Mediating Interactions in Mobile Learning: A Quantitative Study Examining Social, Cognitive, and Teaching Presences Via WhatsApp
Start
1-30-2019 10:30 AM
End
1-30-2019 11:45 AM
Short Description
Mobile learning has drawn great attention for its potential to mediate peer interactions. Drawing on Garrison, Anderson, and Archer’s (2000) Community of Inquiry framework, this presentation reports a quantitative analysis of the interactions among 38 teachers from Brazil who participated in a continuing education course via WhatsApp. The findings show evidence of social presence, cognitive presence, and teaching presence at moments that the construction of collective knowledge takes place during the course.
Abstract
Advancements in digital technologies have raised the interest of researchers, educators, and teachers. Mobile applications, specifically WhatsApp, have drawn great attention in the educational context for their potential to mediate interactions (Braga, Correa Jr. & Martins, 2017; Gunter & Reeves, 2018; Kukulska-Hulme, 2010). Although there are several claims of the benefits of mobile learning for mediating discussions, there is a need to explore how the interactions take place in social spaces like WhatsApp. This application is currently used by over one billion users in 180 countries and relies on several features such as text message, voice message, sharing of video and PDF files, besides allowing voice and video calls (WhatsApp, 2015).
Drawing on Garrison, Anderson, and Archer’s (2000) Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework, this presentation reports on the use of WhatsApp as a social space for collaborative discussions using mobile and online learning. Thirty-eight teachers from around Brazil interacted in a continuing education course via WhatsApp during seven weeks in 2017.
Although this application needs further studies with respect to whether it is appropriate to accommodate interactions of higher order thinking, especially those that indicate social, cognitive, and instructional presences in Garrison, Anderson, and Archer’s terms, this quantitative study aims at identifying social, cognitive, and teacher presences that emerged during the course interactions with teachers in Brazil. The 1,670 interactions that occurred during the course were blind-coded under Garrison, Archer and Anderson’s categories so that social, cognitive, and teacher presences could be identified. The findings show evidence of social presence, cognitive presence, and teaching presence at moments that the construction of collective knowledge takes place during the course.
Format
Concurrent Session
Institutional level targeted
Higher Ed
Mediating Interactions in Mobile Learning: A Quantitative Study Examining Social, Cognitive, and Teaching Presences Via WhatsApp
Advancements in digital technologies have raised the interest of researchers, educators, and teachers. Mobile applications, specifically WhatsApp, have drawn great attention in the educational context for their potential to mediate interactions (Braga, Correa Jr. & Martins, 2017; Gunter & Reeves, 2018; Kukulska-Hulme, 2010). Although there are several claims of the benefits of mobile learning for mediating discussions, there is a need to explore how the interactions take place in social spaces like WhatsApp. This application is currently used by over one billion users in 180 countries and relies on several features such as text message, voice message, sharing of video and PDF files, besides allowing voice and video calls (WhatsApp, 2015).
Drawing on Garrison, Anderson, and Archer’s (2000) Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework, this presentation reports on the use of WhatsApp as a social space for collaborative discussions using mobile and online learning. Thirty-eight teachers from around Brazil interacted in a continuing education course via WhatsApp during seven weeks in 2017.
Although this application needs further studies with respect to whether it is appropriate to accommodate interactions of higher order thinking, especially those that indicate social, cognitive, and instructional presences in Garrison, Anderson, and Archer’s terms, this quantitative study aims at identifying social, cognitive, and teacher presences that emerged during the course interactions with teachers in Brazil. The 1,670 interactions that occurred during the course were blind-coded under Garrison, Archer and Anderson’s categories so that social, cognitive, and teacher presences could be identified. The findings show evidence of social presence, cognitive presence, and teaching presence at moments that the construction of collective knowledge takes place during the course.