Title :
Assessment of student understanding using on-line discussion groups
Author :
Hein, Teresa L. ; Irvine, Sarah E.
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Phys., American Univ., Washington, DC, USA
Abstract :
The computer and other technologies (i.e. the Internet, the World Wide Web, and various types of groupware) are currently being aggressively used by many educators as a tool in the learning process. As a result, a critical question has emerged. How can student understanding be effectively assessed when learning occurs using these new technological venues? This paper presents a critical look at how one technology, specifically online discussion groups, can be utilized to assess student understanding. This paper summarizes the results from a pilot study conducted at American University during the spring 1998 semester using an online discussion group with students in an introductory physics class. Finally, the results of a survey given to participating students are presented.
Keywords :
Internet; computer aided instruction; groupware; information resources; teaching; Internet; USA; World Wide Web; groupware; learning process tool; online discussion groups; student understanding assessment; universities; Collaborative software; Collaborative work; Computer science education; Educational technology; Internet; Physics computing; Physics education; Problem-solving; Web sites; Writing;
Conference_Titel :
Frontiers in Education Conference, 1998. FIE '98. 28th Annual
Conference_Location :
Tempe, AZ, USA
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-4762-5
DOI :
10.1109/FIE.1998.736819