Introduction to AppleTree
Check out this video about what lesson designers and learners have to say about AppleTree:
AppleTree_Promo Video 2_Aug2022.mp4Video testimony from lesson designers and learners
The research team from National Institute of Education (NIE) Nanyang Tehcnological University (NTU) Singapore, has developed AppleTree (appletree.sg) - a system to support learners' Computer-Supported Collaborative Argumentation (CSCA).
It incorporates mechanisms for enhancing the process and outcome of Collaborative Argumentation (CA) and supporting formative (diagnostic) assessment that in order to cultivate learner's collaborative learning and self-directed learning.
Abbreviation of "APPLETREE"
It aims to not only help learners learn the subject knowledge deeper, it also develops their 21st century competencies (21CC) such as information, communication and collaboration, critical, creative and inventive thinking.
Affordances of AppleTree System
AppleTree has the following affordances for learning:
(i) Scaffolded argumentation based on Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER) model that many Singapore teachers are using
(ii) Graph (instead of text-based) based representations to help learners focus on the big picture of argumentation
(i) Shared working space for group work, which serves as a group awareness tool for collaborative learning
(ii) Rate/Comment/Feedback on peer's argumentation
(iii) Chat function to support group members’ discussion and coordination
(iv) Scripted collaborative knowledge improvement based on pedagogical model “Spiral Model of Collaborative Knowledge Improvement” (SMCKI)
(i) Real time automated learning analytics on learners’ participation, interaction, collaboration and argumentation structure
(ii) Real time automated learning analytics on both learners’ and the groups’ collaborative argumentation.
(iii) Visual representations of the automate learning analytics to help learners and lesson designers monitor the progress of collaborative argumentation
Pedagogical Model
A 5-phase pedagogical model - Spiral Model of Collaborative Knowledge Improvement (SMCKI) (Chen, Tan, & Pi, 2021) was developed to strengthen the connection between the individual and group. It provides the support for a smooth transition between individual and collaborative learning within a class setting.
SMCKI starts with individual ideation, which is then followed by intra-group discussion. The third phase involves class-level participation through inter-group feedback. Comments from peers at this phase will help with refinement of intra-group idea at phase four. Phase five concludes the collaborative learning activity which results in the advancement of students’ knowledge on the topic.
Overview of SMCKI Pedagogical Model
This model is meant to generate knowledge, share, and improve information at the group and class levels. Typically, everybody gets to generate and share ideas easily. This enables a large amount of knowledge to be generated and shared. This process also helps participants to refine their ideas or knowledge on the topic.
Learning Analytics
The system provides real time learning analytics and assessment of learner's collaborative argumentation by including the individual learner's performance in the group, and the group’s performance in the class.
The real time learning analytics and assessment allows lesson designers and learners to have a quick evaluation and reflection of their Collaborative Argumentation (CA) process and outcome from aspects of social participation and cognitive quality (structure completeness) across all CA activities.
Contribution Count
Social Network
Argumentation Structure
Contribution Count
Contribution count allows lesson designers to monitor how the individual learners are performing in terms of the ideas, claims and evidence they provide in the group, and how groups are performing in the class.
Social Network
Social Network is used to monitor how each learner is interacting with one another in the group. This allows the lesson designer to see how they are working together as a group on a particular argument.
Argumentation Structure
Argumentation structure is used to measure the structure completeness of each group's argument.
It looks at how many claims are being presented, supported, or rebutted with ample evidence. It provides an overview of the class progression and allows the lesson designer to provide feedback for a specific group.
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