Using Etherpads as Platforms for Collaborative Learning in a Distance Education LIS Course Bob Pymm School of Information Studies, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, Australia. Email: [email protected] Lyn Hay School of Information Studies, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, Australia. Email: [email protected]

Distance education, by definition, creates a number of challenges for lecturer and stu- dent in building and maintaining connection and commitment. The challenges that need to be overcome include communication difficulties, lack of student motivation, high drop out from courses, provision of support at a distance and a sense of isolation or lack of student community. The use of collaborative technologies such as wikis or document sharing platforms is one way in which these challenges can be addressed. This paper looks at the application of a specific document sharing platform, Etherpad, in order to assess its effectiveness in building connections between distance education (DE) students enrolled in a library and information studies course in an effort to create the sense of a learning community amongst them. In addition, the research also looked at the effectiveness of Etherpad as a tool to help develop students’ capacity to meet a number of the University’s graduate attribute outcomes. Content analysis of the online conversations of nearly 400 undergraduate students was undertaken and the results evaluated. From these, the researchers concluded that the nature of the task, together with the technology employed, made a considerable positive impact on those involved, increasing their sense of being part of a cohort, en- couraging a questioning, supportive environment and making them feel more at ease with group work as DE learners. Keywords: distance education, collaborative learning, online collaboration, group- based assessment, Etherpad, collaborative document-sharing, synchronous communi- cation

Introduction munity through the implementation of CSU’s ‘Statement of Graduate Attributes ithin Australia, one of the larg- for Undergraduate Courses’ (Charles Sturt West providers of distance education University, 2012b). is Charles Sturt University (CSU). With Such graduate attributes apply to any- 20,000 students enrolled in DE courses, one undertaking an undergraduate degree it has a commitment to excellence in the at the university and aim to develop in stu- development and delivery of online edu- dents, along with their discipline knowl- cation (Charles Sturt University, 2012a). edge, the ability to make a positive con- The university, like many others, also as- tribution to their community and society pires to produce well-rounded graduates as a whole. These are generic attributes, who have the capacity to not only con- common across all Australian universities, tribute to their chosen professional field which serve to emphasize the perceived but also more broadly to the wider com- role of the university in preparing ‘good’ J. of Education for Library and Information Science, Vol. 55, No. 2—(Spring) April 2014 ISSN: 0748-5786 © 2014 Association for Library and Information Science Education 133 134 JOURNAL OF EDUCATION FOR LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE citizens. Radloff, de la Harpe, Dalton, number of strategies has been developed Thomas & Lawson (2008) have described and implemented since 2010, when the the acquisition of such attributes as a core revised courses were first made avail- outcome of university study, although they able, to help ‘connect’ DE students more note the difficulty of embedding such attri- fully to their cohort and to their broader butes into the curriculum and, importantly, studies. One of these strategies, the use assessing the success of the teaching strat- of the collaborative document sharing egies aimed at delivering them. At CSU, platform Etherpad, was introduced into a the graduate attributes comprise eight spe- large undergraduate LIS course with the cific outcomes. These include an under- broad aim of encouraging greater commu- standing of sustainability; global citizen- nication and collaboration between these ship; ethics; indigenous issues; analytical geographically dispersed students. In ad- and reflective practice; problem solving dition, the use of Etherpad facilitated the skills; and discipline specific knowledge introduction of a group-based assignment, (Charles Sturt University, 2012b). All traditionally more challenging to imple- courses are supposed to take these into ac- ment for distance students, but bringing count in order to assist students develop benefits in terms of collaborative learning these outcomes throughout their academic (Timberlake, 2010). program—whether it is on-campus, face- to-face or through distance learning online Literature Review or blended modes. For CSU, online delivery has become a Collaborative technologies can be used key focus. It is one of the leaders in online to support online, group-based activi- distance education in Australia and the ties and assessments in higher education. School of Information Studies (SIS) has Brainstorming and problem solving activi- offered DE courses for nearly 30 years. A ties, group discussion and debate, knowl- review of SIS programs was undertaken edge and consensus building activities and during 2008/9, and as a result new courses collaborative writing and web publishing (all offered only in DE mode) were intro- tasks are some examples of how online duced to take advantage of the affordances collaborative technologies have been used offered by online, particularly in the Web in the design of university courses (Hsu, 2.0 environment (Hider, Kennan, Hay, 2007; Konieczny, 2007). McCausland & Qayyum, 2011). Distance education, by definition, creates a number Collaborative Learning in Higher of challenges for lecturer and student in Education building and maintaining connection and commitment. The challenges that need to McInnerney and Roberts (2004) recom- be overcome include communication dif- mend the term collaborative learning be ficulties, lack of student motivation, high used “for those learning techniques that drop out from courses, provision of sup- emphasize