Prof Wenli Chen's Talk on Preparing Future-Ready Collaborative Learners
Prof Wenli Chen is Head of the Learning Sciences and Assessment Academic Group at the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Singapore, delivered an insightful talk titled "Preparing Future-Ready Collaborative Learners in Authentic Classroom Settings." The talk was chaired by Prof Yu Leung Ho Philp and Dr Sun Daner.
Wenli Chen is a renowned figure in the field of CSCL and learning analytics. Her contributions have been recognized with the "Distinguished Researcher Award" from the Asia-Pacific Society for Computers in Education and the "Nanyang Education Award" from NTU. She serves as the Editor-in-Chief for both the Journal of Computers in Education and Learning: Research and Practice. Furthermore, she is an Associate Editor for Instructional Science, Asia Pacific Journal of Education, and Research and Practice in Technology Enhanced Learning, and an editorial board member for the International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning.
This talk was part of her visits funded by the Faculty Funding Support on External Collaboration in Teaching Development for 2023/2024. Prof. Chen shared her extensive experience in design-based research, focusing on creating and sustaining meaningful computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environments. She discussed the integration of CSCL theories, pedagogical expertise, and educational technologies to enhance problem-solving, critical thinking, adaptive thinking, conflict resolution, and empathy among students. Highlighting the practical implementation of CSCL in authentic classrooms, Prof. Chen introduced the Spiral Model of Collaborative Knowledge Improvement and discussed her multi-modal learning analytics approach. These innovative methods facilitate collaborative learning within limited curriculum time frames, bridging the gap between CSCL research and classroom practice.
Prof. Chen's talk emphasized the importance of preparing students to tackle complex future challenges through collaborative learning, underscoring the significant impact of her funded visits on advancing educational practices.
