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1. SimSnap: Supporting Collaborative Learning through Reconfigurable Simulations

   Tarun, A.; Andric, V.; Yang, L.; Tibu, T.; Zaccagnini, L.; Litong Zeng L.; Hadinezhad, S.; Cang, X.; Goss, W.; Baker, S.; et al (June 2022, Computersupported collaborative learning)

   Weinberger, A.; Chen, W.; Hernández-Leo, D.; & Chen, B. (Ed.)

   SimSnap responds to the need for a technology-based tool that supports learning at three social planes—individual, small group, and whole-class—while being easy to deploy with minimal technology overhead costs during their uptake. While much research has examined the efficacy of large-scale collaborative systems and individual-oriented learning systems, the intersection of and the movement between the three social planes is under explored. SimSnap is a cross-device, tablet-based platform that facilitates learning science concepts for middle school students through interactive simulations. Students in physical proximity can ‘snap’ their devices together to collaborate on learning activities. SimSnap enables real-time transition between individual and group activities in a classroom by offering reconfigurable simulations. SimSnap also provides an environment where open-ended and task-specific learning trajectories can be explored to maximize students’ learning potential. In this iteration of SimSnap, we have designed and implemented our first curriculum on SimSnap, focusing on plant biology, ecosystems, and genetics. 

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2. One Step at a Time: Deepening Socio-technical Learning in Undergraduate ICT Externships to Bridge the Digital Divide

   Pickering, Cynthia; Fisher, Erik; Ross, Paul (January 2021, International Conference on Internet Technologies & Society)

   This paper describes the temporal progression of human and social dimensions that undergraduate information and communications technology (ICT) students realized during an experiential learning externship where they explored digital divide technology solutions for low-income neighborhoods in the surrounding urban community. The described research represents significant adaptation and use of socio-technical integration research (STIR) with undergraduate ICT students engaged in work based experiential learning to promote equity in STEM education, instill a sense of civic responsibility, and practice approaches to tackling complex societal problems. Methods used for the research study included: STIR, semi-structured interviews, and on-site group observations. Using STIR, an embedded social scientist conducted regular one-on-one dialogs with three of four student externs, to collaboratively describe each student’s consideration of human and social dimensions as part of their technical work, explore alternative choices and their potential outcomes, and engage in reflexive learning that in some cases, influenced deliberate changes to material and behavioral practices. The on-site observation of group activities within the ICT innovation center situated in the local urban community provided additional ecosystem context during technical solution design and development of the digital divide solution for local high schools and feeder schools. Outcomes for participating undergraduate ICT students showed: 1) Technology learning improvements for all students; 2) Capacity building to reflect, anticipate and respond to socio-technical interactions for some students; and 3) Each student was able to progress to a new level of socio-technical learning and decision making. Reflexive discourse with participants surfaced cultural assets and consideration of alternative knowledges in collaborative technology design, development, and implementation that can potentially lead to solutions that are more community centered now and in the future as the ICT students transition to the workforce. 

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3. SOCIO-TECHNICAL LEARNING: CONTEXTUALIZING UNDERGRADUATE EXTERNSHIPS TO BRIDGE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE

   Pickering, Cynthia; Fisher, Erik; Ross, Paul (July 2022, IADIS international journal on computers science and information systems)

   This paper describes the temporal progression of human and social dimensions that undergraduate information and communications technology (ICT) students realized during an experiential learning externship where they explored digital divide technology solutions for low-income neighborhoods in the surrounding urban community. The described research represents significant adaptation and use of socio-technical integration research (STIR) with undergraduate ICT students engaged in work based experiential learning to promote equity in STEM education, instill a sense of civic responsibility, and practice approaches to tackling complex societal problems. Methods used for the research study included: STIR, semi-structured interviews, and on-site group observations. Using STIR, an embedded social scientist conducted regular one-on-one dialogs with three of four student externs, to collaboratively describe each student’s consideration of human and social dimensions as part of their technical work, explore alternative choices and their potential outcomes, and engage in reflexive learning that in some cases, influenced deliberate changes to material and behavioral practices. The on-site observation of group activities within the ICT innovation center situated in the local urban community provided additional ecosystem context during technical solution design and development of the digital divide solution for local high schools and feeder schools. Outcomes for participating undergraduate ICT students showed: 1) Technology learning improvements for all students; 2) Capacity building to reflect, anticipate and respond to socio-technical interactions for some students; and 3) Each student was able to progress to a new level of socio-technical learning and decision making. Reflexive discourse with participants surfaced cultural assets and consideration of alternative knowledges in collaborative technology design, development, and implementation that can potentially lead to solutions that are more community centered now and in the future as the ICT students transition to the workforce. 

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4. Increasing students’ social engagement during COVID-19 with Net.Create: collaborative social network analysis to map historical pandemics during a pandemic

   https://doi.org/10.1108/ILS-04-2020-0105  

   Craig, Kalani; Humburg, Megan; Danish, Joshua A.; Szostalo, Maksymilian; Hmelo-Silver, Cindy E.; McCranie, Ann (July 2020, Information and Learning Sciences)

   Purpose The authors explored shifts in social interactions, content engagement and history learning as students who were studying one pandemic simultaneously experienced another. This paper aims to understand how the Net.Create network visualization tool would support students as they tried to understand the many complex interactions in a historical text in a remote learning environment and how sustained knowledge building using Net.Create would shape student attitudes toward remote learning, collaboration and engagement. Design/methodology/approach This paper explores changes in engagement and learning in a survey-level history course on the black death after a shift to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors used activity theory to focus the adaptation of Net.Create, a web-based collaborative social-network-analysis tool and to understand how it supported group-based remote learning. The authors describe how the redesigned activities sustained engagement with historical content and report coded student network entries, reading responses and surveys to illustrate changes in engagement and learning. Findings The results suggest that students benefit from personal connections to historical content and their peers. Net.Create supported both through collaborative knowledge-building activities and reflection on how their quarantine experiences compared to the historical content they read. It is possible to avoid student frustrations with traditional “group work” even in a remote environment by supporting collaborative learning using Net.Create and a mix of individual and group contributions. Originality/value This is the first use of a collaborative network visualization tool to support large classroom interaction and engagement with history content at the undergraduate level. 

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5. Exploring Human–AI Control Over Dynamic Transitions Between Individual and Collaborative Learning

   https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57717-9_17  

   Echeverria, V. (January 2020, Proceedings of the 15th European Conference on Technology-Enhanced Learning, EC-TEL 2020)

   Dynamically transitioning between individual and collaborative learning activities during a class session (i.e., in an un-planned way, as-the-need-arises) has advantages for students, but existing orchestration tools are not designed to support such transitions. This work reports findings from a technology probe study that explored alternative designs for classroom co-orchestration support for dynamically transitioning between individual and collaborative learning, focused on how control over the transitions should be divided or shared among teachers, students, and orchestration system. This study involved 1) a pilot in an authentic classroom scenario with AI support for individual and collaborative learning; and 2) design workshops and interviews with students and teachers. Findings from the study suggest the need for hybrid control between students, teachers, and AI systems over transitions as well as for adaptivity and/or adaptability for different classrooms, teachers, and students’ prior knowledge. This study is the first to explore human–AI control over dynamic transitions between individual and collaborative learning in actual classrooms. 

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