Yuyao Tong

Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China // yyttong@hku.hk

ABSTRACT: 

This paper reported an exploratory study that examined secondary school students’ understanding of collaborative discourse in a computer-supported knowledge building environment in characterizing and scaffolding their engagement in productive online discourse. The participants were thirty-eight secondary school students in a visual arts course. A designed computer-supported knowledge building environment supported by Knowledge Forum®, an online discussion platform, was applied to the class, and knowledge-building talk was integrated into the classroom. The knowledge-building talk in the classroom involved the students’ reflections on their online participation through the explicit discussion of knowledge-building principles to scaffold the students’ understanding of collaborative discourse. Quantitative analysis indicated that the students’ views and understanding of collaborative work and discourse were related to their engagement in online discourse and domain knowledge. Qualitative analysis showed how the Knowledge Forum and the classroom knowledge-building talk supported students in developing an understanding of collaborative discourse. The implications of examining students’ understanding of collaborative discourse in a computer-supported collaborative learning environment are discussed.

Keywords: 

Knowledge building, Collaborative discourse, Knowledge Forum, Learning performance 

Jia-Yin Wang

Electrical Engineering Department, Chung Yuan Christian University, Taiwan // jyw@cycu.edu.tw

Hui-Ting Wang

Department of Special Education, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan // tinaw@ntnu.edu.tw

Fang Yu Lin

Department of Special Education, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan // fylin@ntnu.edu.tw

Wen-Wen Chen

Department of Special Education, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan // wwchen@ntnu.edu.tw

ABSTRACT: 

Developing adaptive skills poses a significant challenge for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Personal hygiene, including hand-washing, was particularly important during the Covid-19 pandemic. Video self-modeling (VSM) is an effective strategy for teaching adaptive skills due to its inherent individualization nature. However, the production and implementation of VSM face certain barriers. To address this issue, the present study employed an innovative approach termed iVSM, which utilizes the head-swapping technique to generate self-modeling videos. To evaluate the efficacy of iVSM in teaching hand-washing skills, a single-subject multiple probe design was employed across three preschool children with ASD. The findings indicated that all participants successfully acquired the targeted skill, with two of them achieving mastery following a single intervention session. The implications of these findings underscore the potential of this novel approach to strike a balance between individualization and feasibility, thereby enhancing the broader implementation of VSM within the context of inclusive education. Furthermore, future studies can focus on the comparative research and explore more applications.  

Keywords: 

Adaptive skills, Autism spectrum disorder, Head-swapping technique, Preschool children, Video self-modeling