Wikis supporting research workshops in higher educationProspective use in Cuban universities

MSc. Roberto C. Rodríguez-HidalgoProf. Dr. Aida M. Torres-Alfonso

Departamento de Tecnología EducativaUniversidad Central “Marta Abreu” de Las Villas (UCLV)

Santa Clara, Cuba

Prof. Dr. Chang ZhuProf. Dr. Frederik Questier

Department of Educational SciencesVrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)Brussels, Belgium

Authors

This presentation can be found athttp://questier.com

http://www.slideshare.net/Frederik_Questier

Frederik QuestierVrije Universiteit Brussel

Belgium

Roberto Carlos Rodríguez-Hidalgo from UCVL, Cuba

8 projects in theprogramme with UCLV Cuba

1. ICT Infrastructure and e-administration

2. ICT in Education

3. Library development

4. Institutional policy and management capacity development

English for academic purposes in international collaboration

5. Improving the Quality of Programs in Plant and Animal Sciences

6. Education in Pharmaceutical Sciences

7. Education in Environmental Education and Clean Technologies

8. Research and postgraduate education in Computer Sciences

Intermediate results ofICT in Education Project

➢ installation of training, development and support facilities

➢ improvement of the knowledge, skills and attitudes of UCLV staff

➢ improvement of the local developed 'SEPAD' learning environment

➢ development of a M.Sc. “New Technologies in Education”

– (2000 students 2007)

➢ development of a PhD Programme for ICT in Education

➢ improvement of research

➢ dissemination of results and experiences

Context of the study

collaboration

collaborative learningCuban higher education

Databases

graphs theory

networked learning

peer learning relationshipsresearch workshop

social networks analysis

Sciences of Information career

social software

teaching and learning process

Web 2.0

wiki

Research background Hypotheses (1st pilot study)

1. the collaboration supported by social software reinforces the peer relationships among the students of the class

2. and improves the time efficiency of the stakeholders participating on

Methodology

52. Z. Todd, B. Nerlich, S. McKeown, and D. Clarke, Mixing methods in psychology, Hove: Psychology Press, 2004.53. I. Silverman, “Why social psychology fails,” Canadian Psychological Review, vol. 18, 1977, pp. 353-8.

Results – peer relationships(Gephi Software)

before after

ResultsSocial Network Analysis

Metric Before After

Isolated nodes 5 1

Directed edges 36 102

Graph Density 0.095 0.268

Shortest Paths 123 326

Average Shortest Paths 2.528 1.995

Average Betweeness Centrality

0.055 0.126

Average Closeness Centrality

0.987 0.450

Modularity 0.389 0.435*

Clustering Coefficient 0.225 0.617

Number of Communities 7 3

Triangles 12 149

ResultsCorrelation scores and spent time?

NO CORR

ELAT

ION

NO CORR

ELAT

ION

Time spent without vs with ICT

Descriptive Statistics

N Min. Max. Mean Std. Dev.

time_before 20 ,0 6,0 1,950 1,3659

time_after 19 ,5 2,5 1,658 ,7275

Valid N (listwise) 19

NO SIG

NIFIC

ANT

DIFFE

RENCE

Students’ scores

Descriptive Statistics

N Min. Max. Mean Std. Dev.

Report 1 & 2 20 2 4,5 3,03 1,082

Report 3 19 5 5 5,00 0,000

topic_knowledge12 20 2 5 3,53 0,866

topic_knowledge3 10 3 5 3,90 0,568

Conclusions

• This experience is extensible in Cuban higher education– More engaged students– Better quality of research reports

• Checking hypothesesthe collaboration supported by social software reinforces the peer relationships among the students of the class,and improves the time efficiency of the stakeholders participating on

Limitations of the study

Recommendations for subsequent use

• Alternating the number of members and membership of the research teams.

• Providing the students with various collaboration strategies.

• Using the online forums of the wiki instead of the e-mail.

• Using the RSS channels for controlling the contributions and discussions.

• Promoting the use of references to the resources for a better supporting of the students’ contributions.

• Warranting the training of the students on the use of this kind of tools.

• Decreasing the complexity of the tools for analysing the classroom network.

• Improving and increasing the ways of feedback between students and instructors.

Recommendations for subsequent use

Credits of pictures

• Maps of Belgium and Cuba: Wikimedia Commons, CC

• Logo and programme cycle, copyright VLIR UOS

• Santa Clara University

• Vrije Universiteit Brussel

• Picture Frederik Questier, copyright by Christophe Empsen

• The Logo of the Dokuwiki software by Esther Brunner

ObrigadoThanks

Questions

This presentation can be found athttp://questier.com

http://www.slideshare.net/Frederik_Questier