Improving Learning in MOOCs Through Peer Feedback: How Is Learning Improved by Providing and Receiving Feedback?

Abstract

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), as one type of disruptive technology, has been described as the “campus tsunami” that is purportedly poised to change the face of higher education. Peer assessment has been adopted as a strategy to stimulate students’ active engagement in learning in MOOCs. While it is considered an effective pedagogical strategy to empower students and support learning by some, it is regarded as one of the main criticisms by others. It has been the focus of the dispute among developers of MOOCs in the field in the past few years. Based on a case of the MOOC entitled, The Red Chamber Dream, on Coursera, this study aims to explore the relationship between the perception of usefulness of peer assessment and the quality of learner assignments, and whether community knowledge is advanced in MOOCs facilitated by peer assessment. All notes related to learning in the discussion board were retrieved for further analysis. Notes indicating students’ perceptions about peer assessment were downloaded for analysis. Finally, students’ essays available on the course site were also saved in individual files for further analysis. Research found that there is no correlation between the quality of students’ essay writing and note writing and the reported usefulness of providing feedback/grading to their peers. Results also suggest that no correlation exists between the quality of students’ essay writing and note writing and the reported usefulness of receiving peer feedback. Meanwhile, results suggest that students were engaged in discussions and advanced their understanding. They produced a large number of explanations and knowledge building discourse, all of which involved knowledge advancement in each week. This improvement in knowledge may result in part from their expertise and in part from peer review of peers’ work. However, we cannot identity improvement of students’ work between different weeks.

Appendix

6.1.1 Information Accumulation Discussion Thread

Surprisingly, I agree with the teacher this time.

Zeng Yong: In the fifth week, the teacher’s argument was reasonable. [However,]It was not necessary to demonstrate with the Chin-yen Chai’s annotation, and the novel text in itself was enough. There was no direct correlation between Charpter 34 and Charpter 74, and Xiren was not the informant. At least, Cao Xueqin did not specify it. Though Baoyu had some doubts once, it only took a minute.

Obviously, the silly decision to perquisition in Daguan Gardens came from the calumny of Wang Shanbao’s wife and some people hating the girls, such as the old housemaids.

I noticed a view that Xiren was Baochai II and Qingwen was Daiyu II. Considering the character, it really made sense. Baochai may imputed blame to Daiyu, but Xiren did not mean to frame Qingwen. Because Baoyu’s servant girls were nice.

I did not agree with the teacher in a detail. It was far-fetched to compare Miss Deng to Xiren.

Wei Di: Shake hands! I do have the same feelings. It is infrequent for me to agree with the teacher.

Du Jiaping: Yep! The part on Miss Deng is really far-fetched. Cao Xueqin made many clerical errors, for example, the description of Qingwen’s birth in the previous part was different from the later one.

Information sharing discussion thread

The Red Chamber Dream has many versions in the market. Which one is the best? Expect your recommendation.

Y.F.Cherry: I am in need of learning, communication and development. Welcome you guys!

Yin Ci: What the Prof. Ou uses in this course is the Gengchen version, which gets a perfect balance between integrity and the original intention of Cao Xueqin. You can choose this one for the course.

The Revised Gengchen Version of the Story of the Stone with Chin-yen Chai’s Second Annotation.

Feng Jingguang: The version from the People’s Literature Publishing House is the Gengchen version as well. You can buy it from dangdang.com.

Ji Xiang: The Red Chamber Dream with Chin-yen Chai’s Annotation from Yuelan Publishing House. It based on the Gengchen version, and there was Chin-yan Chai’s annotation. I learned a lot from it. However, there was only 80 chapters in it.

lvy liu: I suppose that you can choose the version revised by Zhou Ruchang for the general use. If you would like to compare various kinds of versions, you can choose the Version Compilation of the Story of the Stone.

Lu Di: I suppose you should consider the publishing house. I will recommend Yuelan Publishing House and Zhonghua Book Company.

Shu Jingye: My book is The Story of the Stone with Chin-yen Chai’s Annotation revised by Huo Guoling and Zijun. There is Qi Liaosheng’s preface in this version.