student-to-student interaction port at a distance, and a sense of isolation in the learning process” (p. 207). This is or lack of student community (Crease, where social interaction occurs between Pymm & Hay, 2011). Moody (2004) high- students within a group to enhance knowl- lights issues such as the mode of deliv- edge acquisition. This reflects Vygotsky’s ery, difficulties in establishing a learning (1978) social learning theory which em- community and a loss of personal contact phasises the important role of learning by which combine to diminish the value of way of interacting with others, where in- distance learning and contribute to high dividuals’ construction of knowledge and attrition rates. understanding is informed and shaped by Bearing these challenges in mind, a those around them. In other words, col- Using Etherpads as Platforms for Collaborative Learning 135 laborative learning provides students with with their distance course, whereas Elgort, the opportunity to think for themselves Smith and Toland (2008) found many of and then compare their thinking with oth- the students in their study still favoured in- ers. This results in group members provid- dividual learning instead of working col- ing scaffolding for each others’ learning, laboratively. This is indicative of the find- something DE students rarely experience. ings from a range of studies with feedback According to Vygotsky’s (1978) Zone of on students’ collaborative experiences that Proximal Development, this kind of en- is both diverse and disparate, with many gagement with others contributes to an variables affecting individual perceptions individual’s higher level of potential for and group outcomes. development. The advantages of problem A particular challenge for distance solving under guidance, and through the educators is the provision of opportuni- collaboration with peers is best articulated ties for students to work collaboratively, by Ingleton, Doube and Rogers (2000), regardless of their physical location, using where they conclude that: either synchronous or asynchronous plat- forms, or a combination of both, in order In collaborative situations where students to accommodate student preferences for must generate explanations for others, or different communication styles (Curtis & justify their perspective on or approach to Lawson, 2001). The use of collaborative an issue, their ability to comprehend and platforms such as wikis can help students recall at a later date is increased. Multiple develop a range of reading, writing, reflec- perspectives on issues are possible (in tive, and collaborative learning and knowl- all subject areas), and when students are edge creation skills (Raman, Ryan & Olf- forced to confront differences of opinion man, 2005; Konieczny, 2007; Parker & or interpretation, or ambiguity, creative Chao, 2007; Su & Beaumont, 2010). On- and critical thinking are likely to develop. line collaborative tools can also help “em- (p. 6) power students by giving them a chance to An important aspect of such collabora- express their views” (Hazari, North & Mo- tion is to provide students with opportuni- reland, 2009, pp. 188–189). For example, ties to “learn how to learn” (McInnerney Gao and Wong (2008) found wikis to be & Roberts, 2004, p. 207). True collabora- useful in scaffolding close interrogation of tive learning tasks employ heterogeneous ideas in an online educational psychology groupings of students. This places students course, resulting in greater focus and depth in a learning environment which teaches of discussion by student groups demon- them to “respect and appreciate the contri- strating “a more sustained and coherent butions made by all members . . . no matter building of ideas in the Wiki” (para 22). Su the content” (p. 208). This is a particularly and Beaumont (2010) found students val- valuable approach where universities pre- ued more immediate feedback from their scribe the teaching of graduate attributes peers and instructors on the wikis used for institutionally across programs. their IT class because it was online com- A number of studies have examined stu- pared to receiving feedback in written dent satisfaction with collaborative learn- form or formally making an appointment ing experiences within a blended learning with tutors. Minocha and Thomas (2007) environment with mixed results (Karasav- found the use of a wiki encouraged online vidis, 2010; Tinker, Cattermole & Byrne, group-based collaboration between DE 2009; So & Brush, 2008; Russo & Benson, students with a software engineering proj- 2005; Lim & Kim, 2003). For example, So ect. These authors concluded “a wiki is a and Brush (2008) found those students good medium for collaborative work in a who perceived high levels of collabora- distance education course” based on feed- tive learning tended to be more satisfied back by 75% of their students who agreed 136 JOURNAL OF EDUCATION FOR LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE the group wiki facilitated their collabora- For example, Tinker, Cattermole and By- tive learning experience (p. 198). rne’s (2009) evaluation of undergraduate Of all the Web 2.0 technologies avail- art students’ use of PBwiki concluded able to support student learning, wikis are the asynchronous nature of the wiki may commonly cited as the collaborative tech- have discouraged student participation nology of choice by university faculty. A with only one student being able to edit number of studies have evaluated the use and contribute to the wiki page at a time. of wiki-based platforms to support col- They recommended the use of Etherpad as laborative learning in higher education a suitable replacement with future cohorts across a range of discipline areas (Bower, due the synchronous feature of this plat- Woo, Roberts & Watters, 2006; Bruns & form allowing “a more dynamic interac- Humphreys, 2007; Carr, Morrison, Cox & tion in real time” (p. 5). Deacon, 2007; Minocha & Thomas, 2007; Wagner & Prasarnphanich, 2007; Ebner, Use of Collaborative Technologies in Kickmeier-Rust, & Holzinger, 2008; El- LIS Education gort, Smith & Toland, 2008; Robertson, 2008; Neumann & Hood, 2009; Trentin, While a number of articles have been 2009; Judd, Kennedy & Cropper, 2010). published on the use of wikis and other Kim, Hong, Bonk, and Lim (2009) argue Web 2.0 technologies in LIS education, that effective teacher intervention is a cru- few studies have included an evaluation cial component when groups are using of the student experience, particularly Web 2.0 technologies which can lead to with regard to collaborative learning. For better group performance, collaboration example, Anderson reports on the use of and reflection. Furthermore, the “impor- “online collaboratories” involving groups tance of emotional bonding and support” of 4–6 undergraduate students in a course has been emphasised by several research- of social informatics at the University of ers, particularly with DE students, as not- Technology Sydney (Bawden et al., 2007, ed by So and Brush (2008, p. 331). They p. 20) who worked online together using found students’ “feeling of closeness and a wiki to support whole class discussion connectedness with group members great- throughout the teaching session. However, ly affected their willingness and motiva- no findings were published regarding the tion to engage in the group project” (p. students’ collaborative experiences nor 329). This was also reflected in Lim and evaluation of the wiki as a tool to support Kim’s (2003) study where they found the concept of “collaboratories”. Like- motivation factors (and complexity of wise, Virkus (2008), from Tallinn (Es- these) of high significance in the success tonia) University’s Information School, of students’ online learning experience. describes the use of a wiki tool by study Thus, course designs requiring collabora- groups of five students in an information tive learning activities can lead to more and knowledge management course to interactions among students, enabling the prepare collaborative group projects and a development of affective support and feel- collaborative assignment in an information ings of connection with others, thereby literacy course requiring students to work increasing student motivation and engage- in groups to contribute additions and/or ment within a course. corrections to a topic in Wikipedia; but no Another factor identified by a number findings based on students’ collaborative of studies was the availability of synchro- or wiki experiences were discussed. nous communication tools being critical On the other hand, Aharony’s (2009) to the process of collaborative learning use of a wiki to support collaborative (Carr-Chellman, Dyer & Breman, 2000; learning tasks as part of a knowledge man- Parker & Chao, 2007; So & Brush, 2008). agement course at Bar-Ilan University Using Etherpads as Platforms for Collaborative Learning 137 (Israel) evaluated the student experience, learners. Students were allocated to work finding a major part of student interaction in “virtual teams” to complete a case study on the wiki centered on content-related assignment. The task was designed to comments, displaying significant collabo- help prepare LIS students with the neces- ration among the students (31% of com- sary skills and understandings to work in ments) and high levels of critical thinking “virtual, multicultural work places”. Re- (50.1% of comments). As part of the col- sults of student evaluations showed that laborative experience, student comments over 66% of students rated that learning to on the wiki demonstrated “feelings of work with the wiki and other collaborative gratitude toward their classmates for their technologies was the most valuable aspect support during their experience” which of the group assignment experience, with helped individuals overcome fear and un- learning from others and sharing ideas certainty regarding the collaborative task being highly valued by just under 40% and using the wiki as a “new” technology (Sarrafzadeh & Williamson, 2012). How- (p. 49). A limitation of this study was the ever, a number of negative aspects were sample size of 19 undergraduate LIS stu- also rated highly by students including dents. However, the collaborative aspects difficulty of arranging a chat time to suit of the task used in Aharony’s class is simi- everybody in the group with nearly 80% lar to the group assessment task examined of the students citing this as a challenge. in the study presented in this paper, where Given the international mix of each group, students were required to critically read the management of time differences was and respond to the ideas presented by their a factor. Being dependent on other people classmates. The researcher also concluded and problems with inequalities in contri- that in order for an online collaborative butions from group members also rated learning task to be successful, “students highly as issues of concern (over 60% and must participate, encourage and maintain 50% respectively) and poor communica- this kind of dialogue”. This reflects the tion was identified as a major problem findings of studies cited in the previous for effective online group work in mixed section with regard to student motivation cultural groups. Faculty involved recom- as an important factor in the success of mended the addition of a synchronous students’ online learning experiences. tool to support wiki-based group work, Hazeri, Sarrafzadeh and Martin (2007) which is supported by a number of other argued the importance of team-building researchers (Carr-Chellman, Dyer & Bre- skills for the engagement of LIS profes- man, 2000; Parker & Chao, 2007; So & sionals in knowledge management roles. Brush, 2008; Tinker, Cattermole & Byrne, Group assignments in LIS courses are one 2009). The researchers further recom- way to provide students with communi- mended this include voice and video com- cation and collaborative skills through munication (where possible) to try to re- multicultural or international groupings duce the language and cultural barriers of of students across cohorts, thus contribut- groups containing a mix of native English ing in some degree to the development of speakers and ESL students. graduate attributes. Sarrafzadeh and Wil- liamson (2012) trialled the use of wikis to Use of Etherpad as a Collaborative Tool support an online collaborative learning in Higher Education task in the course