Summary of Findings

The summaries of findings in this section are collated from the transcript analysis that formed a major part of this research, together with evidence from the interviews with students and teacher mentors to support or interpret the findings from the data.

Each of the sections reports on a particular focus area of the analysis, and the interpretations that can be made. It should be noted that, for an overall picture of the effectiveness of the programme it is important to take into consideration all of these elements and the picture they paint. This is done in the final section of the report where this analysis is used to inform comments on:

• The quality of service provision
• Immediate learning for young people
• Alignment and transfer of learning for young people
• Learning for providers, teachers and schools

A sample of transcripts (n=50) from the each of the two subject forum areas (Maths Science) and a further set of transcripts (n=50) from an open forum area called ‘Other’ of the Studyit site were analysed using a coding system that is explained in each of the sections that follows.

Type of questions asked by students

A focus for the analysis of the interactions between students and mentor teachers in the Studyit environment was based on the type of questions asked by students. Questions posed by the users formed the starting point for the majority of interactions within the Studyit environment. Student initiated questions in transcripts were coded as either closed questions or open questions as is illustrated in Table 1 below.

Table 1 - Coding for Question Type

Code	Explanation
The focus here is on how well the question is suited to pursuing an inquiry-based approach, as compared to simply “finding the answer”.
Closed	Question is coded as “closed” if the question ‘closes down’ the opportunity for further inquiry,
Open	Question is coded as “open” if it invites more discussion

Selected examples from the transcripts of the type of closed and open questions that occur on the Studyit website are listed in Table 2.

Table 2: Examples of the type of student inquiries and coding used

Closed questions

Hi, does anyone have any good explanations on the graphs of current and voltage vs. time for charging and discharging a capacitor.? I did use to have a good one memorised for current as it’s charging... but its a bit sketchy now. Hey what do we have to actually know ‘cause I looked through the criteria but I don't get it anyone go time to through it for me  Does anyone know any good test sites for chem 1.7

Open Questions

How do you work out the common denominator in fractions?  In question 4 - How did they get P=0.28?  What are the different colours of the oxidants and reductants?  My question is what is FSH and LH and what is their function? What’s the difference between A,M,E in geology.  Find the values of a and b if x^2 + 8x + 5 = (x + a)^2 + b

The results of the transcript analysis can be seen Figure 1 which shows the proportion of open (48%) and closed (47%) initiating-requests by students. Five percent of questions were difficult to code into either category and have been labelled as ‘other.’

Figure 1: Shows as  percentages the type of questions asked by students

Interestingly there is quite a high proportion of questions that have been classified as open suggesting that students who were making use of the interactive aspects of the Studyit website may be asking questions around topics for which they have already developed some prior understanding and are aware they need they need to expand this further.

Closed questions appeared to be more frequently asked in the maths forum areas. Open questions were more frequent used in the science forums. Open questions were often calls for general study help or ways to approach a particular standard. Open questions also generally elicited more frequent interaction from student peers.

Table 3: Shows the correlation between open and closed questions

	Science		Mathematics
	Number of questions	Percentage	Number of questions	Percentage
Closed	17	35%	31	63%
Open	27	56%	17	35%
Other	4	8%	1	2%

 It is interesting to observe that online teachers managed many of the ‘closed’ questions in ways that led to further inquiry or investigation for students. Several examples are illustrated in Table 4 below. Mentor-teachers appeared adept at providing opportunities for students to deepen understanding of the topic.

Table 4: Examples of ways online teachers developed and attempted to deepen student’s knowledge and understanding around a closed question

Teacher supplies further information for student B to check out answers and suggests refining the questions.	Student A - Hey I need some help on reproduction. My question is what is FSH and LH and what is their function? Teacher - follicle stimulating hormone and Lutenising hormone http://arbl.cvmbs.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/endocrine/hypopit/lhfs h.html - If too complicated, let me know. Student A - Thanks ST that helped me heaps  Student B - Hi, what are we expected to know for human bio 1.5-maintenance of the body...I'm unsure of what I've done for this topic this year as the teacher tends to go off-topic. Cheers  Student C - Hey, it will cover all the homeostatic systems in our body i.e. glucose content, water content, salt content, temperature and oxygen content. How these conditions are maintained in our body. Also the organs, glands and hormones involved in homeostasis.  Teacher [to student B] positive or negative? Check this site out and then try and ask more specific questions. http://www.besthealth.com/besthealth/bodyguide/reftext/html/endo_sys_f in.html#homeostatic Go to this section: Homeostatic feedback mechanisms
Teacher supplies an answer that leads to further questions from the student	Student: can we draw log graphs on the graphics calculator? Maths Teacher: Yes you can! The graphic calculator only uses base 10 or base e BUT.... for example if you are to draw y=log2x then using the logarithm laws this is the same as drawing y=log10x/log102 and you have all of the G-Solve features at your disposal. Student: Thanks MT so for y=-log2(x+3)+4 we do -log(x+3)+4/log2 Maths Teacher: Hi … Not quite BUT close! Example 1: y=logn(x+3) Then ny= x+3 log10ny=log10(x+3) y × log10n=log10(x+3) ∴ y=log10(x+3)/log10n Example 2: y=log2(x+3)+4 y-4=log2(x+3) 2(y-4)=(x+3) log10(2(y-4))=log10(x+3) (y-4) × log10(2)=log10(x+3) (y-4)=log10(x+3)/log10(2) y=log10(x+3)/log10(2)+4 See how you go with your equation.
Teacher raises questions of clarification around the topic leading to further discussion	phpBB Group: I did a search for Biology 3.4 on the web but yielded nothing. What's the difference between Gibberellins and Auxins? And Cytokinins and Abscisic acid? The role of ethene is very obvious in plants. Science Teacher: Do u want the chemical difference or differences in effect on plants? Is this site and the links any help? http://www.plant-hormones.info/auxins.htm phpBB Group: Hello there. Thanks for the URL, ST. Yeah, it does seem pretty quaint [sic] not to have my question answered within few hours of time! Can you explain to me where is the subapical region?

Nature of student inquiries observed in Studyit

An analysis of the frequency of initiating requests based on the nature of a student inquiry was also undertaken. Most requests could be categorised into the four main areas outlined in Table 5.

Table 5 – Shows coding used to identify the nature of student Inquiries

Code	Explanation
Select ion was based on the one that most appropriately described the focus of the inquiry:
1. Study help	Study help – seeking assistance with how to study
2. Content	Content – seeking help with specific content issues
3. NCEA requirements	NCEA requirements – seeking help or information relating to the NCEA rules/regs or requirements etc
4. Other	Other – use this if none of the above apply

Figure 2 reveals that the majority of initiating requests by students (57%) were around specific domain content. Study help and more general requests (listed in Figure 2 as ‘Other’) comprised 19% and 18%of the interactions respectively and requests about NCEA requirements comprised some 6% of interactions.

Figure 2– Nature of the student inquiry as revealed by transcript data (n=150)

In interviews various mentor teachers provided further information about the nature of student questions commenting on the origin of inquiries, level of specificity of inquiries, types of problems students were encountering and what they sort of responses they required. Some mentor teachers’ perceptions are presented in Table 6 below.

Table 6: Mentor perceptions of the nature of student inquiries

Sources for inquiries	Usually the students will post questions from assignments, text and homework books and exam papers….(Mentor feedback)
Questions may be general or specific	Questions may be general such as “I’m having trouble in formulating equations to solve in algebra; advise please. ” Or giving a specific problem(s) that the student does not understand’.(Mentor feedback) A typical question usually begins with… “I do not understand this topic, how do I do questions like this?” (Mentor feedback)
Students require help to get them started on a problem.	In level 2 science a student has asked [about] a specific physics problem and how to start it if it occurred in the external exam. (Mentor feedback)
Requests to clarify process	[Students will] ask you to explain how a certain answer was reached. The brighter students often look for ways to start a problem and then work through it themselves and the less able tend to want the series of steps they need to take to get the right solution (Mentor feedback)
Feedback sought on essays etc.	…the second is feedback on essays or work students have done (Mentor feedback)
Content support a common request – often resulting from lack of or inadequate notes or materials being supplied	The majority of enquiries fall into two sections - the first is content support (where to find more information on a particular text)… (Mentor feedback) The lack of direction of students to the standards and explanatory notes. For many of these students they did not know they exist. (Mentor feedback)
Students use the site to clarify, reinforce or expand on what has been introduced in school	Repeat requests for the same question is very common   Lots of comments from students about things they were taught at school but not quite “getting it”.(Mentor feedback)   Lots of kids ‘pushing’ themselves (Mentor feedback)
Help sought with content and structure of essays	Students want clarification of requirements for internal assessment and help with essay writing. (Mentor feedback)

Mentor teachers also provided further information about the ways they handled inquiries and some of the strategies they used to assist students is revealed in the comments provided in Table 7. The researchers found evidence that there were small learning communities developing within some of the essential learning areas. Students are encouraged to contribute to and critique their peers learning and can be clearly observed doing so. One teacher mentor noted that some students continue to contribute to the Studyit forums and help contribute in knowledge sharing even after they have left school.

Table 7: Teachers used a range of strategies to assist students with their queries

Provides links to information and hints about how to begin the problem.	I usually refer the student to the appropriate content pages on Studyit, to any relevant posts previously responded to on the forum and then hints on how to begin their problem, leaving them to work through it and come back for additional help if required (Mentor feedback)
Providing a process for students to follow	My response was to go over how these diagrams are done and the steps to follow. (Mentor feedback)
Students expect teachers to respond to posts	[There is a] tendency for students to wait for the Mentor Teachers to respond first to a question that is posted. (Mentor feedback) Some students don’t realise that it’s quite OK for them to respond first (Mentor feedback)
Some students continue to use Studyit after they leave school	A number of students have left school and are now up to second year university and are still coming on to Studyit to help other students.(Mentor feedback)

Essential learning areas

The aim of the Studyit website is to provide opportunity for both peer and expert support for students in the specific subject content areas of Maths and Science. This section of analysis applies only to the sample of transcripts that were analysed from the ‘Other’ forum (n=50). The purpose of analysing the content of other forum only has been to ascertain to what extent students were bringing other essential learning area queries into the Studyit learning environment. The coding in Table 8 was used to classify the transcripts.

Table 8 - Coding for Nature of the Inquiry (n = 50)

Code	Explanation
Mathematics Language/s Science The Arts Social Studies PE/Health Technology N/A	The ELA that is the main focus of this transcript was identified             N/A was used for any transcript where the discussion was not curriculum related  (Only one option was chosen)

Figure 3 shows the results of the analysis of the range essential learning areas students wanted to discuss in the ‘Other’ forum.

Figure 3 – Shows the range of essential learning areas students wished to cover in the discussions in the ‘Other' forum

The largest proportion of messages (38%) in the ‘Other’ forum labelled N/A in Figure 3 relate to questions raised by students about how to study, and rules and regulations relating to NCEA and examination techniques. Queries relating to the Arts essential learning area comprised 18% of queries and Social Studies topics including economics, geography, history and classics comprised 16% of queries. What was surprising was that even though Mathematics had a forum of its own 10% of the queries posted to the other forum also related to mathematics topics. Language queries also comprised 10% of messages. In addition to the existing Mathematics and Science forums it was clear that students were interested in discussing topics in, the Arts, Social studies and language which could be recommended as areas for future development for Studyit.

The quality of learning observed in the Studyit message boards

One of the issues of qualitative analysis of text-based forum postings is the lack of stable, easy to use instruments for measuring learning within and comparing and contrasting findings across learning environments (Rourke, et al 2001). For this report the SOLO taxonomy (Biggs and Collis,1982; Hattie and Purdie, 1998) has been used as a means of assessing the degree or depth to which the students understand or process knowledge from their online interactions on the Studyit website. Hattie and Purdie suggest the SOLO taxonomy can be applied to evaluation of student learning across a range of content domains, and that the model allows for evaluation of partial knowledge, an aspect of the model that is useful in online learning environments where the full learning process of an individual is rarely, made explicit.

The transcripts have been coded according to the following categories listed in Table 9. The first two categories, Unistructural and Multistructural, are described as ‘surface level’ responses, while the second two, Relational and Extended Abstract are described as ‘deep’ responses.

Table 9 - Coding for observed learning from online interactions

Code	Explanation
Select the one category that represents the highest level of thinking evident in this transaction
Unistructural	Surface level	Unistructural - requires the knowledge or use of only one piece of given information, fact, or idea, obtained directly from the problem
Multistructural		Multistructural - requires knowledge or use of more than one piece of given information, facts, or ideas, each used separately, or in two or more distinct steps, with no integration of the ideas
Relational	Deep level	Relational - requires learners to impose an organising pattern on the given material.
Extended abstract		Extended abstract - requires the respondent to go beyond the given information, knowledge, information, or ideas and deduce a more general rule or proof that applies to all cases.

Coding the selected Science and Mathematics forum transcripts according to the SOLO taxonomy reveals the depth to which student learning could be discerned in Figure 4 below. Coding individual messages and transcripts where a request might be dealt with over time, and represented by a number of interactions, was not as straightforward as hoped for the research team. For senior maths physics, chemistry and biology in particular, it was sometimes difficult to determine which of these most correctly described the conversational thread and for many an informed guess needed to be made.

Figure 4 – Shows the depth to which the students understand or process knowledge from their online interactions on the Studyit website

Almost one-third of messages were considered to be unistructural in nature containing only one obvious piece of information coming directly from factual information. More than one quarter of student requests were classified as multistructural requiring two or more discreet and separate pieces of information. In total 58% of the randomly selected transcripts of interactions from Studyit could be classified as ‘surface level’ requests. That a majority of interactions should fit this category is unsurprising given the nature of text–based online medium in which the Studyit interaction occurs and the nature of the mathematical and scientific content with which some of these students are dealing. Also for many students, the expedience of using Studyit to ask for specific help around a specific question is likely to be a significant reason for the larger percentage of surface level questions There was a connection observed between NCEA level and the depth of learning exhibited. More in-depth responses were evident at higher NCEA levels.

What is of interest arising from the analysis is that 42% of the interactions could be classified as being at the ‘deeper level’ of understanding. Twenty–six percent or just over one quarter of interactions contained some aspect of ‘relational’ complexity where several aspects are integrated so that the whole has a coherent structure and meaning (Hattie & Purdie, 1998) and 16% of interactions could be classified as extended abstract where students had taken their knowledge and understanding and generalised it to a higher level of abstraction (Hattie & Purdie, 1998). The quality of learning on the Studyit website can generally be seen to be very high.A range of examples of surface and deep interactions are provided from the transcripts in Table 10 below.

Table 10: Selected Examples from transcripts illustrating Student Observed Learning Outcomes (SOLO) classifications

Unistructural - requires the knowledge or use of only one piece of given information, fact, or idea, obtained directly from the problem	Does anyone know how high the standards are  Could you explain to me the significance of Christianity on art in the 14th century  Does anybody know when the effects of Agent Orange started becoming apparent - you know, babies being born with three heads
Multistructural - requires knowledge or use of more than one piece of given information, facts, or ideas, each used separately, or in two or more distinct steps, with no integration of the ideas	Hey I need some help on reproduction. My question is what is FSH and LH and what is their function?  Did anyone get that the cricket ball was thrown 20m high also were the forces on the ball unbalanced or balanced?  When you collect CO2 from mixing CaCO3 with HCl you collect CO2 through a tube into an upside down container in a beaker of water. In the exam it said that it is better for the water in the beaker to be warm. Why is this?
Relational - requires learners to impose an organising pattern on the given material.  .	Hi, does anyone have any good explanations on the graphs of current and voltage vs time for charging and discharging a capacitor. I did use to have a good one memorised for current as its charging... but its a bit sketchy now. Id really appreciate some in depth but user friendly explanations on this
Extended abstract - requires the respondent to go beyond the given information, knowledge, information, or ideas and deduce a more general rule or proof that applies to all cases	I was at the park, yes, because i am really cool. I was swinging on the swing, and was wondering, would it be physically possible for me to do a 360 on the swing? I sat there for ages pondering about the physics behind it.. and concluded you'd need be going at a very high speed.. but is it possible? Your thoughts..

For what steps in the learning process are these students making use of the Studyit website?

The interactive message boards of Studyit provide a service that offers an open invitation to assist students with their learning needs. Because Studyit cannot offer the support for all aspects of the learning process that teachers can offer it is necessary to analyse which elements of the learning continuum students are finding of most use in the interactive environment. Messages have been analysed within the framework of a simplified four-stage inquiry model. The normal end points of the inquiry process that include evaluation and synthesis stages of learning such as final assignments, projects, presentations or examination responses are rarely contributed in an online help site but are being presented elsewhere to teachers examiners or classroom peers. The classifications used for the transcript data is outlined in Table 11.

Table 11 - Coding for levels of student inquiry

Code	Explanation
Planning, focus questions,            Investigating, finding out, researching            Organising, making sense    Reflecting, communicating.	The highest stage in the inquiry process that is reached in each interaction was chosen. ”

Figure 5 reveals that the majority of student requests (45%) can be classified at the ‘investigating, finding out and researching’ stage of the personal inquiry process. Most student users have been provided with the impetus and initial steps to the their inquiries through school assignments, worksheets, problems, and homework activities.

Figure 5 – Indicates those aspects of student inquiry where Studyit is most supportive

It is interesting that almost one-fifth (19%) of student inquiries were classified as being within the planning, and focussing stage indicating as teachers have stated that many students often do not know where to start with a problem. Once they have been given some direction they are able to continue independently. Seventeen percent of student inquiries were classified at the organising and making sense stage and 11% of messages were classified at the reflecting and communicating stage.

The number of interactions that fall within the first two stages in particular (total = 64% that is almost two thirds of interactions) reinforces the value of Studyit in assisting students to find the information they need from relevant, quality resources that are supporting and complementing what they are doing at school. Most students wanted help to understand how to do a particular problem, particularly in the maths and science forums. The general study help type questions and the ones about how others found the examinations appeared more in the ‘Other’ forum.

It is interesting that more than one quarter of interactions (total = 28%) involve the middle to upper levels of the inquiry process. This may reflect the type and maturity of the student who is involved in Studyit and also the type and level of content that is at the centre of the discussions.

Table 12 illustrates some examples of student requests that have been categorised into the various levels

Table 12: Examples showing evidence of each level of the inquiry process?

Planning, focus questions,	I've got to find artists to model my work on. Any ideas?  Any essays that people wrote last year or the year before would be a great help!  Stanley Palmer was my chosen NZ artist. I like his style and am really focused on landscapes. But I want to widen my subject choice, as well as my medium choice.
Investigating, finding out, researching	It's supposed to be really good for studying etc... never tired it b4 and will only know the affects once results come out has n e one else ever tried it  i am doing mine on poverty and really have no ideas for the diagrams and charascitics [sic] any help would be apprecieated [sic]  What kinda [sic] extracurricular activites [sic] are they looking for?
Organising, making sense	How do you describe in detail the process by which a Roman Empereor [sic] became a god? Do you just mention how they promoted themselves as gods? Whats better to take history or history of art..which one is harder? Please help…I have been tossing between the two for a while
Reflecting, communicating	Do they serve a different purpose and benefit some type of business more than others?  my advice would be to get a good grip on all the concepts of good essay writing describe; achievement level  discuss merit level  explain: excellence level  I think they should send the marking schedules to our schools so our teachers can assist us in making decisions about reconsiderations.

The following Tables 13 and 14 examples are provided that illustrate the high the level of engagement in learning that is exhibited in many of the forums on the Studyit website.

The example in Table 13 illustrates ‘a wondering’ expressed by a level 2 NCEA student about a physics problem relating to rotational inertia and angular momentum and the application of theory to a situation in practice. This delightful example also illustrates the depth of interaction occurring between a student and mentor teacher.

Table 13: Sample transcript illustrating engagement in inquiry process arising from a non-exam question

Commentary	Transcript
Question posed by student arising from application of science thinking (non-exam related)	Izy - I was at the park, yes, because i am really cool. I was swinging on the swing, and was wondering, would it be physically possible for me to do a 360 on the swing? I sat there for ages pondering about the physics behind it.. and concluded you'd need be going at a very high speed.. but is it possible? Your thoughts..
Science teacher responds with a scientific explanation.	scienceteacher3 - Yes. You just need enough kinetic energy at the bottom so that your speed at the top is such that the centripetal force required to keep you moving in a circle is provided by gravity. Mathematically the minimum speed at the top is found from mv^2/r = mg => v = sqrt(rg).  The energy lost in reaching the top will be mg2r so you can work out the necessary speed at the bottom using an energy argument.  As the chain wraps around the top bar, your radius and therefore your rotational inertia will decrease so in a no-friction situation you will speed up because of conservation of angular momentum. You can see this effect if you tie a string to a pencil and swing a small weight around - as the string winds  around the pencil the weight speeds up.
Student responds informally	Izy - I so wanna try this... Haha.. holidays are great aren't they...  Thanks ST3
Science teacher prompts thinking about next year’scourses	scienceteacher3 - They certainly are.  Are you doing Level 3 Physics in 2005? Rotational inertia and angular momentum will make a lot more sense then.
Second student picks up on the science teacher’s response	Darksentinel - But it is practically impossible isn't it? I mean, how would you get sufficient speed to actually swing around the bar?
Science teacher responds with further physics	scienceteacher3 - Absolutely. You would have to have an external source of energy. With a non-rigid chain, if you swung yourself you would reach the horizontal without any problem but would have a hard job going past that point. You would simply fall from your highest point.
Second student applies this to personal experience	Darksentinel - I thought as much...never worked for me. Even with an external force it'd be hard with a chain.  I mean, it never works even when you try and swing and empty swing over the bar
Humour from Science teacher recognising the limitation of this thinking!	scienceteacher3 - Darn! Another case where secondary school physics fails to reflect the realities of playgrounds. Ah well, the physics we have discussed is sound, it's just a question of how much energy you can provide. Do not use younger members of your family (or pets) to test this. [Posts continue…]

The example in Table 14 below illustrates a second example of the level of engagement in learning and co-construction of knowledge that is observable in the Studyit forums. This example is illustrative of the high level of peer interaction among the interactive group in Studyit. Here five students provide both information and personal opinion on a student query about the NCEA Level 3 classics syllabus. Clearly there is more than knowledge building happening in an interchange such as the example above and below.

Table 14: Sample transcript illustrating engagement in inquiry process re course selection

Commentary	Transcript
Initial student inquiry	Gc - Hey, wat topics did u cover 4 classics this year? I havent done much study so far, how are u going with studyin 4 it???
First response from another student based on experience – very detailed with reference to standards included	Darksentinel - Our school has a classics class of, wait for it: 2 people! So we basically do our own study, sort of like the rest of this year (we did it via correspondence). Anyway, in Level 3 Classics (you should really post your year level too) we covered: Greece , it's history, mythology and culture/society. Attical Comedy: Aristophanes' The Wasps and The Frogs (For 3.1) Greek Vase Painting (For 3.2) Alexander the Great, his character and his conquests (For 3.3) Rome, it's history, mythology and culture/society. Juvenal's Satires (For 3.4, the internal) Virgil's The Aeneid (For 3.1, as an additional option). I haven't started studying for it, cos [sic] I've got 3 exams this week, but I'll probably just go over the material covered, make sure I know all the Vases, Battles, and written bits'n'pieces. Same as for History or English I guess...
Third student provides another perspective	al'Astair - We did Aristophanes (great guy he is ), Alex the great, Roman Art & architecture and Greek Science. We spent like two terms on Alex, and the last week and a half of the year on the greek science. I hated doing Alexander so I'm doing the science for the essay. For study I'm just gonna [sic] read the plays and the notes for the Literature, and write some practice essays for the Essay one. Because the Classics exam is an afternoon one, I'm gonna [sic] learn all the set works (for the art) the morning of the exam, so that they're fresh in my mind. oh and I beg to differ; is there not a topic called 'Greek SCIENCE'
Fourth student provides an aside comment	xandim - hahahaha... not even THOUGHT about classics study yet... but this year i did it by corro [sic] (7th form) and we did greek vase painting, attic old comedy, alexander, and virgil (alternative to attic old comedy) i'm just gonna try learn it all off by heart.... wish me luck.... (omg!!! i [sic] hate learning the vases! )
Fifth student with another perspective	rhythm28 - We did Democracy, Art n Architecture and Homer. I'm jus reading my notes over and over and over again... that it's on the same day as calculus tho'
Second student rejoins…	Darksentinel -Lol the Art set pieces are awful...but actually not too bad once you've got a general idea of them all... I personally find the literature stuff the hardest (yay for me not doing english!).  [forum continues with 21 more posts from students only]

Peer Response

One of the unique and particularly strong features of the Studyit website is not only the involvement of the experts or mentor teachers but also the high level of student-to-student interaction that is encouraged to aid the learning of users. There is a high level of social interaction in the forums, as well as a range of observable online social skill development that includes communication, building relationships, empathy and the ability to assist others. Transcripts were analysed and classified according to the framework outlined in Table 15 and the results are provided in the graph in Figure 6 below.

Table 15 - Coding for Peer Response

Code (All that applied were selected)	Explanation
1. Direct response	Direct response – specific information or an answer is provided, models or illustrations used
2. Redirection	Redirection – student is re-directed to another source of information or expertise
3. Probing	Probing – deeper levels of thinking or discussion are prompted, usually through questioning.
4. Encouragement	Encouragement – use of encouraging or affirming statements to indicate that things are on the right track
5. Other	Other – use this if none of the above apply

Figure 6 reveals that student peers in Studyit provided quite a range of responses. Most responses by peers (55%) were of the direct response type.

Figure 6 – Illustrates the range of peer responses evident in the message board transcripts

This was common for both peer and expert responses. The use of encouraging or affirming statements was also quite high with almost one in five transcripts (19%) containing examples of empathy, readiness to assist others, modelling solutions, and encouragement. Probing for deeper levels of thinking and understanding could be observed in 8% of transcripts and some redirection to further information or expertise in 5% of transcripts. The segment labelled ‘Other’ tended to be tangential comments or social remarks.

Examples of the kind and range of responses from peers, categorised above are illustrated in Table 16.

Table 16: Selected examples of peer interaction and support on Studyit

Peers also tended to provide the most examples of empathy/encouragement	Student: I had to make the same decision at the end of last year, it actually  caused me quite a bit of concern, I was just so uncertain.
Direct responses from peers were often extremely helpful and practical	Student: Hi  to be able to get some old NCEA exam papers you go on to the NZQA site and click on to the NCEA tab and then enter in the subjuct [sic] you want and the level and what you want ie the report from such and such a year, this lets you known why and how people went wrong or you could just want the exams and exemplars so you chose out of a list that they have and it takes you to what you want hopefully
as well as being hard-headed	Student: I too am in Yr 12 doing stats, and find it realy easy. The internals are a breeze. got two E's and an A with WAY less effort than internals in other subjects. Yea i liked L2 calc better, but again: if you want the marks go with stats. It is also a more practical subject i think if your gonna[sic] do business? money stuff etc. but if engineerin [sic] or sumthng [sic] then calc would go nicely with physics i think.
Peers were also willing to share useful tips and strategies	Student: Oh, i'll share my neato [sic]way i remember the order of organic thingee'ma'boobens [sic] My ediable [sic] pineapples bite people's heads, help oranges name ducks. Methane.. Ethane.. PROpane... etc I’m 'special'  Just do it as you would if you were actually solving an equation normally. And a golden rule is that whatever you do to the equation you do it to both sides, that way you can't go wrong!! yeah just be careful with the rounding of numbers, and you've got quite a bit of time, so think thru ur [sic] answers before u start writing, cos [sic] with the excellence question it's quite long, which means on "screwup" early on in ur [sic] answer will result in u having to cross out a whole page of working out...
	Student: I record my notes onto my computer and replay them, when i'm surfing the net or doing other things, although i'm not focused on them, you'd be surpised [sic] with how much you take in. (in saying this, i wouldn't rely on it as your only study method [sic]). Also, even reading the notes outloud is a good idea

