Community-based courses, driven by connectivist learning theory, provide learners with a social environment that supports collaborative problem solving (CPS). The purpose of this study is to investigate the characteristics of potential collaborators before they engage in CPS. This study analyzed a community-based course, a cMOOC with a total of…

This study aims to explore the validity of measuring joint attention through gaze coordination in computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) research. Gaze coordination, aligning visual attention in social contexts, aids comprehension and communication. Many CSCL researchers use gaze coordination to gauge joint attention quantitatively.…

Many studies in mathematics education have emphasized the importance of attending to students' interactions, particularly, their mathematical reasoning when collaborating on solving problems. However, the question of how teachers can facilitate students' productive interactions for learning mathematics, is still a challenging one. This case study…

In this empirical study, we analyse how five-year-old children are socialised into particular interpretive practices indicative of a literate mind. The data come from translation activities where children with their teacher listen to and then talk about how to understand the lyrics to a popular children's song. The setting is a Finnish-Swedish…

Interactional communicative competence and higher-order thinking have been well documented as two of the biggest challenges for second/foreign language learners (EFL learners). This paper evaluates the use of digital tabletops as tools for problem-solving tasks in groups. The evaluation is based on a preliminary study of an application of the use…

Based on the notions of social and socio-mathematical norms we investigate how these are established during the interactions of pre-service teachers who solve mathematical problems. Norms identified in relevant studies are found in our case too; moreover, we have found norms related to particular aspects of the problems posed. Our results show…

Examined the effectiveness of behavioral marital therapy in improving communication and problem solving skills in 29 couples. Couples' problem discussions were videotaped and rated. Results showed that BMT was effective. The interaction patterns of the treated couples resembled patterns exhibited by nondistressed controls. (JAC)

Supports the hypothesis that preschool children produce more private speech during problem solving after they have interacted with a collaborative adult (experienced by them as a competent helper) than after they have interacted with a non-collaborative adult. Conceptualizes private speech both as a reaction to the task and as an indirect appeal…

Six participants each from Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya participated in a workshop to search for solutions to the border disputes between Somalia and her two neighbors. This pilot venture, a mixture of successes and failures, can provide the basis for improvement and extension of the concept. Followed by critical comments by John E. Harr, Otto…

The verbal interactions among pupils engaged in problem-solving tasks were studied in an attempt to explore the effectiveness of small-group learning in science. Interactions were predominantly task related, but their content rarely rose above the level of "factual information" interchange. Information exchange at higher cognitive levels…

Based on the inaugural Suzanne McConnell Memorial Lecture, this article focuses on the theme of action in complex contexts. The following topics are covered: the author's approach to this theme and the steps needed to progress from analysis of context to new debates and practical action; the changing context of ALBE; and opportunities for action.…

This study focused on the problem-solving of family groups including an adolescent diabetic. The study sought to: compare three methods used to identify and analyze phases in family problem-solving interactions, establish criteria to evaluate the methods, utilize the criteria to evaluate the three methods, and select a method. The three methods…

A comparative analysis is presented of adolescent participation in three-person family problem-solving groups, involving five families with an adolescent diabetic and three families with an adolescent with no diagnosed illness. Observation and interaction analysis of family problem-solving in a laboratory setting were used, as families were asked…

Examines an in-service training session developed for use in the state sector in Thailand that aims to help teachers come to terms with some of the problems inherent in large classes. The article is based on the author's previous experience in Thailand and his continuing involvement there in teacher development. (11 references) (Author/CK)

This research is a case study examining numeracy teaching and learning practices in an early childhood multiage setting with Pre-Primary to Year 2 children. Data were collected via running records, researcher reflection notes, and video and audio recordings. Video and audio transcripts were analysed using a mathematical discourse and social…