Technologies for Vocational Training

Leading House: Technology for vocational training Un programme de recherche de l'Office fédéral de la formation professionnel et de la technologie Technologies for Vocational Training Project 1 Fostering autonomy through on-line scaffolds across learning contexts Team members : Jean-Luc Gurtner, Matthieu Calame, Diego Corti, Catherine Rochat Dept of Education University of Fribourg DUAL-T http://dualt.epfl.ch/

Context • Research Questions • Research Design • Current phase: School-workplace gaps • Next phases CSCL Alpine Rendez-vous

1. Context Underlying conjectures : • Apprentices’ autonomy can be enlarged if they know that they could get just-in time assistance when needed • NLT can serve as a medium to ask for and to receive just-in time assistance from a distance • On the workplace, NLT need to be non intrusive, easy to use and portable. CSCL Alpine Rendez-vous

Theoretical Context Learner’s autonomy Self-regulated learning Legitimate peripheral participation Help-seeking behaviours Communication through technology and grounding in communication Talking aloud and problem solving CSCL Alpine Rendez-vous

Help-seeking behaviours Two forms of help-seeking in classroom context (Karabenick & Knapp, 1991): • Executive (expediant) help-seeking involves others in an attempt to avoid work (e.g. soliciting the answer to a problem) • Instrumental help-seeking is undertaken to gain the minimum assistance sufficient to achieve independently (e.g. asking for a hint or an explanation) CSCL Alpine Rendez-vous

Help-seeking behaviours (2) Why (or why not) ask for help ? Some observations: - Learning goal oriented students prefer instrumental help, performance oriented students expediant help (Karabenick, 1998) Avoidance of help seeking happens if - self-efficacy beliefs are low (Ryan & Pintrich, 1997); - teacher is perceived as « cold » (Newmann & Schwager, 1993); - competition and/or performance orientation is high (Ryan, Gheen & Midgley, 1998). Socio-cognitive perspective CSCL Alpine Rendez-vous

Help-seeking behaviours (3) When do I really need help ? - Kids often evidence comprehension monitoring deficits (Markman, 1979) - Efficient self-regulating help-seekers question themselves before deciding to ask others for help (Puustinen, 1998) - Students tend not to use help facilities offered by learning environments effectively and present unproductive help-seeking behavior (Aleven et al. 2003, 2004) Metacognitive issues CSCL Alpine Rendez-vous

2. Research questions 2.1 Are help-seeking behaviours at work the way they are at school ? 2.2 Does availability of « just-in-time help » foster an apprentice’s autonomy at work? - will it improve risk-taking from the part of the apprentice ? - will it modify the willingness of supervisors to attribute challenging tasks to an apprentice ? CSCL Alpine Rendez-vous

Research questions (2) 2.3 Are easy to use NLT appropriate to ask and receive help at the workplace ? • Technically ? • Cognitively ? • Socially ? 2.4 Do thinking aloud and talking through help apprentices in solving the problems they encounter at work - the problem at hand ? - later problems ? CSCL Alpine Rendez-vous

3. Research design Preliminary study : observation of what is going on at the work place regarding training evaluate the technical and cognitive feasability of the project, i.e : analyse the apprentice’s ability to communicate their problems and needs via a mobile phone. CSCL Alpine Rendez-vous

Subjects • Apprentices in car mechanics (garage) • Volunteers of various school years (mean age = 17 years) • Apprentices are equipped with cellular phones, headsets, and microphones CSCL Alpine Rendez-vous

Method • Once a week during 8 consecutive weeks, we call apprentices and ask them to verbalise their thoughts and feelings (e.g. problems encoutered) out loud during their work at the garage. • We listen to the apprentices and intervene only if an apprentice remain silent for a long time or if an apprentice does not spontaneously comment on any difficulties. • Each session is recorded and selected critical or relevant events are transcribed and analysed CSCL Alpine Rendez-vous

Method (2) • A typology of the various kinds of problems generally faced by apprentices in a garage is set up • For each situation, we analyse - whether, when and why the apprentice requests help, - from which person is help expected, - whether this help could be provided from « at a distance » or whether « shoulder-to-shoulder » help would be necessary. • Observations are reported in a « table » CSCL Alpine Rendez-vous

Observation categories Purpose of the request (Understanding the problem, Processing the task, Transforming the task… ) Person(s) to whom the query is addressed(more experienced co-worker, receptionnist, other apprentice,..) Person(s) who stops working and moves towards the other ? Is remote assistance possible ? CSCL Alpine Rendez-vous

Example 1 The apprentice (A) does not understand what is indicated on his work plan. He moves around in the garage and calls out a few of his colleagues (M1, M2) to get clarification. CSCL Alpine Rendez-vous

Example 2 The apprentice (A) does not have enough strength to release a brake. He calls a co-worker (C) in order to find some help. The co-worker stops his activity and moves to help the apprentice. CSCL Alpine Rendez-vous

Contrasting a task at work and a task at school In a garage: • Tasks are not selected according to their appropriateness but imposed. Learning is only second to production. • Mistakes are not allowed. • Confrontation seems not possible. A same task is rarely accomplished by others at the same time. • « Teachers » are not there to be teachers. CSCL Alpine Rendez-vous

Contrasting apprentices’ behaviours at work and at school In a garage: • Making mistakes is worse than asking help when not needed. • Avoiding to ask for help never pays off. • Underchallenging tasks are welcome. • Sense of belongingness is high. CSCL Alpine Rendez-vous

Further developments in the following 3 directions • Critical episodes are forwarded to teachers at school for didactical exploitation - with the respective apprentice - with other apprentices CSCL Alpine Rendez-vous

Further developments in the following 3 directions (2) • Teachers at school or mentors assist the apprentice at work from outside - strategic assistance - rogerian attitude CSCL Alpine Rendez-vous

Further developments in the following 3 directions (3) • A network is constituted on the workplace through which - apprentices can ask questions and receive answers through NLT (not only!) - remote supervision and assistance can be achieved by more expert co-workers. CSCL Alpine Rendez-vous

Technologies for Vocational Training