Information and Knowl- edge Management in Organisations at One tool that does seem to offer some Charles Sturt University (Australia). The potential to enhance the effectiveness of cohort consisted of a mix of 73 undergrad- virtual team work is the document sharing uate Australian and international students, software Etherpad, yet few studies have all studying their LIS degree as distance examined the use or effectiveness of it as 138 JOURNAL OF EDUCATION FOR LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE a collaborative platform. In 2011, Bro- platform requiring minimal technologi- dahl, Hadjerrouit and Hansen observed cal support by tutors and no requirement that there had been considerable research for individuals to create a user account on the use of wikis in higher education, with the platform. Even so, some students across a wide range of subjects. However, in the study were described as “tentative”, comparable tools such as Google Docs “frightened” and “generally nervous” about and Etherpad “remain largely unexplored using technologies to support their learning in the literature” (p. 73). They surveyed (p. 425). This is particularly characteristic 201 on-campus, undergraduate Educa- of distance learners who have not been ex- tion students on their use of either Google posed to a range of technologies in other Docs or Etherpad to complete a collabora- courses or in their workplace. However tive writing task. The synchronous chat from an academic’s perspective, a key ad- feature of Etherpad was seen as provid- vantage of the Etherpad was its ability to ing an additional dimension for observing evaluate students’ comments about group student collaboration compared to other members’ participation and effort, thus in- wiki-based platforms (similar to Tinker, creasing the validity of assessment task re- Cattermole & Byrne’s (2009) assessment sults. This advantage has also been noted in above). While none of the students had a number of studies across a range of dis- previously used an Etherpad, 132 (of the cipline areas (Swan, Shen & Hiltz, 2006; 166 students who responded to the survey) Tinker, Cattermole & Byrne, 2009; Tren- elected to use Etherpad over Google Docs. tin, 2009; Judd, Kennedy & Cropper, 2010; A limitation of this study was the fact O’Hare, Quartermaine & Cooke, 2011). that group’s Etherpads were not available Furthermore, the study of students’ throughout the entire length of the group- Etherpad use to support group work con- based task due to server access issues ducted by O’Hare, Quartermaine and resulting in 70.5% of students rating the Cooke (2011) identified the Etherpad im- platform as not working properly to sup- port/export facility as a very useful feature, port the collaborative task. Even so, 47% even though the Etherpad’s lack of sup- of students reflected positively on the col- port for graphics was considered by stu- laborative writing process, particularly in dents as a drawback. Those students and terms of commenting on and editing oth- groups wishing to include graphic content ers’ contributions to the group task. needed to source a parallel application to O’Hare (in Herrington et al., 2010) in- host images. Regardless, student evalua- tegrated the use of Etherpads to support tions of their course experience highlight- the completion of an investigative group ed their satisfaction with an opportunity wiki-based assignment as part of Curtin to engage with their classmates using an University’s Bachelor of Education (Pri- online collaborative platform. They felt a mary) program, which was designed to sense of achievement and community as a encourage academics to “incorporate addi- result of working in groups and the sense tional learning technologies to extend the of working in isolation was diminished by affordances of the university provisioned its use. In addition, evidence from groups’ systems and to embrace authentic learner- Etherpad chat discussion demonstrated centered tasks” (p. 423). Etherpads were that students had “made connections, on- used to support the completion of an in- line friendships and professional associa- vestigative group wiki-based assignment tions that may well last into their teaching in the Bachelor of Education (Primary) careers” (para 15). In terms of student sat- course which included on-campus and isfaction with online collaborative learn- online cohorts totaling 1000 students sup- ing experiences, these findings are similar ported by multiple tutors. Etherpad was those of Konieczny (2007) and So and chosen because of its simple “wiki-style” Brush (2008). Using Etherpads as Platforms for Collaborative Learning 139

Method be required of them and no knowledge of other students in their cohort. The students The aim in making use of Etherpad was were mainly based in Australia, though a broadly two-fold: to encourage greater small number were located in Hong Kong communication and collaboration between and, apart from the Residential School distance students in order to help develop held at the beginning of the year on the their capacity to meet a number of the Uni- university campus, had never met each versity’s graduate attribute outcomes; and other. Nearly all students were studying to provide the opportunity to undertake an part-time with differing work or family re- authentic collaborative learning task that sponsibilities affecting their ability to be would support discipline specific learning on-line at specific times. as well as develop more generic skills. The research therefore aimed to assess how Collaborative Learning Task well these goals had been achieved. At the beginning of the class, details Research Sample were provided in the online Study Guide as to the nature of the assignment and this For two years (four semesters), 2010 was followed up with a recorded podcast and 2011, participants in a first-year un- from the lecturer where the assignment dergraduate collection development class was described in more detail and students (each year comprising around 100 stu- were reassured on the technicalities of ac- dents) were given a collaborative assign- cessing the Etherpad platform. Prior to the ment to undertake using Etherpad. An beginning of the assignment