Happy man on the brink

When I was an undergraduate, I have read the Story of the Stone with Chin-yen Chai’s Second Annotation in the library. I cannot remember the publishing house. It is based on the Gengchen version, and has some textual criticis. I really like it, but I cannot buy it on the Internet. Now what I bought is The Revised Gengchen Version of the Story of the Stone with Chin-yen Chai’s Second Annotation. I suppose it is great.

6.1.2 Explanation Thread

Comments on the argument method in On Imputation

Ella wang: No matter what’s the intention of the imputation, there is something wrong in the teacher’s argument method:

• 1. There is a logical problem. The teacher said “No disaster, no imputation.” First of all, excuse is not in need if there is no “disaster.” Baochai knew that “once a cornered person do something desperate, it will makes trouble and I will be embarrassed.” Second, imputation refers to imputing blame to others, regardless of the results. For instance, A killed somebody, and imputed blame to B. Accidently, B was not punished. Was this not a case of imputation?

• 2. There is a analogical problem. The teacher warned us not to make wrong analogy. However, she made such a mistake. The teacher took two strong examples to demonstrate Daiyu’s immunity. These two examples did not violate the elders’ intentions. In contrast, Baochai’s escape by strategy may contract enmity from the elders. They are different.

Lovita: I agree with you. Imputation depends on whether the perpetrator realizes the disaster, rather than whether the victim suffers some real disaster. In fact, I can sympathize Baochai’s subconscious imputation, because both of them would be embarrassed if Xiaohong saw her eavesdroping by the window…impute blame to others was the best choice for her. Regarding of the target, I agree with the teacher that she just came from Xiaoxiang Pavilion and Daiyu was the first person she could remind…

Ella wang: I agree with you absolutely. I do not think Baochai’s behavior is on purpose as well. However, there is a definite distinction between the behavior of and the result of the imputation.

Anonymous: I agree with the above. I suppose the case is different from others…

Zeng Yong: I agree with you. There must be logical problem in teacher’s argument. The process is problematic, how about the conclusion?

Scarlett Law: I agree with Ella Wang’s opinion partially…

I suppose the aim of teacher’s argument was not to retionalise Baochai’s action, but to highlight that the word “imputation” was a bit of an overstatement. Even though Daiyu confront with embarrassment, it was not a disaster. Baochai imputed something to Daiyu, but not a disaster. It is not similar to the murder.

However, I cannot agree with the teacher that she concluded from the story that Baochai was not a scheming girl. I think this part just reflects her scheming. She did not want to confront the embarrassment, and leave it to Daiyu…

6.1.3 Knowledge Building Discussion Thread

Can you post your follow-up writings in week 3?

Wanlu Shi: It is disappointed to find a dozen works are about Grandma Liu. Finally I read a story about Zhen Baoyu in the forum and learn a lot. Can you post your works for discussions?

• 1. Patrick Yeh: A story about Jia Yun, Xiaohong, and Qianxue.

  • A. Liu Ning: Haha, Qianxue is there as well. A good idea.

  • B. Wanlu Shi: I am puzzled that why Xiaohong’s status is not high. Because she is the butler’s daughter, she should be the first-class servant girl.

  • C. Patrick Yeh: Starting from this point, Liu Xinwu demonstrated that Qin Keqing and Qin (Lin) Zhixiao were political offenders avoiding misfortunes.

  • D. Chung-chi Tien: I suppose that the character was not integrated well. Until Wang Xifeng ordered her to do something, the author told us that she was not a common character, but Lin Zhixiao’s daughter. I found Zhang Ailing’s views toward the paradox as well. http://yizitong.com/common/content.php?poetry_id=1774&content_id=47&o=%E5%80%AA%E4%BA%8C&l=3

  • E. Wanlu Shi: Zhang Ailing’s argument was strong. I also think that the character was not integrated well among various versions.

    I have another question: why Wang Xifeng can not read?

