Collaborative Environments through Dialogues and PBL to Encourage the Self-directed Learning in Computational Sciences

Abstract

Abstract. Self-directed learning has been one of the main objectives in the education domain. A learning model can drive a self-directed learning if an adequate educational environment is built. We propose an educational environment to encourage the self-directed learning, which is composed of a computer collaborative tool that uses dialogues and the concept of ill structured problems. The knowledge being learned is represented by a network of concepts built by the students through the exchanged messages. The network of concepts expressed the relation between the main concepts of the topic being learned. A coherent network is the tangible proof that the process of self-directed learning has been correctly achieved. Two topics of computer sciences are reported: Object Oriented Programming and Case Based Reasoning. The results have proven that along with the knowledge acquired, self-directed learning contributes directly to the development of skills for solving problems and attitudes of collaborative work.

The Effect of Using Electronic Learning Contracts on EFL Students’ Self-directed Learning Readiness

“…Moreover, peer-assessment might have improved their self-directed learning as found by Sivan (2000), Ballantyne, Hughes and Mylonas (2002), Papinczak, Young and Groves (2007) and Yu (2013a) who found that peer evaluation can improve self-directed learning. A further explanation for the result of the present study is that working collaboratively might have improved self-directed learning as found by Ramos-Quintana, Sámano-Galindo and Zárate- Silva (2008) and Miao (2000). This is confirmed by Gwee (2003) who believes that learning in small collaborative groups nurtures and fosters the development of self-directed learning skills and lays the foundation for life-long continuing self-education.…”

Towards an on-Line Student Assistant within a CSCL Framework

“…The 55 dialogs are derived from several courses of three different semesters. In a previous work (Ramos-Quintana et al, 2008), we have reported a general pattern composed of three sequentially ordered phases: 1) the handshake phase (now renamed "the bootstrap phase", because the students exchanged messages not only to say hello, but also messages that denote a kind of setup to start working in the construction of the NoC); 2) the work phase, where the construction of the network takes properly place; 3) the closing of the dialog, where the students say good bye.…”