Appendix C: Coded transcript of a group independent learning experience (task 2)
Four research participants worked together on this task and, for the purposes of anonymity, are referred to as SI (student 1), S2, S3, and S4. Where students speak in unison, it is indicated by Ss. This task occurred over two separate days, each time for a 90-minute period. The task involved working together to understand an academic article written in English (not the first language of the participants), and then preparing to give a short presentation in English about the text. During the first period, the following occurred:
- • Students all decided to begin individually reading the text
- • After about half the allotted 90 minutes, some students began to struggle with the text and discussed whether they had jumped into reading to quickly
- • Engaged in some discussion of the article (what it meant, what sections seemed more difficult or easy, more or less important) and the requirement of doing a presentation
- • At the end of the allotted 90 minutes, agreed to all complete the reading before meeting for in a few days for the second allocated period
What is presented here is the second 90-minute period. All participants utterances are provided, observations of participants’ actions (or summaries of activity) are in parentheses and italicised, and the corresponding categorization of thought processing is provided in the right-hand column.
This account shows how the learning group entered and moved across different conscious thought processing categories 81 times during this 90-minute learning episode.
C Coded Transcript of a Group Independent Learning Experience (task 2)
|
Student Verbalisations and Actions |
Type of Processing Occurring |
|
|
1 |
SI: This room is hot S4: It is hot S3: It is SI: Why is it so hot S3: There is aircon here sometimes, but I think if you turn on one room, all the rooms turn on... SI: Ahhh... |
Metacognitive monitoring of environment |
|
2 |
(Students start to pick up their individual copies of the articles) |
Metacognitive control of learning |
|
3 |
SI: Did you read it? I...eh, if I am being really honest, I kind of just glanced through it... Ss: Hahaha... S3: Me too S4: Me too S2: Yeah, I didn’t do it at all... Ss: Haha S3: Well I did go through this first page, but there are some bits I still don’t get, that maybe we could talk about... |
Cognitive processing |
|
Student Verbalisations and Actions |
Type of Processing Occurring |
|
|
4 |
SI: Well, thinking about doing the presentation, what should we be doing now? S3: But shouldn’t we got through the whole article together once, to make sure that everyone has a good understanding of it? S2: Yeah yeah SI: Ok, well I think this article can be split into 3 parts S3: 3 parts...do we not have to split it into 4? |
Metacognitive control of learning |
|
5 |
S3: We should have organised whose responsibility different parts were SI: Ah well, but we didn’t have any chance except for class time to get together. So we basically have to get it all done now |
Metacognitive monitoring - judgement of learning |
|
6 |
S2: OK, let’s do it |
Metacognitive control of learning |
|
7 |
(Students begin discussing the article) |
Cognitive processing |
|
8 |
S3: These, I think this can be done individually, A and C....but В is......perhaps that could, although it seems kind of counter- intuitive, be done by a pair? |
Metacognitive knowledge - cognitive knowledge |
|
9 |
(Students discuss the task content) |
Cognitive processing |
|
10 |
S2: If we all just start together by agreeing the main point, and then segment it up, and individually provide the detail SI: But then will we have to keep going back and forth |
Metacognitive knowledge - cognitive knowledge |
|
11 |
S2: No S3: Yeah, it is probably best if we don’t do that |
Metacognitive monitoring - judgement of learning |
|
12 |
S2: So we decide the main points and then individually take responsibility for the detailed explanation of that point. S3: Or, we have three main sections A, B, and C. If we say that we are going to all do section В together, then we can do the A and C sections in two pairs SI: Yeah, it is just В that is different. S3: Yeah so we could all take, like 30 seconds after each other to insert our point about В SI: Yeah if we write down what it is we want to say, it should be fairly easy to explain |
Metacognitive control of learning |
|
13 |
(Discussing the text) |
Cognitive processing |
|
14 |
SI: Yeah that is linked to what is in the introduction. So let’s do that, two of us do A, and two do C Ss: Ok Rock, Scissors Paper...... (students doing rock scissors paper to decide which pairs will deal with which section). OK pairs decided |
Metacognitive control of learning |
|
15 |
S3: Ok, which part do people feel is better for them to do...I don’t mind which we (her and her partner) do... |
Metacognitive knowledge - self-knowledge |
|
16 |
