Creating a psychologically safe online space for a student‐generated questions learning activity via different identity revelation modes

Abstract

This study focuses on mitigating evaluation apprehension, which is usually unavoidable in identifiable social situations, via the constructive use of prominent features of networked technologies. Specifically, this study investigated learners' attitudes towards different user-identity revelation modes, namely, real-identity, anonymity and created-identity, in an online questionconstruction and peer-assessment context. Forty university freshmen, taking a physics laboratory course, participated for one semester in 2007. A learning system called The Question Authoring and Reasoning Knowledge System which allowed students to contribute and benefit from cyclic process of constructing and reviewing questions, was devised. Analysis of the data gathered found that students reacted statistically differently to the modes of real name, anonymity and nickname. Furthermore, participating students adjusted their preferred mode in different roles and circumstances. The data obtained suggest that program developers should embed flexible and versatile capabilities of computer and communication technologies by allowing individuals the opportunity not to be identified or only be identified via a nickname of their choice, so as to help eliminate feelings of embarrassment and uneasiness, which are not psychologically sound and may hinder the learning process.

A participatory learning approach to biochemistry using student authored and evaluated multiple‐choice questions

“…Allowing students to write their own questions and evaluate questions posed by their fellow students is a participatory learning approach that has been proposed to have many benefits such as improving student engagement, developing higher order thinking skills, enhancing written communication skills, promoting deeper understanding, and improving problem solving skills [8,9,11,21]. In particular, PeerWise combines a ''writing to learn'' activity [22], student-contributed questions [23], and a web-based peer review system [24][25][26] that allows students to be actively engaged in their learning.…”

“…Consequently, PeerWise, and similar web-based systems, have been developed to provide a participatory learning environment that is familiar to most students (for a current list of other systems [9]). The development of these systems is ongoing with research into aspects of design such as: scaffolding (e.g., where the system provides generic question stems, model questions, and specific criteria to prompt question design and assessment), different modes of identity (real, anonymous, or nickname), and multiple peer assessment facilities [9][10][11].…”

A mixed methods approach to the assessor's targeting behavior during online peer assessment: effects of anonymity and underlying reasons

“…Because the disclosure and concealment of the identities of the interacting parties in a peer assessment situation can be easily controlled with the support of networked technologies (Yu & Liu, 2009), a number of works have suggested making the parties anonymous in order to minimize the adverse effects of knowing whose work one is evaluating during the peer assessment process (Ainsworth et al, 2011), and it is this approach that the current study adopts.…”

A student-constructed test learning system: The design, development and evaluation of its pedagogical potential

“…Finally, studies have confirmed that users' preference for different identity modes varies across situations (Yu & Liu, 2009). In the developed SCT, the instructor can allow students to select the identity representation modes of their choice (i.e., real-name, nickname, and anonymous) during test-construction and test-assessment (as shown in the middle of Figure 5), so that their psychological needs are attended to.…”