A New Formative Pedagogical Model Emerged From The Experience Applicable To Engineering Courses Based On CSCL

Abstract

Computer Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) has become a relevant field among researchers and practitioners in social and cognitive sciences as well as ICT engineering; thus, it constitutes a new trans-disciplinary field. However, systematic analysis of authentic experiences is necessary to asses practitioners on how to apply the existing know-how to their practice. That´s why, in this paper we describe a case study called UVA-CA (University of Valladolid-Computer Arquitecture) carried during four years in an undergraduate Computer Architecture course at the University of Valladolid (Spain). We illustrate a pedagogical innovation applicable to engineering courses that suggests a formative model supported in the principles of the CSCL field and based on Project Based Learning educational designs. It also emphasizes the idea of how Qualitative Case Studies can contribute to make generalizations based on a thorough reflection upon a particular situation, yielding a number of "lessons learned" during the process that can be transferred to other practitioners in real environments.

Bouncing Between the Dark and Bright Sides

“…Not only because the methodological aspects learned while researching could improve the teaching, but also because, as educational researchers, we could not waste a great opportunity to improve our own teaching. After developing the UVA-CA case study, we can state that the educational innovation put in practice improved the computer architecture course in a clear way (Jorrín-Abellán, 2006;Jorrín-Abellán et al, 2006), promoting a critical way of thinking in the students by means of collaboration. We are able to make this assertion because the mixed method followed to evaluate the course was so valuable, flexible, and suitable to our complex scenario, that it showed us enough evidence about the improvements achieved.…”

The needlework in evaluating a CSCL system

“…Our twelve-year experience with the evaluation of CSCL systems has helped us identify requirements (Table 1) for a model that is comprehensive yet adaptable to settings and conditions. Our research team has evaluated a variety of undergraduate CSCL courses (Martínez-Monés et al, 2006;Jorrín-Abellán et al, 2006), teaching strategies (Martínez-Monés et al, 2006) and tools and technological systems (Hernández-Leo et al, 2006;Vega-Gorgojo et al, 2008). This fieldwork experience has turned us progressively toward qualitative/interpretative evaluation where the uniqueness and particularity of each system becomes the ground for evaluative interpretation.…”