Using an Innovative Computer-Based System for Fostering High School English Teachers' Learning About Collaborative Argumentation

• In Event: Fairmont Roundtable Session Fifteen
  In Roundtable Session: Using Technology to Enhance Teacher Learning (Table 3)

Abstract

This study examined high school English Language Arts (ELA) teachers’ learning about Collaboration Argumentation (CA) as they used an innovative computer-based system that provided information on key features of student-centered literature discussions in their classrooms. The system provided teachers with automatically generated data and visualizations of significant features of their students’ discussions. Drawing from theories of “noticing” in teacher learning, we investigated what twelve experienced ELA teachers learned from using the system. Findings demonstrated that the system supported teacher learning by guiding teachers to notice and reason about key features of CA they had difficulty noticing while leading discussion. Teachers’ reasoning demonstrated multiple connections to their professional knowledge, leading to concrete and specific plans for revising instruction to improve discussions.

Authors

• Tianzhi Zhang, University of Pittsburgh
  Presenting Author

• Amanda J. Godley, University of Pittsburgh
  Non-Presenting Author

• Diane Litman, University of Pittsburgh
  Non-Presenting Author

• Ravneet Singh, University of Pittsburgh
  Non-Presenting Author