Leaders: Ursula Wolz, The College of New Jersey, Jacob Palme, Stockholm University & KTH
Description: How can higher education use Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) tools? Will CMC foster collaborative learning settings? This group will consider the advantages and disadvantages of CMC, its educational goals, and specific activities for students and teachers. We will consider software availability and requirements, what learning is best supported by CMC (concept communication versus skill acquisition), the range of collaborative relationships possible, and the conflict with entrenched competitiveness. Classroom management issues include mediating student activities and assessing student performance. We will compile resources (bibliographies, web links) and generate a report that addresses both the pedagogical issues and relevant software support.
You may also wish to read an Extended Abstract
This working group was the result of merging our original proposals. Here are the originals: