A Networked Question-Posing and Peer Assessment Learning System: A Cognitive Enhancing Tool

Abstract

In light of constructivism and cognitive psychology, a networked learning system enabling students to pose questions that are assessed, viewed, and answered via peers, is described in the article. A study examining the system's learning potentials and design features was conducted with 52 sixth graders. Overall, students rated favorably on the system's interface design and potentials in promoting their cognitive capability in the content domain. Questionnaires, open-ended questions, and classroom observations further revealed that via playing the roles of question-posers, assessors, viewers, adapters, and answers at various points during the process, students seemed to actively engage in the learning process by constructing and re-constructing their own interpretations of the world of information around them, which was facilitative for understanding and cognitive development. Suggestions for future studies were offered.