S2: Eh, I don’t really mind either.... S3: OK then, we can do this section about the main parts of the article. S4: yeah S3; Ok...maybe for you guys be careful, or think most about the concluding points... SI: So for now, think about our part’s main points, read through it, and prepare that part of the presentation S2: Separate Points S3: And B, that can just be done at a later stage, right? |
Metacognitive control of learning |
|
Student Verbalisations and Actions |
Type of Processing Occurring |
|
|
17 |
SI: Yeah, if we all read it we will definitely come across interesting points. S3: Yeah I think so. We all have different opinions and spot different things. There is no correct answer for that part, so that should be good. SI: Mm |
Metacognitive monitoring - judgement of learning |
|
18 |
(Studentsgo off-topic for two minutes, discussing the English word aand») |
Off-task processing |
|
19 |
S2: So right now, maybe, in our pairs if we spend 30 minutes on our sections. That should be enough - as the entire presentation is just a brief five-minute explanation S4: Yeah it is short S3: Well how many minutes should we allocated for A SI: Yeah I don’t think A will take us too long. But A is kind of the main section, so.... S3: You could talk for ages! SI: No I don’t think so S3: Well I guess if you just focus on the main parts - this beginning introduction, and an example... SI: We will be able to keep it short...we might not even need an example |
Metacognitive control of learning |
|
20 |
S3: But I think this example here might be necessary to include... SI: OK - maybe an example from the beginning of the article and the end, which would show current knowledge |
Metacognitive knowledge - cognitive knowledge |
|
21 |
(Discussion of text) |
Cognitive processing |
|
22 |
SI: But this part here (pointing to a section of text) looks really difficult. S4: Yeah it does |
Metacognitive monitoring - ease of learning |
|
23 |
SI: It is too hot in here isn’t it? |
Metacognitive monitoring of environment |
|
24 |
S3: Yeah I am going to someone if we can turn on the aircon. |
Metacognitive control of environment |
|
25 |
(S3 leaves the room, other students looking at their texts individually or checking dictionaries) |
Metacognitive control of learning |
|
26 |
(Students reading) |
Cognitive processing |
|
27 |
(S3 returns) S3: We can’t use it. SI: No way! S4: You are joking! S3: Apparently it is not ‘air-conditioner season’, so the university will not let us used the it yet S4: Yeah but is hot now... S3: It is a bit cooler outside of this room |
Metacognitive monitoring of environment |
|
28 |
(Students physically position themselves to work as pairs. One pair is reading and making notes, the other begins discussing the article) |
Metacognitive control of learning |
|
29 |
(S3 and S4 discuss the article) |
Cognitive processing |
|
30 |
S3: Yeah I think that is what this means S4: Yeah I get it now |
Metacognitive monitoring - judgement of learning |
|
31 |
(S3 and S4 discuss the text) |
Cognitive processing |
|
Student Verbalisations and Actions |
Type of Processing Occurring |
|
|
32 |
S3: That is about as far as I have read and understood, I didn’t have time...maybe we should read through the rest of it now. S4: Yeah |
Metacognitive control of learning |
|
33 |
(All four reading and making notes/or highlighting/using dictionaries) |
Cognitive processing |
|
34 |
S4 to S3: Are we going to include this part? |
Metacognitive knowledge - task knowledge |
|
35 |
(S3 and S4 discuss the article content) |
Cognitive processing |
|
36 |
S4: Yeah. Well I think I might start actually writing out sentences to explain this part |
Metacognitive control of .learning |
|
37 |
S4: This might help me get this done |
Metacognitive knowledge - cognitive knowledge |
|
38 |
(S3 and S4 discuss the text content) |
Cognitive processing |
|
39 |
S3: When I give a presentation, I don’t write out a script... S4: Really? S3: Yeah, because if you write it all out, you end up looking down at your paper and reading it out. If it was in Japanese, I might just be able to pick out bits, but if it is in English, I can’t help just reading it out, and then I can’t look at the PowerPoint and I get confused. So I just write down points and look at the PowerPoint screen, and then explain naturally S4: Wow S3: Yeah, but it might not be very good, as I don’t practice |
Metacognitive knowledge - self-knowledge |
|
40 |
(All reading) |
Cognitive processing |
|
41 |
(SI has a drink) |
Metacognitive control of physical state |
|
42 |
S2: Have you finished? |
Metacognitive monitoring - judgement of learning |
|
43 |
(SI and S2 discuss what they are doing, presentation notes they are making) |
Cognitive processing |
|
44 |
SI: Let me add that to my list - can I borrow a pen, I want to write in a different colour |
Metacognitive knowledge - cognitive knowledge |
|
45 |
(Making notes using different coloured pens) |
Metacognitive control of learning |
|
46 |
S2: Yeah go ahead. I really don’t like diagrams |
Metacognitive knowledge - self-knowledge |
|
47 |
SI: Yeah this one is difficult |
Metacognitive monitoring - ease of learning |
|
48 |
SI to S2: I need to go and find out what this means. What about you? S2: Ah, ok. SI: Ok, I will be back in a second. It’s alright to go out of the room right?? (SI leaves the room) |