There are a number of interesting observations that can be made by looking through the message boards. Student anonymity is a striking feature of Studyit. Students are choosing to identify themselves by a wide range of nom de plumes. These include Darksentinel, xandim, pinkypanda, deadperson252 and many others. The use of aliases and the factor of anonymity certainly appear to assist in the openness which prevails on the Studyit site. It is also interesting how well the mentor teachers on the site handle the use of student aliases. Also helpful for assessing commitment of students to Studyit is the display underneath the alias of the length of time an individual has ‘belonged’ to the community, and number of postings an individual has contributed over the time since joining.

A second noticeable feature of Studyit is the genderless nature of the messages posted. It is not immediately clear whether a male or female student has contributed the postings. Messages are responded to by both teacher mentors and peers in light of the information they contain and ideas purveyed.

Table 17 illustrates a range of peer support provided by three students from a continuous thread in a transcript.

Table 17: Sample transcript illustrating student advice

Commentary	Transcript
Initial student inquiry	Student A - Do we need to remember all the dates?? and where all the hominids came from.. herectus in east africa etc. I saw a Q and you had to match the names to where they came from. Im not sure if thats still part of the subject bc it was a 1987 Q in the meg bayly txt bk
Second student response with advice	Student B - Nope but ill probably get them stuck in my head anyway - i just wanted to make sure ive got the dates in the relative right order in case we have to label a phylogeny diagram or something Scholarship might want us to give approximate dates though...
Third student clarifies requirements re scholarship	Student C - i doubt that... Scholarship seems to test your deep understanding of the subject. By giving you a question like that, it just tests how good are you in memorising dates We have a subject called history for that. .

Expert Response

The commitment of the mentor teachers to supporting students in Studyit was most noticeable. Mentor teachers responses were generally prompt and this high level of access to ready solutions and expertise appears, from comments posted on the Studyit website and student interviews, to be highly appreciated by students. Mentor teachers as well as students use aliases and are generally known by the content area they service and a number for example Science teacher 4. The ways and extent that mentor teachers managed student inquires was analysed and classified according to the framework outlined in Table 18.

Table 18 - Coding for types of expert or teacher mentor response

Code       (select all that apply)	Explanation
Direct response	Direct response – specific information or an answer is provided, models or illustrations used
Redirection	Redirection – student is re-directed to another source of information or expertise
Probing	Probing – deeper levels of thinking or discussion are prompted, usually through questioning.
Encouragement	Encouragement – use of encouraging or affirming statements to indicate that things are on the right track
Other	Other – use this if none of the above apply

Figure 7 reveals that mentor teachers in Studyit utilised quite a range of strategies when responding to students. Most responses by experts (42%) were of the direct response type. This approach was high for both peer (55%) and expert (42%) responses. The use of encouraging or affirming statements was much lower for teacher mentors with 7% of messages being classified in that category compared to 19% for peer responses. Probing for deeper levels of thinking and understanding could be observed in 6% of transcripts and redirection to further information or expertise in 14% of transcripts. Redirecting students to seek out information from other sources was a much more likely strategy from teacher-mentors than from peers. Teachers are more concerned with assisting students towards following lines of independent inquiry and independent solutions where possible.

Figure 7– Illustrates the range of Expert Responses in Studyit.

 

Teachers most commonly provided direct responses but the most productive interactions also involved probing and an injunction to the inquirer to try to reach the answer for themselves (rather than simply being provided with the answer).

Teachers re-directed when the topic had been discussed in another thread or was covered in another part of the site. Teachers tended to be more content focused and less encouraging than the students but occasionally provided this in ways that showed some knowledge of the student for example,

That doesn't sound like you at all! Don't panic, as it may well have been a once off if you have never experienced it before.

In the same well-facilitated thread, the teacher took time out to make sure everyone was with him/her for example,

PS. Is everyone OK with binding energy?

Examples of the ways and the extent to which the teacher mentors responded to and supported students are illustrated in Table 19.

Table 19: Examples of the ways and the extent to which the teacher mentors responded to and supported students

Commentary	Transcript
Direct response	Student: A…thing that’s been bugging me is in Rutherford’s experiment, why was it conducted in a vacuum? Is it to prevent interference from other atoms or something?  ScienceTeacher: Totally. He only wanted the gold atoms to affect the alpha particles. Alpha particles hardly leave the starting blocks in air.
Redirection	Student: I don’t know the model of atom of Dalton. I know the model of atom of J.J. Thompson. and I don’t know the model of atom of Rutherford. ScienceTeacher: Try this, as an introduction, then come back with any questions
Probing	Student: do we have to know any equation for this paper? because my teacher never talk about equation when teaching this 2.5 Atoms and radioactivity. ScienceTeacher: There are no formulae listed for this AS but you will need to know how to work out half-life stuff. Also you will need to be able to balance nuclear reactions. Student: so what is the equation for that? and if got example is really appreciate ScienceTeacher: OK see if you can do this A radioactive sample has a half-life of 16 days. How much will be left after 48 days? How long will it take for the sample to reduce to 3.125% of its original mass? Uranium 238 has 92 protons. It decays by alpha emission to Thorium 234. Write a balanced nuclear reaction for this decay. Student: after 48 days-----> original sample/8 take 80 days to reduce the sample 3.125% 238---->4 + 234 U---->He+Th 92---->2 + 90 yay!!
Encouragement	Student: Ok, I'm really panicking now! I'm actually doing Physics schol, I thought I'd understood my physics, but WHAT ARE YOU PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT? Why does the mass of nuclei increase with speed? ScienceTeacher: Please don't panic. The additional mass is just the mass of their kinetic energy.

