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