period, the Etherpad enables participants to simulta- lecturer engaged in a synchronous chat neously update a document, providing a session with students regarding the task in tracking mechanism in the form of a “time- order to help reassure those who still felt slider” to enable the reader to move back unclear or uncomfortable with what ap- and forth over the life of the document—a peared to be a somewhat different task to particularly useful tool for faculty in as- the usual assignment requirements in other sessing contributions to the evolution courses. of the finished document. It also enables For both years, students were randomly each author’s contribution to be shown in allocated (based on alphabetical order of a different colour, thus providing a ready last name) to groups of four, given the link way for faculty to see who has contributed to a blank Etherpad document and asked what to the document. Adjacent to the text to work together in examining a particu- document, Etherpad also provides a Chat lar collection development policy, com- sidebar which captures a record of conver- menting on its strengths and weaknesses. sation between group members while col- They had three weeks from first receiving laborating on document content. the Etherpad link and information regard- Etherpad is open-source with the code ing their other group members to complete freely available for download and installa- the task. The groups were given a number tion (Etherpad Foundation, nd). This was of policies from which they had to select the approach taken at CSU where the soft- the one on which they would focus. The ware has been installed on a local server, discussion over this selection process was requiring minimal in-house support. seen as the beginning of the group interac- For many students, this was their first tion and, in itself, an important indicator of semester of study (and, for most, their first the group dynamic beginning to develop. ever online class) and thus the majority They were then encouraged to break down came to the subject with a level of appre- the policy and negotiate the allocation of hension and uncertainty as to what would workload within their group so that each 140 JOURNAL OF EDUCATION FOR LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE person was responsible for a specific as- constructed where key terms, phrases and pect. Students were told that all of this dis- intentions expressed in the Chat sessions cussion regarding the selection, planning were mapped against 15 specific behav- and management phase of the group task iours and attributes drawn from the Uni- was to be undertaken in the Chat sidebar versity’s graduate attributes policy. Table of Etherpad, although the final (assess- 1 presents the scope of each behavior able) evaluation was to be created within code. Following initial analysis and cod- the Etherpad document itself. Given the ing against these codes, it was decided nature of Etherpad and its ability to track to group the codes into six broad themes the contributions of students individually, for reporting in order to reduce possible it was possible to assess students indepen- overlap and ambiguities in trying to break dently for their overall contribution to the down the discussions too finely. Practice final response. This enabled marks to be showed that it could be difficult to con- awarded on an individual basis based on sistently determine the specific behaviour the students’ contribution, rather than the or attribute at this level of granularity, but overall group output. From the feedback that grouping them together into these six received, this was reassuring for most, broader themes increased inter-coder reli- with individuals seeing that the rewards ability to a high level. The final six themes were based on their own input and not the identified were seen as critical to deter- work of the group as a whole. mining the nature and extent of student A mark allocation was also given for engagement with the group as a learning leadership and organization as indicated community and in its move towards ac- through the Chat discussions, thus provid- quiring the graduate attributes required by ing a level of encouragement for students the university. to engage with each other in a helpful and constructive manner in completion of the The themes comprised: task. • the social effectiveness of the Etherpad Data Collection platform (getting to know each other; sharing details of their lives; joking and Rather than the task itself, which was chatting etc); subject specific, it was the supporting Chat • the provision of affective support to discussions that were expected to provide each other (helping with anxiety, stress, insights into the collaborative experience fear, uncertainty, reassurance); of students and the level to which they ex- • the use of the Etherpad platform as a hibited congruence with the university’s problem solving opportunity (students graduate attribute outcomes. It was there- helping each other understand concepts fore these Chat sessions which were of and issues, solve problems, working to- most interest to the researchers. Thus tran- gether to critically evaluate and analyse scripts of the Etherpad Chat sessions taken policy content and issues); from 113 student groups (totaling nearly • the use of the Etherpad platform as a 400 students) were collected across four project management platform (dealing teaching sessions in 2010–2011. with the logistics of the group-based assignment; negotiating task allocation; Data Analysis organizing meeting times) • the development of discipline-based These intra-group conversations were knowledge (library and information then analysed for discrete themes and science concepts, principles and prac- characteristics corresponding to the uni- tices); and versity’s graduate attributes. A table was • consideration of the knowledge and val- Using Etherpads as Platforms for Collaborative Learning 141

