Extending a virtual chemistry laboratory with a collaboration script to promote conceptual learning

Abstract

We developed collaborative extensions to 'Vlab', a web-based laboratory that supports students in conducting virtual chemistry experiments. While results from a recent study indicated that VLab promotes chemistry learning, they also revealed that there is room for improvement. We embedded VLab into a collaborative environment that implements a computer-supported collaboration script for guiding students through the stages of scientific experimentation. We describe our pedagogical approach, our collaboration script, and the collaborative learning environment which implements it. We present results from two small-scale studies and a contrasting-case analysis of how adaptive prompts, in addition to the fixed script, affected student behaviour.

Promoting Argumentation Competence: Extending from First- to Second-Order Scaffolding Through Adaptive Fading

“…Fading is not restricted to one specific pedagogy and has been studied, for example, with regard to collaborative learning (Bouyias and Demetriadis 2012;Tsovaltzi et al 2012;Fischer 2011), inquiry learning (McNeill et al 2006), learning for conceptual change (Biemans and Simons 1996), and worked examples (Renkl and Atkinson 2003;Van Gog and Rummel 2010). Although scientific evidence demonstrates effectiveness of fading for learning in some studies (e.g., Renkl et al 2004;Tsovaltzi et al 2010), results that are mixed (e.g., Leutner 2000;McNeill et al 2006) and even disappointing (e.g., Bouyias and Demetriadis 2012;Wecker et al 2010) are reported as well. In the following section, we explain these inconclusive results for various fading instructional scaffolds in CABLe situations.…”

“…The most prominent recent approach is the use of adaptive fading (e.g., Kumar et al 2007;Tsovaltzi et al 2010;Vogel et al 2015). When the continuous application of a strategy (as suggested by external instructional support) is guaranteed, adaptation and adjustment of the strategy through fading is necessary for internalization of the external script and enhancement of the internal script development.…”

“…When the continuous application of a strategy (as suggested by external instructional support) is guaranteed, adaptation and adjustment of the strategy through fading is necessary for internalization of the external script and enhancement of the internal script development. That is why, in an empirical study by Tsovaltzi et al (2010), the conclusion was drawn that adaptive fading in which external script components are continuously adjusted to the quality of discourse activities can be much more effective than fixed regimes for the development of learners' internal script components. As discussed, adequate and proper diagnosis of the discourse and situation is essential for realization of adaptive fading.…”

“…Although adaptive fading might be a good strategy for fostering acquiring argumentation competence in the rather short term (e.g., Kumar et al 2007;Tsovaltzi et al 2010), there is no evidence for longer-term effects of adaptive fading on developing an internal script, and for application of the acquired argumentation competence in similar learning situations. We argue that, although adaptive fading may foster the transfer of the learning responsibility and control from the environment to the learner in a particular situation (see Wecker and Fischer 2011), it alone does not guarantee a successful application of the acquired competence in comparable situations.…”

“…We argue that, although adaptive fading may foster the transfer of the learning responsibility and control from the environment to the learner in a particular situation (see Wecker and Fischer 2011), it alone does not guarantee a successful application of the acquired competence in comparable situations. There could be a situation in which adaptive fading leads to successful internalization of the external script (see Kumar et al 2007;Tsovaltzi et al 2010); however, fading something that is not fully understood or has not fully been learned but is still internalized in a particular situation cannot be sufficient for fostering independent learner application of the targeted activities in the long run. We thus need to make sure that adaptive fading targets both internalization of the external script (i.e., acquisition) and development of the internal script (i.e., consolidation).…”