Homework Support Systems in Simulated Community of Practices for Situated Learning

• Main Authors: Liang-Yi Li, 李良一
• Other Authors: Gwo-Dong Chen
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2008
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/hb8676

博士 === 國立中央大學 === 資訊工程研究所 === 97 === Students can practice skills and construct knowledge by carrying out homework. However, every student is assigned the same problem in general hands-on homework activities, with no consideration for learners’ diversity. Hence, some students do not take the task seriously when producing their homework. In addition, the kind of activity is structured for individual learning, collaboration between students is less. Furthermore, what one has learned—that is, the knowledge constructed by learners—cannot be shared efficiently during conventional homework activity. This study designed and developed three systems to solve the problems in the homework activity: a homework support system, a Coursework Journal system, and a ProgrammingWiki system. The homework support system was designed based on the concept of Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). It can provide adaptive homework exercises and assistance by analyzing Web Portfolios to support learning within students’ ZPD. The Coursework Journal and ProgrammingWiki were designed by a methodology that simulates a real-world Community of Practice (CoP). The principles of the methodology is based on situated learning that learning is a trajectory in which a newcomer moves from Legitimate Peripheral Participation (LPP) to central participation in a CoP. This methodology not only simulates the role structure and tasks of a CoP but also the participation process. In the simulated communities, students’ roles are changed based on their learning status. Therefore they are given opportunity to develop not only programming knowledge but also community skills by playing different roles. Two online learning communities were constructed based on the methodology. One is called Coursework Journal; it simulated the real world journal publishing community for promoting knowledge sharing in the homework activity. The other is called ProgrammingWiki, it simulated the software development community for promoting positive social interdependence. The results of evaluations show that students with the support of the homework support system in a homework activity have higher likelihood of doing their homework within their ZPD than without the support of the homework support system; the quantity of knowledge sharing and the number of the students who actively share knowledge were increased in the Coursework Journal; and the students also highly agreed that the ProgrammingWiki can promote positive social interdependence. The results indicate that the proposed system can improve homework activity. Furthermore, some limitations existing in the system and methodology are proposed. In addition, the methodology is innovative, thus the effects of the methodology also are discussed.