Table 1. Coding Schedule According to Six Platforms and 15 Behaviors. Platform Code Description LIS Demonstrate a broad overview of their field, i.e. LIS discipline knowledge Discipline-based knowledge COM Communicate effectively using the language of the discipline, platform e.g. discussion of collection development concepts, issues, etc. VALUES Demonstrate an understanding of, & commitment to, values- Generic knowledge & values driven practice in their field of study building platform INT Demonstrate a national and/or international perspective CH For incidental chat, e.g. hello, bye, etc SOC Social conversation incl. getting to know each other as Social platform people outside university study, sharing details of their life/ work/ family/partying AFF Use of Etherpad chat to provide affective support, e.g. fear, Affective support platform concern, anxiety, happiness, satisfaction, etc AS Demonstrate analytical skills, including the exercise of critical and reflective judgment PS Address unfamiliar problems; conversations where students Problem solving platform help each other solve problems, gain an understanding of a concept or issue IT Technical difficulties related to Etherpad & other software ETH Discussion on use Etherpad, incl. its features & functionality PM Project management tasks & discussion on planning tasks, e.g. dealing with the logistics of the group-based assessment task, who has done what, who hasn’t done what, task allocation, etc. Project management platform ASS Assessment related discussion in terms of task requirements, management & completion PL Peer learning, e.g. acknowledgement that they can learn from each other LEAD Examples of student leadership within the group

ues of global citizenship (national and tion thread could be wide-ranging and be international perspectives, indigenous coded against more than one theme. cultures, inclusivity, sustainability); Results Thus for instance, if in the Chat session there was any discussion of the relevance Around 10% of the groups (10 in total) or impact of the policy to indigenous com- either misunderstood the instruction to use munities (one of the Graduate Attribute the Chat sidebar or decided not to use it for requirements is an understanding of indig- anything other than a perfunctory “hello” enous culture), this would be included in to each other, resulting in these groups Theme 6; if the discussion focused on prob- having 10 or less postings—virtually none lem solving or evidenced critical thinking of which were of any substance. They skills, it would be included in Theme 3 and completed the required task and it may linked with the Attribute requiring critical be that they had minimal communication thinking and analysis skills. A conversa- with each other or carried on their negotia- 142 JOURNAL OF EDUCATION FOR LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE tions and discussion outside of Etherpad, to be online at the same time so that they but the effect was that it was impossible could interact directly with each other in to determine the level of interaction and real time; more relied on a less-formal connection to graduate attribute learning approach with members indicating they that occurred within such groups. In ad- would, say, be online the next evening if dition, each semester two or three groups anyone was around, but most relied on lost members through student attrition re- group members coming in when it suited sulting in the need to merge groups or ‘in- them and at different times, when they sert’ individuals into already functioning would then respond to comments and groups, causing some disruption. questions left earlier by other group mem- Effectively, these ‘inactive’ groups pro- bers. This last approach probably suited vided no useful data for evaluation other most individuals some of whom were than to maybe suggest that this aspect of living in different time zones, as well as the task of encouraging group interac- having their own lifestyle demands which tion was either of no interest to them, was made it easier for them to be online at misunderstood or, because it attracted times that suited them alone. Most groups few marks, could be ignored while they set deadlines for completion of their spe- concentrated on what they saw as the key cific tasks and organised for an overview component of the assessment task, evalu- of the entire document once everyone had ating the policies. completed their contribution. Thus the number of postings per team In general, all active groups held dis- to the Chat sidebar varied greatly, from 0 cussions in a friendly engaging manner, to 584, with a median of around 68 post- with the majority of postings being of a ings. In all of the ‘active’ groups (defined social, supportive nature that served to as those with more than 10 postings), all create a sense of community within the members contributed something, but, not group. Most reported that they found the surprisingly, some members were more experience a positive one, for both the ‘vocal’ than others. Responses ranged knowledge gained and the interaction from short, one or two-word comments or with others. Typical final comments in queries to detailed comments and reflec- Chat were, tion of close to 100 words or more. These “Nice collaborating with such organised longer comments, in particular, usually people!” combined a mix of task-focused discus- sion together with personal reflection on “Good Luck everyone on your assessment. the activity, their study workload or other It’s been easy working with you all.” non-task-related matters. There were no instances of negative behavior within any “I agree, this group made group-work group and all communicated in a generally easy” supportive manner, the more active groups building obviously friendly relationships. Responses reflecting specific connection Discussion with the CSU graduate attributes were less common, but did occur. Being one of the Analysis of the sessions showed there first courses students undertook as part of was a high level of social interaction en- their degree, it is not surprising that strong gendered through the Chat function with evidence supporting the development of most students quickly building a rapport these attributes was less apparent than it within their group as a result of being might otherwise be were the course deliv- task-focused. As has been noted, around ered later in their program of study. 