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Dissertation Information for Joyce Yukawa

NAME:
- Joyce Yukawa

DEGREE:
- Ph.D.

DISCIPLINE:
- Library and Information Science

SCHOOL:
- University of Hawaii (USA) (2005)

ADVISORS:
- Violet H. Harada

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
- Curtis P. Ho
- Diane Nahl-Jakobovits
- Helen Bruckman Slaughter
- Daniel D. Suthers

MPACT Status: Fully Complete

Title: Hearts and minds through hands online: A narrative analysis of learning through co-reflection in an online action research course

Abstract: This case study examines the learning processes in an online action research course facilitated by the researcher. Two graduate students in the Library and Information Science Program, University of Hawaii at Manoa, studied action research and applied their knowledge to independent research projects. The study's purpose was to examine the co-construction of knowledge and how affect and interaction influence participant understanding of action research. The online workspace was created using wild-style collaborative software, with added email and chat programs.

Three key narratives were used to explicate learning as a holistic process: (a) a primary narrative focused on course learning objectives; (b) a reflection sub-narrative focused on unique learner outcomes within the course framework; and (c) a co-reflection sub-narrative focused on the co-construction of knowledge. Reflection (an individual critical thinking process) and co-reflection (an intersubjective critical thinking process) played key roles in learning action research. Co-reflection, an emerging concept, draws on individual reflection and involves four interactional characteristics. The different co-reflection narratives provide detailed records of the evolution of socially constructed knowledge and collaborative meaning making with affective, cognitive, and interactional dimensions.

The findings of this study indicate that online learning of action research is effectively supported by: (1) field-based, inquiry learning; (2) instructor understanding of the learners' backgrounds; (3) a learning philosophy that values constructivist learning, affect, relationship building, the development of self-efficacy, and empowerment; (4) online facilitation and mentoring skills; and (5) social software. The simple, flexible software tools effectively supported complex learning processes by allowing novice users to focus their learning efforts on course content rather than software features, and to adapt and augment learning and communication strategies from their face-to-face experiences.

Narrative analysis was used to interpret the data for three reasons: (1) the narrative is a basic form for making meaning from human experience; (2) the individual learners were unique in background, learning style, and goals; and (3) the social software encouraged users to adapt and innovate. Social software provided a record of the evolution of socially constructed knowledge. Narrative analysis offered a theoretical framework for elucidating the processes underlying that evolution.


MPACT Scores for Joyce Yukawa

A = 0
C = 0
A+C = 0
T = 0
G = 0
W = 0
TD = 0
TA = 0
calculated 2008-01-31 06:31:26

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Students under Joyce Yukawa

ADVISEES:
- None

COMMITTEESHIPS:
- None