英文摘要 |
This study analyzes boundary-crossing participants' activities in a virtual environment. Research on collaborative learning quite often focuses on interaction within a group and pays little attention to interaction among groups, which has conventionally been considered as irrelevant to learning. Is there any learning occurred when learners cross boundaries? Data were mainly collected from postings and interviews of a six-week inquiry-based scientific activity. 353 voluntary high school students were assigned to 56 groups with 6 members in each group. Two kinds of forums were available. One was designed for discussion of 6 group members only, Within-Group Forums (WGFs). The other was designed for cross-group discussion, the Cross-Group Forum (CGF). One-third of participants went out to CGF and sought new sociation to satisfy their needs. Although they belonged to different COPs, they related to each other at the level of constellations of practice. It was this practice that motivated them to be interconnected with each other. Three levels of boundary spanning behaviors were identified. Brokers did not function merely as buffers or negotiators between people from many COPs. Instead, peripheral and intensive brokers contributed their diverse perspectives and problems generated in different COPs; proactive brokers maintained a collegial and dialogical atmosphere by responding to every posting in a timely fashion. As a group, they provided a participative connection from which they collectively accomplished the enterprise of brokering. The newly phenomenon of collective brokering practice in virtual environment is discussed in detail. |