Some of the perceptions mentor teachers have of the responses they have given to student’s queries are compiled in Table 20.

Table 20: Mentor perceptions of students inquiries and the responses given

Response will depend on the nature of the inquiry	Questions may be general such as “I’m having trouble in formulating equations to solve in algebra. Advice please” or giving a specific problem(s) that the student does not understand. A typical question usually begins with… “I do not understand this topic, how do I do questions like this?”
Difference in approach to catering for needs of ‘brighter students’ and ‘less able’ ones.	Usually the students will post questions from assignments, text and homework books and exam papers asking you to explain how a certain answer was reached… the brighter students often look for ways to start a problem and then work through it themselves and the less able tend to want the series of steps they need to take to get the right solution.
Teachers use a range of strategies to assist students with their queries.	I usually refer the student to the appropriate content pages on Studyit, to any relevant posts previously responded to on the forum and then hints on how to begin their problem, leaving them to work through it and come back for additional help if required
Working step-by-step through a problem with students is one strategy	In level 2 science a student has asked a specific physics problems and how to start it if it occurred in the external exam. My response was to go over how these diagrams are done and the steps to follow.

In some threads it was obvious that some teachers chose to not intrude on productive conversations in which:

• other participants were providing reliable guidance
• general approaches/tips were being shared
• the focus was on how people found the exams.

It may be that if teachers had used more “wait-time” there would have been greater engagement in some threads but on balance this is difficult to judge. There is also clear evidence that one of the reasons that the interactive areas of Studyit are effective is because students could be sure they were going to get a near immediate response from an expert. Access to a teacher on Studyit was like having a distributed classroom to support additional study at home. However it is also noted that the more extended the thread, the greater was the chance for students to reveal their own knowledge and misunderstandings.

Relevance

The relevance of student inquiries to their schoolwork was also analysed in the selected transcripts according to the coding framework in Table 21 below.

Table 21 - Coding for Relevance

Code	Explanation
Yes	Where there was evidence in the thread that participants are relating things back to their own work/context was coded yes.
No	Where there was evidence in the thread that participants are relating things back to their own work/context was coded no

Transcript analysis has revealed that students have referred to schoolwork or learning needs in over three quarters (78%) of messages. Only one in five messages were considered not to be directly relevant to student’s schoolwork.

Figure 8 – Alignment of learning for students – Relevance

Most threads appeared to be closely related to the students’ work context in ways such as:

• I have this problem I have to do for 2.2
• I failed my mocks in 3.2 and was wondering…

There are strong indications that students were not taking part in Studyit in order to socialise.

Most threads in the science and maths forums were relatively short 1-1 or 1-2 interchanges between a single teacher and a student. They were not discussion threads so much as an ask an expert facility in which a question was asked and an answer or explanation given.

Queries that were classified in the ‘no area’ of Figure 8 largely related to students looking to their future prospects such as which subjects to take in the future and careers options. The changes that occurred in the type of discussions happening after exams are an interesting feature of Studyit. The number of more socially orientated questions and open-ended discussions increased after exams. Quite a different tone was also evident in the conversations at this time.

Revisiting

Whether students revisited their initial postings and persisted with expanding their understanding of the problem was also investigated and analysed according to the framework in Table 22.

Table 22 - Coding for Revisiting

Code	Explanation
Yes	Where there was evidence in the thread of the initial question being re-visited by the instigator of the thread this was coded yes.
No	Where there was no evidence in the thread of the initial question being re-visited by the instigator of the thread this was coded no.

Revisiting the queries and threads posted is a strong indicator of relevance and alignment of learning for students and the results of this analysis are illustrated in Figure 9.

Figure 9 – Revisiting

Figure 9 above reveals that in 61% of cases the student initiating the thread returned to the discussion within a short time. In maths and science “revisiting” tended to be achieved by teachers setting examples of the same sort of task or problem in order to draw students into further discussion, deeper thinking and alternative perspectives around the task. Students are prepared to engage in the discussion around the question, and not simply post it and wait for an answer.

An example of a transcript where a student revisits an initial posting is illustrated in Table 23 below.

Table 23: Sample transcript illustrating student persistence in the inquiry process

