Computer-mediated communication in collaborative educational settings

Abstract

In educational environments that stress collaboration, the use of computer-mediated communication (CMC) tools can be a source of support as well as a challenge. This paper begins by considering general educational and economic goals and how CMC can be helpful in attaining these goals. A taxonomy of tools for communication and collaboration in education is described. Many sides of the issue are considered, including the roles of teachers and students, problems that can arise and potential solutions, goals and issues of assessment, and software design issues.

Peer activities on Web-learning platforms—Impact on collaborative writing and usability issues

“…As a consequence of the lack of immediate feedback characterizing asynchronous communication, users felt that a special effort was required in order to avoid misunderstandings (see also Wolz et al 1997):…”

“…Some students noted that becoming close to each other was harder than in real life, and that the way in which they communicated was more formal (see also Wolz et al 1997):…”

Instant messaging with WebWho

“…Research within the field of computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) and similar areas have investigated the use of computer-mediated communication (CMC) tools to support for instance distance education (see e.g. Wolz, Palme & Anderson, 1997). This research has not specifically looked at instant messaging systems, perhaps partly because of the somewhat chaotic nature of such systems.…”

Considerations on the application of object-oriented reuse technology to the computer-supported cooperative learning domain

“…Unfortunately, CSCL is a buzz word, for which no consensus exist in determining its scope, goals, role, and functional requirements. Definitions of CSCL ranges from the application of cooperative learning techniques supported by computer [20], to computcrmediated communication applied to educational settings [23] [6]. In this section, we survey the main concepts, taxonomies and requirements found in the literature, in an attempt to convey to a more precise understanding of CSCL applications.…”

“…Much emphasis has been placed on the potentials of groupware for education and training [17] [23], due to the collaborative and interactive nature of the learning process, defining a research area commonly referred to as ComputerSupported Cooperative Learning (CSCL). Among the motivations in this area are learning improvement, wider access to educatiodinformation, as well as costs reduction [23].…”