ClassSearch

Abstract

We explore the use of social learning -improving knowledge skills by observing peer behavior -in the domain of Web search skill acquisition, focusing specifically on co-located classroom scenarios. Through a series of interviews, pilot studies, and classroom deployments, we conclude that a peripheral display of Web search activity within a classroom facilitates both social learning and teacher-led discourse. We present the ClassSearch system for shared awareness of Web search activity, which embodies principles gleaned from our iterative design process, and show results from a ClassSearch deployment in twelve middle-school classroom sessions. Finally, we highlight design suggestions and opportunities for future work while taxonomizing the space of co-located search pedagogies.

Understanding teachers’ routines to inform classroom technology design

“…Lamberty et al (2010) introduced an ambient display which aims to support elementary school students to remain aware of what their peers are doing when they are all working on an individual computer to solve design challenges related to fractions and symmetry. The ClassSearch system (Moraveji et al 2011) offers the teacher and students awareness of Web search activities in the classroom to facilitate social learning and teacher-led discourse by means of an ambient display. Sturm et al (2006) described an unobtrusive service providing the teacher feedback of the attention level as well as the interest level of students through an ambient display while he or she is lecturing.…”

“…However as we mentioned in the design opportunity 1, such displays should be unobtrusive, unarrestive, and ignorable, so that the information could support teachers assess and adjust their teaching more efficiently without causing much extra cognitive load. Some of the related work we addressed before, such as studies done by Moraveji et al (2011);Sturm et al (2006), and van Alphen and Bakker (2015) can be seen as early explorations into this direction and have shown their potential value for teachers. We believe that there is more space to be explored in this opportunity.…”

Collab-Analyzer: An environment for conducting web-based collaborative learning activities and analyzing students’ information-searching behaviors

“…Cognitive skills refer to the ability of efficiently finding answers for a specific issue or question, while metacognitive skills refer to the ability of adapting the strategies for finding the answers. A number of studies (Amershi & Morris, 2008;Moraveji, Morris, Morris, Czerwinski, & Riche, 2011;Kuo, Hwang, & Lee, 2012;Mason & Watts, 2012;Morris, 2008;Morris & Horvitz, 2007;Morris, Paepcke, & Winograd, 2006) have further indicated that integrating collaborative learning strategies, in which students are able to share opinions, knowledge, or experiences thorough online discussions might be helpful to them in making reflections on the keywords and web pages adopted in web-based problem-solving activities (Mason & Watts, 2012;Mitnik, Recabarren, Nussbaum, & Soto, 2009). For example, in the study of Mason and Watts (2012), a series of collaborative problem-solving and information-sharing experiments were conducted.…”

“…Unfortunately, some existing learning systems, such as one called Meta-Analyzer that provides a questioning interface and a search engine to engage students in searching for information to answer a series of questions related to a specified issue (Hwang et al, 2008), were not designed for conducting collaborative web-based problem-solving activities, not to mention providing the facilities of recording and analyzing the collaborative problem-solving behaviors and performance of students, which could help educators better understand students' interactive patterns in a collaborative learning activity. Such a collaborative learning record may play a role in leading educators to grasp how much effort is exerted by individual students in a group (Amershi & Morris, 2008;Moraveji et al, 2011;Morris, 2008;Morris & Horvitz, 2007;Morris et al, 2006).…”