Social regulation in collaborative learning supported by technology-enhanced pedagogical scenarios. Lessons learned from research conducted in vocational education and training programmes
The doctoral thesis recognizes and shows the potential of technological tools and web-enhanced learning environments aimed at fostering the regulation of learning. Such potential becomes a concrete positive intervention when integrated in pedagogical scenarios elaborated in a social perspective. It takes place in dual VET, where apprentices alternate between the workplace and school. Having multiple learning locations represents both a real opportunity and a source of problems. On one hand, splitting opportunities for learning between locations implies that learning emerges from the interaction of multiple contexts (Gurtner et al., 2001; Horn et al., 2008). On the other hand, the learners ha
The social perspective represents the added value of pedagogical scenarios, where web-enhanced learning environments are embedded. In fact, they include several potentialities, even more so when supported by devices and embedded in pedagogical scenarios: in this way, they allow for the possibility to share and illustrate in class, through digital environments, meaningful procedures. In fact, through the contribution offered by videos/pictures/writing descriptions of workplace procedures, apprentices have the possibility to get to know and appreciate new tools and different experiences, bridging the world of work and education. Thanks to this social support, apprentices could more easily elaborate the corpus of knowledge they need to develop.
Supervisor of the dissertation:
A preliminary condition has to be verified before the implementation of any technology in a learning context: its acceptance, hereby meant in terms of ease of use as well as usefulness (see Motta, Cattaneo & Gurtner, 2014). It was measured, through questionnaires, in relation to mobile devices, work environments, and web-enhanced learning environments in several fields (chefs, pastry cooks and car mechanics).
As a second step, apprentices (respectively car mechanics, chefs and commercial employees,see Motta, Boldrini, & Cattaneo, 2013) experienced the use of a hypervideo-based learning environment and of web-enhanced learning environments (platform “ELGG” and Mobile Online Learning Journals). The web-enhanced learning environments were progressively introduced and used by learners to support reflection on experiences captured in the workplace. As a third step, the pedagogical scenarios were elaborated and implemented in the fields (see Motta, 2015 and Motta, Boldrini & Cattaneo, 2013). The peculiarities of the Swiss VET system – particularly the need of bridging the worlds of work and education – form a basic input for the design of the learning activities: the experiences collected in the workplace are matters to be discussed and also reflected on at school. Such pedagogical scenarios were introduced to stimulate: (1) the use of the pictures/video/material lived and collected in the workplace; (2) the individual reflection guided by structure, supported by metacognitive prompts; and (3) the sharing and discussion of professional experiences, combining different typologies of discussion. Additionally, concerning the implementation of MOLJ in the pedagogical scenarios, individual reflection supported by the web-enhanced learning environment represents the starting point for further small groups and class activities.
The effects of such an environment embedded in the pedagogical scenarios were analysed. In particular, attention was paid to: (1) the learning outcomes, in terms of text production quality, declarative knowledge (i.e. learning tests concerning chef and car mechanic apprentices; see Motta, Boldrini, & Cattaneo, 2013), pre- and post-activity text production quality and level of reflection; and (2) the learning processes (i.e. of video data analysis on co-regulation within small groups; see Motta, Cattaneo, & Gurtner, 2015), focusing on co-regulation dynamics.
The research questions related to the present doctoral thesis are therefore organized as follows:
First, in relation to the acceptance of technology in professional learning contexts.
- To what extent are mobile technologies usable in the workplace?
- How are mobile technologies perceived to be useful tools in support of reflection on school knowledge and workplace experience. How do they foster the acquisition of professional knowledge?
Second, in relation to the collaborative use of authentic professional experiences lived at the workplace:
- To what extent do such scenarios have a direct influence on apprentices’ capacity to understand professional procedures?
- What are the effects of such scenarios on apprentices’ learning outcomes?
Third, in relation to the use of web-enhanced learning scenarios as metacognition supports, both individual and shared.
- How do metacognitive processes such as monitoring or planning shape and influence co-regulation episodes (see Rogat & Linnenbrick-Garcia, 2011 and Volet, Summers, & Thurman, 2009)?
- How are the so-called contributing factors related to co-regulation episodes (with particular reference to how-questions and tentativeness of explanations, see Volet, Summers, & Thurman, 2009 )? To what extent does the quality of interactions affect the regulation of cognition within a group?