90% of groups used the requirements and A small number of groups organised demands of the shared task to readily es- Using Etherpads as Platforms for Collaborative Learning 143 tablish a community of practice approach of rapport and familiarity between group that supported collaborative decision mak- members such as these, were common: ing in a shared, democratic and inclusive “Time for my bedtime . . . getting old.lol. manner. While the level of interaction Nice chatting with you. Catch up with you varied considerably in these active groups, later.” the one very clear constant was the desire to engage in a friendly, collegial (non- “yeah I was just reading. I’m glad you competitive) approach to the task. It may guys haven’t been doing much either” be that the design of the task, allocating marks to individuals based on their own “Everyone knows everyone!!! which is contributions, rather than a group mark, good in some ways! Next time you see xxx engendered an atmosphere that made it please tell her I said Hi and hope she is less stressful or competitive and so more feeling better.” open to non-judgmental discussion. It may also have led to a virtual absence “I was really busy this weekend and I had of directive behavior—all groups were to read them at night and today it was a highly democratic in their approach and long day at work, but I am looking forward while natural leaders did emerge in many to start the assignment” groups, their comments were couched as questions, thoughts and suggestions, rath- “I have been using the internet of friends, er than instructions or demands. internet cafes and libraries as my boyfriend Focusing on the six specific themes, it and I are still in the proccess of moving is clear that, for most, a sense of commu- and don’t have a connection” nity reflecting these themes did result from the Etherpad task, with some very positive The comments varied in range and in- outcomes as discussed below. tensity across groups, but for those stu- dents exhibiting high levels of interaction, As a Social Platform this positive, friendly tone was engendered at the beginning and continued throughout Overwhelmingly, this collaborative the assessment work. While students did work served to provide a foundation for worry whether they were doing the right extensive social interaction between group thing, having the ability to discuss these members. From the initial introductions concerns with others undertaking the same to each other, through discussions on the task (as would be the case for on-campus novelty of this learning approach and their students), really did seem to help and re- lack of familiarity with Etherpad, to con- assure them. This was a theme that came sideration of the assessment requirements, through towards the end of the sessions over 50% of groups exhibited a high level when the assignment task had been com- (40+ messages) of friendly, social interac- pleted. As students were closing off their tion involving all members. While most discussions, most groups ended with com- conversations were task related, many ments such as: spread over into discussions about work “Perhaps this is a great benefit to this as- and the direction their careers might take, signment, because through communication family life and the challenges of studying and feedback we see different perspectives by distance, and technology issues such than if we did the subject alone” as internet connection problems or us- ing an iPad and its distinct requirements. “Hi J, D, and J, thanks for the great All such topics elicited positive and help- insights! It’s been a fun assignment, and ful responses from other group members. I wish you all the best for the rest of Thus comments, representing building semester” 144 JOURNAL OF EDUCATION FOR LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE

“Thank you W, M and M for being such a 8 1/2 years out of the workforce”, “Good great group to work with” luck L”

“Yes it was nice working with you and “Hi! A, B and C Just finished my etherpad( hopefully we will meet sometime, some- part1 & part 2).it was great working with u where. Bye now” all. all the best with rest of the course.”

“Good luck to all of us! Sorry to keep you “Massive pat on the back to everyone for waiting, hope you are not angry with me, getting individual comments in by tonight you are great group to work with, hope :)” we’ll meet again somewhere on air or on web” As a Problem-Solving Platform

As a Platform for Affective Support Numerous enquiries were made regard- ing use of the Etherpad interface, interpre- This was strongly evidenced across the tation of the assessment task and generally majority of groups illustrating the desire seeking reassurance that everything was of DE students to both give and receive on the right track. Students could—and affective support as part of the study ex- did—email the tutor directly for clarifica- perience. The tone of the communications tion and further information, but checking was closely related to the sociability of the with other group members was a popular group with the more active groups offer- approach with queries and a level of dis- ing supportive comments regularly, some- cussion undertaken in all active chats. times including quite detailed feedback Thus comments such as those below were to specific questions. As in a face-to-face common place. environment, reassurance, sympathy and “Perhaps you guys may be able to help out. understanding were commonly expressed How do I reference a wiki page . . .” fol- to other group members facing difficulties lowed by a detailed response with managing the assignment require- ments. Comments included: “Q: do we have to evaluate in to 300 “Yes hopefully I will get faster at my words; A: think it is 250 approx. You have work, I lack confidence , its all a bit 500. :)” overwhelming! its been a long time since I studied.” “ no submission. It just closes 22nd and then [lecturer] follows link checks it out. “I’ve just read both of your paragraphs so you cant submit it via Easts anyway” far, wow! I’m impressed!” “ I have downloaded it but still figuring “I meant it when I said i thought you did a out how to use it!! Can you put the actual good job on your article :-)” references in or just the citation?”

