ digital literacies (Belshaw, 2011)
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21. Platform
Benoît Guilbaud, Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), 2012
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22. P RI VA TE
Benoît Guilbaud, Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), 2012
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23. Benoît Guilbaud, Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), 2012
Dedicated space Content preserved
year after year
Web 2.0
Affordable
Non-instrusive
Student-curated
Customisable Open or closed
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26. Findings
Benoît Guilbaud, Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), 2012
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27. Feedback
Benoît Guilbaud, Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), 2012
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28. 84%
Feedback
September 2011: “The platform could be useful”
Benoît Guilbaud, Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), 2012
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29. March 2012: “The platform was useful”
92%
Feedback
Benoît Guilbaud, Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), 2012
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30. Benoît Guilbaud, Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), 2012
Feedback
“I think it works really well and is easy to access.”
“Working really well - maybe we could
have a similar thing on other modules.”
“It would be useful to have it for other courses.”
“Very useful.”
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31. Benoît Guilbaud, Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), 2012
Feedback
“Not enough students use it for it to be
wholly effective. I think most students just
rely on the contributions of others.”
“It is just down to ourselves to make more of
an effort this term, which I will attempt to do.”
“Very useful. No improvements needed.”
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32. Benoît Guilbaud, Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), 2012
Feedback from students who did not find the platform useful
“Make it more easily accessible - link on Moodle?”
“I have tried to log in a few times but it won’t
work so I gave up out of frustration!”
“No one really uses it so it’s not very useful.
Maybe if you integrate it into the lesson.”
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33. Engagement
Benoît Guilbaud, Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), 2012
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34. Number of contributions to forums
0
13
25
38
50
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Week number
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12
13
14
Contributions per week
15
16
17
Ideal
18
Actual
Benoît Guilbaud, Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), 2012
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36. Benoît Guilbaud, Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), 2012
Impact of assessment on number of contributions
Guilbaud, 2012 McNeilly & Zhok, 2012
Level: BA Level: MA
Blended learning Distance learning
Not assessed Assessed (10% of unit)
Feedback mostly positive (92%) Feedback “overwhelmingly positive”
Average no. of contributions Average no. of contributions
per student per week = 0,27 per student per week ≃1
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37. Impact on student marks
Benoît Guilbaud, Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), 2012
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38. Benoît Guilbaud, Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), 2012
Number of contributions to OADs vs average mark
80
70
Average mark (in %)
60
50
40
30
0 15 30 45 60
Total number of contributions to forums
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41. Benoît Guilbaud, Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), 2012
Distribution of contributions per category (% of total)
A Producing shared artefacts 0%
B Building shared goals and purposes 0%
Collaboration
C Co-constructing shared perspectives and meanings 33%
P Accommodating or reflecting the perspectives of others 2%
I Articulating individual perspectives 23%
S Social presence 41%
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42. Benoît Guilbaud, Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), 2012
Articulating individual perspectives (I)
A
Summarising or reporting on content without reference to
B 5%
the perspectives of others (S)
C
P
Statement of personal opinion or beliefs making no reference
I 18%
to perspectives of others (O)
S
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43. Benoît Guilbaud, Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), 2012
Accommodating or reflecting the perspectives of others (P)
A
Coordinating perspectives (C) 1%
B
Introducing new perspectives (N) 0%
C
P Indirectly disagreeing with challenging statements made by
1%
another participant (I)
I
Directly disagreeing with challenging statements made by
1%
S another participant (D)
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44. Benoît Guilbaud, Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), 2012
Co-constructing shared perspectives and meanings (C)
A Sharing advice (S) 0%
B Responding to questions (R) 11%
C Provoking thought and discussion (P) 0%
P Soliciting feedback (F) 9%
Posing rhetorical questions (Q) 0%
I
Asking for clarification/ elaboration (A) 10%
S Sharing information and resources (I) 4%
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45. Conclusions
Benoît Guilbaud, Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), 2012
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46. Benoît Guilbaud, Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), 2012
Sharing
Foster a culture of participation within the group
Promote sharing resources & crediting sources
Picture by ryancr via flickr.com
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48. Limitations
Impact of non-assessment on student engagement
Correlation between contribution and performance difficult to establish
Students’ technical ability not to be overestimated
Picture by marc falardeau via flickr.com
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49. Benoît Guilbaud, Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), 2012
and beyond...
Extend use of OADs to promote open learning
Train critically-competent and digitally-literate learners
Promote participation
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50. Benoît Guilbaud, Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), 2012
Belshaw, D., 2011. What is digital literacy? A Pragmatic investigation. Doctoral thesis, Durham University. Available at http://
neverendingthesis.com and http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/cgi/latest [accessed 28th March 2012].
Couros, A., 2011. Why networked learning matters. Education in a Changing Environment (ECE) 6th International
Conference, Creativity and Engagement in Higher Education, 6-8 July 2011, University of Salford, Greater Manchester, UK.
McNeilly, E. & Zhok, A., 2012. The Online Discussion Board for Translation - An Undergraduate MFL Perspective for the
Study of Italian and Russian. In: LLAS: 7th e-learning symposium. University of Southampton, 26-27 January 2012.
Mott, John., 2011. The End In Mind. www.jonmott.com [blog].
Murphy, E., 2004. Recognising and promoting collaboration in an online asynchronous discussion. In: British Journal of
Educational Technology, 35(4) pp.421–431.
O’Reilly, T., 2005. Web 2.0. Exteme Interfaces, TTI Vanguard. Geneva, Switzerland 16 September 2005.
Vygotsky, L.S., 1978. Mind in society: The development of higher mental processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Wheeler, S., Yeomans, P. and Wheeler, D., 2008. The Good, the Bad and the Wiki: Evaluating Student Generated Content as
a Collaborative Learning Tool. In: British Journal of Educational Technology, 39(6), pp.987-995.
Wheeler, S., 2012. Digital Pedagogy: Content is a Tyrant, Context is King. In: NAACE 2012 Annual Conference, 9 March
2012, Leicester, United Kingdom.
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