Towards an understanding of student practice in asynchronous computer conferencing environments: Implications for distance education

Vanessa Lynn Peters

(2005) pp. 1–141

While much has been written about the constructivist affordances of asynchronous computer conferencing environments, there have been relatively few studies that examine, in detail, what students actually do online, and how these practices either...

Knowledge community and inquiry in secondary school science

Vanessa Lynn Peters

(2010) pp. 1–182

This design-based study was the first empirical investigation of a new model of learning and instruction called Knowledge Community and Inquiry (KCI). In KCI, students are engaged as a learning community as they work on scaffolded inquiry activities ...

Collaboration in Computer-Mediated Conferencing Courses

Vanessa Peters; Jim Hewitt

World Conference on Educational Media and Technology 2006 (June 2006) pp. 441–444

Abstract: This study explores the degree to which students feel they are working collaboratively in asynchronous computer conferencing courses. Using a questionnaire and interviews as data sources, the study describes the perspectives of 57 graduate-...

Topics: Distance Education, Students

Using Wikis to Support Knowledge Building in a Graduate Education Course

Jim Hewitt; Vanessa Peters

World Conference on Educational Media and Technology 2006 (June 2006) pp. 2200–2204

The current study explored how Wikis can be used as a support for knowledge building in a graduate-level distance education course. The course consisted of 15 students who collaboratively constructed a set of Wiki pages on a variety of topics for...

Topics: Distance Education, Educational Technology, Students

An Analysis of Student Practices in Asynchronous Computer Conferencing Environments

Vanessa Peters; Jim Hewitt

World Conference on Educational Media and Technology 2005 (Jun 27, 2005) pp. 778–785

While much has been written about the constructivist affordances of asynchronous computer conferencing environments, there have been relatively few studies that examine, in detail, what students actually do online, and how these practices either...

Topics: Distance Education, Students

Students Perspectives of Competition in Asynchronous Computer-Mediated Conferencing

Vanessa Peters; Jim Hewitt

World Conference on Educational Media and Technology 2006 (June 2006) pp. 445–449

Abstract: The current study explored student perspectives on competition in asynchronous computer-mediated conferencing courses. A Likert-scale questionnaire was distributed to 57 students enrolled in graduate-level distance education programs. Nine ...

Topics: Distance Education

An investigation of student practices in asynchronous computer conferencing courses

Vanessa L. Peters; Jim Hewitt

Computers & Education Vol. 54, No. 4 (May 2010) pp. 951–961

This study investigated the online practices of students enrolled in graduate-level distance education courses. Using interviews and a questionnaire as data sources, the study sought to: (a) identify common practices that students adopt in...

Language: English

To Group or Not to Group: A Question for Distance Learning

Olivia Robertson; Vanessa Peters; Jim Hewitt

World Conference on Educational Media and Technology 2006 (June 2006) pp. 460–467

The online environment lends itself to learner collaboration, both in large or small groups (Kearsley, Lynch, & Wizer, 1995). It is built on the principles of social constructivist learning (Muilenburg & Berge, 2000) which suggest that learning...

Topics: Students, Learning Outcomes

Scan Rate: A New Metric for the Analysis of Reading Behaviors in Asynchronous Computer Conferencing Environments

Jim Hewitt; Clare Brett; Vanessa Peters

American Journal of Distance Education Vol. 21, No. 4 (November 2007) pp. 215–231

This article introduces a new computer conferencing metric called Scan Rate, which is a measure of students' and instructors' online reading speed. The term "scan" refers to the practice of either skimming through a message at an unusually rapid...

Competition and Collaboration in a Computer-Mediated Teacher Education Course

Vanessa Peters; Jim Hewitt; Clare Brett

Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2006 (Mar 19, 2006) pp. 487–501

Abstract: The current study examined student perspectives on peer collaboration and competition in an online teacher education course. Using a questionnaire and interviews as data sources, the study sought to explore the extent to which students...

Topics: Collaboration, Students

Using Wiki Technologies as an Adjunct to Computer Conferencing in a Graduate Teacher Education Course

Jim Hewitt; Vanessa Peters; Clare Brett

Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2006 (Mar 19, 2006) pp. 2240–2243

The current study examines an online course in which a Wiki environment was used in conjunction with computer conferencing to facilitate the collaborative investigations. The course was comprised of 15 teachers who worked together to develop Wiki...

Topics: Computers, Collaboration, Students

Evaluating the Usability of a Professional Modeling Tool Repurposed for Middle School Learning

Vanessa L. Peters; Nancy Butler Songer

Journal of Science Education and Technology Vol. 22, No. 5 (October 2013) pp. 681–696

This paper reports the results of a three-stage usability test of a modeling tool designed to support learners' deep understanding of the impacts of climate change on ecosystems. The design process involved repurposing an existing modeling...