“Hey guys, I’ve been feeling really sick “Do you think it means that we can all the past few days and am trying to get my discuss a different part of the policy or do brain into gear enough to write “hey, no we all need to focus on the same area?” worries. I’ve been having trouble with it today as well, sorry you have been feeling Furthermore, discussion between stu- sick” dents in a number of the groups illustrat- ed the contribution of the individual to a “Will be very busy with 2 essay’s due group’s development of critical and reflec- within a week and starting a new job after tive judgment. Using Etherpads as Platforms for Collaborative Learning 145

“This has given me lots to think about . . .” “are we all happy to leave it as is? or does anyone want to organise it? i don’t mind “It has been . . . very inciteful” either way”

“You’ve all made very thoughtful com- “This is an awesome start to the assign- ments too which have given me lots to think ment. Well done... Time management about regarding the modules as well.” wise—we are on schedule”

As a Project-Management Platform “No tantrums and a resolution in one hour!” “As you may have seen, I have emailed Z While task-oriented groups used the about the group assignment; Thanks E, I Etherpad efficiently as a project manage- do hope she’s alright” ment platform, a high level of social in- teraction in some groups hindered more direct, organizational type discussions. The Development of Discipline-Based Overall, discussions on the selection of a Knowledge policy to study, methods of presenting the discussion, and responding to the lectur- Having a task which required detailed er’s directions, tended to be highly demo- consideration and analysis of a complex cratic, seeking input from all. While there collection development policy inevitably were few if any cases where one person called for discussion of the course mate- took a directive tone, it was common for rials provided and also of other material one or two students to emerge as ‘leaders’ identified by the group in order to build in the early stages of community build- their assessment piece. Thus virtually all ing with the group, with leadership styles groups commented on the experience of being inclusive as opposed to a dictato- having provided insights. Groups gener- rial approach. Across all 100 or so active ally comprised a mix of students with no groups, none included any strong directive experience at all together with some who discussions. As noted previously, this lack may have had substantial experience. This of expressed concern about progress could also impacted upon discussions, but, usu- probably be tied to the marking arrange- ally, just served to enhance the level of ments whereby individuals were marked the dialogue. There was no evidence of on their own participation and content more experienced students trying to push and were not reliant on the input of oth- their viewpoints or convince others—just ers. Even when a group member failed to a sharing of relevant experiences and how appear for the first discussions, or dropped they related to the assessment task—again, out later, the other group members showed possibly reinforced by the individual na- concern, but were not too stressed by this ture of the grading associated with the as- occurrence. Thus typical comments were signment. couched to be helpful in progressing the “Everything I’m reading was merely project but to avoid being ‘pushy’: confirming that weeding is an important “Yes, xxx, I agree with you. I think you component of a cdp” can work on collection management, weeding, acquisition, etc. Hope you can “Not working in a school library I find it make up your mind.” fascinating the level of detail they are go- ing in to.” “That’s us settled then! A: Government publications, P: Digital resources, J: Reten- “Well if you need help with anything, just tion & withdrawals, and B: Popular cul- ask via email. I’ve been in academic librar- ture. Is that right? If so, let’s get started!!!” ies for a few years now.” 146 JOURNAL OF EDUCATION FOR LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE

“I guess we didn’t discuss the importance “I have decided to discuss what relevance of the conspectus and perhaps made as- (if any) the population analysis has in sumptions. Big learning curve for working regards to selection and acquisitions” in groups!” “. . . but the cultural context is interesting” “I don’t know how the preservation of such resources work—but how long is Conclusion microform meant to last for i wonder? Ap- parently 500yrs; Are you serious? I looked A major aim of developing this collab- it up.” orative assessment task was to encourage engagement, communication and critical As a Generic Knowledge and Values thinking amongst students studying at a Building Platform distance who traditionally have found group work challenging; and to assist in Evidence of thinking more broadly and making those vital connections to help linking to wider graduate values and attri- form a sense of engagement with their butes was less-commonly expressed. This peers, their course and their overall pro- could be due to limited or less-explicit pre- gram of study. The researchers concluded sentation of values-based content or lack that the nature of the task, together with of learning tasks dealing with values with- the technology employed, made a con- in the course or the fact that this was an siderable positive impact on the majority early stage for all students in their program of those involved, increasing their sense of study. The University expects that each of being part of a cohort, encouraging a course will reflect the aims of developing questioning, supportive environment and students appropriately in line with the at- making them feel more at ease with group tributes, but this is seen as a progressive work online. Those who did belong to ac- approach, building gradually throughout tive groups, built, at the very least, a social their academic progress. It would there- dimension to their study which for dis- fore be reasonable to see this reflected to tance students is always difficult, if only a very limited degree in a first year, first for practical reasons. Having this connec- semester subject after only a few weeks of tion, many of these students will be in a study. Generally, discussion focused quite stronger place if their studies get stressful specifically on the task in hand and its de- or burdensome, with a number reporting tailed requirements rather than consider- an intention to maintain the links with ing the bigger picture and context within their group members after this particular which the topic sat. That said, comments assignment task was completed. The re- below suggest that there was some consid- moval of a competitive element, by as- eration of these aspects. sessing contributions individually did, the “No no, it’s fine we’ll all need to learn researchers believe, play a significant part about it because it will be/effect every in making the process more enjoyable— aspect of the policy.” and thus more engaging—for the students. Whether the task played a significant part “Hi I work in a public library in Sydney. in helping embed the university’s gradu- The only difference is that this library has ate attributes remains to be seen. A similar a big collection of community language. task, undertaken in a student’s last semes- ter of study, and analysed using the same “The policy mentioned 3% population is approach, would help provide stronger ev- indigenous Australian, but the policy does idence as to the effectiveness of students’ not mention service to meet this commu- acquiring such attributes, helping to mea- nity’s needs.” sure these factors. Using Etherpads as Platforms for Collaborative Learning 147 Longer term, analysis of student reten- learning? Journal of Distance Education, 15(1), tion and satisfaction rates based on co- 39–62. horts undertaking more online group work Charles Sturt University (2012a). Study by distance: why CSU? Retrieved from http://www.csu.edu. facilitated by Web 2.0 tools, compared to au/distance-education/why-csu those without exposure to such tasks, will Charles Sturt University (2012b). 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