Metacognitive control of learning |
|
49 |
(Other students reading in silence, making notes) |
Cognitive processing |
|
50 |
S3 to S4: You see this bit here, with the historical background, do you think this is important? |
Metacognitive monitoring - judgement of learning |
(Continued)
|
Student Verbalisations and Actions |
Type of Processing Occurring |
|
|
51 |
S4: No, I don’t think we need that bit S3: Cool |
Metacognitive control of learning |
|
52 |
(Reading and discussing content) |
Cognitive processing |
|
53 |
S3 to S4: Can I ask you about this bit, I didn’t really understand it, or maybe we don’t really need it? |
Metacognitive monitoring - judgement of learning |
|
54 |
S4:1 think we can leave it out |
Metacognitive control of learning |
|
55 |
S4: We will only have about 2 minutes to explain this whole section. |
Metacognitive knowledge - task knowledge |
|
56 |
(Discussion of article content) |
Cognitive processing |
|
57 |
SI: You know we really have to decide which is the central point to all of this S3: I’m going to ask about this bit here (53 leaves the room to ask the teacher) |
Metacognitive control of learning |
|
58 |
(Discussion of article content) |
Cognitive processing |
|
59 |
S2: Well I don’t understand it all... SI: Do you think we should ask the teacher about it? |
Metacognitive monitoring - ease of learning |
|
60 |
(Discussion of article content) |
Cognitive processing |
|
61 |
(S3 returns) S3: He [the teacher] is not there SI: Maybe he is in his office - it is just down there.... S3: Ok, I will go and look again |
Metacognitive control of learning |
|
62 |
(Discussion of article content) |
Cognitive processing |
|
63 |
S2: Ah 1 don’t think 1 will be able to explain this in English |
Metacognitive knowledge - self-knowledge |
|
64 |
(SI working through an explanation of content for presentation in English) |
Cognitive processing |
|
65 |
(Reading aloud to herself) SI: If I say this aloud, I think I will understand it more - maybe 10 times though, and it will go into my brain... |
Metacognitive knowledge - cognitive knowledge |
|
66 |
(Discussion of content for presentation in English) |
Cognitive processing |
|
67 |
SI: Well if it is not written about, then we don’t need to worry about it S2: Yeah and we don’t have time anyway (52 starting to write out her plan/script/points for the presentation) S2: So the question is......you know we onlv have 30 minutes left? SI: Yeah I was just thinking about that |
Metacognitive control of learning |
|
68 |
(Discussion of content for presentation in English) |
Cognitive processing |
|
69 |
(SI looking at the notes S2 is making) |
Metacognitive control of learning /cognitive processing |
|
70 |
SI: Hmm...my feeling is that what we have to say is not exactly just what is in the article, but after understanding it, what we think about it S2: Mm....but even with that, I think this (her written notes/plan) will be ok SI: Yeah I think so, just we will have to add our thoughts to it S2: OK |
Metacognitive monitoring - judgement of learning |
|
71 |
(Discussion of content for presentation in English) |
Cognitive processing |
|
Student Verbalisations and Actions |
Type of Processing Occurring |
|
|
72 |
(SI has a drink. S4 starts to yawn and then stretches) |
Metacognitive control of physical processing |
|
73 |
(Students spend some time - about 4 minutes - talking about where they live, commuting to university, background, and ages of themselves and other students) |
Off-task processing |
|
74 |
S2: Ok let’s do it! And stop chatting haha... |
Metacognitive control of learning |
|
75 |
(S3 explains what he learned from speaking with the teacher, and students discuss this) |
Cognitive processing |
|
76 |
(Another student enters the room looking for contact info for an absent student. Students talk about this student for a few minutes and about ideas for how to get in contact with him). |
Off-task processing |
|
77 |
|
Metacognitive control of learning |
|
78 |
SI: Basically, he said that it is up to us what we feel is most important from the article to discuss. So, I guess that means it does not have to be every single part, if we feel it is not important. Just what we feel is related to us. |
Metacognitive knowledge -task knowledge |
|
79 |
S4: So we (S3 and S4) will discuss this part, and then these two guys will pick out the important parts S3: We will meet up before we do the presentation - do we have time? How about just before the class? SI: Yeah and before then we can all have chosen one important point from the article, which we will then present. |
Metacognitive control of learning |
|
80 |
S3: Ok. I think if we each know and take care of what we say we will, that should be ok. If we each just have the detail for our own part, that should work SI: If we do our best it will be fine. |
Metacognitive monitoring - judgement of learning |
|
81 |
(Time is up and students start to pack up their bags, and leave the room.) |
Metacognitive control of learning |
128 Appendices