Commentary	Transcript
First student posts complete question from test paper	Pinkypanda : ST, could you help me with some questions please...  (g) When dilute acid is added to a solution containing the nitrate and iodide ions, iodine (brown) is formed and a colourless gas is given off. This gas, when it mixes with air, forms a brown gas. Oxidation half reaction: 2I- ---> I2 + 2e- Reduction half reaction: NO2- + h30 ---> NO3^2- + 2H+ + e- Total balanced equation: 2I- + 2NO2- + 2h3O ---> 2NO32- + 4H+ + I2  I don't think it's right, where have I gone wrong??  Secondly  (h) When a solution containing Mn2+ ions is boiled with an acid solution of potassium periodate (KIO4), the solution turns purple. (the periodate is reduced to the iodide ion.) Oxidation half reaction: 9e- + 8H+ + IO4 ---> I- + 4h3O Reduction half reaction: 4h3O + Mn2+ ---> MnO4- + 8H+ + 5e-  Total balanced equation: ???  Please help!!!
Teacher responds with a detailed analysis of the equations	Scienceteacher - For the reduction reaction, it is NO3- going to NO2 (the brown gas) so you need to redo that equation. any time you get electrons on the same side, take a look at it because one needs to be reduction and one needs to be oxidation. For the second one, (the good news is that periodate is not examinable - AND I have never heard of it!). For your electron balancing, it is IO4- so overall it is 8e not 9e. Then you will need to multiply the top line by 5 and the bottom by 8. Once you have done that, you can cancel waters and H+ that appear on both sides. Let me know if you still can't get it and I can type them up in Word and paste them in.
Student responds to correct the question phrasing	Pinkypanda You have actually posted the first question wrong. The question says: (g)When dilute acid is added to a solution containing the nitrite and iodide ions, iodine (brown) is formed and a coloules gas is given off. This gas, when it mixes with air, forms a red-brown gas. Your oxidation half reaction is right but in the reduction reaction, it is nitrite ionsNO2- going to nitriogen monoxide NO. Thus the reduction half reaction is: NO2- + 2H+ + 3e- ---> NO + h3O and then you can do the total balanced equation. Does that help?
Science teacher responds with further reasoning	Scienceteacher - It definitely forms NO2 rather than NO- NO is a colourless gas and NO2 is a brown gas. As for nitrate, I suspect that is more likely to be the case than nitrite unless your teacher is being extra tricky - and considering they gave your periodate, then maybe it is nitrite!!  .
Student persists with own reasoning	Pinkypanda - Im definitely sure that is it nitrite, but couldn't nitrogen monoxide be formed and then when reacted with air it form nitrogen dioxide? Because this would explain how a colourless gas is produced and then turns red-brown after it mixes with air. Thus the reaction will still include it going to nitrogen monoxide... i duno, just a thought.  .
Teacher confesses to missing something Second student adds a thought	scienceteacher - Fair enough! I didn't read the middle part of the question properly deadperson256 - Right, now we've got it sorted...that clarifies lots of things. How can you get the NO2- ion and then NO2 gas? What happens to the electron and/or the nitrogen and oxygen?  . P.S. And there's only one electron in the nitrite equation, otherwise you have a 2- charge on the left side.  .
Response from teacher with further confession regarding reading the question.	scienceteacher - Hi This is why it isn't a L2 question, or even L3 for that matter. You have to do the 2 parts, Nitrite to NO and then NO to NO2 which is how it is described in the question I never read properly!

Focus

Evidence of a tight focus on discussion content is also an indicator of alignment of learning and relevance of the site for participating students. The extent to which students remained focussed on a topic throughout a thread was investigated and analysed according to the framework in Table 24.

Table 24 - Coding for Focus 

Code	Explanation
Yes	Where the thread stayed on the topic defined by the initial inquiry, it was classified as yes.
No	Where the thread digresses from the topic defined by the initial inquiry then the classification given was no.

Figure 10 shows that in over three quarters (77%) of cases, threads remained tightly focussed on the initiated topic. In less than a quarter (23%) of cases did the discussion go off-track. While the majority of threads were of a question and answer type between the inquirer and teacher, there was also some considerable maturity shown by online participants that highlighted a deeper understanding of online forum netiquette. Where participants are not familiar with online forums they tend to enter the forum area and talk about what they want to talk about and that may bear no relation to a previous message. In Studyit students would politely start a new forum when a change of topic was needed indicating a high level of maturity of use of the online environment and forums.

Relevance was an important aspect of maintaining highly focussed discussions. Where there is a genuine reason for inquiry, students are strongly motivated to return for the answer, solution or redirection.  Other students often had their own experience of learning about specific aspects of content and were freely able to share their experiences.
 

Figure 10 – Focus

Questions Answered

The extent to which student questions were answered satisfactorily within a thread was analysed in the next section. The method of classification is illustrated in Table 25 below.
 

Table 25 - Coding for ways questions were answered or handled

Code	Explanation
1. Yes	Yes was chosen if the question was answered in this session (ie contained in URL, teacher provided answer, student recognized answer etc)
2. No	No was chosen if the question wasn’t answered and the student ended the session without any apparent answer or assistance.
3. Redirected	Choose Redirected was chosen if the outcome for the student meant they had better focus for where to look for the answer and/or a better understanding of the question they need to ask.

Figure 11 shows that over three quarters of student questions were answered or resolved in the session in which they were initiated in comparison to thirteen percent of student questions where a direct answer to the question asked was not evident in the thread. Only 1% of questions were redirected. Sometimes a teacher re-directed a student when the topic had already been covered elsewhere. Other examples of redirection were where other students or teachers provided a link to an external web site where the answer could be found, although these were often intended to augment an answer being provided. 

Figure 11 - Questions Answered

Group Size

The number of student participants in a thread were analysed for this section. The results are illustrated in Figure 12. Almost one third (32%) of threads comprised just two participants in most cases a teacher and a student. Thirty percent of threads analysed involved three to five participants. Nearly one quarter (25%) of threads involved 6 to 10 participants and 14% of threads involved eleven and more participants. It is interesting that such a high proportion of threads (total = 38%) involved anything from 6 to 11 or more participants.

Figure 12– Group Size

Larger group involvement in a high proportion of threads and the number of messages posted by some individuals, and the length of time that many participants have been active in the site indicates that there is a committed core of supporters for the Studyit website. In the experience of the authors the extent of participation in the forums is higher than observed in other forum areas.