PhD project
Supporting interaction and reducing bias in a diverse online class using a technological intervention: Investigating the effect grouping mechanism using anonymity aspect in reducing bias and prejudice in online classroom
In a virtual game environment, one of the positive effects of anonymity is the absence of one's prejudice toward others, which can give a person the freedom to change and experiment (Bartle, 2003). This project will adopt anonymity to be added to online cross-cultural collaborative learning in higher education. The goal is to provide interventions in a grouping mechanism that can reduce student bias and prejudice and help the first-year students prepare to get used to being in a diverse environment.
- Duration
- 2023 - 2026
- Contact
- Catur Wulandari
- Funding
- Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education
Researchers
- C. Wulandari - PhD candidate
- prof.dr. N. Saab - supervisor
- dr. T.L. Mearns - co-supervisor
Research questions
- Study 1: Effective approaches based on existing research (Literature review): What are characteristics of effective approaches and strategies to enhance online collaborative learning in multicultural higher education contexts?
- Study 2: Sense of belonging (Questionnaire/interview study, mixed methods): How does the group formation mechanism inside an anonymous environment affect students’ sense of belonging?
- Study 3: Anonymity (Questionnaire study with repeated measures, quantitative): How does anonymity influence students’ bias and prejudice after they collaborate in an anonymous environment?
- Study 4: Interaction in anonymous environment (Sociogram/interview study, mixed methods): How does the anonymity aspect of a learning environment facilitate interaction and communication among group members? How does student’s circle of friendship change after they collaborate in an anonymous environment?: What is the relation between students’ bias/prejudice and their interaction?
The first study is a systematic literature review to explore approaches and strategies found through previous research to enhance online collaborative learning in multicultural higher education contexts.
Intervention
The intervention will be carried out in the first-year undergraduate introductory course in several departments in some universities in Indonesia. The course is conducted in an offline classroom, which utilizes e-learning as part of the teaching and learning environment. The intervention will employ anonymity in Moodle e-learning for student collaboration, including facilitating group work formation and facilitating group communication.
Scientific relevance
This research will contribute to the body of knowledge on effective approaches or strategies for supporting online collaborative learning in multicultural higher education contexts. This research also enriches knowledge about the potential for anonymity, as previously used in-game environments for bias and prejudice reduction in educational settings.
The well-known Allport’s contact theory to reduce bias and prejudice applies to face-to-face environments. Much of the previous research also tested their experiment, where everyone is able to recognize other people’s characteristics from the beginning of the intervention. Thus, this research gives a new approach of giving contact experience using anonymity aspect where students grouped by using similarities in characteristics, despite their diverse backgrounds. Adopting virtual environment concept as in games, the anonymous system provides an environment where students can have more freedom to express themselves and a sense of belonging to their group.