Much can be achieved through group learning, including in science and mathematics education. In group work, the basic skills of members and the evaluation of group work are essential, as is a common understanding of members regarding the achievement of goals.
For the former, research on problem-solving skills, teamwork building, and communication skills is always in progress. For the latter, the development of evaluation methods is ever evolving. In group discussions, for example, evaluations are made in the following way: (1) they are not performed in brainstorming processes, as there is an emphasis on quantity rather than quality in such discussions; (2) fishbowl style, students observe each other's groups, but the basic purpose of group work is the growth of their understanding, insights, and ability to objectively self-assess, etc.; and (3) in debates at the end of the discussion, neutral referees must judge who won or lost. It is important to evaluate group discussions clearly and objectively. For this reason, many have tried to take detailed minutes of group discussions.
In this study, we tried instead to use voice recording and speech recognition software to record group discussions. It soon became clear that adopting this method resulted in an inexpensive and simple system. Unfortunately, this system was not integrated, and manual-trigger transmission was required, which required labor and time for analysis. In the future, we plan to devise an integrated system and make appropriate task decisions.
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