    Wang Xifeng’s status was higher than Li Wan. However, Li Wan read some classics and Wang Xifeng can not read any word.

  • F. Chung-chi Tien: Mrs Jia can not read as well. She remembered that she was naughty when she was a child. Maybe Wang Xifeng was the same to Mrs Jia and did not read anymore when she was punished by the teacher. Moreover, there was not an educated and reasonable atmosphere in Wang’s family to nurture her.

It would be more interesting if I had written on Wang Xifeng’s farce in class.

• 2. Anonymous: A story about Grandma Liu.

• 3. Chung-chi Tien: One assignment was about Daiyu’s death. Since the aim of Daiyu’s appearance was to return tears, the author wrote that she died in front of Baoyu with profound affections but no complains.

The other was about Xiangling’s death. It developed the verse that “The soul of the beauty returns to her hometown” which was ignored by Gao E.

Both the two works gave some good changes to Gao E’s version.

Referring to Daiyu’s death, I suppose that Gao E borrowed Cao Xueqin’s technique of contrast. In the same chapter, Daiyu died in absolute solitude, but Baochai lived with all the glories in the world.

As Gao E took the story to extremes, Baoyu and Daiyu died with regrets that they burned the manuscript and the handkerchief because of mistakes.

You would find his extreme in contrast with Qingwen’s death. Though Qingwen died in loneliness, there were some tender scenes, such as she exchanged underwear with Baoyu and bit off the fingernail.

The mistake was out of place, because they had communicated smoothly for long. I suppose that the classmate rewrited the story with the same opinions.

• A. Anonymous: Dayu’s death, before the story, I would like to introduce some inferences of mine as the context: First of all, Daiyu must died because she knew Baoyu would marry Baochai. Secondly, it is not Mrs Jia but Baoyu’s mother who wanted Baoyu to marry Baochai. In the previous 80 chapters, both Mrs Jia and Wang Xifeng wanted Baoyu to marry Daiyu. Thirdly, Baoyu’s mother went against Mrs Jia’s wishes because Mrs Jia had been dead and Wang Xifeng had lost power and influence. Fourthly, Baoyu’s mother must had visited Princess Yuan and persuaded her to decree the marriage. Fifthly, Princess Yuan did not die before the wedding, so the emperor would not exterminate Jia family. In conclusion, I suppose that the marriage and Daiyu’s death were not Mrs Jia and Wang Xifeng’s conspiracy. Baoyu was obliged to follow the superior’s will as a childe. Daiyu sympathized Baoyu’s dilemma, so she would show pity for the marrige but not hatred. Daiyu would put Baoyu’s interest first. However, the decision overwhelmed the sickly girl and made her burst into tears. In this accident, she cried until she returned all the tears and died.

A story about Daiyu’s death.

• B. Anonymous: Your inferences make sense. I suppose that many clues could be found in the text [Some evidences]. A netizen gives many evidences to demonstrate that Baoyu’s mother did not like Daiyu. For instance, the netizens provides two other evidences: Zhiyan Zhai ordered the author to delete the chapter about Tianxiang Pavilion…

• C. Patrick Yeh: Splendid! I suppose there is another possibility, i.e., Daiyu had been dead for other reasons in early time and Baoyu had no choice but to marry Baochai. In this case, it did not matter whether Mrs Jia was dead or not. Since I cannot explain all that in just a few words, I will write another post elsewhere. First of all, I want to review the opinions of Tianxiang Pavilion above …Zhiyan Zhai ordered Qinxi to delete it in the name of Jihusou…

• D. Anonymous: The views above are enlightening. In addition, I am very interesting about your opinion on Daiyu’s death and looking forward to your further argument.

• E. Liu Ning: All the inferences are good. However, I persevered that Jihusou is not Yanzhi Zhai…

• F. Patrick Yeh:https://class.coursera.org/rcd-001/forum/thread?thread_id=250—comment-980 …I have written some words in other place about the conclusions that Daiyu died for other reasons and Baoyu couldn’t marry him anymore. So I will not repeat my argument. The following are my views on Daiyu’s death…