Students’ confidence and perceived value for participating in cross-cultural wiki-based collaborations

Abstract

An international wiki-based collaboration was integrated into a large introductory educational technology course enrolling 346 students, divided into 43 teams. Student teams participated in a 5-week project in which they created wiki chapters about the educational uses of specific Web 2.0 tools. Two to four international students, located in their home countries, participated on each team, collaborating via the evolving wiki, as well as other Web 2.0 tools. Using expectancy-value as our motivational framework, we gathered pre-and post-survey data, triangulated with focus group interview data, to examine changes in students' confidence and perceived value for using these tools to facilitate international collaborations. Survey results showed significant changes in confidence and perceived value, while qualitative results provided insights into students' perceptions of critical project components. We discuss students' perceptions of project barriers as well as the strategies they implemented to achieve success.

Using Online Digital Tools and Video to Support International Problem-Based Learning

“…Technology can create communities of learners across international boundaries (Ertmer et al, 2011;Lai & Law, 2006;Lajoie et al, 2006;Peters & Slotta, 2010) but working in nonwestern cultures can pose challenges (e.g., Hmelo-Silver, 2012; see Hung & Loyens, 2012). We examine the manner in which online communities evolve by using the Community of Inquiry (COI) framework that describes learning from a social-constructivist approach (Garrison, Anderson & Archer, 2000).…”

Developing global citizenship online: An authentic alternative to overseas clinical placement

“…A recent study by Ertmer et al (2011aErtmer et al ( , 2011b, which explored the impact of international collaboration of pre-service teachers using a wiki, identified cultural competence as a key outcome of their collaboration. Whilst our study did not examine measures of cultural competence, Ertmer et al (2011aErtmer et al ( , 2011b suggest cultural competence may be enhanced through engaging with international peers online to understand the complexity and uniqueness of individuals in their cultural settings and to consider how this relates to nursing in a global society.…”

“…Whilst our study did not examine measures of cultural competence, Ertmer et al (2011aErtmer et al ( , 2011b suggest cultural competence may be enhanced through engaging with international peers online to understand the complexity and uniqueness of individuals in their cultural settings and to consider how this relates to nursing in a global society. The need for increased cultural awareness in nursing was highlighted by Petit dit Dariel (2009) who stated that many nurses enter the profession with little knowledge of the societal injustices of cultural and educational inequities that exist.…”

“…Leadership qualities and enhanced learning can be a byproduct of "teaching others" (Garner et al, 2009). Wikis provide a platform for partner institutions to provide shared learning experiences between students thus providing the opportunity for students to engage with their overseas peers in specific learning activities overcoming the barriers of institutional VLEs (Ertmer et al, 2011b). Patterson et al (2011) used a virtual classroom to connect students within the USA with students in South America.…”

“Tech Support”: Implementing Professional Development to Assist Higher Education Faculty to Teach with Technology

“…Research suggests that courses that are designed to incorporate digital technology provide a learning environment that promotes active engagement by the students (Twigg, 2005; as cited by Nugent et al, 2008). Other data show that it positively impacts learning including in the following ways: increased learner confidence, increased interest in technology-based learning (Ertmer et al, 2011), and increased motivation and creativity (Hayes & Robinson, 2000). One study found that the students who participated in a technologyinfused course showed significantly higher course content retention when compared to a traditional learning environment where technology was not used (Karper, Robinson, & Casado, 2013).…”